Global ICT Regulatory Outlook 2018

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New technological phenomena will drive and define a new paradigm for regulation – for many regulatory issues, what is coming down the road will cause fundamental upheaval rather than seamless evolution. Many existing core regulatory questions and fixtures will take on a new meaning and will need to be re-tooled (see Figure below).

Figure: Regulatory upheaval for new and emerging technologies

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A broad framework for exploring new technologies and design principles should form the basis for a revisited regulatory thinking cycle, one that supports collective thinking on new technological paradigms led by regulators.
The cycle we propose covers ten steps (see Figure below).

Figure: Regulatory thinking cycle for collaborative regulation

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All indications emphatically underline that we need more collaboration – better channels and more bandwidth. Although there has been unequivocally agreement on the benefits of collaboration, progress has been stalled by power battles, lack of resources and misconceptions. In 2019, we will investigate the causes of this limited take-up of collaboration and its impact. However, we have a pressing message for regulators across the board: solid progress towards inclusive and collaborative regulation is needed for the good of all users of digital services, now and into the future.

In preparing this report, we conducted extensive research and have had direct contact with regulators. We gathered conclusive evidence on the breadth and depth of regulatory collaboration. Our  findings are helpful in drawing the global map of regulatory collaboration, allowing us to pinpoint achievements and gaps – and help provide guidance on where to concentrate efforts and resources. The evidence also makes the case for sound collaboration across governments.  

Figure 90: The state of regulatory collaboration in 2018
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