William Webb

William oversees the development and dissemination of technology for our clients and vendors, bringing over thirty years’ experience in technological communications.

Tech Policy Trends 2024: The 6G hope – will it cost operators less than 5G?

Tech Policy Trends 2024: The 6G hope – will it cost operators less than 5G?

Predicting the emergence of 6G once seemed a simple task based on previous generations of cellular technology. However, with efficiency...

14 Mar 2024 Opinion
Delivering a fully connected nation – Part 3: Lowering the cost

Delivering a fully connected nation – Part 3: Lowering the cost

Rural and not-spot connectivity improvements are often expensive. Mast sites can be difficult to procure. Getting power and communications to...

6 Mar 2024 Opinion
Delivering a fully connected nation – Part 2: Getting the governance right

Delivering a fully connected nation – Part 2: Getting the governance right

In my first instalment of this blog series, we showed how a country could determine the areas where coverage would...

5 Mar 2024 Opinion
Delivering a fully connected nation – Part one: Taking stock

Delivering a fully connected nation – Part one: Taking stock

My new book – “Emperor Ofcom’s New Clothes” – set out how a focus on market forces for managing spectrum...

4 Mar 2024 Opinion
The Truth About 5G in Latin America

The Truth About 5G in Latin America

In this episode of ‘Latam Digital,’ José Otero of 5G Americas delves into the intricacies of 5G deployment across Latin...

6 Feb 2024 Opinion
AI’s Evolution and Ethical Dilemmas in Latin America

AI’s Evolution and Ethical Dilemmas in Latin America

Explore AI in Latin America with expert Juan David Gutiérrez. This episode examines the autonomous problem-solving capabilities of AI, its...

1 Feb 2024 Opinion
Digitising the Philippines: Exploring 5G, AI, and Telecom Trends

Digitising the Philippines: Exploring 5G, AI, and Telecom Trends

In this “Independent Thinkers on Digital” episode, Colin Christie discusses the Philippines’ success with SMS and social media, the 5G...

24 Jan 2024 Opinion
ITUWRC-23 Special: Spectrum, Satellites, and the Future of Telecom

ITUWRC-23 Special: Spectrum, Satellites, and the Future of Telecom

Delving into the heart of telecommunications, this ITUWRC-23 Special podcast features Michael Thompson and William Webb discussing the pivotal outcomes...

17 Jan 2024 Opinion
Telecoms and Government Regulators: Top 10 Focus Areas for 2024

Telecoms and Government Regulators: Top 10 Focus Areas for 2024

The world of telecommunications is changing. New applications have failed to emerge for 5G or gigabit broadband, with more focus...

18 Dec 2023 Opinion
AI Risk Regulation: Cost of excluding the SME engine

AI Risk Regulation: Cost of excluding the SME engine

Artificial Intelligence is poised to surpass all previous technological achievements in terms of its potential impact. With this, however, comes...

12 Dec 2023 AI Policy Lab reports
Assessing the UK AI Safety Summit with Sarah Hunter – Independent Thinkers on Digital

Assessing the UK AI Safety Summit with Sarah Hunter – Independent Thinkers on Digital

Following the UK AI Safety Summit, William Webb and Sarah Hunter delved into its effectiveness and pondered the impact of...

15 Nov 2023 Opinion
A Proposal for Global AI Regulation

A Proposal for Global AI Regulation

“AI’s potential for both benefit and harm necessitates global regulatory evolution.” In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI)...

8 Aug 2023 Regulate AI
AI Dreams: The Regulator’s Dilemma

AI Dreams: The Regulator’s Dilemma

The debate around AI regulation has focused extensively on what should happen, but in a world of conflicting interests, complex...

1 Aug 2023 AI Policy Lab
Independent Thinkers on Digital: Dissecting Telecom Turbulence

Independent Thinkers on Digital: Dissecting Telecom Turbulence

Unraveling the Complexities of the Telecom Market with Maurice Patrick Access Partnership CTO William Webb talks with Maurice Patrick, a...

23 Jun 2023 Opinion
The Fair Share Debate: Allocating costs for data generation and infrastructure 

The Fair Share Debate: Allocating costs for data generation and infrastructure 

On 13 June, Access Partnership CTO William Webb hosted a live edition of his Independent Thinkers on Digital podcast to...

15 Jun 2023 Opinion
Wi-Fi is the best way to address capacity demands

Wi-Fi is the best way to address capacity demands

Introduction This is my third and final blog on the subject of mobile industry profitability and the demands for subsidisation...

15 Jun 2023 Opinion
How to increase MNO profitability

How to increase MNO profitability

Introduction In my first blog on the issue of demands for subsidisation from OTT operators and others, I concluded that:...

12 Jun 2023 Opinion
Why the concern about telecom operator finances?

Why the concern about telecom operator finances?

Introduction There have been calls over the last few months for a “fair share tax” – an argument that the...

7 Jun 2023 Opinion
The future of smartphones: Effectively regulating direct-to-handsets services

The future of smartphones: Effectively regulating direct-to-handsets services

Step into the transformative potential of direct-to-handset (DTH) satellite communications by downloading our latest white paper. The rapid evolution of...

1 Jun 2023 Reports
Independent Thinkers on Digital | The Evolution of IoT

Independent Thinkers on Digital | The Evolution of IoT

IoT with Matt Hatton of Transforma Insights Matt and William wrote a book together in 2020 called “The IoT Myth”...

1 Jun 2023 Opinion
Independent Thinkers on Digital | The Quest for Spectrum Abundance

Independent Thinkers on Digital | The Quest for Spectrum Abundance

Unlocking Spectrum Abundance Amidst Changing Demands. Simon Saunders and William Webb, two seasoned veterans in the field of radio spectrum,...

15 May 2023 Opinion
Independent Thinkers on Digital | Forecasting the Future: Winners and Losers of Emerging Industries

Independent Thinkers on Digital | Forecasting the Future: Winners and Losers of Emerging Industries

IT, healthcare, autonomous cars, and more… including ChatGPT Dean Bubley and William Webb share a mutual passion for forecasting the...

24 Apr 2023 Latest AI Thought Leadership
Independent Thinkers on Digital | Is Government Intervention in Digital Justified?

Independent Thinkers on Digital | Is Government Intervention in Digital Justified?

Ex-Minister’s Insights Reveal Eye-Opening Truths Questions about the level of government intervention in digital had cropped up in multiple earlier...

13 Apr 2023 Opinion
Independent Thinkers on Digital | The High Cost of Regulatory Hubris

Independent Thinkers on Digital | The High Cost of Regulatory Hubris

Reflections on Telecom Regulation and its Relevance to Current Challenges. Steve Unger is completing a book on the history of...

28 Mar 2023 Opinion
Independent Thinkers on Digital | The Metaverse Dilemma: Immersion Without Purpose?

Independent Thinkers on Digital | The Metaverse Dilemma: Immersion Without Purpose?

Exploring the Concept of Metaverse Beyond VR Headsets. Richard Harper and William Webb engaged in a conversation about the metaverse....

14 Mar 2023 Opinion
Tech Policy Trends 2023 | Autonomous vehicles

Tech Policy Trends 2023 | Autonomous vehicles

Few technological innovations are more tantalising than self-driving cars. The prospect of autonomous vehicles transforming road safety and revolutionising how...

10 Mar 2023 Opinion
Independent Thinkers on Digital | Are Low Rates of Return Really a Problem for Mobile Operators?

Independent Thinkers on Digital | Are Low Rates of Return Really a Problem for Mobile Operators?

Unpacking the Telecom Industry: Debating Returns on Investment and Market Signals with Richard Feasey William has a fascinating discussion with...

23 Feb 2023 Opinion
Independent Thinkers on Digital | Regulation of the digital industry, is it still fit for purpose?

Independent Thinkers on Digital | Regulation of the digital industry, is it still fit for purpose?

“William talks with internet economist and widely published expert Roslyn Layton about regulation of the digital industry” It feels that...

16 Feb 2023 Opinion
Exploring the benefits of a future metaverse: What can we learn from current virtual reality applications?

Exploring the benefits of a future metaverse: What can we learn from current virtual reality applications?

The metaverse has the potential to redefine almost every sphere of our daily lives, from healthcare and education to work,...

23 Jan 2023 Metaverse Policy Lab
Policy and regulatory decision-making under uncertainty

Policy and regulatory decision-making under uncertainty

Policy and regulatory decisions involve more uncertainty than we would care to admit. In terms of prominent ‘macro’ events, in...

14 Dec 2022 Reports
Metaverse Dialogue: Reflection 2022

Metaverse Dialogue: Reflection 2022

Watch Metaverse Dialogue: Reflection 2022 Access Partnership launched the Metaverse Policy Lab (MPL) in February 2022 to merge our experience...

9 Nov 2022 Metaverse Policy Lab
The Economic Opportunity of NB-IoT

The Economic Opportunity of NB-IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) is critical to our future presenting solutions to major societal challenges. These include global warming,...

31 Oct 2022 Reports
Operators, Responsibility and Design: Is it possible to design a 6G system that users want

Operators, Responsibility and Design: Is it possible to design a 6G system that users want

From 2G analogue phones with limited displays and storage to the latest, ultra-fast, low latency 5G smartphones, we have been...

19 Jul 2022 Reports