Co-Chair
Angela Flannery

Communications Law Committee

The Communications Law Committee is a leading global forum for legal practitioners with specialist expertise or interest in the communications sector. The Committee offers members access to a worldwide network of leading practitioners, in-house counsel and regulators active in digital, communications and media markets. We encourage the sharing of sectoral expertise through regular publication of articles, periodic issues of our technical journal, the annual committee conference hosted jointly with IBA Antitrust Section, and specialised sessions at the IBA Annual Conference. The scope of the Committee’s work covers network, service and content-related developments across all delivery platforms. This provides members with access to practical global perspectives on the array of technological, commercial and policy issues which confront communications lawyers, their companies and clients.

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Forthcoming conferences and webinars View All Conferences

35th Annual IBA Communications and Competition Law Conference

27 Apr - 28 Apr 2026

Singapore

IBA Annual Conference Copenhagen 2026

04 Oct - 09 Oct 2026

Copenhagen , Denmark

  • A comparative review of functional separation as a structural remedy in telecommunications markets around the world;
  • the regulatory implications of local access fibre deployments and the impact on the business models of network operators and service providers;
  • the risks and opportunities for operators looking to capitalise on investment in IP-based platforms by moving down the value chain into a fragmented media marketplace;
  • the unique character of emerging and developing communications markets and what this means for transactions, opportunities and regulatory policy in those markets;
  • regulatory issues associated with market developments such as fixed-mobile substitution, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Video on Demand (VoD) and Television over Internet Protocol (IPTV), user-generated content, digital switchover, mobile broadband and unified communications;
  • the new and important legal developments occurring in communications markets at the interface between regulation, antitrust and the web; and
  • the function of global standards (including the evolution of new wireless and IP standards) and the function and regulation of standards bodies.

Committee Activities

The Committee organises many activities throughout the year, providing members with invaluable opportunities to keep abreast of the latest developments in communications and digital law, share practical insights, and network with in-house and private practice lawyers as well as with regulators.

Annual Communications and Competition Law Conference 

In cooperation with the Antitrust Section, the Communications Law Committee organise the very popular annual Communications and Competition Law Conference, which is a two-day conference addressing regulatory and industry developments in the areas of communications and antitrust law.

A hallmark of the conference is that it provides a forum for industry regulators, thought leaders and leading practitioners to discuss how they see communications and antitrust law evolving to address topical issues such as infrastructure sharing, internet of things (loT), 5G rollouts, ‘virtual’ competition issues raised by the digital economy and consolidation as well as antitrust challenges in dealing with new technology players.

The conference has been highly popular, and in 2019 we celebrated the 30th anniversary of its inauguration.

Annual IBA Conference

The Committee hosts various panel sessions on communications law issues and lead, chair, contribute or participate in sessions with other committees at the 2020 IBA Annual conference in Miami, with topics including the signature ‘round-the-tables’ event.

We have established working groups focused on particular topics for members to be more involved in areas of their specialisation and interest, so they may discuss and interact with peers on emerging issues and also support engagement with members at meetings, conferences and in other initiatives.

We have two working groups covering the following topic areas:

Digital Economy & Communications

This working group focuses on the legal and regulatory challenges raised by the digital economy (AI, algorithms, blockchain, etc). It also focuses on the evolution of the internet value-chain and the increased competition stemming from (and potential regulation of) platforms, tech and data companies.

Data & Communications 

This working group focuses on the intersection of the regulation of data and communications. It covers issues such as privacy for communications, Big Data, access to data and communications, personal/non-personal data regulation, cybersecurity and the free flow of data/data localisation.

The Committee is involved in the Intellectual Property, Communications and Technology Law Section programme for planning a scholarship for a young lawyer with a topical subject.

Scholarships

The Committee are proud to also be involved in many important IBA projects such as the United Nations sponsored UN-GGIM Project on Global Geospatial Information Management and the IBA Task Force on Government Access to IT Systems.

The fair share debate: global perspectives on who should contribute to internet infrastructure

The fair share debate: global perspectives on who should contribute to internet infrastructure

Calls by telecommunications companies for fair share regulation, that is, for online content providers to directly pay for telecommunications infrastructure costs, are contentious. While some jurisdictions support this regulation, not all do. This report provides a comparative analysis of the approach in different jurisdictions and will be updated as positions continue to evolve.

Download

Publications
All articles

ComReg’s first enforcement action under the Universal Service Regulations

In a recent significant judgment with wide-ranging implications for electronic communications service providers, the High Court of Ireland has clarified the legal framework governing consumer switching under the Universal Service Regulations. The case, brought by the Commission for Communications Regulation (otherwise known as ComReg) against Virgin Media Ireland Ltd, was the first of its kind under Regulation 31, which empowers the High Court to declare non-compliance with the obligations imposed on communication providers by the European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Universal Service and Users’ Rights) Regulations.

Released on Jul 17, 2025

Digital platform regulation: developments in Germany

The past few years have seen the emergence of section 19a of the Act against Restraints of Competition as a central instrument for Germany’s intervention in digital markets, with the German Federal Supreme Court (Bundesgerichtshof or BGH) upholding the German Federal Cartel Office’s (Bundeskartellamt) decisions. This national regime complements the harmonised European Union-wide regime introduced by the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The Bundeskartellamt remains at the forefront of digital platform regulation in Europe, serving as both an enforcer and a testing ground for innovative approaches. This article provides an overview of the evolving regulatory landscape, the interplay between German and EU law and recent enforcement actions against major digital platforms.

Released on Jul 17, 2025

The NIS2 Directive in Bulgaria: telcos may face overlapping rules and be subject to multiple supervisory authorities

Directive (EU) 2022/2555 on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union, amending Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 and Directive (EU) 2018/1972, and repealing Directive (EU) 2016/1148, commonly referred to as the NIS2 Directive, was due to be transposed into law and applied in Bulgaria by 17 October 2024. However, delays in the transposition of the law have been observed across most EU Member States. As of June 2025, Bulgaria’s transposition of the NIS2 Directive remains in the final stage of the legislative process before the national Parliament.

Released on Jul 17, 2025

The e-communications framework in Ukraine: a general overview

This article examines the regulatory framework in Ukraine for the electronic communications sector, established by the Law on Electronic Communications and its primary goal of achieving harmonisation with European Union legislation. It highlights the key regulatory pillars applicable to the sector, including the principles of general authorisation for market entry, radio frequency spectrum management and enhanced end-user rights. The article also addresses the special regulatory regime under martial law, the sanctions framework and key future developments aimed at the market’s continued evolution.

Released on Jul 17, 2025

Guides

Digital Regulations in the Metaverse Era: Metaverse Guide

As the metaverse continues to expand, it brings with it a myriad of opportunities and challenges that span across various legal and regulatory domains. This guide aims to provide a thorough understanding of these complexities, offering insights into the digital regulatory environment for a number of jurisdictions worldwide.

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Read the guide

Subcommittees and other groups

The Communications Law Committee also coordinates the activities of the following subcommittees/working groups.

  • Communications Law Committee Advisory Board

Join us on LinkedIn

If you are a member of the Communications Law Committee, for additional networking opportunities, programs, interviews with fellow members and tips all exclusive to members, join our LinkedIn page at: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9512124/.

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