G5 Accelerator ICT Regulatory Tracker G5 Benchmark ICT Policy Impact Lab
G5 Accelerator

The story behind five generations of regulation – G1 to G5

Explainers
The story behind five generations of regulation – G1 to G5 Why do we need G5 collaborative regulation? Four fundamentals. Wheel of collaboration – how to collaborate and with whom? Five reasons to look at the G5 Benchmark G5 and the digital transformation The regulatory thinking cycle Finding the shortest path to collaboration
Informers
How broadband and digitization impact the global economy The impact of policies, regulation, and institutions on ICT sector performance
Enablers
Mobile broadband – six golden rules to accelerate take-up Fixed broadband – seven golden rules to accelerate take-up Future-proofing for digital transformation in times of crisis Essentials for the success of regulatory collaboration and response Seven design principles for collaborative regulation Five benchmarks for regulatory excellence and market performance 12 elements – the core of collaborative regulation best practice
National Approaches
Library of national approaches to collaborative governance
Best Practices
GSR-21: Financing digital infrastructure, access and use GSR-20: The gold standard for digital regulation GSR-19: Fast Forward Digital Connectivity for All GSR-18: New Regulatory Frontiers to Achieve Digital Transformation GSR-17: Policy and Regulatory Incentives for Affordable Access to Digital Services GSR-16: Collaborative Regulation for Digital Financial Inclusion GSR-15: Facilitate the Widespread Adoption and Use of Mobile Applications and Services through Targeted Regulation GSR-14: Consumer Protection in a Digital World GSR-13: Evolving Roles of Both Regulation and the Regulators in a Digital Environment GSR-12: Regulatory Approaches to Foster Access to Digital Opportunities Through Cloud Services GSR-11: Regulatory Approaches to Advance the Deployment of Broadband, Encourage Innovation and Enable Digital Inclusion for All GSR-10: Enabling Open Access GSR-09: Innovative Regulatory Approaches in a Converged World to Strengthen the Foundation of a Global Information Society GSR-08: Innovative Infrastructure Sharing Strategies to Promote Affordable Access for All GSR-07: Next-Generation Networks (NGNs) Migration GSR-05: Spectrum Management to Promote Broadband Access GSR-04: Promotion of Low Cost Broadband and Internet Connectivity GSR-03: Universal Access Regulatory Best Practice Guidelines

From traditional telecommunication environment to digital landscape

The ITU has developed a comprehensive model to assess regulatory evolution, which tracks generations of regulation (see figure below). Generation 1 (G1) to Generation 4 (G4) presents the evolution in telecommunication and ICT regulation, starting from the command and control regime typically associated with state-owned monopolies, through privatization and liberalization, the need to encourage investment, and the shift to meeting socio-economic objectives.

Generation 5 (G5) is reflected as the latest generation, but is ‘seen as complementary to the previous generations’, highlighting the increased importance of more flexible and collaborative regulatory frameworks capable of addressing the broad impacts of the digital economy across sectors (ITU 2020).

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Note: Generations 1 through 4 are measured through the ICT Regulatory Tracker. Generation 5 is measured through the G5 Benchmark.

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