Telecommunication and Mobile
Telecommunications and mobility are reshaping society and the interactions of everyday life. As these technologies become even more prevalent, businesses and government agencies need to understand and leverage such technologies to allow them to grow and thrive. While a rapidly evolving telco sector is critical to economic growth and market competitiveness, it is increasingly becoming more regulated. This poses a number of legal considerations for organizations and customers.
As former technologists; chief legal officers in the telecom, media and technology sectors; former lawyers for the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division; and former general counsel of a state public service commission, our lawyers have unique insight into how clients can utilize telecommunications and mobile technology as a competitive edge. This also gives our team a depth of experience that we effectively leverage and use to help our clients navigate the regulatory, technical, and commercial issues they face as they adopt or refresh telecommunications and mobile technology in their operations and businesses.
We represent telecommunications, mobile startups, and established providers and resellers. This includes assisting with particularly unique issues arising from the limited number of suppliers and the lack of competitive tension. We advise clients not only about the effect on commercial bargaining positions, but also the increased deployment risk of such telecommunications and mobile technology in their operations. Additionally, we have assisted clients with the transition of mobile technology from 3G to 4G/LTE to 5G, and the rollout and cessation of 3G and 4G (voice over LTE and video over LTE) as these have presented particularly unique challenges.
Our team advises clients on the use of standard terms and the provision of standard telecommunications services that leave little room for negotiation. We assist clients with the issues arising from strategies for map telecommunications services to their own business requirements and needs. The deep integration of telecommunications services with the customer's operations also raises particular transition risks as it is difficult for customers to switch service providers.
Our experienced telecommunications and technology lawyers are ideally positioned to closely assist clients with a wide range of matters, including:
- Single and multi-source procurement strategies
- All data related issues, including data sharing and security
- Advising on frameworks for standard terms and cloud telecommunications services
- Advising on social media platforms
- Assisting with IOT and B2B mobile communication services
- Advising on some of the largest telecommunications outsourcing arrangements and transformation projects
- Assisting with telecommunications disputes
- Advising on access to infrastructure and security of critical infrastructure, and
- Privacy and cyber security law and issues.
Whether the matter at hand is distinctly regulatory, litigation, intellectual property, transactional, or an inter-disciplinary hybrid of several practice areas, our knowledge and experience in mobile, telecommunications, media, and technology sectors deliver strategic value and efficiencies to our clients.
Thought Leadership
On 30 January 2024, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a final rule (Final Rule) increasing the premium processing fee from US$2,500 to US$2,805, increasing filing fees for I-129 and I-140 employment-based petitions, and imposing a new Asylum Program Fee for each Form I-129 and I-140 filed by employers.
On 3 April 2024, the US Securities and Exchange Commission announced the first settlement with a stand-alone registered investment adviser for, among other things, failures to maintain and preserve certain electronic communications.
On 22 December 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments (the final rule) to Rule 206(4)-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the Advisers Act) to modernize the regulation of investment adviser advertising and solicitation practices.
On 7 March 2024, the Illinois Pollution Control Board proposed amendments to its Ground Water Quality regulations, which would set standards for selected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances compounds at or near their levels of detection and would result in some of the most stringent standards in the country.