Taxation and the Internet Economy
January 18, 2017
This online session will review and discuss policy issues related to taxation of firms and consumers within the Internet economy. The ongoing debate around taxation policy in the digital economy entails multiple issues:
- What is the appropriate level of taxation on capital equipment purchased by telecommunications operators?
- How should Internet sales be taxed?
- How should consumption on of digital goods be taxed?
- Should the consumer purchasing wireless devices and personal computers be taxed?
- Should the providers of digital platforms, such as Google and Facebook, be taxed at the country where revenues are generated, or should they benefit from international rules that allow them to take corporate tax exemptions in certain locations?
- Should internet service providers pay taxes the same way as telecommunications carriers?
When Everyone is Connected
March 1, 2017
Topics include:
- Economic and employment effects and institutional leadership in the transitions to global universal connectivity;
- The impact on democratic institutions and politics and the partnership of public service and private individuals;
- The impacts on marketing and retailing;
- The transition of tech capability from institutions and corporations to individuals: is this a benefit or will it create a rising tide of expectations into the future?
- Will technology and economies of scale reduce costs, or will universal connectivity raise them? What is the direct experience with that at the FCC
- What will be the impact of artificial intelligence?
- What will be the impact of the “internet of everything”?
Why Dynamic Spectrum White Spaces?
April 5, 2017
Use of unlicensed television band channels (or White Spaces) has been experimented with for over a decade. Initial FCC approval came in 2010, with further Reports and Orders in 2012. Where is White Space today, in the US and worldwide? Will it help bring the next few billion people onto the Internet? And tens of billions of things?
In addition to ‘Wi-Fi’ on vacant TV spectrum, other software-programmable network and ‘cloud to edge’ innovations can make mobile broadband services by local cellular and other providers more available, affordable, flexible, and resilient. What are the key policy, business, and technology challenges for the future of dynamic spectrum white spaces? Will 5G pass White Spaces by? Please join us for this two-hour webinar with distinguished policy, business, and academic experts to explore economics and policy innovation challenges, and dynamic spectrum resource sharing technology alternatives.
Blockchain + Distributed Ledger Tech & Financial Inclusion
April 18
This webinar will explore Bitcoin, Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies and its impact on financial inclusion.
Payment Systems & Digital Financial Services
May 2, 2017
An introduction to and refresher of payment systems, key concepts and contemporary issues.
It will also include a brief discussion on DFS interoperability.
The Encryption Dilemma 2.0: A Transatlantic Perspective
May 8, 2017
Encryption has been for years at the center of debate between online privacy and national security. The issue has now reached urgency. There are many open questions. A new level of cooperation between law enforcement and technology providers will be required to guarantee several important societal values: privacy and security for individuals; access to information in support of criminal or national security investigations; and business confidence in the security of their products and transactions. In this online conference, experts from the US and Europe will provide analysis and recommendations.
Latest Trends in Anti Money Laundering and Know Your Customer Implementations in DFS
May 23, 2017
Focus areas for this webinar include:
- Current AML efforts by Standard Setting Bodies
- Trends in telecom and DFS e-KYC (SIM card registration, use of biometrics etc)
- Fraud trends affecting DFS or payment systems etc
- Regtech use in AML/CDD/KYC
Digital Identity Trends & Impact on Financial Inclusion
June 1, 2017
This webinar will explore the latest trends in Digital Identity generally, and the implications in Financial Inclusion.
Mobile Application Security in Digital Financial Services
June 6, 2017
This webinar focuses on the results of research in mobile banking and mobile payment applications, and the vulnerabilities that have been discovered that may affect user funds and system integrity.
6th Annual FinTech, DFS & Payments Summit
June 8-9, 2017
The 6th Annual Summit looks at disruptive effects & implementation of emerging & mobile payments, digital financial services, blockchain & cryptocurrencies in developing & developed worlds. It’s the only high-impact event bringing together a high-level group of international speakers that cover the payments and blockchain technology ecosystem and emerging payments in the developing world, and connecting innovators and investors in the fintech ecosystem. Besides the main conference day on June 8, this year we have an additional day, the Innovators and Investors day on June 9. This will feature a range of fintech investors and innovation hubs as well as a number of fintech startups and innovators.
Bitcoin, Blockchain, Distributed Ledger Technologies & Financial Inclusion
July 24, 2017
This webinar is an introductory primer to distributed ledger technologies (DLT) and their application in financial inclusion. It will touch on:
- Their numerous strengths and weaknesses
- The varied commercial and public-good applications that have been identified The implications of the disintermediation of traditional centralized controllers of data
- Concerns in respect of the technology designs and their consistency
- Issues in implementation and usage Security of DLTs
- A sample of evolving legal and regulatory challenges and uncertainties around DLTs
- Applications that may be particularly useful for financial inclusion, including remittances & identity systems, clearing and settlement, and land registration.
How Financial Institutions and Fintechs are Partnering for Inclusion: Lessons from the Frontlines
August 8, 2017
This webinar presents research that examines how partnerships between mainstream financial institutions (e.g., banks, insurers, and payment companies) and fintechs are addressing financial inclusion challenges and expanding access to the formal financial economy for underserved segments of the global population, particularly in emerging markets. It incorporates insights from 24 in-depth interviews with people at the frontlines of this innovation and highlights 14 partnerships focused on financial inclusion that we think exemplify best-case scenarios and good practice. Contrary to the popular narrative, financial institutions view fintechs as partners in innovation, not threats to their core business. By offering better, less expensive, and more innovative products, financial institutions can assert their continued relevance as customer-facing institutions with help from fintech partnerships.
Introduction To ‘Faster Payment Systems’ and Implications for Emerging Economy Payment Systems
August 22, 2017
This webinar explores how faster payment systems are both different from and similar to traditional bank-based payment systems. Importantly, the webinar will explore the implications of faster payment systems for emerging economies, issues for industry participants and policymakers and where these systems sit alongside other innovations such as mobile payments and distributed ledger technology.
Trends in Interoperability Between Digital Financial Services Systems
September 6, 2017
The webinar will look at trends in interoperability between DFS systems, particularly focusing on governance, fair and equitable business model and then efficient clearing and settlement mechanisms. This webinar also looks at the pros and cons of the bilateral and switch models. While markets are now focusing on solving for the switch, they actually need to focus on solving scheme governance and business models first.
Mobile Money as a Digital Financial Service: Risks and Mitigatory Best Practices
September 20, 2017
Webinar presented by Mercy Buku, CAMS, LLB Hons (Nbi), ACIB (UK) Nairobi Kenya
Mercy Buku is a Certified Antimoney Laundering Specialist and an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, currently practising as an AML/CFT Legal Consultant in the Mobile payments and Banking Sector. She has worked in various legal and compliance risk positions in the banking and telecommunications sector and was previously the Senior Manager, Money Laundering Reporting Office for M-pesa in Safaricom Limited (Kenya).
Introduction To The Level 1 Project and its implications for DFS
September 27, 2017
Combining data gathered in the field and innovative thinking informed by consumers’ needs, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foudnation has developed one model for a country-level digital financial services system called Level 1 that is designed to bring the poor into the formal economy. The BMGF have created a working digital financial services prototype to demonstrate how the system works. Kosta Peric of the BMGF will introduce you to the Level 1 Platform and discuss its implications for DFS.
Incentive Auctions for Spectrum Allocation
October 12, 2017
Introduction to Payments Technology
October 19, 2017
This webinar provides an overview of the technical components of payments, including the financial sharing component, Cards, to Point of Sale Technology, NFC and use in transit systems.
Regtech & Financial Inclusion
October 26, 2017
‘Regtech’ is a blend word of ‘regulatory technology’ that was created to address regulatory challenges in the financial services sector through innovative technology. This Webinar addresses its use in financial inclusion.
De-risking And Financial Inclusion: Challenges and Solutions
November 1, 2017
This webinar will look at the ralatively recent phenomenon of derisking and and its impact on Financial Inclusion. Derisking has resulted in remittances to emerging countries being blocked, affecting these economies and their DFS systems.
State of Telecom: The Internet’s Next Bottlenecks? FANG/GAFAMS, Video Cloud Platforms and the Middle Mile
November 17, 2017
In the past, improvements in business entry and regulatory policy have lowered a number of market barriers in the telecom and TV industries, enabling competition and access. As this shift has occurred, what bottlenecks are left or have emerged in the new digital environment? This half day online conference will explore the potential or actual disruption by the new content and distribution platforms and their impact on media and technology markets. It will also analyze the various public policy options that have been advocated. The focus will be on real issues that exist and what responses might be.
Roundtable: De-Risking and International Remittances – Challenges and Solutions
November 20, 2017
This roundtable features a cross section of international regulators, banks, and service providers who will provide expert insight into the recent increase of de-risking activity affecting international remittances and financial inclusion, and includes a discussion of potential solutions.
Credit Provision in Digital Financial Services
November 22, 2017
Topics to be Covered:
- Overview of DFS-based credit provison in Uganda, Kenya and India
- Market studies
- Is credit provision a force for inclusion or exclusion?
- Lending to merchants
- Lending against digital footprint data
- Lending to farmers
Infrastructure Security In Digital Financial Services
December 14, 2017
This webinar will look at vulnerabilities in telecommunications and mobile networks that affect use of mobile banking and mobile payments applications and services in the developed and developing world. Some solutions are offered.