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Rob Nicholls

Dr Rob Nicholls is a lecturer in business law at the UNSW Business School.

He was previously a research fellow at Swinburne University of Technology where he worked on spectrum policy matters and a research fellow at the Centre for International Finance and Regulation where he researched the intersection of competition law with financial services regulations. His research applies system and network analysis techniques, commonly used in networked industries, to examine error amplification. Rob is the Independent Telecommunications Adjudicator in a regime established to deal with wholesale disputes arising over both legacy services and migration to the NBN. He has had a thirty-year career concentrating on regulations and governance, particularly in networked industries. He has worked for Webb Henderson, the ACCC and Gilbert + Tobin.

If scandals don't make us switch banks, financial technology might

Feb 07, 2017 04:06 am UTC| Fintech

An efficient market relies on rational customers being willing to change suppliers when theres good reason to do so. But what happens when customers stay put regardless? This issue is particularly acute in the banking...

Simpler account switching would help keep our banks honest

Oct 04, 2016 09:22 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

When the chiefs of Australias largest banks appear before the Standing Committee on Economics this week its likely theyll be asked about the current level of competition in retail banking. One of the objectives of...

Your risk, my reward: is the sharing economy becoming less selfish?

Mar 04, 2016 00:08 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

In the early days of the sharing economy, players like Uber and Airbnb provided a platform for their services, but no such protection on the risks that came with them. They shifted the risk instead to the buyers side or...

Economy

Vietnam, U.S. Firms Plan 29 Deals Across Energy, Tech and Aviation

Vietnamese and U.S. companies are expected to announce a broad package of commercial agreements covering energy, technology, aviation and financial services next week as Vietnamese leader To Lam visits New York. An...

UK Inflation Rises to 3.1% Ahead of BoE Rate Decision

UK inflation accelerated in August, adding pressure on households and policymakers just one day before the Bank of England is expected to announce its latest interest rate decision. Official figures released Wednesday...

Asian Currencies Subdued as Yen Slides Ahead of Fed, BOJ Decisions

Asian currencies traded mostly cautiously on Wednesday as the Japanese yen weakened to a one-week low and the U.S. dollar remained near multi-week highs ahead of key Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan policy decisions. The...

Saudi Arabia Raises Security Alerts as Houthi Attacks Threaten Oil Routes

Saudi Arabia issued widespread security alerts on Tuesday, including in Mecca and Jeddah, as attacks by Iran-aligned groups intensified and raised fresh concerns over Middle East oil supplies and Red Sea shipping. The...

Hong Kong Unveils First Five-Year Plan to Boost Finance, Tech and Housing

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee unveiled the citys first five-year development plan on Wednesday, outlining measures to strengthen its status as a global financial hub, improve residents livelihoods and deepen...

Politics

Guterres Urges Stronger Global AI Safeguards Ahead of UN Assembly

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned world leaders on Wednesday that the rapid development of artificial intelligence carries significant risks that governments cannot afford to overlook, highlighting a...

Rodrigo Duterte Makes First Public Appearance at ICC in 18 Months

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday, marking his first public appearance since being transferred to The Hague 18 months ago to face murder charges...

US Confirms Weapons in Orbit as Space Tensions Rise

The United States has publicly acknowledged operating weapons in Earths orbit, marking a major shift in how the Pentagon discusses military capabilities in space as competition with China and Russia intensifies. U.S. Air...

South Korea’s Cho Hyun to Meet Rubio in Washington

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will travel to Washington this week for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as Seoul and Washington seek to maintain close coordination on their bilateral alliance, the...

Ovechkin Faces Scrutiny Over United Russia Campaign Video

Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin has drawn renewed attention over his political ties after appearing in a campaign video connected to United Russia, the ruling party backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin....

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Databricks to Invest $350 Million in Singapore AI Expansion

Databricks plans to invest more than $350 million in Singapore over the next three years, expanding its presence in the city-state as demand rises for its data and artificial intelligence products. The privately held data...

SK Hynix, Intel Discuss U.S. Memory Chip Production Deal

SK Hynix is reportedly in discussions with Intel over a potential agreement to manufacture memory chips in the United States, a move that would mark the South Korean semiconductor giants first U.S.-based memory production....

DOJ Will Investigate AI-Related Crimes, Attorney General Blanche Says

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Department of Justice will investigate individuals or companies connected to artificial intelligence when there is evidence they have violated federal criminal law, while...

Meta CEO Zuckerberg Backs Independent AI Safety Reviews Over Development Slowdown

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has argued that artificial intelligence companies should prioritize independent safety evaluations and stronger alignment rather than slowing the pace of AI development. Zuckerberg said AI...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Expected at Trump-Xi State Dinner

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is expected to attend a state dinner hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump for Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, placing one of the technology industrys most prominent executives at the center...