November 2016: Highlights and Activities

International Meetings attended by MCA representatives

IS Mobility to Enhance Active Aging – E-Aging ERASMUS+ Job Shadowing / WWbetterW – 1^st Partner
Officials from the MCA’s Information Society’s Unit participated in the E-Aging Erasmus+ Job Shadowing / WWbetterW – 1^st Partner seminar between the 22^nd and 26^th November 2016 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Information Society Unit is coordinating an Erasmus+ funded programme with the aim to offer job shadowing with similar organisations which are engaged in similar activities. The aim is to promote knowledge transfer and gain new experience about innovative ways to address the digital divide. For the second visit, staff members visited Telecentre Denmark in Copenhagen. Project and Initiative ideas were exchanged and attendees had the opportunity to learn, discuss and plan future projects, in the strife to offer fresh innovative projects with regards to active aging. The mission of the Telecentre Europe Denmark is to encourage the development of the Information Society, increase the accessibility of the Internet and eServices in Denmark by providing computer literacy and safe internet training and stimulating the growth of eServices on a national level.

ECS – Galileo – GNSS Programme Committee Meeting
An MCA representative attended the ECS – Galileo – GNSS Programme Committee Meeting on the 23^rd November 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. The committee reviewed the service readiness for Galileo and exchanged views in relation to initial services. The various GNSS related programmes were also discussed with particular focus on the 2017 work plan.

11^th European Regulators Group for Postal Services (ERGP) Plenary & Workshop
An MCA official attended the 11^th ERGP Plenary and Workshop on the 25^th November in Naples, Italy. The meeting endorsed for publication a number of reports on various postal-related topics, which were compiled during 2016 and which will serve to provide a better understanding of the European postal market.

BEREC – WG - Market and Economy Analysis – M&A Meeting
A representative of the MCA participated in BEREC’s Market and Economic Analysis Working Group (MEA EWG) on the 24^th November 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. The meeting served to discuss the work stream related to the impact assessment of mobile mergers on retail prices and investments. Developments in this respect will be analysed for Austria, Germany and Ireland. The work stream will involve IDATE as an external consultant, carrying out field research for acquiring tariff, market and investment data in the identified countries. The findings from the field research will be utilised by the drafters of the report in their ex-post assessment of the effects of mobile mergers on retail prices and investments in the sector. The methodology of the ex-post assessment (the quantitative analysis) will be defined over the coming weeks. The report is to be delivered for P3 2017. During the meeting, the PRDs for the MEA EWG for 2017 were also discussed.

IS Be Smart Online 3 – Insafe Training and the Insafe Steering Committee Meetings
An MCA official participated in the IS Be Smart Online 3 – Insafe Training and Insafe Steering Committee meetings, which were held between the 23^rd and 26^th November 2016 in Luxembourg. The Insafe Training, the Safer Internet Forum and the Insafe Steering Committee meetings provide an opportunity for members of the network of European Safer Internet Centres to discuss and shape network-wide actions and policies for creating a safer and better internet for young people. The MCA is the national administrator of the Safer Internet Centre in Malta and meetings are held regularly to discuss and filfill the overall objective of the project and coordinate efforts across Europe and also internationally.

Communications Committee (COCOM) 66^th & 67^th General Meeting
Representatives of the MCA attended the 66^th & 67^th General Meeting of the Communications Committee (COCOM) which were held on the 11^th and 23^rd November 2016 respectively in Brussels, Belgium. The Commission provided further information on the comments received to its draft implementing act on roaming fair use and sustainability, while the Committee held further explanatory discussions of the main issues identified.

13^th Electronic Communications Committee Working Group - Numbering and Networks Meeting
An MCA representative participated in the 13^th Electronic Communications Committee Working Group – Numbering and Networks meeting which was held between the 22^nd and 24^th November 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. During this meeting, participants were provided with an overview, of the work related to current and future numbering issues, which was carried out during the past 6 months by different project teams reporting to this working group. A focus session, involving the participation of representatives from the European Commission, was also held regarding aspects, from the proposed European Electronic Communications Code published in September 2016, which are relevant to this working group.

BEREC – Training on Regulatory Framework
An MCA official participated in BEREC’s training on Regulatory Framework between the 22^nd and 23^rd November 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. This was the 1^st out of 4 sessions provided by BEREC and TERA Consultants on cost modelling techniques and the new framework.

BEREC – Net Neutrality Working Group
A representative of the MCA attended the BEREC Expert Workshop on IP Interconnection in co-operation with the OECD, which was held between the 20^th and 21^st November 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. Regulators and Industry Specialists discussed the developments in the relative markets, in the light of various developments including the Net Neutrality regulations.

BEREC/IRG Contact Network Meeting
An MCA representative participated in the BEREC/IRG Contact Network Meeting which was held between the 17^th and 18^th November 2016 in Riga, Latvia. The objective of this meeting was to prepare for the 29^th Plenary meeting of the BEREC Board of Regulators and the BEREC Office Management Committee which will take place between the 8^th and 9^th December in Berlin.

2^nd Future Internet Forum H2020
An MCA representative attended the 2^nd Future Internet Forum (FIF) which was held on the 16^th November 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. During the FIF forum, a number of topics related to upcoming technologies that will shape the future of the internet in the coming years were discussed. A major topic in discussion was related to the initiatives in the member states concerning 5G. The MCA presented a document detailing the authority’s revised proposition to support trial deployment of 5G in Malta. The European Cloud Initiative was presented to all stakeholders during a round table, and discussed the work being done in each member state vis a vis the cloud. Other topics of interest included the Internet of Things (IoT), the Next Generation Internet Initiative and also an overview of Turkey’s 5G implementation plans. Finally, a summary of the upcoming EU Copyright Framework was presented to the Forum.

ENISA Security & Network Integrity – Article 13a Experts Group
An MCA official participated in the Article 13a Experts Group 20^th meeting organised by ENISA and hosted by the National Regulatory Authority of the Czech Republic. The meeting was held between the 9^th and 10^th November 2016 in Prague, Czech Republic. While serving as a platform to discuss various issues arising from the implementation of Article 13a of the USD and other closely related topics, new proposals for the Digital Single Market as proposed by the Commission were discussed.

41^st Meeting of the Radio Spectrum Policy Group
A representative of the MCA participated in the 41^st RSPG meeting held on the 9^th November 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. The RSPG adopted the Strategic Roadmap towards 5G for Europe (Opinion on spectrum related aspects for next-generation wireless systems - 5G), and agreed draft Opinions for Consultation on Intelligent Transport Systems and the Internet of Things. The RSPG also noted progress reports from the Working Groups dealing with the following items:

• Review of the Telecomms Regulatory Framework
• “Good Offices” to assist in bilateral negotiations between EU countries
• A long-term strategy with regard to future PMSE spectrum requirements
• WRC-19 preparation
• Spectrum related aspects for next-generation wireless systems (5G)
• Spectrum aspects of the Digital Single Market
• Spectrum aspects of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)
• Spectrum aspects of Internet-of-Things (IoT) including M2M

The next Plenary meeting of the RSPG will take place on Tuesday 7^th February 2017.

Web Summit Conference
Representatives of the MCA participated in the Web Summit Conference between the 8^th and 10^th November 2016 in Lisbon, Portugal through a dedicated Malta booth in collaboration with TradeMalta and MIMCOL. The Web Summit brings together tech-related interests from across the globe, attracting a crowd of 53,000 individuals from 166 countries at this year’s event. The booth was visited by the Minister for Competitiveness and Digital, Maritime and Services Economy, the Hon. Emmanuel Mallia. At the Malta booth, Minister Mallia met with some of the 153 Maltese delegates present.

ENISA and ACAB-C Meetings
An MCA representative attended the ENISA and ACAB-C meetings between the 10^th and 11^th November 2016 in Rome, Italy. During the ENISA meeting, the main topics of discussion centred on the eIDAS Supervisory Bodies’ processes to adopt and handle security issues with ENISA. During the half-day ACAB-C meeting, the member states’ Supervisory Bodies had an opportunity to discuss and interact with the Conformity Assessment Bodies that form part of the ACAB council. Together with the other member states, the MCA put forward suggestions related to a standard conformity assessment report that will be issued by the various CABs when it comes to certifying Trusted Service Providers (TSPs) to eIDAS requirements.

eIDAS Regulations/Legal Drafting – FESA Annual Expert Group Meeting
An MCA official participated in the Forum of European Supervisory Authorities (FESA) for Trust Service Providers, which was held between the 8^th and 9^th November 2016 at the Agenzia per l’Italia Digitale (AgID) in Rome, Italy. During this meeting, which focused on the recently released eIDAS regulation, a number of topics were discussed including CEN/ETSI Standardisation Framework for Signatures, Best Practices for Trusted List management and Conformity Assessment Methods. The forum also provided the MCA with a platform where cooperation mechanisms among member states were discussed, as well as challenges being faced by member states’ Supervisory Bodies. Ongoing issues related to the new legislation’s standards were also reviewed by all participants.

EU Market Postal Statistic – Commission Postal Training Course – Session on Postal Statistics
A representative of the MCA attended the Postal Statistics Training Course, organised by DG-MRKT on the 7^th and 8^th November 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. The objective of this 2 day training session was to provide an overview of statistical techniques to collect postal information and how to deal in case of missing information. The attendees discussed the various ways of how, within each NRA, the information is collected and the obstacles encountered; evaluated these obstacles from a statistical perspective and sought to improve the data collection for better statistical analysis.

CEPT – ECC – Workshop on 5G
The MCA officials participated in a workshop organised by the European regional organisation CEPT on 5G between the 2^nd and 4^th November 2016 in Mainz, Germany. The workshop provided an opportunity for stakeholders to present requirements and developments to improve connectivity with 5G, as well as to collect highlights of the developments within CEPT on the road to 5G. The outcome of this event served as an input to the development of the CEPT roadmap on 5G.

MCA Publications & Website Uploads

 WWebcheck for Local Councils
Published on 30^th November

Notice by the Malta Communications Authority
Published on 25^th November

The Assignment of Spectrum in the 800 MHz Band – Call for Applications
Published on 25^th November

Broadband QoS Framework – Extended
Published on 14^th November: http://bit.ly/2gx8BaK

Review for the Grant of Right to Use of Spectrum for Test and Trial Purposes
Published on 9^th November: http://bit.ly/2gIqcNw

Further Clarifications to the Submissions for the Assignment Requests of the 800 MHz Spectrum
Published on 9^th November

Review of GO Plc’s Application for funding of the Net Cost claimed to have been incurred to provide Universal Service Obligations during 2013
Published on 1^st November: http://bit.ly/2gJBujA 

MCA Events

Press Launch GetSmarter Initiative

The Malta Communications Authority, in collaboration with the Department for Local Government (DLG), has launched #Webcheck (For Local Councils), a project aimed at providing all LCs with the necessary tools, training and much needed official guidelines on the use of social media. The seminars being delivered as part of this project are in support of OPM circular NO21/2015 – Policy on the use of Social Media in the Public Service. This policy aims to promote the benefits from the use of social media whilst outlining a set of principles as a guide for its appropriate use within the Public Service.

The Honourable Dr. Mallia, Minister for Competitiveness and Digital, Maritime and Services Economy emphasised the importance of the use of social media within the public service as it makes the public service closer to the general public. Especially today as the use of mobile technology is so widespread. ‘People today are online at the touch of a button - there are no boundaries of time or place. Organisations, whether private or public, cannot afford to miss out on such an opportunity to keep up a constant level of engagement with their respective communities.'

MCA WEBCHECK FOR LOCAL COUNCIL.Still009.png

Parliamentary Secretary Dr. Stefan Buontempo emphasised that councillors have a vocation to serve the members of their communities by keeping them informed about the on goings of their respective localities. ‘This is essential for the Strategy of the Local Government’s Parliamentary Secretary in order to ensure that Local Councils build “Strong Communities”. In today’s digital world, such contact is possible through social media, and a good number of councils are engaging with their communities through Facebook. We aspire to make this means of communication accessible to each and every local council in three months time, which in turn will lead to communities that will enjoy better assistance and information.’

Malta’s ICT objectives are guided by the Europe 2020 strategy initiatives and the Digital Malta Strategy. Digital Malta reflects the Government’s vision to have Malta prosper as a digitally enabled nation in all sectors of society by 2020, especially when one considers that today technology is a key player for efficiency and for less bureaucracy.

Media participation by MCA

The MCA representatives’ participation in radio and television programmes.

Radio

16.11.16:              ‘L-Informatika u s-Soċjetà’ – Radju Marija
                              (Programme 8: Wi-Fi)
                              http://bit.ly/2fyoAsw

 9.11.16                ‘L-Informatika u s-Soċjetà’ – Radju Marija
                              (Programme 7: Il-Kummerċ Elettroniku)
                              http://bit.ly/2fMZrIQ

 02.11.16               ‘L-Informatika u s-Soċjetà’ – Radju Marija
                              (Programme 6: eSafety Label/Dizzjunarju tal-Malti)
                              http://bit.ly/2gSknQs

Television

15.11.16:              ‘What is Crowd Funding?’ – MCA Malta (Sign Language Feature 2)
                              http://bit.ly/2gwmZA6

15.11.16:              ‘Information Society – Unit Function’ – MCA Malta (Sign Language Feature 1)
                              http://bit.ly/2fPPzym

Legal Updates

Pending lawsuits

• 4^th November: Court of Appeal (Inferior)(Ellul): Melita plc vs l-Awtorità ta’ Malta dwar il-Komunikazzjoni – contestation of decision & fine imposed following failure to undertake audit of billing system.Adjourned to 7^th February 2017 for Court’s judgement.

• 10^th November: First Hall of the Civil Court (Felice): Vodafone & GO vs l-Awtoritá ta’ Malta dwar il-Komunikazzjoni – contestation of an MCA Directive issued in 2005 requiring operators to contribute towards the cost of ULI requirements of (Malta’s) Security Service. Adjourned for the conclusion of evidence by the parties for 10^th January 2017.

•  17^th November: Arbitration sitting involving MCA’s van and 3^rd party vehicle – adjourned for continuation to January 2017.

•  28^th November: Court of Magistrates (Malta) – Av. Paul Edgar Micallef noe vs Melitanet Ltd – payment of outstanding fees due to MCA. Case decided in favour of the MCA.

International News

REGULATION

Cullen International: Roam Like At Home: revised draft fair use proposal addresses unlimited data bundles and prevention of abusive roaming
Unlimited data bundles and prepaid subscriptions should be subject to a safeguard according to the latest version of the European Commission’s proposal on a fair use policy for international mobile roaming at domestic rates (Roam Like At Home, RLAH) [read more – subscription required].

Total Telecom: Clear as mud on coverage
It is time for the industry to "get clear on coverage," said EE chief executive Marc Allera, which means talking about network coverage in terms of landmass and not population [read more].

Total Telecom: Trump's FCC team spells trouble for net neutrality
Jeffery Eisenach testified against US regulator’s Open Internet rules, while Mark Jamison has questioned the need for the FCC altogether [read more].

Telecoms.com: UK passes Orwellian Snooper’s Charter
It’s been threatening for a while, but now its official; the Snooper’s Charter is now a real thing after passing through the House of Lords [read more].

Telecoms.com: It’s all getting a bit sticky for Facebook and WhatsApp
Following concerns expressed by a UK government body over data sharing between Facebook and WhatsApp, the social media giant has confirmed it has halted plans across Europe [read more].

Out-Law.com: Rights to remedy and redress should apply to all contracts where personal data is traded for digital content, say MEPs
Consumers should not have had to actively provide their personal data in return for digital content to be supplied to them to benefit from consumer protection rights relating to the supply of that content, a committee of MEPs has said [read more].

EurActiv: EU law comes to the defence of authors of ‘forgotten’ books
Authors will retain the rights to “forgotten”, out-of-print books, after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) said that republishing them in digital format without their consent is in breach of EU law [read more].

eCommerce Times: Google Cites Amazon Competition in Response to EU
Google has filed a response in a 6-year-old antitrust battle with the European Union, which has charged that its search ads unfairly promoted its own shopping service and blocked rivals [read more].

EurActiv: EU approves France’s scheme for very high speed broadband
On 7th November European Union antitrust regulators approved France’s €13 billion scheme to roll out very high speed broadband across the country, saying it did not unduly distort competition [read more].

European Commission: Consultation on Next Generation Internet
The European Commission is preparing the Next Generation Internet Initiative. An open consultation has just been launched to give everyone the chance to share their views and ideas about the Internet of 2030 [read more].

Telecoms.com: UK slams Facebook and WhatsApp data relationship
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has cast a shadow over data sharing between Facebook and WhatsApp in a move which could have complicated implications in the long-run [read more].

Total Telecom: Ireland heads to EU Court over Apple tax spat
Ireland has launched its bid to overturn the European Commission's order for it to claw back €13 billion in unpaid taxes from Apple [read more].

EurActiv: Commission to open probe into tech companies’ algorithms next year
The European Commission is considering actions to make internet firms share details about the algorithms they use to present information like news, user posts or search engine results [read more].

Ars Technica: Trump’s FCC: Tom Wheeler to be replaced, set-top box reform could be dead
Tom Wheeler’s time as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is nearing an end now that Republican Donald Trump has won the presidency. You can expect Wheeler to step down from his chairmanship on or before January 20, when Trump is inaugurated [read more].

EurActiv: Telecoms regulators fight back against Commission plan for new EU agency
A fresh fight is brewing over the European Commission’s plans to turn a group of national telecoms regulators into a full-blown EU agency, with several top watchdogs saying the move will compromise their independence and give Brussels too much power [read more].

Total Telecom: EU tells WhatsApp to stop sharing data with Facebook
The European Commission has called on WhatsApp to stop sharing user data with parent Facebook until it can ascertain whether the popular OTT messaging app is complying with data protection rules [read more].

SPECTRUM

Policy Tracker: UK regulator will push for "targeted" coverage obligations for 700MHz licences
EE’s head of regulatory policy called on Ofcom to work with the mobile industry ahead of the 700MHz auction to agree on any coverage obligations imposed on the winning bidders [read more – subscription required].

Policy Tracker: Italian broadcasters will play for time on 700MHz clearance
Italian broadcasters, led by Mediaset and Rai, are concerned by an accelerated switch-off of their terrestrial platform caused by the 700MHz band clearance, the source told PolicyTracker [read more – subscription required].

Total Telecom: Telia, Elisa, DNA win 700MHz spectrum in Finland
Operators pay for €22 million each for 2x10MHz of spectrum. Telia Company, Elisa, and DNA all announced they have won 700-MHz spectrum in Finland [read more].

Policy Tracker: Commission v Council WRC-15 case to be heard early next year
An exact date has not been set but PolicyTracker understands the written stage of proceedings is now closed and a reporting judge has been selected [read more – subscription required].

Policy Tracker: Italy still doubtful over EU deadline for 700 MHz band
As Italy's Ministry for Economic Development (MISE) announces 2017 trials of 5G in three as-yet-unnamed cities, questions still remain around the 700MHz band, key to the success of any 5G launch [read more – subscription required]. 

Policy Tracker: FCC technology chief confident of global 5G harmonisation
The US regulator’s head of engineering and technology said that tuning ranges of plus or minus 10% would be enough to accommodate different regional choices but he couldn't confirm that harmonisation would be possible between the US and EU 5G bands at 28GHz and 26GHz [read more – subscription required].

Policy Tracker: China to focus on 26 GHz band for mmWave
The US, South Korea, China and Japan have all stressed the need for global harmonisation of mmWave spectrum, but as the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) announces its 5G pioneer bands, divisions look increasingly deep [read more – subscription required].

Total Telecom: Telia disappointed after Sweden cancels 700MHz sale
Telia has described Sweden's decision to cancel its upcoming 700MHz auction as a step back for the digitalisation of the country [read more].

Policy Tracker: Consultation responses show industry believes spectrum harmonisation is key for 5G and the IoT to be successful
EU-level and global harmonisation, and the continued availability of lower spectrum bands, are central to driving the rollout of 5G and Internet of Things services, according to representatives of the UK and French tech industries [read more – subscription required].

Policy Tracker: Vodafone and O2 accused of making "premature" anti-competitiveness claims about UK 4G PPDR network sites
As an influential committee of MPs launches a probe of the UK's emergency services network (ESN) programme, PolicyTracker has learned that a November date was agreed by all mobile operators for EE to release information on the location and size of new LTE infrastructure [read more – subscription required].

INTERNET

Ars Technica: When a city has gigabit Internet, prices for slower speed tiers drop
The mere presence of gigabit Internet speeds in a metro area drives down the price of plans with slower speeds, according to new industry-funded research. Thus, the data suggests that even customers who don't purchase gigabit Internet benefit from its availability [read more]

Telecoms.com: UK broadband advertising is ‘up to’ no good
The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has set the telco industry in its sights as it looks into the language used in broadband speed marketing campaigns [read more].

Telecoms.com: AT&T marketing team wins standing ovation for data throttling rebrand
AT&T has revealed a new feature for 2017 with its marketing team seemingly having great fun rebranding ‘Data Throttling’ to ‘Stream Saver’ [read more].

Total Telecom: Virgin Media UK launches 4G, tests net neutrality rules with zero-rated WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger
Virgin Media UK marked the launch of its 4G service on Monday by offering zero-rated access to WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger [read more].

Ars Technica: AT&T zero-rating of DirecTV data may violate net neutrality, FCC says
The Federal Communications Commission says AT&T may be violating net neutrality rules by allowing DirecTV video to stream without counting against mobile data caps while charging other companies for the same privilege [read more].

Telecoms.com: Openreach rebuffs whiners with 1gbps FTTP announcement
BT’s wholesale business unit Openreach has announced it will more than double the speeds available over its ultrafast Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network [read more].

Total Telecom: UK mobile operators rubbish renewed calls for national roaming
UK mobile operators have poured scorn on the idea of implementing national roaming, after a group of MPs renewed calls for it to be rolled out [read more].

Ars Technica: When you want cable Internet—but Charter wants $9,000 first
Before Charter purchased Time Warner Cable (TWC) in May of this year, the company promised New York state regulators that it would bring broadband to 145,000 unserved and underserved homes and businesses by 2020. The condition helped Charter win government approval of the merger [read more].

EurActiv: UK fintech finds EU barriers emerging after Brexit vote
Fallout from the vote to leave the European Union is already threatening the growth of financial technology firms in Britain, industry officials said on 2nd November [read more].

Lough Borough Echo: Postman sentenced for stealing parcels
A former postman, from Barrow-upon-Soar, is to pay over £8,800 after stealing parcels [read more].

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Post & Parcel: bpost still pursuing PostNL merger proposal
As previously reported, bpost submitted a renewed and improved proposed offer – and then received a letter from PostNL on 11th November outlining why the Boards of the Netherlands operator had declined the proposal [read more].

Total Telecom: EU set to clear Microsoft's LinkedIn deal
The European Commission is expected to approve Microsoft's $26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn after the software giant altered concessions designed to ease competition concerns [read more].

Total Telecom: UK govt wants to stop home-grown tech start-ups being acquired so easily
In addition to confirming plans to spend more than £1 billion (€1.17 billion) on broadband infrastructure, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer announced measures to stop promising tech start-ups from being acquired so easily [read more].

Total Telecom: Microsoft offers EU concessions on LinkedIn deal
Microsoft has submitted concessions to the European Commission in a bid to gain approval for its $26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn [read more].

Post & Parcel: PostNL rejects bpost bid
In a statement sent to Post&Parcel on 11th November PostNL said that the proposed offer “does not represent a sufficiently compelling value proposition for PostNL’s shareholders” and the Boards “remain confident about PostNL’s stand-alone strategy” [read more].

INNOVATION

Total Telecom: Operators, not auto makers hold the keys to the connected car – Springworks
While car makers are busy cramming infotainment systems and as many sensors as possible into their latest models, it is operators that actually hold the key to the connected car services that drivers will come to rely on. This is what software platform provider Springworks thinks, anyway [read more].

Telecoms.com: Apple and PayPal continue crusade to end human interaction
Starting on 10th November Siri will be integrated with PayPal meaning customers no longer have to go through the process of talking to other people when transferring money. After all with the necessity to tweet about the US election, catch up on an episode of the Walking Dead or conquer the next level of Candy Crush, who has time to interact with other people anyway [read more].

INFORMATION SOCIETY

Ars Technica: Cyber college for wannabe codebreakers planned at UK’s iconic Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park—the home of codebreakers whose pioneering work helped Britain and its allies win the Second World War—could be the site for a College of National Security, with plans for it to open in 2018 [read more].

Ofcom: Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2016
Ofcom has published a report which examines children’s media literacy. It provides detailed evidence on media use, attitudes and understanding among children and young people aged 5-15, as well as detailed information about the media access and use of young children aged 3-4 [read more].

POST

Post & Parcel: DHL Express launches On Demand Delivery
DHL Express has launched a new “On Demand Delivery”, which it says has been developed in response to significant growth in premium cross-border e-commerce volumes [read more].

Post & Parcel: Canadians prepared to accept reductions in postal delivery frequencies
A study prepared as part of the ongoing review into Canada Post’s operations has found that Canadians are willing to accept a reduction in the frequency of postal deliveries and many also support a move to community mail boxes in urban areas [read more].

Post & Parcel: Omniva set to invest €20m in parcel machine network
Omniva has announced that it is going to invest more than €20m over the next five years in the expansion of its parcel machine network, in order to make it more convenient to receive parcels in the smaller settlements of the Baltic region as well [read more].

Post & Parcel: Royal Mail’s half-year results in line with expectations
Royal Mail has announced its results for the half year ended 25 September. The revenue of £4,583m was up 1% on the £4,395m achieved in the first half of 2015, while profit before tax was up from £240m to £252m [read more].

Post & Parcel: Posti says Regulatory Authority is demanding “the impossible”
Posti has argued that a penalty payment that has been imposed on it by the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority is “unfounded”, because in order to meet the Authority’s requirement the company “would have to do the impossible” [read more].

ECOMMERCE

eCommerce News: UK competition regulator warns online retailers against price fixing
The Competition and Markets Authority in the United Kingdom has found evidence online retailers are colluding on online marketplaces such as Amazon. It had warned several ecommerce companies against price fixing. Consumers were offered bad deals due to retailers discussing prices with competitors or agreeing not to undercut them [read more].