The DFS Observatory began operations in March 2016. It is housed within the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information at Columbia Business School in New York.
Our Staff and Funding
» Dr. Leon Perlman, PhD, head and founder
» Michael Wechsler Esq., Research Scholar
» Keith Bowie, Research Scholar
» Samikshya Siwakoti, Research Staff
» Nora Gurung, Research Staff (2017-2018)
» The DFSO is funded and supported by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Our Activities and Accomplishments
- World's first comprehensive curated library of DFS-related laws, regulations and policies
- Over 780 DFS legal documents from over 55 countries in our searchable database
- Free webinars & quizzes on DFS-related topics, leading to a Certificate Program for registered participants
- Commentaries and policy documents on DFS regulation
- Publications on a range of DFS-related topics, including those from the ITU DFS Focus Group
- Our 7th annual DFS & Emerging Payments Summit on June 8 & 9 in New York
You are welcome to submit documents, laws, commentaries and regulations to be considered for publication.
Columbia Institute for Tele-Information
The Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) is a university-based research center focusing on strategy, management, and policy issues in telecommunications, computing, and electronic mass media.
Founded in 1983 at Columbia University, CITI is the first research center for communications economics, management, and policy established at a US management school. Its location in New York City provides a unique foundation for these activities. Research collaboration among academic, corporate, and public sectors is vital in analyzing the complex problems associated with managing communications enterprises, systems, and policy in environments of rapidly changing technology and regulation.