In This Issue

In this issue, the Journal includes topical articles that cover international telecommunications, historical events and a book review on the potential future direction of technology innovation.

SafetyNet - A New Approach to Rural and Remote Communications highlights the need for a more radical approach to update the Universal Service Obligation, public safety network options and mobile roaming.

Implications of Open Source Blockchain for increasing efficiency and transparency of the Digital Content Supply Chain in the Australian Telecommunications and Media Industry identifies the use of hyperledger, an open source blockchain technology for shared ledgers, as an opportunity for industry to collaborate to improve content lifecycle transparency, trust and efficiency while protecting consumer privacy.

The Silicon Valley We Don?t Want to Have: A review of Antonio Garc?a Mart?nez, Chaos Monkeys: Inside the Silicon Valley Money Machine is a book review that describes the warts-and-all account of the many undesirable aspects of ?Silicon Valley culture?.  While the book is overly self-indulgent, it could valuably be read by policy makers interested in start-ups and business culture.

Hong Kong?s Fibre Broadband Market - Busting the Myth of Residential Fibre Broadband always being a Natural Monopoly discusses the rise of Hong Kong as a leading global city when it comes to fixed broadband performance. Unlike many other leading broadband markets, this has occurred without any financial support from the Hong Kong government. The removal, rather than an increase, of regulation of the privately owned broadband network operators has been the overwhelming main driver of this outcome. However, the lack of a universal service obligation for broadband does also mean that households and businesses in areas where competition is neither technically nor economically feasible has resulted in approximately 10% to 15% of Hong Kong households not benefiting from this policy.

Information and Communication Technology Service Industry Development in Indonesia reviews the development of ICT service Industries in Indonesia, the history of how the industries was developed, both the policy as well as the development itself. This is followed by the description of the current situation. The future plan of ICT development will be also included. A more in-depth explanation is given for the Telecommunication sector.

New Zealand Telecommunications: The actual situation ? legislation and regulations provides discussion on telecommunications legislation and regulations in New Zealand focusing on key sector and market developments.

The Radio Australia Aerial Matrix Switch provides a historical review of two papers from 1963 that describe the design and construction of the new aerial matrix switch at Radio Australia Shepparton and the ingenuity required to conceive and deploy a world-first solution.

Telecommunications and security

The Telecommunications Association, publisher of this Journal, is holding a forum in Melbourne in mid-November 2017 on telecommunications and security. The Australian Government?s telecommunication sector security reforms program has resulted in legislation passing through the Parliament that provides a new focus for the telecommunications industry.

By identifying the telecommunications industry responsibility for infrastructure and system security, the government is seeking to increase awareness of security and to jump start increased information sharing between the telecommunications industry and government security agencies. For the telecommunications industry to prepare for the new regime there will be a 12-month delay before the legislated changes take effect.

The government?s security agenda has implications for business and industry and it is likely that the telecommunications sector security reforms could extend to large enterprises that maintain and operate telecommunications assets in coming years.

For telecommunications professionals, the telecommunications market is entering into a very busy phase with significant growth in demand for broadband in the residential and business markets, the onset of 5G mobile cellular and increasing demand for a third satellite to be launched by NBN Co.

Security is now a key element of telecommunications and market growth will place new burdens on the engineering workforce over coming years.

Looking Forward

The International Telecommunications Legislation and Regulations and International Mobile Cellular Regulation and Competition themes are set to continue for some time as the opportunity to attract papers from around the globe continues. We encourage papers that reflect on where the telecommunications market is now, how it got to where it is and what is going to happen next.

Papers are invited for upcoming issues and with your contributions the Journal will continue to provide the readership with exciting and informative papers covering a range of local and international topics. The Editorial Board values input from our readership so please let us know what themes you would like to see in the coming year.

All papers related to telecommunications and the digital economy are welcome and will be considered for publication after a peer-review process.

Mark A Gregory