5.3.5.3 Numbering and addressing resources Every mobile device connected to the Internet requires a unique “IP address” to route data packets globally across the web. The current addressing system, called IP version 4 (IPv4), was deployed on 1 January 1983 and uses 32 digital bits to represent addresses, generating a theoretical total limit of 4.3 billion addresses. Given the significant growth of connections, numbering ranges will soon be in short supply,40 requiring the transition to IPv6.41 Regulators must anticipate the needs for huge quantities of numbering and addressing resources with the advent of the digital age, and provide those resources in advance. 5.3.6 Protecting the Consumer The explosion of mobile services and apps has created tremendous choices for consumers, who can now use services from a variety of providers. These changes have come in the wake of disruption of the old regulatory constructs, creating a complex landscape for the consumer to maneuver through. Regulators have a responsibility to create consumer awareness and act as custodians for the consumer, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards such as quality of service. 5.3.6.1 Quality of service Consumers are continually seeking enhanced user experiences online. High broadband upload rates facilitate a collaborative online environment by encouraging user contributions, while high download rates enhance the accessibility of content. High bit-transfer rates enable interactive functions such as real-time feedback and video calling. Some services like telemedicine and e-learning require access at up to 100 Mbit/s, while standard applications such as email and web browsing can function with speeds as low as 0.5 Mbit/s. Evolving consumer needs demand higher speeds and reliable quality of service in order to ensure the secure transmission of sensitive data, such as for m–banking and m-health services, across networks and borders. The rise in consumer needs is prompting the re-definition of public policy goals for universal service from basic voice to include Internet access42 or broadband.43 The quality of service on a wireless connection will depend on other uses of the same access network and the backhaul capacity from the relevant base station to the core network. The need to uphold high quality of service is critical in order to achieve seamless connectivity and optimal traffic management. 5.3.6.2 Compliance and Enforcement The success of regulatory initiatives depends entirely on achieving compliance thresholds for various regulatory parameters: quality of service, type approval, licensing, network rollout obligations, competition, consumer protection, etc. The planning, compliance, monitoring and enforcement functions, therefore, constitute critical success drivers within the digital ecosystem. 5.3.6.3 Promoting choice Regulators have at their disposal certain mechanisms – both old and new – to employ in order to promote consumer choice and competition. Consumers’ ability to choose one service provider over and to transition effectively is a hallmark of consumer enablement. Earlier consumer-protection efforts tended to focus on providing adequate information on service descriptions, prices and complaint mechanisms. The digital ecosystem presents new opportunities and, alongside them, significant threats.New concerns have arisen on the asymmetry of information between those who hold data and those who unintentionally or inadvertently supply it. It is therefore imperative for a consumer to be well aware of privacy and data protection concerns arising from the treatment and management of consumer information. Consumers are key stakeholders, and they usually are open to the benefits of innovation. They can be useful in upholding performance within the digital ecosystem if they are aware of their rights and obligations, as well as those of other pertinent parties. 5.3.6.4 Dealing with lock-in arrangements Today, regulators need to respond to situations in which service providers may try to lock in customers by imposing long-term contracts with their customers, forcing them to pay termination Trends in Telecommunication Reform 2016 135 Chapter 5