本研究所欲探討的主題，為國內 ISP 業者降低客戶流失率所採用的做法。由於目前ISP業競爭十分激烈，各業者為了爭奪市場，常常以低價，乃至於不計成本的做法爭取客戶。然而這些虧本爭取的客戶若不能有效的留住，之前的投資可為白白浪費。因此，如何能夠有效的降低客戶流失率，是ISP業者非常重要的課題。 降低客戶流失的可行手段之一，是提高服務品質，讓客戶滿意於供應商的服務而樂於長期使用。另一種方式則是產品之鎖定機制 (Lock-in) 的運用，使客戶一旦購買某一項服務，因受到產品機制的鎖定而提高轉換成本，而不願轉換 ISP。一旦ISP能夠以適當有效的做法降低客戶流失率，就能以各種即使沒有利潤乃至於虧損的做法先吸引客戶進門，再由後續的服務回收應得的利潤。也唯有如此，ISP業者才能在嚴酷的競爭中存活。 本研究透過瞭解 ISP 產業之特性與類型；對台灣的十一家具有代表性之ISP業者，調查與整理其服務品質，以及所使用的產品鎖定機制；探討服務品質高低與市場佔有率之關係，以及不同類型之 ISP 所採用之做法的差異，並給予不同的改進建議。主要的研究結論如下： ◆ 高品質的服務有助於大型ISP業者維持市場佔有率，同時對於中小型業者的市場佔有率提昇有所助益。反之，低服務品質對於ISP維持市場佔有率有不利的影響。 ◆ 同時有助於吸引新客戶與維繫舊客戶的服務要素，以及可直接增加營收，或是減少成本的服務要素，為ISP優先重視之項目。 ◆ 服務品質領先之業者與落後者的差異，主要為交易中的服務要素。 ◆ 大型與中小型ISP在服務品質有差異之項目上，大型業者具有絕對領先優勢。兼營IDC業務之ISP與純ISP，在服務品質有差異之項目上，兼營IDC之業者具有絕對領先優勢。 ◆ 簡單之產品鎖定機制最受到ISP業者的歡迎。

The study set out to investigate the provision of sustainable internet access to public libraries in South Africa. The rationale of the study was to investigate how sustainable internet access can be provided to public libraries in South Africa and to determine how they have developed and are regulated. Internet access is a key driver in delivering information services to the users and a critical tool in facilitating information sharing regardless of platform and geographic location. Therefore, the level of information and communications technology (ICT) penetration in public libraries formed a critical part of the study as the provision of internet to these libraries depends on available ICTs. The study employed a survey design and used interview tool to collect data from nine participants. Questionnaire augmented interviews as they were used to collect data from 322 respondents. The study used the probability sampling technique to collect data from the participants. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants for the interview, whereas the stratified probability, proportional to size, and systematic techniques were also used to select respondents in the senior categories, namely heads of public libraries. This ensured a sample size of 331 out of a population of 1 621 selected for the study. The sample size consisted of nine directors and 322 head librarians. No sampling was done on the nine heads (directors) of provincial public libraries, as the nature of this population did not warrant further dissection due to its small size. A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet was used to analyse data. Questionnaires were analysed when they were returned and interviews were analysed when they were conducted. Written descriptions, tables and figures were used to present data in an elaborative manner. Data was also presented through frequencies and percentages. It emerged from the study that most public libraries (97%) were connected to the internet. The findings of the study showed that most public libraries (80%) were connected to the internet through the fixed lines and that each of the nine provinces had its own internet service providers (table 5.12). The study recommended fixed lines for internet access to be laid to all public libraries in South Africa and that a government agency be used as a dedicated internet service provider for public libraries across all the nine provinces. A further study was recommended about the application of an internet access model used by academic institutions to public libraries. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

In the context of the Internet, spam generally refers to unsolicited and unwanted electronic messages, usually transmitted to a large number of recipients. The problem with spam is that almost all of the related costs are shifted onto the recipients, and many of the messages contain objectionable content. Spam has become a significant problem for network administrators, businesses and individual Internet users that threatens to undermine the usefulness of e-mail. Globally, spam spiralled to account for over 60% of all e-mail near the end of 2004. It is a problem that costs the global economy billions of dollars a year in lost productivity, anti-spam measures and computer resources. It has forced governments to enact legislation against the problem and it has prompted the development of numerous technical countermeasures. Spam can only be defeated by a combination of legal measures, informal measures (including self regulation and social norms), technical measures and consumer education. Because spam is a relatively recent and evolving problem, the application of various common law mechanisms are explored, including the law of privacy and the law of nuisance. Various constitutional concerns may also arise in the context of spam, and the right to freedom of expression must be balanced against other competing rights and values, including the right to privacy. Comparative legislation is examined, because it is important to recognise trends in spam legislation in other jurisdictions so as to ensure a measure of interoperability with those laws. The practical difficulties in identifying spammers, and the lack of jurisdiction over offshore offenders affect the practical implementation of the current protection offered by the ECT Act. In conclusion, this thesis identifies the need for direct anti-spam legislation in South Africa, and suggests various clauses that will need to be catered for in the legislation. It is submitted that "opt-in" legislation should be preferred over "opt-out" legislation. It is further submitted that a definition of spam should be based on the volume and indiscriminate nature of the e-mail, and not only on whether the communication was commercial. Therefore, a definition of bulk unsolicited e-mail is proposed. / Criminal and Procedural Law / LLD

Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) has been talked about since the introduction of fiberin the 1970s. It is nowadays shaping up to be the foundation of our newdigital society, bringing economic prosperity and a multitude of business,social, and entertainment opportunities to its users. The increased consumerdemand for high-speed network accessibility is being taken more and moreseriously and a fiber-based network is able to cope with these growing demandsdue to its wide bandwidth and reliability. Today there is a practical need forquantitative analysis regarding the socio-economic impacts of fiber-basedaccess networks. This analysis could be used as an indicator/reference for allthe stakeholder entities as they consider future investments anddevelopments. Sweden is a suitable target country for this analysis since ithas adopted fiber for some years and the benefits that FTTH has brought seemto already be tangible. The primary value of this thesis lies ininvestigation of its quantified evidence of the socio-economic impacts of FTTHdeployment in Sweden. This has been achieved based on data from the SwedishPost and Telecommunications Authority (PTS), Statistics Sweden (SCB), previousrelated studies, and information collected on-line from operators involved inthe fiber market, along with empirical analysis based on multivariateregression models. The results of the study show that fiber penetrationhas had a significant impact on the population’s evolution, specially the netamount of migration into a municipality, which indicates the attractiveness ofmunicipalities per se. It is therefore reasonable to suggest that localgovernment and local authorities take fiber deployment into consideration, ifthey want to attract people to stay for further local development. The studyalso analyzed the competition in fiber-based open networks and the prices ofsubscribing for 10/10 Mbps symmetrical Internet Service. Study findingsrevealed that networks with multiple competing service providers have a widerrange of services and a lower price: the more ISPs competing in a fibernetwork, the lower consumer prices. Specifically, for each new serviceprovider present in the network, there will be 5 SEK per month decrease of theaverage price of the Internet services, and an approximately 7 SEK per monthreduction in the lowest price. Nevertheless, a number of socio-economicimpacts remain unquantifiable as of the current time and due to the limitedavailable data. It is recommended to incorporate more socio-economic effectsin future research in order to draw a more complete picture for all theinterested sectors, and to supplement the data with recent figures for 2012and 2013. / Fiber till hemmet (Fiber-to-the-Home, FTTH) har talats om sedan fiberintroducerades på 1970-talet. Det håller numera på att bli grunden för vårtnya digitala samhälle, och bidra till ekonomiskt välstånd och medföra en mängdaffärsmässiga, sociala och underhållningsmässiga möjligheter tillslutanvändare. Den ökade efterfrågan på höghastighetsnät tas mer och mer påallvar och ett fiberbaserat nät kan hantera dessa ökade krav på grund av dessbreda bandbredd och tillförlitlighet. Idag finns ett praktiskt behov avkvantitativ analys av de socioekonomiska effekterna av fiberbaseradeaccessnät. Denna analys kan användas som en indikator och referens för allaintressenter när de överväger framtida investeringar. Sverige är ett lämpligtmålland för denna analys eftersom den har antagit fiber i några år och defördelar som FTTH har fört verkar redan vara synliga. Det huvudsakligavärdet av denna avhandling ligger i utredningen av kvantifierade bevis för desocioekonomiska effekterna av FTTH utbyggnad i Sverige. Detta har uppnåtts pågrundval av uppgifter från den Post- och telestyrelsen (PTS), Statistiskacentralbyrån (SCB), tidigare liknande studier och information som samlats inpå nätet från aktörer inom fiber, tillsammans med empirisk analys baserad påmultivariate regressionsmodeller. Resultatet visat att fiber har haft enbetydande inverkan på befolkningens utveckling, speciellt netto in- ochutflyttning till en kommun, vilket indikerar attraktionskraft kommunerna isig. Det är därför rimligt att föreslå att kommunerna och de lokalamyndigheterna överväger fiber driftsättning på allvar om de vill lockainvånare att stanna för ytterligare lokal utveckling. Studien analyserar ocksåkonkurrensen på fiberbaserade öppna nät och priserna på 10/10 Mbps symmetriskInternet-tjänst. Resultaten visar att nätverk med flera konkurrerandetjänsteleverantörer har ett bredare utbud av tjänster och ett lägre pris: jufler Internetleverantörer i ett fibernät, desto lägre konsumentpriser. Merspecifikt, för varje ny tjänsteleverantör som finns i nätverket, minskar detgenomsnittliga priset med 5 kronor per månad, och det lägsta priset med cirka7 kronor per månad. Ändå förblir ett antal socioekonomiska effekteromätbara på grund av begränsade tillgängliga data. Rekommendationen är attinförliva fler socioekonomiska effekter i framtida forskning för att dra enmer komplett bild för alla berörda sektorer, och att komplettera data medfärska siffror för 2012 och 2013.

This dissertation details regulation's impact in networked markets, notably in deregulated electricity and internet service markets. These markets represent basic infrastructure in the modern economy; their innate networked structures make for rich fields of economic research on regulatory impact. The first chapter models deregulated electricity industries with a focus on the Texas market. Optimal economic benchmarks are considered for markets with regulated delivery and interrelated network costs. Using a model of regulator, consumer, and firm interaction, I determine the efficiency of the current rate formalization compared to Ramsey-Boiteux prices and two-part tariffs. I find within Texas's market increases to generator surplus up to 55% of subsidies could be achieved under Ramsey-Boiteux pricing or two-part tariffs, respectively. The second chapter presents a framework to analyze dynamic processes and long-run outcomes in two-sided markets, specifically dynamic platform and firm investment incentives within the internet-service platform/content provision market. I use the Ericson-Pakes framework applied within a platform that chooses fees on either side of its two-sided market. This chapter determines the impact of network neutrality on platform investment incentives, specifically whether to improve the platform. I use a parameterized calibration from engineering reports and current ISP literature to determine welfare outcomes and industry behavior under network neutral and non-neutral regimes. My final chapter explores retail firm failure within the deregulated Texas retail electricity market. This chapter investigates determinants of retail electric firm failures using duration analysis frameworks. In particular, this chapter investigates the impact of these determinants on firms with extant experience versus unsophisticated entrants. Understanding these determinants is an important component in evaluating whether deregulation achieves the impetus of competitive electricity market restructuring. Knowing which economic events decrease a market's competitiveness helps regulators to effectively evaluate policy implementations. I find that experience does benefit a firm's duration, but generally that benefit assists firm duration in an adverse macroeconomic environment rather than in response to adverse market conditions such as higher wholesale prices or increased transmission congestion. Additionally, I find evidence that within the Texas market entering earlier results in a longer likelihood of duration. / text

Copyright law is a special category of civil law which, with the upswing of the Internet, has become important for different types of stakeholders in the global information society. The 'participative web' operates with content generated by users. This user-generated content has often disputable origins in terms of copyright clearance. The Internet has opened the possibility for developing new forms of communication between anonymous or individual users who are not easily identifiable. Especially peer-to-peer file sharing and recently the information services offered and operated by the so-called 'cyberlockers' are the reason of questioning the role of copyright protection online which needs a beneficial solution. Copyright infringement in the era of information society is a complex phenomenon with a multiplicity of contributing factors like the importance of information data with big business potential, personal attitudes shown by internet users towards the value and scarcity of intellectual property, or legal responsibility of internet service providers (ISP) who paradoxically act from the safety of the so-called safe harbours as intermediaries of information exchange, representing a new element in the communication chain between rights holders and users. Commercial and business models operating...

Defending against Dos- and DDoS attacks is difficult to accomplish; finding and filtering out illegitimate traffic from the legitimate flow is near impossible. Taking steps to mitigate or even block the traffic can only be done once the IP addresses of the attackers are known. This is achievable by monitoring the flows to- and from the target and identifying the attacker's IP addresses, allowing the company or their ISP to block the addresses itself by blackholing them (also known as a null route). Using the IP accounting and monitoring tool “pmacct”, this thesis aims to investigate whether or not the pmacct suite is suited for larger installations when tracking and mitigating DDoS-attacks, such at an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Potential problems are the amount of traffic that need to be analyzed and the computational power required to do it. This thesis also provide information about the pmacct suite at large. The conclusions are positive, indicating it does scale up to handle larger installations when given careful consideration and planning. / Att försvara sig mot DoS-och DDoS-attacker är svårt att åstadkomma; att hitta och filtrera ut illegitim trafik från det legitima flödet är nästan omöjligt. Att vidta åtgärder när en sådan attack upptäcks kan endast göras när IP-adresserna från angriparna är kända. Detta kan uppnås genom att man övervakar trafikflödet mellan målet för attacken och angriparna och ser vilka som sänder mest data och på så sätt identifierar angriparna.. Detta tillåter företaget eller dess ISP att blockera trafiken ifrån dessa IP-adresser genom att sända trafiken vidare till ingenstans. Detta kallas blackhole-routing eller null-routing. Genom att använda redovisnings- och övervakningsprogrammet pmacct syftar denna uppsats på att undersöka hurvida pmacct-sviten är lämpad för större installationer när det gäller att spåra och förhindra DDoS-attacker, såsom hos en Internetleverantör eller dylikt. Potentialla problem som kan uppstå är att mängden trafik som måste analyserar blir för stor och för krävande. Denna avhandling går även igenom pmacct-verktyget i sig. Slutsatserna är lovande, vilket indikerar att den har potential av att kunna hantera sådana stora miljöer med noggrann planering.

在網路世界中，人們以匿名表達意見遠比現實生活中更為容易，這件事已劇烈地改變了匿名言論的量與質。從好的面向看，匿名帶來自主，讓異議者可以透過網路匿名，表達可能永遠都不敢在眾人面前說出來的真正想法，讓觀念市場變得多元豐富；另一方面，匿名提高了追究責任的困難。相較於現實世界的言論，損害他人或構成犯罪的惡質網路匿名言論，將造成影響更深遠且永久的傷害。 　　目前，關於網路匿名言論的管制方式，世界各國政府都是仰賴「事後追懲模式」和「實名認證模式」的其中一種。前者是網路使用者原則上可以匿名地發表言論，但如果發表不當言論並造成傷害，受害者或國家可以揭露其身份以對其展開司法追訴；後者是網路使用者在張貼言論前，必須先向國家機關指定的網路業者交出個人真實身份資料以進行驗證後，才能匿名發言，或甚至完全禁止以匿名方式發言，讓網路使用者感受到被眾人監督的壓力，不敢發表不當內容。 　　本文主張，網路匿名言論是受到憲法所保障的權利，而「事後追懲模式」相較於「實名認證模式」，較能調和不同權利間的衝突。不過，儘管我國政府採取此模式，卻在設計民刑事訴訟制度時，漏未導入匿名言論權利的思考，導致網路匿名表意者一經策略性訴訟攻擊，真實身份就會立即暴露，使得匿名表意自由不過徒有虛幻表象。因此，本文建議，為落實對匿名言論自由的保護，立法者宜參考美國法，修改部分訴訟法來處理此問題。 / On the internet, people can express themselves anonymously far easier than in the physical world. This fact has dramatically changed both the quantities and qualities of anonymous speech. On the bright side, anonymity brings more autonomy. Dissenters can express their real opinions, which they might never have the courage to speak out in public. It, in turn will promote the diversity and integrity of the marketplace of ideas. Yet, anonymity also makes it more difficult to hold the speakers accountable. In addition, compared to speech in the real physical world, malicious online anonymous speech will cause more serious permanent harms. 　　Today, governments around the world are either relying on the “Ex Post Compensation and Punishment” approach or the “Real-Name Verification System” to regulate online anonymous speech. Under the former approach, internet users can express their opinions anonymously, but if the content of their speech is malicious and causes damages to other people, the victim can seek disclosure of the speaker’s identity in order to take legal actions against the speaker. In contrast, under the latter system, internet users have to provide their personal information (real identities) to the ISPs or ICPs appointed by governments and complete the verification process before they can post their words. Some real name systems go even further by banning anonymous speech completely. By making users feel like they are being supervised by the public, the real name system wishes to deter indecent contents 　　This thesis argues that online anonymous speech is protected by the Constitution, and the ‘Ex Post Compensation and Punishment’ is a preferred approach because it can better balance the conflicting rights. In Taiwan, although the government has chosen the ‘Ex Post Compensation and Punishment’ approach, current civil/criminal procedural laws and practices afford little protection to online anonymous speakers. The plaintiff, who is allegedly harmed by the anonymous speech, can easily bring a “Strategic Lawsuit,” with the sole purpose of obtaining the identity of the online anonymous speaker. Consequently, this thesis suggests that, in order to better protect the freedom of anonymous speech, the legislators of Taiwan should refer to U.S. laws and practices and revise several provisions of Taiwan’s Code of Civil Procedure and Code of Criminal Procedure.