digital

Measure presented by Spanish Socialists to stop Catalonia developing "digital republic" grants authorities in Madrid "exceptional" powers

Jordi Puigneró stressed that ''internet access is a human right'' in international press conference

Catalan executive aims to challenge measure from Spanish Socialists, comparing it to internet policies in "authoritarian states"

''Let's prepare for a three-day long September 11,'' as group urges people to take days off work

Üloo Laanoja of Estonia responds to Spanish decree to restrict Internet platforms

Acting president says new decree will prevent "digital republic" in Catalonia, while Catalan digital policy minister calls move "digital repression"

Iconic former cinema in city's Poblenou neighborhood reopens as cultural venue with tribute to impressionism through virtual and augmented reality

Since December, firms are forbidden from contacting employees outside working hours, but applying the law is proving to be challenging for employers and unions

Digital policy minister Jordi Puigneró wants to challenge forced closure of 2017 referendum websites in court

City council will pay a proportion of social benefits to underprivileged people in the electronic money

There was “no better business” during the past years than launching a website supporting independence, says Spanish government

The Barcelona Games World video game fair, to be held from the 6^th to the 9^th of October, has released more information about its upcoming event in 2016. Previously held in Madrid, the event will now also focus on mobile games, to “open (the fair) to other forms of interactive digital entertainment”, according to Josep Antoni Llopart, director of the fair. This decision was made in part thanks to Barcelona’s “bond” with the Mobile World Congress event. Still, the gamer will continue to be “the centre of the experience”, with over 90,000 expected to attend, competitions and prizes of up to €15,000, and the giants of the sector present (such as Nintendo, Sony, etc.). What’s more, another novelty is that the fair will be used to connect businesses, offer jobs, and help people who would like to do studies in the field of gaming. Lastly, there will be a ‘space for socialisation’ on the fairground, complete with lectures, concerts, music sessions with DJs, fashion shows and competitions.

The Catalan project 'Guifi.net', based on an open Internet, was amongst the five winners at the first edition of the European Broadband Awards. It was awarded best project in the category on innovative model of financing, business and investment. 'Guifi.net' was founded in 2004 and aimed to connect those rural areas in Catalonia and in the rest of the Iberian Peninsula which had difficulties getting a good Internet service. Now, it is present in more than 30,000 homes. Its president, Ramon Roca, regarded the prize as “a recognition of more than 12 years of hard work”. A total of 48 projects from 17 Member States took part in the European Broadband Award’s competition, an initiative aiming to identify the five best projects of high-speed broadband networks – the so-called Next Generation Networks (NGN) delivering at least 30 Mbps in urban, suburban and rural areas.

In a keynotes speech held at the 2015 Mobile World Congress, which is currently taking place in Barcelona, CEOs from network carriers such as Huawei, South Korea's KT and Orange have explained their vision for facilitating huge increases in speed and the number of connections supported by network carriers over the next five years. This new standard, which is being developed as a collaboration between the industry’s main actors, should be available for the upcoming 2018 and 2020 Winter and Summer Olympics and will substitute 4G. The Tokyo Olympics will be the first commercial test. The South Korean carrier KT will also undertake a test at the 2018 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Pyeongchang.

The 1st Digital Government Congress organised by the Catalan Government and the Open Administration of Catalonia consortium (AOC) will take place on Wednesday and Thursday at the Palau de Congressos de Fira de Barcelona. The main aim of this summit is to develop through the use of new technologies the public administration into an “open and innovative administration” that will be smarter, more efficient and effective in order to give “real answers to the demands and expectations of society”, according to Àlex Pèlach, the Managing Director of the AOC consortium.