Search Results for: "International Telecommunications Society"

The next webinar from the International Telecommunications Society (ITS) will look at “Developments in Satellite Technology and the Future of Space Regulation”. The one-hour session is scheduled for April 30, at 9:30 (Eastern). There is no charge for the webinar.

I have been a long-time supporter of these webinars to keep up with new trends and issues arising from emerging technology.

The future of space is being shaped by innovators and regulators. The commercial space industry is experiencing unprecedented growth with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) constellations enabling breakthrough applications. Satellite-based data centers with AI services are on the horizon; direct-to-cellular networks, and earth stations in motion, are expanding what is possible beyond earth.

Laws and regulations governing commercial activities in space have evolved significantly, with today’s regulatory landscape reflecting both established principles and emerging frameworks designed to support these new technologies. From debris management to liability standards to jurisdictional questions, the rules governing space are more relevant than ever and raise fundamental questions:

• How should space law evolve to support innovation while maintaining safety?
• How should regulators address emerging technologies and business models that existing frameworks weren’t designed to accommodate?
• How do we launch one million satellites into earth’s orbit? What are the consequences?

Professor Rob Frieden of Penn State University will discuss how regulations can support next-generation LEO/MEO applications, sharing insights into the rapid evolution of the commercial space sector. The session will explore international and domestic policies shaping space law and examine how emerging frameworks are enabling today’s most exciting developments.

There will be an interactive Q&A session following the talk.

Coincidentally, at the FCC’s April Open Meeting, also scheduled for April 30, there is an agenda item for Space Spectrum Sharing. According to Scotiabank, this “could provide LEO operators with benefits to better serve rural and edge-of-footprint suburban areas.”

Register now for this one-hour session, to explore the high-stakes legal landscape of space — where the next frontier isn’t just technological but regulatory.

The first International Telecommunications Society (ITS) webinar of 2026 is entitled, “How AI Changes Us”. The one-hour webinar will take place February 19 at 9:30am (Eastern).

What happens to the human mind when we begin sharing the world with new kinds of intelligence?

I have been supporting the ITS webinars for a number of years now. These free one-hour sessions present global experts to an audience around the globe for interesting insights and discussion of topical issues. The last session, held in mid-November, looked at “The Productivity Paradox and the Promise of Co-Intelligence”. February’s session will include a conversation discussing “Psychology, Morality, and Meaning in an Age of Intelligent Machines”, bringing psychology to the centre of the AI debate.

The presenters for the February event are two leading psychologists working at the intersection of human behaviour, trust, and artificial intelligence:

• Paul Bloom: Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto and author of numerous books, among them The Sweet Spot and Against Empathy. Professor Bloom is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost thinkers on moral psychology, meaning, and human motivation.
• Azim Shariff: Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia and Director of the Centre for Applied Moral Psychology. Professor Shariff is a global expert on morality, religion, and the ethics of emerging technologies, including AI.

Why do we trust some machines and fear others? Does AI change what we value and how we find meaning? How will children develop when they grow up with AI tutors and companions? What can moral psychology teach us about human-centric AI and alignment?

The webinar is scheduled for one hour, with 30 minutes dedicated to presentations and 30 minutes to question and answer.

This folks at ITS are saying “How AI Changes Us” is for anyone thinking seriously about AI, ethics, mental health, education, or the future of human flourishing in an age of intelligent machines.

Long time readers will recall that I come from a family of mental health professionals, so the theme of this upcoming webinar resonates with me. I hope to see you online on February 19.

And, please remember that Bell Let’s Talk day is coming up next week, January 21.

The Productivity Paradox and the Promise of Co-Intelligence is the theme of an upcoming webinar. On November 18 at 9:30 AM (Eastern), the International Telecommunications Society (ITS) and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy (University of Toronto) will host a free webinar: Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI with Ethan Mollick.

• What if the most important technology of recent times doesn’t deliver productivity on its own?
• What if your smartest colleague never slept, never stopped learning, and could work across every domain you know—and many you don’t?
• What if AI isn’t just a tool, but a partner in your thinking?
• A coach for your creativity?
• A strategist for your work?

On the surface, the promise of AI seems obvious, like electricity, the internet, or computers. But, we can learn from history that general-purpose technologies yield gains only when paired with new skills, new institutional arrangements, and new ways of thinking and behaving.

That is the productivity paradox: adoption alone does not guarantee progress.

Professor Ethan Mollick reframes the challenge for us: while AI may not soon outcompete humans, people using AI are already outcompeting people. This is the essence of co-intelligence: treating AI less as a tool and more as a collaborator — an idea with profound implications for leadership, competitiveness, productivity, and progress.

Ethan Mollick is the Ralph J. Roberts Distinguished Faculty Scholar at Wharton. He was named one of TIME’s most influential people in AI. His book Co-Intelligence was a New York Times bestseller and a “best of the year” from The Economist and Financial Times, and his substack, One Useful Thing, is among the best resources to learn how to think with AI.

The deeper questions to be explored are human, not technical:

• What new forms of oversight and trust are required when intelligence is shared?
• How should leaders measure productivity when creativity itself is augmented?
• And, how do we ensure this paradox becomes promise, not missed opportunity?

I have been a fan of the webinars hosted by the International Telecommunications Society over the past few years. It is a worthwhile use of your time, so I hope to see you online. Register here.

Next Tuesday (May 13), there will be a free one-hour webinar hosted by the International Telecommunications Society looking at Shared Infrastructure, Shared Future: Competition and Connectivity in the Next Generation of Networks.

As frequent readers know, I have been a supporter of the continuing education and professional development offered by ITS. Next week’s session is the fourth in the 2025 series. The keynote speaker is Dr Pantelis Koutroumpis (Oxford University, UK). Panelists are Dr Sven Heitzler (Deutsche Telekom) and Mr Danny Kotlowitz (Telstra).

From the webinar website:

---

The future of telecom won’t be built by spectrum alone—it will be built on steel, fiber, and shared infrastructure.

In the early days of mobile, every carrier built and owned their own towers. Today, we’re in the middle of a global shift: telecom operators are selling off physical assets, TowerCos are rising, and passive sharing has given way to active integration.

This evolution is not just financial—it’s strategic. As 5G, Open RAN, and densified edge networks take hold, infrastructure sharing has become more feasible and attractive, offering a path to faster deployment, lower costs, and more efficient capital allocation. Rather than duplicating physical assets, operators can redirect investment toward innovation, network quality, and service improvements.

Globally, the rise of TowerCos and shared infrastructure reflects a clear trend: over the past two decades, markets have embraced infrastructure separation to enable faster time to market, greater coverage, and more competitive offerings, especially in hard-to-reach and cost-sensitive regions.

This session will explore why this model has taken root—and what it means for policymakers today. Among the questions we’ll examine:

• How has infrastructure sharing contributed to competition, innovation, and affordability in global markets?
• What market conditions and policy frameworks have supported its success?
• How can public and private actors align incentives to ensure that infrastructure evolution supports long-term consumer benefit?

The webinar will open with a keynote from Dr. Pantelis Koutroumpis, Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Technological and Economic Change at the University of Oxford and one of the world’s leading experts on telecommunications economics and infrastructure policy. He will set the stage with insights from cutting-edge academic research and global practice.

He’ll be joined by two distinguished discussants: Dr. Sven Heitzler, Senior Manager of Spectrum Policy & Projects at Deutsche Telekom, and Mr. Danny Kotlowitz, a senior legal and regulatory advisor at Telstra with over 30 years of experience in infrastructure sharing and network strategy.

This webinar is designed for regulators, policymakers, economists, telecom strategists, and infrastructure investors navigating the future of digital connectivity.

As telecom infrastructure moves from asset to platform, understanding how, where, and why networks are shared may be one of the defining policy challenges of the decade.

---

There is a LinkedIn article on a related subject by Stephen Schmidt of TELUS. See: Building Together: Innovation, Investment, and the Next Era of Telecom.

Shared Infrastructure, Shared Future. I hope to see you online at the event next week.

A few weeks ago, in “Telecom professional development”, I described a series of upcoming webinars, including one coming up next week that looks at the issue of regulating space.

On February 18, 2025 [at 9:30 am Eastern], the International Telecommunications Society is hosting Satellite Technology and the Future of Space Regulation. This webinar is free and will feature Professor Rob Frieden of Penn State University Law.

Last year, I wrote about cellular and satellite convergence, as low earth orbit companies like AST-Space Mobile and SpaceX Starlink began offering direct-to-cellular device connectivity, bridging gaps in coverage in remote and rural areas.

What is the legal framework to govern activities beyond traditional national borders?

How do we navigate complex, and sometimes conflicting, international treaties and national space regulations? Are there jurisdictional gaps and inconsistent space policies across countries that demand resolution?

Space-based technologies involve billions of dollars of capital investment. As operations expand around the globe, the private sector is already taking significant technology risks. With an opportunity to offer connectivity with satellite and other non-terrestrial communications technologies in rural and remote areas, operators of these systems need more regulatory certainty. What standards should guide behavior in space? What agency (and under what authority) will enforce these standards? How should the global community respond to non-compliant states or rogue actors in the private sector?

The February 18 webinar will attempt to address these questions. Professor Frieden will discuss the major international treaties shaping space law: from space safety and debris management to liability in space, along with other jurisdictional issues. The session aims to explore the interaction between these treaties and domestic policies, looking at the challenges for private sector entities and governments in the satellite communications space.

The objective is to identify strategies for regulating space, driving increased certainty, as we technology ventures toward the stars.

I look forward to seeing you online February 18, at 9:30am (Eastern).