Digital Infrastructures and its Significance for Emerging Economies

Abstract

This talk builds on a project for the World Bank in which we built an econometric model showing the relationships among key digital infrastructure facilities (data centres, internet exchanges, broadband connectivity), competition, regulation and governance.  I first describe the big picture of infrastructure based on evidence from leading businesses (Amazon’s AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud) the next level of virtualization services (IBM, Equinix, Huawei, etc.), commercial users of digital services (e-commerce, telecommunications, logistics, retail, advanced manufacturing, etc.), and policy trends.

We then consider the conditions in five categories of emerging economies, exemplified by Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico and Turkey.  Sustainability in two forms are relevant for the model, energy usage and carbon emissions, and the stability of local business communities. Both are taken into consideration quantitatively but more importantly focus attention on policy choices and the key trade-offs all countries face.

Zoom Link:  https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/88942603087

Presenter

Jonathan Liebenau is Reader in Technology Management at the London School of Economics where since 1980 he has taught economic history, information systems, business history, economic sociology and technology management. He holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and has held visiting positions at U. Wisconsin/Madison, Yonsei University (Seoul), Istanbul Bilgi University, The American University in Cairo, Columbia University and now The University of Sydney. He is a Senior Scholar of the Academy of Information Systems, the founder and former co-editor of the European Journal of Information Systems, and has served on committees for the International Conference on Information Systems, the Telecommunications Policy Research Conference, and the Academy of Management.  He has conducted research and consulting for numerous multilateral bodies including the European Union, the World Bank, OECD, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, for large digital economy companies including Microsoft, Google, Dell, Telefonica, Nokia, worked with government bodies such as the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, the U.K. OFCOM, Foreign Office and Home Office, and has written on and consulted for businesses on digitalization, served as an expert witness & litigation consultant and analyst for industry bodies.  He has published numerous scholarly papers and books and served as a judge for the European Inventor of the Year Awards.