The Global ICT Regulatory Outlook (GIRO) series lays out a broad canvas of how regulation and digital markets are interacting – and advocates for collaborative regulatory reform in delivering meaningful connectivity and inclusive digital markets. The report is both dense, offering deep-dive detail, and high-level – pointing up the headline trends, challenges and opportunities for regulators as ICT broadens out to touch all civic, professional and personal aspects of our lives within the phenomenon we call the digital global economy.
In the first edition of the Global ICT Regulatory Outlook in 2017, we explored the evolution of ICT regulatory trends over the preceding decade. We set out the ITU concept of five ‘generations’ of ICT regulation – now widely shared – analysing prime evidence and charting possible ways forward.
The second edition (2018) dived deep into the current trends defining regulation in the transition to the digital economy, and also focused on the strong correlation between ICT regulation and the take-up of ICT. It provided insight, inspiration and informed analysis designed to help address the challenges ahead – and paved the way for the first Benchmark for collaborative, fifth generation regulation presented in detail in Chapter 1 of this 2020 edition.
In this year’s 2020 edition, we share unique, focused research and offer both evidence and practical advice to support regulators embarked on their journey to fifth generation collaborative regulation. The Benchmark of Fifth Generation Collaborative Regulation (G5 Benchmark), based on GSR19 Best Practice Guidelines together with the ICT Regulatory Tracker, serves as a compass for regulators on their journey of digital transformation, helping establish roadmaps towards regulatory excellence and a thriving digital economy.
Importantly, this year we revisit golden rules for inclusive digital markets based on a wealth of ITU data from 193 countries over more than a decade. Our research and analysis confirm that good regulation makes a difference – and provides the key to unlocking meaningful, inclusive connectivity across countries at different levels of development and national income. Working with those updated golden rules, we offer a regulatory recipe for accelerated take-up of fixed and mobile broadband markets.
Generations of regualtion - where do we stand?*
Note: The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of ITU concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Source: ITU 2019
