Internet economy

The Committee for Information, Computer and Communications Policy (ICCP, www.oecd.org/sti/ict) develops policies to maximise the benefits of the Internet economy. Focuses of work include the information economyinformation security and privacy, and broadband and telecom.

What's new

Proactive Policy Measures by Internet Service Providers against Botnets

22-May-2012

This report analyses initiatives in a number of countries through which end-users are notified by Internet service providers when their computer is identified as being compromised by malicious software and encouraged to take action to mitigate the problem. It reviews the core dimensions of these initiatives and provides high-level guidance for future policy development.

ICT Skills and Employment: New Competences and Jobs for a Greener and Smarter Economy

04-May-2012

The emerging "green" economy is a "smarter" economy that has increased demand for ICT-skilled jobs not only in the ICT sector, but more rapidly across the wider non-ICT economy. The further creation of new jobs can only occur, however, if the right mix of skills and competences are available in the labour market. Shortages of required ICT-related skills have been observed in some OECD countries, and this is particularly true for skills related to green ICTs.

Measuring the 'Broadband Bonus' in 30 OECD Countries

23-Apr-2012

This paper provides estimates of the economic value created by broadband Internet using measures of new gross domestic product and consumer surplus. It finds that the economic value created in 30 OECD countries correlates roughly with the overall size of their broadband economies. In addition, price and quality data from the United States suggest that widespread adoption of broadband Internet has occurred without a dramatic decline in prices, which reflects an unobserved increase in broadband quality that conventional government statistics do not capture.

Final ICTNET Conference on the Economic Impact of ICT: Policy Drivers and Economic Evidence

from 25-Jun-2012 to 26-Jun-2012

This conference, to be held at the OECD in Paris, aims to provide policy makers with evidence and tools to measure the economic impact of ICTs, assess the effectiveness of their current policies, and feed into the ICT policy agenda for the years to come.

Measuring the Impact of Innovations in Public IT Infrastructure on the Standard of Living in OECD Economies

19-Apr-2012

This paper utilises an economic model that looks at the end result – observations on changes in the pattern of consumer spending behaviour – and econometrically estimates the extent of the link between these behavioural changes and their drivers: traditional economic stimuli as well as changes in the economic environment due to advances in technology and improved provision of public sector IT infrastructure.

Information and Communication Technologies and Productivity Growth: A Survey of the Literature

16-Apr-2012

The wealth of nations and their economic fortunes are ultimately driven by productivity. More productive workers earn higher wages and experience higher living standards than past generations. Hence, studying the driving forces behind productivity growth is an important question for researchers and policymakers alike. This paper presents a review of existing studies on dynamic, macroeconomic effects of ICT on productivity and growth.

Measuring the Internet: The Data Challenge

13-Apr-2012

Measuring the economic and social impacts of the Internet presents several challenges. This working paper reviews the rapidly changing nature of the Internet, the need for more granular data in order to understand its complexity, and the phenomenon of big data, which makes it possible to measure almost anything.

New OECD report on developments in mobile termination rates

01-Mar-2012

Mobile termination rates decreased across the OECD by 53% between 2006 and 2011. Cutting rates to zero would strengthen competition in voice and other services, according to this report. It could also speed up the introduction of innovative new VoIP services and encourage providers to offer a range of tariff models to meet the needs of their users, free from prices reflecting monopoly power on the networks of others.

More competition is key to cutting excessive international mobile roaming charges, says OECD

21-Feb-2012

To help governments boost competition and drive down excessive prices in international mobile roaming markets, the OECD has released a series of recommendations to protect consumers.

Protecting children online

21-Feb-2012

As the Internet permeates every aspect of our economy and society, it is also a daily reality in our children’s lives. While it brings considerable benefits to their education and development, it also exposes them to online risks such as access to inappropriate content, abusive interaction with others, exposure to aggressive marketing practices and privacy risks. The OECD has just released recommendations aiming to protect minors online.

Telecoms reform would boost competition and growth in Mexico, says OECD

31-Jan-2012

Mexico should quickly reform the laws and regulations governing its telecommunications sector to boost competition and investment and drive growth across the economy, according to a new OECD report.

OECD Insights: The Internet of Things

31-Jan-2012

A new report entitled "Machine-to-Machine Communication: Connecting Billions of Devices" looks at examples of some of the uses of machine-to-machine communication today and its potential to enhance economic and social development. It concludes that to achieve such benefits, changes to telecommunication policy and regulatory frameworks are likely to be needed.

Workshop on Benchmarking Adoption and Use of Information and Communication Technologies in the Health Sector

from 30-Jan-2012 to 31-Jan-2012

This event will bring together participants from 20 countries, the European Commission, the World Health Organisation and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD to discuss the use of health-related ICTs to improve access to health services, quality of care, and health system productivity. The longer-term intent of the initiative is to establish a robust framework to benchmark progress on e-health internationally.

ICT Applications for the Smart Grid: Opportunities and Policy Implications

13-Jan-2012

The smart grid is revolutionizing electricity production and consumption. However, strategic use of ICTs and the Internet in energy innovation requires clarifying the roles of partners coming from distinct industries. And it begs for greater coordination of government departments and stakeholder communities that so far had unrelated competencies. This report outlines opportunities, challenges and public policy implications from shifts to ICT-enabled, "smart" electricity grids.

OECD urges members to protect open Internet

14-Dec-2011

The openness of the Internet has been key in stimulating innovation and economic growth and stems from its multi-stakeholder model of development and management. Amid growing concern that this openness is eroding, the OECD has adopted a set of shared principles to preserve the fundamentally open and dynamic nature of the Internet.

Measuring Digital Local Content

09-Dec-2011

This working paper looks at the ways to quantify the local content that can be delivered through the Internet. Several indicators are proposed; for each one, the paper discusses available data, presents strengths of a given measure and outlines its potential drawbacks.

Regulation of Transborder Data Flows under Data Protection and Privacy Law

09-Dec-2011

Despite fundamental changes in the data processing landscape, and the growth in the regulation of transborder data flows in numerous countries, there has been little attempt so far to conduct a systematic inventory of such regulation at a global level, to examine the policies underlying it, and to consider whether those policies need to be re-evaluated. This study is designed to describe the present status of transborder data flow regulation, and to provoke reflection about its aims, operation, and effectiveness, now and in the future.

Internet economy: wireless subscribers drive broadband growth, says OECD

01-Dec-2011

Demand from new wireless subscribers is driving growth in high-speed Internet in OECD countries but the latest data show a slowdown in fixed broadband subscriptions in the first half of 2011.

Digital Identity Management for Natural Persons: Enabling Innovation and Trust in the Internet Economy - Guidance for Government Policy

01-Dec-2011

This report explains why digital identity management is fundamental for the further development of the Internet economy. It also provides guidance for digital identity strategies that support innovation across the public and private sectors while enhancing security, privacy and trust online.

OECD release: Terms of Reference for the review of the OECD Privacy Guidelines

01-Nov-2011

The Terms of Reference articulate a shared view among OECD members about key aspects of the current context for privacy protection and provide orientation for further work on the review.

Current Developments in Privacy Frameworks: Towards Global Interoperability

on 01-Nov-2011

With important changes underway in privacy frameworks around the world, the OECD is organising this conference hosted by the Ministry of the Economy of Mexico in conjunction with the Federal Institute for Access to Information and Data Protection, to be held back-to-back with the 33rd International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners.

OECD workshop on broadband metrics

from 12-Oct-2011 to 13-Oct-2011

The focus of this event held in Washington, DC, was discussion of a new approach to harmonizing broadband and Internet economy metrics.

The Role of Internet Intermediaries in Advancing Public Policy Objectives

30-Sep-2011

This book presents a comprehensive view of Internet intermediaries, their economic and social function, development and prospects, benefits and costs, and roles and responsibilities.

OECD events at Internet Governance Forum

from 27-Sep-2011 to 30-Sep-2011

The OECD continues its tradition of actively engaging with the UN-supported forum for multi-stakeholder policy dialogue on Internet Governance. Our forum and workshops will discuss policy principles for an open Internet, economic aspects of local content and mobile government for inclusive public services. Remote participation will be possible.

Consumer Policy Toolkit Workshop: Communication Services

on 25-Oct-2011

This OECD workshop will examine how governments, industry and other stakeholders are addressing certain consumer problems in communication services, with a focus on billing issues, contract terms, and misleading or fraudulent claims.

Virtual worlds - Immersive online platforms for collaboration, creativity and learning

04-Jul-2011

This report provides an overview of the potential benefits but also limitations of virtual worlds for enhancing collaboration, creativity, and learning across society. It analyses to what extent virtual worlds provide platforms for new and experimental interactions and can thus be considered a catalyst behind the changing nature of innovation, as discussed in particular in the OECD Innovation Strategy. The report also examines the main drivers as well as barriers and challenges for the diffusion of virtual worlds.

New framework for an open Internet agreed at OECD

29-Jun-2011

OECD governments and other stakeholders have created a new framework to promote a more transparent, open Internet at a two-day meeting in Paris. The new principles, agreed by OECD member governments, business representatives and technical experts, aim to advance the debate on Internet governance. They underline the benefits that today’s light-touch, flexible regulation has brought in driving innovation and economic growth.

High-level meeting on the Internet Economy: Generating Innovation and Growth

from 28-Jun-2011 to 29-Jun-2011

The aim of this meeting is to reach a consensus on how best to ensure the continued growth and innovation of the Internet economy. The meeting follows up on the OECD Ministerial Meeting on The Future of the Internet Economy held in June 2008 and the Seoul Declaration adopted at that meeting.

More effective competition and better regulation needed to cut high mobile data roaming costs, says OECD

08-Jun-2011

Regulators and policy makers should boost competition among mobile telephone operators to cut the high prices being charged for international data roaming, according to this new report. Analysis of pricing plans at 68 operators in the 34 OECD countries points to a strong case for new consumer protection and empowerment measures.

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Editor's Choice

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OECD Communications Outlook 2011

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OECD Information Technology Outlook 2010