Telecoms, Media & Digital

Advances in technology have had a profound effect on the economy and society. We have new ways of working and new global supply chains of goods, services and knowledge.  New digital platforms generate new forms of social communication, entertainment and e-commerce. Strong networks have underpinned our ability to cope with the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, whether for sharing information, working from home or online shopping.

This evolution was sparked by the liberalisation of the telecommunications market and the development of the internet, and has been sustained by rapid technological change. The telecommunications market continues to evolve, with a massive switch towards digital data rather than voice services as the primary revenue drivers.

Recently, digital platforms have been a focus of political and regulatory concern. Such platforms have disrupted media markets, which have traditionally attracted advertising by providing content to consumers. There have been considerable benefits to consumers from new services, many of which are freely available. Concerns are nonetheless raised about the competitiveness of digital markets, the privacy implications of ‘big data’, and the consequences of the reduced ability of traditional media to fund public interest journalism.

We have over a decade of experience advising clients at the leading edge of telecommunications and media and more recently, in digital platforms. Our advice is based on economic theory and a deep understanding of the sector, and covers:

• Regulatory advice: we advise on the design and application of economic regulatory frameworks. This includes reviewing the applicability of access regulation to particular firms, the reasonableness of prices using cost models and benchmarking, and the design of price controls and incentives for economic efficiency.
• Competition advice: We combine technical knowledge of the telecoms, media and digital platforms sector with the techniques of competition policy. We regularly advise firms and their lawyers on the competition impacts of mergers and acquisitions in these sectors.
• Valuation advice: Parties are often in dispute about the value of rights. We determine the appropriate theoretical framework, the best comparators, and use quantitative techniques to estimate the appropriate value.
• Commercial strategies: Our work with telecommunications and digital platform clients across the globe gives us crucial understanding of the local and regional trends that affect clients’ strategic decisions.
• Spectrum advice: we have worked for auction designers and spectrum acquirers on the design of auctions and bidding strategies. We have benchmarked spectrum prices and spectrum licence fees.