During the past decade, no industry has grown faster than that of mobile communications, yet coverage of its operations remains scarce. This state-of-the-art book examines the evolving structure and strategic behavior of the thirty largest operators in the mobile communications industry.The focus of the book is on service providers, who are the primary interface between the industry and its users. The discussion gives emphasis to the most prominent operators and is divided into regions for ease of analysis. Prior to this, there is an examination of where these companies stand in relation to the FT500 largest companies in the world and an analysis of Merger and Acquisition (M&A) activity in the industry. The authors also provide a review of the latest wave of technology, known as Long Term Evolution (LTE). Through detailed case studies, the book demonstrates the complexity of the industry's structure and sheds light on such controversies as corporate taxation. Peter Curwen and Jason Whalley conclude with an overview of where the industry has been and more importantly, where it is going. This timely book will appeal to academics, practitioners and students with an interest in technology, telecommunications and business strategy. Contents: Preface 1. Restructuring Among Mobile Service Providers: A Ten-year Perspective 2. Mobile Technology in the Modern Era 3. Anatomy of an International Operator: Vodafone Group 4. Anatomy of a Disruptive Force: Hutchison Whampoa 5. Structural and Strategic Adjustment among Asia-Pacific Mobile Operators 6. Structural and Strategic Adjustment among African Mobile Operators 7. Structural and Strategic Adjustment among European Mobile Operators 8. Structural and Strategic Adjustment among Mobile Operators in Latin America 9. Structural and Strategic Adjustment among Mobile Operators in North America 10. Internationalisation as of End-2013 11. Retrospect and Prospect Index

This book contains an Open Access chapter The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted economies and society globally. In addressing the crisis, the Internet proved incredibly important in enabling many to shift physical work, education, and social activities online and facilitating the tracking of the progress of the pandemic. Beyond the Pandemic? is the first edited collection to concentrate on the dynamic and complex relationship between the Internet and the role it played in responding to the pandemic. Covid-19 accelerated the digital economy transformation, changing the way work, education, and social engagement is organized, potentially permanently. The collection of international scholars who contributed to this volume offer insightful perspectives on how the Internet ecosystem responded and was changed as a consequence of Covid-19; the sectoral consequences of shifting activity online that the Internet enabled for many, but not for all; and the implications for regulatory policies. Given how central digital technologies are to all aspects of business, society, and government, Beyond the Pandemic? is integral to the exploration of the sectoral consequences of the Internet for business managers, policymakers and researchers engaged in planning and study for the digital economy future and planning for future pandemics.

The telecommunications industry is one of the most influential and significant global industries. As well as being fundamentally important to the health of the modern economy, it is going through a period of unprecedented change, facing a range of strategic challenges from globalization and cross-border alliances, to changing technologies and consumer demands. This innovative book provides a comprehensive analysis of the key players in the industry and uses their experiences to illustrate the strategic decisions and dilemmas that have led to both notable successes and infamous failures. Case-studies from the US, UK and Europe have been selected to illustrate key strategic concepts in the industry including: managing ascent and decline convergence and specialization protecting core markets managing industrial transition. Combining in-depth analysis with focused discussion of the strategic context, this key text will be of interest to students on specialist telecommunications and information management courses as well as MBA students interested in the strategic analysis of this evolving global industry.

The telecommunications industry is one of the most influential and significant global industries. As well as being fundamentally important to the health of the modern economy, it is going through a period of unprecedented change, facing a range of strategic challenges from globalization and cross-border alliances, to changing technologies and consumer demands. This innovative book provides a comprehensive analysis of the key players in the industry and uses their experiences to illustrate the strategic decisions and dilemmas that have led to both notable successes and infamous failures. Case-studies from the US, UK and Europe have been selected to illustrate key strategic concepts in the industry including: managing ascent and decline convergence and specialization protecting core markets managing industrial transition. Combining in-depth analysis with focused discussion of the strategic context, this key text will be of interest to students on specialist telecommunications and information management courses as well as MBA students interested in the strategic analysis of this evolving global industry.

Most of the literature on 5G has been in the form of standards, reports, and industry papers and articles. Because of this, researchers from non-scientific or non-engineering disciplines have struggled to understand how it is or could be operationalized and standardized across the globe. Here Peter Curwen and Jason Whalley offer the first manageable overview of 5G for a non-technical audience. This book provides a full review of the current literature, both academic and professional; an in-depth but non-technical discussion of the historical background of the development of 5G; and a broad, multidisciplinary survey of major issues including spectrum, and the licensing and launch of 5G networks throughout the world, distinguishing standalone 5G from non-standalone 5G. Throughout, there is consideration given to how operators and equipment vendors make money from mobile networks, and where money is potentially to be made in the years to come. Understanding 5G Mobile Networks: A Multidisciplinary Primer is a must-read not only for researchers and students in economics, business, strategy, and operations and logistics, but also for regulators, mobile companies, vertical operators, and anyone else interested in the development of this vital technology.

Mobile Telecommunications in a High Speed World tells the story of 3G and higher-speed mobile communication technologies. Over ten years have passed since the first third-generation (3G) licences were awarded following debates about the merits of auctions versus 'beauty contests' then, nothing much happened. More licences were issued, a few roll-outs commenced and everyone began to think it had all been a horribly expensive mistake. That may still turn out to be the case, but in the meantime there have been massive developments in terms of the number of licences and launches worldwide, in the range of services that can be accessed, in the range of devices that can be used to access them, in operator strategies etc. Even the technology has improved considerably with 4G now under discussion. Much of this story has been chronicled, largely on the Internet, but the information is in tens of thousands of bits and pieces and a large part of it is either misleading or just plain wrong. Here, Peter Curwen and Jason Whalley introduce the outcomes of research that has involved the compilation of a unique database which details every licence and launch worldwide involving 3G. The authors discuss the structure of the industry and the strategic behaviour of operators, as well as the social consequences of the spread of 3G. They examine the role of new entry upon competition, and present analysis of the main operators involved, the development of handsets and especially smartphones. A number of country case studies are included. This comprehensive and up-to-date volume includes a number of country studies and is written by two of the world's foremost researchers on this industry. Mobile Telecommunications in a High Speed World will serve the needs of students, academics and those involved, or contemplating involvement, with the telecoms industry. Why pay thousands of dollars to consultancies to separate the wheat from the chaff with respect to 3G when you can read this book.

This book provides an in-depth introduction to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio Regulations (RR) and the policies that govern them. Established in 1906, these regulations define the allocation of different frequency bands to different radio services, the mandatory technical parameters to be observed by radio stations, especially transmitters, and the procedures for spectrum use coordination at the international level. The book analyzes the interactions between different national policies and the ITU RR, noting how these interactions influence spectrum policy on the national level, setting up a comparative framework within which to view these regulations and their effects. Beginning with an overview of the history of the origins ITU RR, the book takes a deep dive into the components of spectrum management including radio communication service allocation, wireless technology selection, radio usage rights, and spectrum rights assignment, placing each analysis within the context of the push and pull between national and international regulations. The book concludes with chapters discussing issues affecting the future of spectrum policy, including spectrum policy reform in developing countries, the WRC-19, and IMT-2020. Shedding light on the longest-running treaty documents in the history of modern telecommunications and arguing for reforms that allow it to address the needs of all nations, this book is useful to scholars and students of telecom policy, digital policy, ICT, governance, and development as well as telecom industry practitioners and regulators.

This book deals with the development of so-called fourth generation mobile communications or 4G. It covers all aspects of the technology in a form comprehensible to the general reader, a history of its implementation on a worldwide basis and information on how it will be used to improve business transactions. It is up-to-date, comprehensive, and is based upon information acquired from well over one thousand individual sources. All of the data are set up in a manner that simplifies comparisons between countries and service providers. Based on the extensive analysis of the different contexts and progress of 4G technology, future prospects for high-speed mobile communications are also presented. ​      

Peter Curwen and Jason Whalley review the strategic operations of, and technological options available to, the 30 most prominent international mobile operators. This review is initially based upon the Asia-Pacific, African, European, Latin American and North American regions before moving on to take a worldwide perspective. The authors place these mobile operators within a wider business context via a broad ten-year appraisal of the companies involved in the entire telecommunications, media and technology (TMT) sector. The issue as to whether there truly is such a thing as a global mobile operator is addressed; the answer, in practice, is negative. Based upon the very latest data available, the underlying premise of the book is that mobile telecommunications is such a fast-moving sector that operators are obliged to alter their international strategies as circumstances unravel without necessarily having a long-term master plan, and hence that opportunism is a hallmark of operators' international strategies. This state-of-the-art overview of the internationalisation of mobile telecommunications will prove essential reading for academics and practitioners with a vested interest in technology, telecommunications and strategic management.

Theoretical and empirical work examining disruptive activity within industry has previously been restricted to the free market, even if an element of ad hoc government interference has occurred. In contrast, this book makes a unique evaluation of a situation that prevails across a significant part of the industrial sector where involvement is subject to the acquisition of an operating licence. Taking telecommunications as an illustrative industry, with a particular focus on mobile telecommunications, the book focuses on the regulatory bodies that are tasked with licence issuance. New entry is usually attempted by a single company, often with existing links within the telecommunications sector, and usually within a single country. This book provides detailed accounts of both the individual countries and international operators in question, while also including a case study of CK Hutchinson which has been associated with multiple country entries. It also examines how disruptive activity is evolving from its roots in the mobile sector to encompass so-called "quad-play" which includes fixed-wire broadband and pay-TV. Disruptive Activity in a Regulated Industry: The Case of Telecommunications will appeal to postgraduate researchers and academics in the fields of economics, innovation, regulation, and governance.

This book provides an in-depth introduction to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio Regulations (RR) and the policies that govern them. Established in 1906, these regulations define the allocation of different frequency bands to different radio services, the mandatory technical parameters to be observed by radio stations, especially transmitters, and the procedures for spectrum use coordination at the international level. The book analyzes the interactions between different national policies and the ITU RR, noting how these interactions influence spectrum policy on the national level, setting up a comparative framework within which to view these regulations and their effects. Beginning with an overview of the history of the origins ITU RR, the book takes a deep dive into the components of spectrum management including radio communication service allocation, wireless technology selection, radio usage rights, and spectrum rights assignment, placing each analysis within the context of the push and pull between national and international regulations. The book concludes with chapters discussing issues affecting the future of spectrum policy, including spectrum policy reform in developing countries, the WRC-19, and IMT-2020. Shedding light on the longest-running treaty documents in the history of modern telecommunications and arguing for reforms that allow it to address the needs of all nations, this book is useful to scholars and students of telecom policy, digital policy, ICT, governance, and development as well as telecom industry practitioners and regulators.

This book focuses on the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT has caught the imagination as a transformational technology that will positively impact a large and diverse array of socio-economic activities. This book explores this impact, beginning with a chapter highlighting the promises and complexities of the IoT. It then explores these in greater detail in subsequent chapters. The first of these chapters explores the patenting activity of leading companies and is followed by a discussion of the challenges faced by the growth of 'unicorns' within Europe. The fourth chapter outlines a methodology for determining when investments in IoT should occur and is followed by a discussion of how the data generated by IoT will change marketing related decisions. The scope and complexity of the regulatory and governance structures associated with the IoT are then explored in the sixth chapter. These issues are brought together in the final chapter, which identifies the opportunities and challenges emanating from the IoT and how these may be tackled. This book will be valuable reading to academics working in the field of disruptive technology, innovation management, and technological change more broadly.

This book focuses on the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT has caught the imagination as a transformational technology that will positively impact a large and diverse array of socio-economic activities. This book explores this impact, beginning with a chapter highlighting the promises and complexities of the IoT. It then explores these in greater detail in subsequent chapters. The first of these chapters explores the patenting activity of leading companies and is followed by a discussion of the challenges faced by the growth of 'unicorns' within Europe. The fourth chapter outlines a methodology for determining when investments in IoT should occur and is followed by a discussion of how the data generated by IoT will change marketing related decisions. The scope and complexity of the regulatory and governance structures associated with the IoT are then explored in the sixth chapter. These issues are brought together in the final chapter, which identifies the opportunities and challenges emanating from the IoT and how these may be tackled. This book will be valuable reading to academics working in the field of disruptive technology, innovation management, and technological change more broadly.

This book deals with the development of so-called fourth generation mobile communications or 4G. It covers all aspects of the technology in a form comprehensible to the general reader, a history of its implementation on a worldwide basis and information on how it will be used to improve business transactions. It is up-to-date, comprehensive, and is based upon information acquired from well over one thousand individual sources. All of the data are set up in a manner that simplifies comparisons between countries and service providers. Based on the extensive analysis of the different contexts and progress of 4G technology, future prospects for high-speed mobile communications are also presented.