Terminal Forum

With the spread of Internet access worldwide, and mobile Internet in particular, the number of terminals enabling users to access online services and content has multiplied. Once simple "neutral" tools, they have become a service in their own right, multiplying uses and transforming Internet users' practices.

Mobile Internet access has become the main mode of access, driven by the development of the smartphone and resulting in new ways of accessing networks.

Game consoles, televisions and watches have become connected, and can increasingly concentrate household uses. Cars are also opening up to digital technology and can catalyze a number of mobile uses. The long list of connected objects suggests that the majority of everyday objects will have online uses, and the omnipresence of artificial intelligence can be seen as a facilitator and integrator of connectivity, notably with the development of voice assistants.

Each type of Internet access brings with it its own particular software environment, conditioned by technical and economic considerations, leading to shifting power relationships between manufacturers, developers and end-users. The development of tablets and smartphones, for example, has overturned the traditional model of the browser as the dominant interface for accessing web pages, in favor of applications, offering simpler, more ergonomic access. While today's users have a wide choice in terms of physical equipment, they face a much narrower choice when it comes to operating schemes where, on the smartphone for example, two main players account for the bulk of the market.

New functionalities have emerged in recent years, bringing with them new questions and strengthening the role of terminals. These include, for example, the integration of artificial intelligence bricks into terminals, the development of voice assistance, mobile payment, and the integration of cloud into terminal storage.

In view of these new uses and the questions that may be raised by the role of terminals, both from the point of view of users' free access to a wide range of online services and content, and from an economic, competitive and cultural point of view, this page sets out to inventory the work carried out by Arcep and Arcom, and where appropriate by other players, with a view to providing a more comprehensive understanding.