Highlights

Abstract

JEL classification

Keywords

۱٫ Introduction

۲٫ Background

۳٫ Methodology

۴٫ Insights from interviews

۵٫ Investigation of 100 consortia

۶٫ A taxonomy of industry consortia

۷٫ Conclusions and implications

Declaration of Competing Interest

Acknowledgments

Annex A. List of consortia and their cluster allocation

Appendix B. Supplementary data

References

Abstract

In mobile telecommunications, numerous formal and quasi-formal standard setting organizations (SSOs) exist that are dedicated to technology standardization. Yet, hundreds of more or less informal industry consortia have been established that also deal with technical standards. Some of these aim to develop standards themselves – and thus compete with existing, formal standard setting organizations – while others complement existing organizations or relate to them in other ways. Based on a novel dataset covering 100 consortia in the field of mobile telecommunications as well as interviews, we aim to explore and understand the role and diversity of standards-related consortia. We investigate their purpose, functioning, their members’ motives, the position they occupy in the standardization landscape, and the way they interact with formal standard setting. On the basis of our analysis, we propose a taxonomy of standards-related consortia consisting of six groups: large industry and technology influencers, high-level concept developers, established standards developers, young technology specialists, small industry and technology influencers, and SSO-hosted industry drivers. We believe the resulting taxonomy to be relevant for researchers, practitioners and policymakers alike. It sheds light on the intricate landscape of industry consortia, and offers transparency on the peculiarities of these organizations. Hence, it can build the basis for an evaluation of potential memberships as well as policies and regulations.

۱٫ Introduction

Since the 1980s, the mobile telecommunications industry has evolved rapidly, from various first generation analog standards, to second-generation GSM, third-generation UMTS/WCDMA, and fourth-generation LTE standards.1 This evolution has not only changed the performance of telecommunication networks, such as data rates and latency, but in many respects also the underlying technologies. Standards impact potential uses as well as organizations and individuals, as we see with 3G, which was the result of a convergence between traditional telecommunications and the IT industry (Leiponen, 2008). For 5G standards in the making, this convergence is happening on an even larger scale, involving the Internet of Things (IoT), Industry 4.0, various vertical sectors, and more.