Apply for a fully funded Anglia Ruskin University VC PhD Scholarship on “Emerging Technologies, AI and Power Dynamics in Internet Interconnection: The Impact on Meaningful Connectivity and Digital Inclusion

This PhD project explores the role of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) as critical nodes in the global Internet ecosystem, providing local traffic exchange and reducing dependency on costly international bandwidth.  Despite their potential, IXPs in developing regions face challenges such as underutilisation, poor interconnection practices, and limited participation from local networks. These barriers are further complicated by increasing market concentration from global “hyperscalers”.

While hyperscalers enhance global connectivity and accessibility, their dominance may lead to tipping processes of increasing market power, often reinforced by access and usage of personal data as a key input for training their AI-driven offerings, affecting competition and inclusivity in IXP ecosystems. Emerging innovations, such as edge computing, alter traffic flows, creating new economic dynamics for local networks and communities. These, in turn, may provide a better way to decentralise traffic exchanges, increasing their resilience and inclusivity. However, these technologies might be used to further leverage market power across different segments of the interconnection ecosystems.  This research will analyse, from both economic and data measurement perspectives: Traffic exchange and connectivity for smaller ISPs; Topological metrics for assessing ecosystem market power. The role of AI and edge computing in altering traffic flows and Digital inclusion.

The research will benefit from support provided by the Internet Society (ISOC), including supervisory advice, access to datasets, collaborations with IXP operators, and policy fora. Findings will be disseminated through high-impact journals, international conferences, and partnerships with international organisations like ISOC and our academia membership at the International Telecommunication Union.  Applications must be submitted through our ARU online application portal.

There, you will find a link to the specific application for our topic, listed under the project page “Emerging Technologies, AI and Power Dynamics in Internet Interconnection: The Impact on Meaningful Connectivity and Digital Inclusion”. The application deadline is 16 March 2025. For queries on the application process, please email phdscholarships@aru.ac.uk.  To discuss the project, please contact the project team: Emanuele Giovannetti (ARU Economics), Yonghong Peng (ARU AI) and Amreesh Phokeer, PhD (Internet Society).

ARU is part of the Doctoral Training Alliance (DTA) in Future Societies.