In the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, industry consortia play a critical role in developing compatibility standards that enable interoperability, drive innovation, and shape competitive dynamics. These consortia vary widely in size and composition and are often created to establish de facto standards through market-based coordination. While the literature suggests that structural features, such as the size of the consortium and the diversity of its members, can influence standardisation outcomes, empirical evidence quantifying these effects remains limited. This thesis investigates how the size and industry diversity of ICT consortia affect their success, defined through two key dimensions: the longevity of the consortium and its output productivity in generating technical deliverables. Drawing on theories of network effects, resource pooling, and complementary assets, the study hypothesises that both size and diversity follow an inverted-U shaped relationship with success, offering benefits up to a point, beyond which coordination complexity may reduce effectiveness...

Maintaining a high speed, secure and robust connection to the world is of paramount importance
in modern society. This proved especially true during a recent volcanic eruption in the small island nation of Tonga, where the only optical fibre line to the country was severed due to the cataclysm, completely disconnecting the island from the rest of the world. The lack of communication made the disaster relief to the eruption more complex. The Emergency Communications Node (ECN) can be deployed within 48 hours to enable alternative means of communication that replace damaged communication lines...