The competition from over-the-top (‘OTT’) services has had a considerable impact on traditional service providers (‘TSPs’); for example telcos have in some cases lost revenue, while struggling to cope with congestion problems on their networks which result from the increases in data traffic caused by OTT services. In Nigeria, the disruption brought by OTT services has challenged regulatory and legislative frameworks, and recently drawn the ire of Gbenga Adebayo, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (‘ALTON’), who summarised the situation as “Telecom operators incur the costs, while OTT players make the money.” Olumide Osundolire, Partner at Banwo & Ighodalo, discusses here the impact of OTT services on telcos in Nigeria as an example of the disruption OTT services can bring in a country with a developing infrastructure, and considers the approach Nigerian telcos are taking in adapting to this disruption. / read more

In 2006, the UK Podcasters Association (UKPA) successfully campaigned for the exclusion of podcasting (and similar internet content) from the revised WIPO Broadcast Treaty, teaming up with the Irish PodRepBod, the German Podcastverband, the Open Rights Group in the UK and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) in the USA. The reasons for the campaign were many, but in essence, it came down to rights. / read more

The internet allows for seamless global communications and transactions but national laws do not. Transactions that in one country are perfectly legal in another can lead to a prison sentence. In this world, knowing where your customer is located is a matter of significant importance. This article looks at how the problems of geolocation can be addressed. / read more