Our online course adopts a multi-disciplinary approach aimed at providing you with expert insights into the most recent policy challenges raised by 5G. Beginning with an overview of the ecosystem surrounding the fifth-generation technology standard, it will take into consideration the importance of an adequate auction design to unleash 5G potential on industries, economic development, and people’s lives. Further, the course will provide an analysis of the technologies and the amount of investment needed to deploy the telecommunication systems’ new generation, while identifying the type of regulatory tools capable of encouraging the whole process. Subsequent weeks will cover topics like net neutrality and network slicing. The course will be complemented by a critical overview of the new 5G business models and the challenges posed at the regulatory level. Adequate consideration will be given to the comparison of national experiences.

After an introductory week devoted to orientation, during which you will be provided with all the necessary tools to familiarise with the course online activities and contents (Week 1, 8-12 November), you will learn about:

• The ecosystem of 5G (Week 2, 15-19 November);
• Spectrum and Auctions (Week 3, 22-26 November);
• Regulation and Investment (Week 4, 29 November-3 December);
• Net Neutrality and Network Slicing (Week 5, 6-10 December);
• New technologies, new business models, and challenges for regulation (Week 6, 13-17 December).

Each weekly module consists of dedicated reading materials, self-evaluation assessments, discussions, complementary mini-video lectures and an interactive live class. Recordings will be available shortly after each live class. Throughout the duration of the course, participants will be able to interact with each other and as well as with the instructors. At the end of the course, individual feedback will be provided to those participants who deliver the final assignment, i.e. short essay on a choice of topics related to the weekly modules, which represents a requirement for obtaining the Level 2 Certificate.

The online course is delivered on an online platform where you can meet and interact with academics, who are outstanding experts in their field.

Institutional partners

The online training is organised in cooperation with: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
3 free seats will be assigned by the ITU to representatives of LDCs. For more information, please contact Jaroslaw Ponder, Head of the ITU Office for Europe
(eurregion@itu.int)

The course is organised by the Florence School of Regulation Communications and Media (FSR C&M), and the Florence Competition Programme (FCP), two programmes based at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS) of the European University Institute (EUI). These programmes provide state-of-the-art training for practitioners, carry out analytical and empirical research, and promote informed discussions on key policy issues in regulation and competition. Their flagship activity is the Joint Annual Training “Competition & Regulation for the Digital Era”.

This course represents the Annual Training’s first block of the 2021/2022 academic year.