US mobile giant Verizon Wireless – the market’s largest wireless operator in terms of subscribers – has broken its silence on the controversial USD39 billion would-be merger between AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile USA, declaring that it sees no problem with the tie-up, as long as it does not involve increased regulation for the market as a whole. Speaking to Total Telecom at the Morgan Stanley TMT Conference in Barcelona, Francis Shammo, chief financial officer for Verizon, commented: ‘We have been very silent on this one. The reason we’ve been silent: we said there needs to be consolidation and as long as there is consolidation without regulation we don’t have an objection to it’.

See Press Release 
Source: Telegeography

In May 2011, the CRTC issued Fact-finding exercise on over-the-top programming services in the Canadian broadcasting system Broadcasting and Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2011-344. In the notice, the Commission stated that since the publication of  Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2009-329 (the Regulatory Policy), it has been monitoring the development of broadcasting in new media, adding that “over-the-top” (OTT) programming accessed over the Internet is increasingly available to consumers at attractive price points.To better understand the trends and their implications and to gain an accurate understanding of the evolving role played by OTT services, the Commission sought submissions from stakeholders, together with any data supporting their findings and/or assertions. Comments were received from individual Canadians, public interest groups, representatives of the cultural sector, broadcasters and distributors, network operators, vertically integrated communications undertakings and Canadian and non-Canadian providers of OTT services. The complete record of this proceeding is available on the Commission’s website.

See Press Release
Source: CRTC

In May 2011, the CRTC issued Fact-finding exercise on over-the-top programming services in the Canadian broadcasting system Broadcasting and Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2011-344. In the notice, the Commission stated that since the publication of  Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2009-329 (the Regulatory Policy), it has been monitoring the development of broadcasting in new media, adding that “over-the-top” (OTT) programming accessed over the Internet is increasingly available to consumers at attractive price points.To better understand the trends and their implications and to gain an accurate understanding of the evolving role played by OTT services, the Commission sought submissions from stakeholders, together with any data supporting their findings and/or assertions. Comments were received from individual Canadians, public interest groups, representatives of the cultural sector, broadcasters and distributors, network operators, vertically integrated communications undertakings and Canadian and non-Canadian providers of OTT services. The complete record of this proceeding is available on the Commission’s website.

See Press Release
Source: CRTC

Pan-Caribbean mobile network operator, Digicel has protested against the decision of the Guyana Parliament not to pass legislation that would break a monopoly on international calls in Guyana. Despite months of consultations and commitments, the Government pulled the legislation at the 11th hour. According to the telecommunications provider, Parliament's decision to allow the current monopoly to continue crushes Guyana's hope for lower international calling rates within the near future. Digicel is requesting that details of the late submission, the reason for the withdrawal of the promised legislation from Parliament today be made available to all stakeholders.

See Press Release 
Source: Cellular-news

Regulator Anatel's stats reveal Vivo maintained market leadership. Brazil's mobile phone subscriptions increased to 224 million in August, up 1.67% from July, according to figures released over the weekend by telecommunications regulator Anatel. New subscriptions in August totaled 3.7 million. Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo SA, or Vivo, maintained market leadership in August, with a 29.54% share. Vivo is controlled by Spain's Telefonica SA. TIM Participacoes SA was in second place with a 25.99% market share. TIM is the local unit of Telecom Italia SpA. Claro, the local unit of Mexico's America Movil SA, was in third place with a 25.36% market share. In fourth-place, mobile-phone operator Tele Norte Leste SA, or Oi, with a 18.78% share.

See Press Release 
Source: Total Telecom

Charts, diagrams, charts, measurements, and more charts. This summation of nearly every document that passes through the FCC sounds only slightly more fun than staring at the Matrix all day, yet we still find ourselves a bit giddy when seeing highly anticipated phones take their turn getting the Federal nod of approval. And so it is with the Samsung i937, which is most likely the Focus S -- one of three tantalizing Windows Phone choices aimed at reaching stores "this fall." It's about what we'd expect, really: aside from sporting the usual AT&T frequencies, there's not much more that we can discern from the pages and pages of numbers and colorful pictures that depict phone radiation. Exciting stuff, we know, but Windows Phone 7.5 is at least one step closer to being in the clutches of our lonely mitts.

See Press Release 
Source: FCC 

Mobile network operators in Venezuela have been ordered to start blocking stolen and lost phones within three months following an instruction from the telecom regulator, Conatel. The networks will also be required to set up a shared database of blocked IMEI numbers so that stolen handsets cannot be reused on another network. It was reported by local media that some 110,000 mobile phones are reported as stolen in the country every month. It was also claimed that 20 murders can be associated with thefts of BlackBerry smartphones.

See Press Release 
Source: Cellular-news 

Amid the political fighting over LightSquared and whether or not it will interfere with GPS, there’s a far larger issue: Can the nascent carrier really build a business as a wholesale carrier? History offers some perspective that maybe it can’t. A blast from the past. This “next-generation digital wireless technology…will be offered across the country to meet the explosive demand for high-speed access to the Internet” via a “wholesale business plan” that is “an unparalleled opportunity for minority and other small business entities to enter the wireless business.” Of course I’m talking about NextWave’s business plan, circa 1999, which was simply one step on the path to an exit from bankruptcy and a sale of its spectrum assets to Cingular and Verizon.

See Press Release 
Source: GigaOM 

The Federal Trade Commission proposed Thursday to revamp its online child privacy rules to reflect the ubiquity of smartphones and geolocation services. The proposed updates (.pdf) to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 were welcomed by many in the privacy community. They see the new proposal as a means to combat behavioral advertising targeting America’s youth. By contrast, Facebook, Microsoft, the Entertainment Software Association, the Toy Industry Association and others are arguing for self-regulation when it comes to targeted, online behavioral advertising. The law in question, commonly referred to as COPPA, is designed to protect the privacy of children under 13. Among other things, a major proposed upgrade generally would forbid websites and mobile apps that cater to children under 13 from deploying tracking cookies or using GPS location tracking for marketing without parental consent.

See Press Release 
Source: Wired

The Department of Justice today filed a civil antitrust lawsuit to block AT&T Inc.’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile USA Inc.   The department said that the proposed $39 billion transaction would substantially lessen competition for mobile wireless telecommunications services across the United States, resulting in higher prices, poorer quality services, fewer choices and fewer innovative products for the millions of American consumers who rely on mobile wireless services in their everyday lives.

See Press Release
Source: US Department of Justice

Primus Telecommunications has announced that its subsidiary company, Globility Communications, a Canadian local exchange carrier, has entered into an agreement to sell its 3.5 GHz fixed wireless spectrum licenses in 29 rural and urban markets across Canada for C$15 million. The license transfer is subject to Industry Canada approval. PTGi indirectly owns a 45.6% interest in Globility. Peter D. Aquino, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "PTGi is in full agreement with Globility's decision to monetize these non-core investments. This strongly complements PTGi's focus of investing in Canada in areas in which we can build sustainable long-term advantages for growth." The identity of the buyer was not disclosed.

See Press Release
Source: Cellular-news

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued its annual Communications Monitoring Report providing an overview of the Canadian télécommunications and broadcasting industries. The report reveals that by the end of 2010, the number of Canadian households subscribing to broadband Internet services rose by 9.2% to approximately 9 million, while the number of Canadians subscribing to wireless services grew by 8.5% to 25.8 million. CRTC Communications Monitoring Report http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/reports/PolicyMonitoring/2011/cmr2011.pdf

See Press Release

Source : CRTC

 

 

Brazil's largest telecom group Oi (TNLP4.SA), Telesp (TLPP4.SA), CTBC and Sercomtel will participate in Brazil's National Broadband Plan, Communications Minister Paulo Bernardo said on Thursday. Bernardo said the plan aims to expand high-speed Internet of 1 megabyte per second across Latin America's largest economy of 200 million people at a cost of 35 reais ($22) a month. The companies are expected to start offering the economical broadband Internet in the next 90 days.

See Press Release
Source: Reuters

UK-based applications and services company ROK Global has announced that, following the launch of its ‘Mobile TV’ subscription services with America Movil’s assorted subsidiaries in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay and El Salvador, the service has now gone live with Claro Guatemala and Claro Nicaragua. Mobile TV offers ten different TV channels, spanning news, sports, music and entertainment. Monthly subscriptions are priced at between USD6 and USD10, although daily and weekly payment options are also available to subscribers.

See Press Release 
Source: Telegeography

According to CRTC's Chairman,  Konrad von Finckenstein, in a digital world, regulatory change is necessary. He said: "We need new legislation and a new institutional framework. We cannot make the most of new opportunities when we are limited by the practices and the structures of the past".

Read the speech
Source: CRTC

Brazilian state-owned telecoms company Telecomunicacoes Brasileiras (Telebras) has signed its first contract to supply cheaper broadband services, as part of the federal government’s plan to improve internet access in the country. Under the broader remit of the National Broadband Plan (PNBL), Telebras signed the contract with internet service provider (ISP) Sadnet, which offers services in the city of Santo Antonio do Descoberto about 30km from Brasilia. Sadnet plans to begin marketing the plan in about 30 days and is looking to provide a maximum 1Mbps connection for BRL35 (USD22.2) per month. Sadnet currently offers end users tariff plans ranging from 100kbps to 200kbps for between BRL29.90 and BRL39.90.

Telebras was given the green light by the telecoms regulator Anatel to operate broadband internet services in the last mile. The decision to issue a Multimedia Communication Service (SCM) licence, published on 20 January, allows Telebras to provide services directly to consumers, as part of the PNBL’s plan to provide nationwide access for high speed internet access by 2014.

See Press Release 
Source: Total TeleGeography

Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)  launched an online consultation asking Canadians to comment on the way large cable and telephone companies charge independent Internet service providers (ISPs) for the use of their networks.  CRTC is seeking the views of Canadians on the following questions:

• How do you think large cable and telephone companies should charge independent ISPs for the use of their networks? 
• What kind of wholesale pricing plans encourage innovative products and services that benefit consumers?
• What kind of wholesale pricing plans encourage network investment by large companies and independent ISPs?
• What kind of wholesale pricing plans would be most beneficial for consumers?

See Press Release
Source: CRTC

The wireless subsidiary of Bolivia’s state-owned telco Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Entel), Entel Movil, has revealed that it has expanded HSPA+ coverage to the cities of La Paz, El Alto, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz, according to Next Wireless Latam. The cellco, as previously reported by CommsUpdate, last month said it would spend around USD32 million on the introduction of HSPA+ to its network, at which date it claimed to have already launched commercial mobile broadband services using the technology in the cities of Trinidad (Beni), Tarija, Oruro, Sucre and Potosi. Entel’s general manager, Roy Mendez, also noted that so far this year the wireless unit has deployed 372 new cell sites across the country, while he added that a total of 40 new base stations that supported HSPA+ had been brought online last week.

See Press Release
Source: Cellular-News

The Argentine communications ministry, Secretaria de Comunicaciones (SeCom), has announced it will auction wireless spectrum in the 800MHz and 1900MHz bands in the second half of 2011, Dow Jones Newswires reports. Under Resolution 57-2011 published in the Official Bulletin, bidding rules will be available for purchase starting next week. Applicants will have the chance to bid for 5MHz and 10MHz blocks of radio spectrum in the 1890MHz-1985MHz band as well as a 7.5MHz block in the 830MHz-879MHz band; the minimum bidding price has been set at between USD600,000 and USD6 million per MHz depending on the service area and spectrum band.

See Press Release
Source: Total TeleGeography

Cofetel defends decision to penalise operator for imposing high termination rates on rivals. Mexico's antitrust regulator responded Wednesday to comments by America Movil SAB unit Telcel against a $1 billion fine that the competition watchdog imposed on the grounds that the mobile operator uses its market weight and high interconnection fees to displace competitors. Eduardo Perez Motta, president of the Federal Competition Commission, or CFC, said in an emailed statement that, by charging competitors high rates to terminate calls on its network, Telcel pushes their costs up and maintains its ability to charge high rates to its own customers. Telcel said Tuesday that it will appeal the ruling and fine, which it described as "arbitrary, biased, opportunistic and excessive."

See Press Release
Source: Total Telecom 

Bolivian mobile network operator Entel Movil, a subsidiary of fixed line incumbent Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Entel), is set to spend around USD32 million on the introduction of HSPA+ technology to its network, national news agency ABI.bo reports.

According to the general manager of the cellco’s parent company, Roy Mendez, theoretical speeds over the improved network will reach up to 21Mbps, the fastest downlink rates offered by any operator in the country, and commenting on the development he said: ‘With this technological leap, Entel offers Bolivians technology at the same level as in the major capitals of the world, significantly reducing the digital divide.’

See Press Release
Source: Telegeography

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)  launched, of its own initiative, a proceeding to review its decisions on billing practices that would have applied to the residential customers of Small Internet service providers (Small ISPs).  “The great concern expressed by Canadians over this issue is telling of how much the Internet has become an integral part of their lives,” said Konrad von Finckenstein, Q.C., Chairman of the CRTC.

 “Our approach is based on two fundamental principles: cas a general rule, ordinary consumers served by Small ISPs should not have to fund the bandwidth used by the heaviest residential Internet consumers, and it is in the best interest of consumers that Small ISPs, which offer competitive alternatives to the Large Distributors, should continue to do so.

See Press Release

Source: CRTC

The CRTC initiates a public proceeding to review its policies for direct-to-home (DTH) satellite distribution. As part of this proceeding, the CRTC will hold a hearing commencing on 16 November 2010. In this document, the Commission invites comments and proposals on its regulatory framework for DTH satellite distribution, particularly with respect to: the conventional television stations that DTH distributors are required to offer to their subscribers; and the manner in which DTH distributors perform simultaneous substitution. The deadline for filing written comments is 8 September 2010.

See Press Release
Source: CRTC

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has introduced new rules which make switching mobile phone, internet and television providers easier for consumers, reports the Montreal Gazette. The new framework will force providers to make all necessary arrangements to have services transferred over to them from their competitors, the regulator announced. In the past, consumer rights lobbyists have attacked delays faced by customers in moving between providers, as well as unexpected charges incurred by end-users as a result of making the switch. Under the new rules, subscriber account transfers must be completed within two business days, except in the case of wireless services, for which a much shorter time window of two and a half hours has been set. Additionally, new safeguards will apply to prevent service providers from sharing confidential customer information with their internal sales and marketing groups during the process of transferring a customer account. 

See Press Release 
Source: TeleGeography

The government statistics bureau of Argentina, Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos (INDEC), has reported that the country ended 2010 with a total of 5.22 million broadband subscribers, up from 4.26 million a year earlier. In terms of technology, xDSL made up the lion’s share of total connections (2.9 million, or 56%), followed by wireless, satellite and other connections (1.35 million, or 26%) and cable technology (962,354, or 18%).

See Press Release
Source: Telegeography

US politicians have proposed a new bill that would impose a 5-year ban on any increases in the taxes imposed on cell phone services by federal and state governments. According to the proposal, on average, wireless customers now pay 16.3% in taxes and fees, more than twice the average rate of 7.4% on other goods and services. The Wireless Tax Fairness Act would halt this trend by imposing a temporary, five-year freeze on new taxes that are imposed only on wireless services. They note that the bill does not take away any existing revenue from state or local governments; it simply caps the current taxes and fees. It is also the second attempt to pass such a bill after an attempt last year failed.

See this article

Source: Cellular News

Mexican fixed line incumbent Telefonos de Mexico (Telmex) has unveiled plans to break its fixed line voice operations apart, revealing it aims to form two separate companies, one of which will exclusively serve rural areas, the Wall Street Journal reports. Under the telco’s proposals, which will require the approval of the Secretario de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT) and other regulatory bodies, Telmex intends to create a new company, Telmex Social, to service rural regions and those areas of the country ‘in which there is no economic interest of any competitor’. The new company, Telmex said, would continue to pay the same interconnection rates to competitors as the enlarged operator currently does.

See Press Release
Source: TeleGeography

Venezuelan state-owned telco, Compania Anonima Nacional Telefonos de Venezuela (CANTV), announced on Friday that it has finished building a fibre-optic cable linking the southern part of the country to northern Brazil. Officials revealed the news at a press conference broadcast on state-run television, following the completion of the rollout of optical fibre across the border to the city of Manaus in Brazil, via small Venezuelan city Santa Elena de Uairen.

The link will support transmission of broadband internet with a maximum capacity of 10Gbps. According to Venezuela's Ministry of Science, Technology and Intermediate Industries, the country has around 10,700km of state-controlled fibre-optic infrastructure, and over the next two years the backbone is expected to reach 18,000km; the ministry added that the fibre network has been enlarged by 20% over the last two years.

See Press Release
Source: TeleGeography

The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), the monopoly provider of wireless services in Costa Rica, will switch off its legacy TDMA network today, despite the platform still registering some 9,000 users. Customers have been given a choice of switching to ICE’s 2G or 3G networks, on either a pre-paid or post-paid basis.

See Press Release
Source: TeleGeography

Costa Rica's monopoly for mobile phone services held by the state-owned Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) has been broken after the regulator finally awarded mobile licenses to Telefonica and America Movil. The two companies paid US$95 million and US$77 million respectively for their licenses, according to a statement from the regulator, Sutel. A third license was not awarded, and could be tendered in the future if demand calls for it. The regulator had previously said that five companies - Cable & Wireless, Telefónica, Claro, Digicel and Millicom - have requested the documents and are said to be serious about bidding. Why the other companies chose not to bid for the remaining license was not explained.

See Press Release
Source: Cellular-news

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today announced that new Rules of Practice and Procedure will go into effect on April 1, 2011. The rules are intended to guide public participation in the CRTC’s broadcasting and telecommunications proceedings. The CRTC holds a variety of public proceedings to gather evidence and hear the views of the communications industry, interested parties and the general public. More than 1,000 documents related to ongoing proceedings are filed with the CRTC during a typical week, a number that can rise to over 10,000 in the case of a highly publicized matter. Submissions may include applications, interventions, procedural requests and responses to questions. Starting in April 2011, applications must be submitted to the CRTC electronically using the applicable forms on its website. In addition, certain broadcasting applications, such as a request to modify a television or radio licence, will be published separately on the CRTC’s website for comments instead of by way of a notice of consultation. This will enable the CRTC to process these applications more quickly, and the procedure will mirror the current practice for similar telecommunications applications.

See Fact sheet - General questions and answers about the new converged Rules of Procedure

See Press Release
Source : CRTC

Survey finds faster broadband needed in schools and libraries The Federal Communications Commission today released a report on the state of broadband connectivity at schools and libraries receiving funds from the federal E-rate program, which provides support to help connect schools and libraries to the Internet. The report is based on data from a survey conducted in 2010 that examined the success and challenges related to broadband use faced by schools and libraries. This survey will help the Commission make data-driven policy decisions for the E-rate program by providing information on the educational and technological needs of schools and libraries.

See Press Release
Source: Federal Communications Commission - FCC

The Federal Communications Commission today took important steps to meet the nation’s demand for innovative wireless broadband services and preserve the benefits that free over-the- air TV provides for consumers. In adopting proposals to make more efficient use of the nation’s airwaves, the FCC set the stage for voluntary broadcast spectrum auctions that could provide consumers with the robust mobile broadband services they demand while preserving over-the-air TV that many rely upon. The resulting efficient use of airwaves will help ensure that America leads the global wireless revolution and enjoys the resulting jobs and economic growth. Specifically, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking adopted by the FCC today proposes that wireless broadband providers have equal access to television broadcast frequencies that could become available in spectrum auctions. The Notice seeks comment on establishing new allocations for both fixed and mobile wireless services in the TV broadcast bands.

See Press Release
Source: FCC - Federal Communications Commission

Operator expects size of fixed broadband market to triple in the next three years. Brazilian telecommunications company Tele Norte Leste Participacoes S/A, seeing limited growth in the mobile business, is betting heavily on its wireline network to deliver faster-growing fixed-broadband and pay-television service. Tele Norte Leste, also known as Oi, will introduce an Internet-based TV service within the next six months, according to Chief Financial Officer Alex Zornig. He also expects the fixed-broadband business to triple over the next three years. "The name of the game in Brazil is broadband and cable TV," Zornig said in an interview Tuesday.

See Press Release
Source: Total Telecom

The Federal Communications Commission recently took action to extend the deadline for broadcasters, cable companies, satellite radio and television operators, and wireline video service providers to implement the new federal common messaging protocol adopted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the transmission of next generation emergency alerts and warnings to the public.

See Press Release
Source: FCC Federal Communications Commission

Jamaica's government has approved plans to mandate SIM card registration by the country's three mobile network operators. The Minister with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Projects, Daryl Vaz, who made the announcement at a press conference said the legislation is regarded by the local security forces as a tool to assist law enforcement in investigating serious crimes.

"Security intelligence supports the fact that criminal networks exploit the anonymity accorded by pre-paid mobile telephones to execute their nefarious dealings," he said. The Cabinet has approved drafting instructions to prepare for amendments to the Telecommunications Act, 2000 to require SIM card registration.

See Press Release
Source: Cellular-news

Verizon Wireless, AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile USA will formally announce their joint venture to create a mobile payment network, which will be financially backed by Barclays PLC and Discover Financial Services, as soon as Tuesday, according to people familiar with the situation. The joint venture will be lead by Michael Abbott, formerly chief marketing officer at General Electric Co.'s GE Capital division. Discover and Barclays will also officially announce that they are participating in the venture. A formal announcement can come any time between Tuesday and Thursday.

See Press Release
Source: Total Telecom

The USA is planning to release 115Mhz of radio spectrum for use in wireless broadband service within the next five years under plans announced today by the US Commerce Department, through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

In late June, President Obama committed to make available 500 megahertz of Federal and nonfederal spectrum over the next 10 years. The NTIA has now undertaken a fast-track review to identify some reallocation opportunities that exist in the next five years and to make a down payment on the overall goal. In the coming months, NTIA will continue to investigate reallocation opportunities that will maximize private sector investment, while protecting critical Federal missions.

See Press Release
Source: Cellular-news

Italian incumbent receives $100 million in compensation after Bolivian government took back its stake in Entel. Telecom Italia SpA has received $100 million in compensation from Bolivia for its stake in the local telecommunications operator that was expropriated two years ago. It said Monday it reached on Nov. 5 an agreement with the government and Entel Bolivia, the operator, to resolve the dispute over the expropriation of its 50% stake in Entel.

See Press Release
Source Total Telecom

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) in Jamaica and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which will see both organisations exchanging information and expertise. The MOU was signed at the offices of the OUR in Kingston on Monday November 8. Under the terms of the MOU, both parties will be engaged in regulatory study tours and internships as well as sharing regulatory best practices and the provision of technical assistance.

See Press Release
Source: Jamaican Office of Utilities Regulation

The Spectrum Management Authority (the SMA), the regulatory body charged with the management of the Radio Frequency Spectrum in Jamaica is inviting expressions of interest from entities interested in spectrum licences in the 1900 & 2100 MHz band. The SMA wishes to identify the level of interest in and demand for the 1900 & 2100 MHz spectrum (used for mobile services), to aid in determining the choice of allocation, the mechanism for assignment, licensing terms and conditions and pricing, for 30 MHz of mobile spectrum.

Information regarding this Expression of Interest should be obtained from the SMA’s website at www.sma.gov.jm, and on the website of the Office of the Prime Minister at www.opm.gov.jm. Interested parties should submit their response as outlined in the Invitation by Tuesday, November 23, 2010 to:

The Managing Director
Spectrum Management Authority
13 – 19 Harbour Street
Kingston
Jamaica, W.I.

Brazil's telecoms regulator, Anatel has published the details of its planned auction the remaining 3G radio spectrum - the Band H block. The spectrum auction has been designed in a manner that could potentially see a new entrant into the market, although this is felt by analysts to be unlikely. The auction is expected to be held on the 15th December 2010, and the minimum price for the sale of all the frequency blocks in Band H is R$1.1 billion (US $640 million).

The auction will also include some additional 2G spectrum in the 1900Mhz bands. The H band is made up of (10 MHz + 10 MHz), Sub-band extension H (SE) (5 MHz + 5 MHz), sub-bands on the (S), D (S), E (S) and M (S) and extension sub-bands (SE ) 900 MHz and 1800 MHz, including the sub-bands for TDD Systems.

See Press Release
Source: Cellular-news

The Federal Communications Commission announced the release of a white paper entitled, “Mobile Broadband: The Benefits of Additional Spectrum.” This detailed technical and economic forecast of mobile broadband market trends details the looming spectrum crunch in a concrete, data-driven fashion. The National Broadband Plan recognized the exponential growth of mobile data usage and recommended that the Commission make available 500 megahertz (MHz) of new spectrum for wireless broadband within ten years, including 300 MHz for mobile flexible use within five years. In addition, the President directed in a June 28, 2010, Executive Memorandum that 500 MHz of new spectrum be made available for mobile and fixed broadband use.

See Press Release http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2010/db1021/DOC-302330A1.pdf
Source FCC Federal Communications Commission http://www.fcc.gov

President Cristina Kirchner has launched a national connectivity plan to bring broadband access and free digital television to parts of the country not yet served by existing networks. ‘Argentina Conectada’ will involve the deployment of a 26,000km backbone by state-owned satellite company Arsat in rural and unprofitable areas to complement the existing infrastructure. The project will require government investment of around ARS8 billion (USD2.02 billion) over the next three years.

See article
Source: Telegeography

Canada's federal government has announced that it plans to hold a radio spectrum auction in 2012 to allocate the digital dividend spectrum that is due to become available when analogue television signals are switched off at the end of August 2011. "We know that 700 megahertz is going to be available as people switch to digital TV," Industry Minister Tony Clement told reporters. "And we know that the 2500 megahertz is also going to be available, so I have instructed my department to get ready and to start the process rolling." The auction is also expected to act as a spur to the government to clarify the laws on foreign shareholding in Canadian telecoms networks. Any confusion over shareholder limits could deter investors and reduce the potential revenues for the government.

See Press Release
Source: cellular-news

The federal government’s use of handheld communications devices and its practices for disposing of unneeded paper documents and surplus computers could expose the personal information of Canadians to unauthorized disclosure, Privacy Commissioner of Canada Jennifer Stoddart has warned.The findings, stemming from two separate privacy audits conducted by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC), were highlighted in the organization’s 2009-2010 annual report on the Privacy Act, tabled in Parliament today. The Act applies to federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations.

See press release
Source: OPCC Canada

Region overtakes Europe in terms of mobile connections; Wireless Intelligence expects global mobile users to hit 6 billion by first half of 2012. Latin America is now the world's second largest mobile market behind Asia-Pacific after net subscriber additions of nearly 15 million during the second quarter of 2010 saw the region overtake Western Europe. According to new figures published on Friday by Wireless Intelligence, mobile connections across Latin America reached a total of 530 million in Q2, while in Western Europe the number of connections declined sequentially to 515 million from 520 million. "In recent quarters, Latin American mobile operators have increased their marketing and technological investments, which have had a positive impact on connections growth," said Joss Gillet, senior analyst at Wireless Intelligence, in a research note.

See Press Release
Source: Total telecom

House Democrats have shelved a last-ditch effort to broker a compromise between phone, cable and Internet companies on rules that would prohibit broadband providers from blocking or degrading online traffic flowing over their networks. House Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., abandoned the effort late Wednesday in the face of Republican opposition to his proposed "network neutrality" rules. Those rules were intended to prevent broadband providers from becoming online gatekeepers by playing favorites with traffic. The battle over net neutrality has pitted public interest groups and Internet companies such as Google Inc. and Skype against the nation's big phone and cable companies, including AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and Comcast Corp.

See Press Release
Source: cellular-news

The US Federal Communications Commission approved a proposal on Thursday that would open vast amounts of unused broadcast television airwaves for high-speed wireless broadband networks and other unlicensed applications.

See Press Release
Source: USA Federal Communications Commission

CRTC encourages competition and investment in the provision of Internet services The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today determined, on the basis of the evidence submitted at a recent public hearing, that large telephone companies must make their existing Internet access services available to alternate Internet service providers (ISPs) at speeds that match those offered to their own retail customers. This requirement will ensure that alternate ISPs can continue to give Canadians more choice by offering competing and innovative Internet services.

See decision (Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-632)
Source: CRTC

Durante el primer semestre de 2010, el sector telecomunicaciones registró un crecimiento acumulado de 12.3 por ciento, informó la Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL). En el segundo trimestre del año, el sector tuvo un crecimiento de 11.8 por ciento, de acuerdo con el Índice de Producción del Sector Telecomunicaciones (ITEL), documento que destaca los segmentos de TV Vía Satélite y Trunking como los que registraron mayor dinamismo entre abril y junio de este año.

See Press Release 
Source: Cellular News

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today directed the large telephone companies to rebate $310.8 million to their urban home telephone customers. At the same time, the CRTC has approved a plan for the deployment of broadband Internet service to 287 rural and remote communities.

See Press Release
Source: CRTC

Chile's telecoms regulator Subtel will auction off radio spectrum for LTE services in December this year and plans to award the licenses around the middle of next year, Subtel's head Jorge Atton told BNAmericas. "The 2.6 GHz band is available. We are clearing the spectrum and we've decided to auction it. We want coverage and we want broadband capacity to grow and for that we have to provide spectrum," he said.

See Press Release
Source: Cellular-news

Vodafone (VOD.L), the world's largest mobile operator by revenue, is unlikely to bid for Brazilian wireless carrier TIM Participacoes as it has become harder for newcommers to enter Latin America's largest telecom market, a top industry executive -Oi CEO- said on Thursday. Speculation has mounted in recent weeks that U.K.-based Vodafone could buy a controlling stake in TIM Brasil (TCSL4.SA), as the Brazilian unit of Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) is known. Currently, there are four wireless carriers in Brazil where almost 80 percent of its 190 million people own a mobile phone. TIM Brasil, Brazil's third largest cell phone operator, has become "strategically isolated" following the acquisition of market leader Vivo (VIVO4.SA) by Spain's Telefonica (TEF.MC) and the recent purchase of a stake in Oi (TNLP4.SA) by Portugal Telecom SGPS SA (PTC.LS), said Oi Chief Executive Eduardo Falco.

See Press Release

Source: Reuters

Submissions made as part of Industry Canada’s public consultation on foreign investment restrictions in the telecommunications sector are now online at www.ic.gc.ca /telecominvestment. The consultations were announced by the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, on June 11, and ran until July 30, 2010. The consultation paper is also posted on the site. It outlines the current restrictions, describes how Canada compares with other countries and presents the following three options for consideration: Increase the limit for direct foreign investment in broadcasting and telecommunications common carriers to 49 percent; Lift restrictions on telecommunications common carriers with a 10-percent market share or less, by revenue; or Remove telecommunications restrictions completely.

See press release
See comments
Source: Government of Canada

La República Dominicana aprobó hoy el modelo norteamericano ATSC (Advanced Television Sytem Committee) como estándar de Televisión Digital Terrestre para su aplicación a partir de la fecha en el territorio nacional.

La medida fue adoptada mediante el Decreto No. 407-10 emitido por el Presidente Leonel Fernández, informó el presidente del Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (Indotel),doctor José Rafael Vargas, durante una rueda de prensa en el Palacio Nacional. “En el mes de septiembre del 2015 se produce el apagón analógico de la televisión dominicana y a partir de este momento con el formato que vamos a anunciar, comenzamos el desarrollo de la fase más trascendente, más importante que ha tenido la televisión de la República Dominicana desde su origen en la década de los años 50”, expresó el funcionario.

Vargas señaló que algunos concesionarios ya han adquirido sus transmisores y equipos digitales, mientras que el Indotel está propiciando que vía la Dirección General de Aduanas “se den todas las facilidades a todos los concesionarios de radio y televisión para que puedan traer sus equipos”.

See Press Release

Source: Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones INDOTEL

The U.S. copyright office issued exemptions to a copyright law, giving legal protection for people who unlock their smartphones like Apple Inc's iPhone. Changing operators' fixed phone settings -- a concept known as 'jailbreaking' -- has become widely popular around the world since the 2007 introduction of Apple's iPhone. The move by the copyright office to give exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), will undermine handset makers like Apple's ability to control the installation of software programs on their phones. The copyright office is part of the Library of Congress.

The Library of Congress, which can define exceptions to existing copyright laws, said in a statement that a user can circumvent the phone's functionality to use any legally obtained software. The ruling also allows users to change the wireless service provider. Currently, AT&T Inc is the sole wireless service provider for Apple in the U.S.

See Press Release
Source: Reuters

Las licitaciones 20 y 21, de las bandas 1.7 y 1.9 megahertz, respectivamente, continúan ya que no existe impedimento legal alguno para la entrega de las concesiones a los ganadores de dichos procesos, conducidos por la Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (Cofetel). Por medio de estas licitaciones la Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT) y la Cofetel impulsan la oferta de servicios de telecomunicaciones inalámbricas en el país en beneficio de todos los usuarios.
Para fortalecer el sano desarrollo de esta industria, las licitaciones 20 y 21 se han conducido en todo momento con equidad y transparencia. Ello, permitirá que cada vez más mexicanos tengan acceso a más y mejores servicios de telecomunicaciones a costos más competitivos. A lo largo de los procesos, varias empresas han interpuesto más de 60 medios de impugnación en contra de las licitaciones. Sin embargo, ninguno de éstos ha derivado en detenerlas o suspenderlas.

See Press Release
Source: Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes

South Korea, Netherlands, Hong Kong Take Top Spots in Strategy Analytics' Broadband Composite Index (BCI)
The United States still trails much of the world in broadband development, ranking 23rd on the list of the top 57 countries, according to rankings released this week by analyst firm Strategy Analytics. South Korea holds on to the title of the world’s most advanced broadband market. Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Japan round out the top five slots.

The rankings are the result of a new broadband measurement tool just launched by Strategy Analytics. The "Broadband Composite Index" (BCI) examines and scores the broadband development of fifty-seven individual countries in five categories, including household penetration, speed, affordability, value for money, and urbanicity. The resulting score provides a more balanced and robust view of broadband development, according to the firm.

See Press Release (1), (2)

Source: Information Policy , Strategy Analytics

Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica has been confirmed as the highest bidder in the Mexican government’s auctions for spectrum in the 1900MHz spectrum band, according to Bloomberg. Telefonica, Grupo Iusacell and a joint venture between NII Holdings and local media giant Grupo Televisa submitted the highest bids in the sale, the Comision Federal de Telecomunicaciones (Cofetel) revealed, and the regulator now has 30 days to review the auction and officially declare the winners.

See Press Release
Source: telegeography

La culminación de esta licitación constituye un hecho de gran relevancia para el país, puesto que los participantes ganadores dispondrán de una cantidad equivalente a 30 MHz adicionales de espectro radioeléctrico para ampliar y mejorar la calidad y cobertura de los servicios de telecomunicaciones en beneficio de millones de mexicanos. Las posturas válidas más altas alcanzadas en la licitación, así como las empresas ganadoras se pueden apreciar en la siguiente tabla.

See Press Release
Source: Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones

Bermuda has turned its back on plans to push a new telecoms reform bill through the House of Assembly before the summer recess. Michael Scott, the country’s Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and E-Commerce, recently said he would table the Regulatory Authority Act and the Electronic Communications Act bills before the summer recess. The decision is welcome news to the likes of KeyTech Ltd which had called for a delay to allow discussion on what the reform was meant to achieve.

See article
Source: Telegeography

El Consejo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones – CONATEL – pone en conocimiento de la ciudadanía en general, que de conformidad con lo dispuesto en los artículos 11 numeral 3,313,424,425 y 426 de la Constitución de l República del Ecuador; así como en las Decisiones 608, 616 y 462 de la Comunidad Andina de Naciones, únicamente en lo que fuere aplicable, el Art. 39 de la Ley Especial de Telecomunicaciones Reformada; en los artículos 17, 18, 19 27 y siguientes correspondientes al Título IV del Reglamento General a la Ley Especial de Telecomunicaciones Reformada; y las Resoluciones del CONATEL relativas a la materia, especialmente pero sin limitarlas a las 415-15-CONATEL-2005 y 498-25-CONATEL-2002, ha iniciado el proceso para calificación de Operador Dominante en el servicio móvil de voz (móvil-móvil) en territorio ecuatoriano.

See Press Release
Source: Consejo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones CONATEL

Last week U.S. President Obama announced investment in 66 new broadband projects, many of which fill in fiber “middle mile” gaps in rural communities. The awarded projects are believed to “create approximately 5,000 jobs, help spur economic development in some of the nation’s hardest-hit communities, helping create jobs for years to come. In total, tens of millions of Americans and over 685,000 businesses, 900 healthcare facilities and 2,400 schools in all 50 states stand to benefit from the awards.” While the vast majority of projects is related to building and improving middle mile and FttH infrastructures, some of the projects aim to expand computer center capacity for public use in libraries, community colleges and other public venues.

See Press Release
Source: DSL reports, Whitehouse.gov

En cumplimiento de la Resolución del Poder Ejecutivo de fecha 31/05/2010 la Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones (URSEC) informa que el 29 de agosto de 2010 a las 2:00 A.M. entrarán en vigencia los cambios en la numeración y marcación telefónica introducidos por el Plan Nacional de Numeración aprobado por esta Unidad.
Ver tambien: Comunicado de UIT sobre cambios del PNN en Uruguay

See Press Release
Source: Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones URSEC

Hector Osuna said he was leaving Cofetel, which has struggled to modernize Mexico 's telecom industry and reduce the dominance of tycoon Carlos Slim's Telmex (TELMEXL.MX ) (TMX.N ) and America Movil (AMXL.MX ) (AMX.N ), to pursue political interests in northern Mexico.

After years of delay, the commission is currently overseeing the auction of additional wireless spectrum with America Movil, Spain's Telefonica (TEF.MC ) and Nextel Mexico participating.

See Press Release 
Source: Reuters

For SindiTelebrasil, incentives and regulation would be sufficient to meet the National Broadband Plan (PNBL).

The director of SindiTelebrasil, Eduardo Levy, said that the documents so far published by the government about the National Broadband are vague and do not give legal certainty that no change of rules. It also says that what is posted adds little in relation to targets and conditions for the private sector can contribute to the plan.

See Press Release 
Source SindiTelebrasil, National Union of Telephone Companies and Service Cellular Mobile and Personal

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry,  announced the launch of a public consultation on foreign investment restrictions in the telecommunications sector.

“Our goal is to encourage investment, innovation and competition in the telecommunications sector for the benefit of both businesses and consumers,” said Minister Clement. “We look forward to receiving Canadians’ views on this important issue.” In the Speech from the Throne and Budget 2010: Leading the Way on Jobs and Growth, the Government of Canada committed to opening Canada’s doors further to venture capital and to foreign investment in key sectors, including telecommunications, in order to attract new capital and to encourage innovation and competition. The consultation will run until July 30, 2010. The consultation paper outlines the current restrictions, describes how Canada compares with other countries and presents the following three options for consideration:

• Increase the limit for direct foreign investment in broadcasting and telecommunications common carriers to 49 percent;
• Lift restrictions on telecommunications common carriers with a 10-percent market share or less, by revenue; or
• Remove telecommunications restrictions completely.

See Press Release
See page of consultation
Source: Industry Canada

The Federal Communications Commission today opened a new proceeding to identify the legal approach that will best support its efforts to ensure universal access to affordable, highquality broadband services; promote broadband innovation, investment, and competition; and protect and empower consumers. A Notice of Inquiry adopted by the agency begins a public process to consider possible frameworks for addressing the high-speed connections most consumers use to access the Internet.

See Press Release
Source: National Broadband Plan

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today released a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) as part of the 2010 quadrennial review of its media ownership rules. The NOI initiates a fresh look at the current rules to determine whether they promote the Commission’s goals of competition, localism, and diversity.
“We live in an ever-changing media world, but the core public interest goals are the same,” said Chairman Genachowski. “The Commission is committed to fostering a strong and independent broadcast media that provides Americans with multiple and diverse sources of news, public affairs, and entertainment programming. The input we seek in this proceeding will help ensure that our media ownership rules continue to protect consumer interests in today’s marketplace.”

See Press Release
Source: USA - FCC

The Government of Canada  unveiled a national consultation aimed at building consensus among governments, the private sector, academia and the Canadian public in developing a digital economy strategy for Canada. The commitment to developing the strategy was outlined in both the government’s Speech from the Throne and Budget 2010 and is aimed at positioning Canada for leadership in the global digital economy.

See Press Release

Speech: Canada 3.0 Conference

Source: Industry Canada

In an online video address, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski explains the suggested “third way” approach developed by FCC staff to secure a solid legal foundation for broadband policy in the wake of the recent Comcast court decision.

The FCC also launched a series of new media resources at Broadband.gov -- including blog posts, frequently asked questions, and a glossary of terms -- to educate the public about the complex, technical legal issues involved. These resources will be updated on an ongoing basis. FCC Chairman Genachowski video address available here. FCC Chairman Genachowski blog post available here.

See press release attached

Source: FCC

DOC-297976A1.doc (69,5 KB)

The American Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has decided to take a “third approach” to regulating broadband carriers, partially classifying them as “common carriers” under Title 2 of the Communications Act. This would allow the FCC to control the transmission component of broadband Internet, but not rates or content.
The plan, revealed on Thursday, would reclassify broadband transmission service as a telecommunications service. In doing so, the agency is trying to find middle ground between carriers – who would prefer no regulation on their Internet services at all – and consumer advocates – who would like to see strict regulation to enforce “net neutrality”.

See Press Release
Source: International Telecommunications User Group INTUG

The Federal Communications Commission launched new digital tools -- the Consumer Broadband Test and the Broadband Dead Zone Report -- that allow consumers to test their broadband service and report areas where broadband is not available.
“Transparency empowers consumers, promotes innovation and investment, and encourages competition,” said Chairman Julius Genachowski. “The FCC’s new digital tools will arm users with real-time information about their broadband connection and the agency with useful data about service across the country. By informing consumers about their broadband service quality, these tools help eliminate confusion and make the market work more effectively.” The fixed version is available at www.broadband.gov

See Press Release  
Source: Federal Communications Commission - FCC  

El Ministro de Transportes y Comunicaciones, Enrique Cornejo, anunció hoy que en lo que resta del régimen, su despacho pondrá énfasis en sentar las bases para el desarrollo sostenido de la transmisión de datos por la Banda Ancha en todo el país para aprovechar el gran potencial de este moderno servicio de telecomunicación, en beneficio del desarrollo económico nacional.

En ese sentido, el Ministro Cornejo encomió la constitución en la fecha, en el ámbito del MTC, de una comisión multisectorial temporal que se encargará de elaborar el Plan Nacional para el Desarrollo de la Banda Ancha en el Perú, en un plazo de 120 días.

See Press Release
Source: Perú - Ministerio de Transporte y Comunicaciones (MTC)

En línea con lo dispuesto en el artículo 32 de la Resolución CRC 2355 de 2010 y en el artículo 12 de la Resolución CRC 2475 de 2010, la Comisión de Regulación de Comunicaciones publica para conocimiento del sector el acta de la Sesión de Constitución del Comité Técnico de Portabilidad – CTP, suscrita por los respectivos representantes legales o apoderados asistentes a la sesión llevada a cabo el 4 de marzo de 2010.
En forma complementaria, se publican las presentaciones realizadas en la citada Sesión, relacionadas con el Reglamento Interno del citado Comité, su Plan de Trabajo y las Mesas de Trabajo asociadas al mismo.

See Press Release
Source: Colombia - Comision de Regulacion de Comunicaciones (CRC)

Federal regulators trying to bring high-speed Internet connections to all Americans will propose tapping the government program that now subsidizes telephone service in poor and rural areas. The Federal Communications Commission will include a proposal to revamp the Universal Service Fund as part of a national broadband plan due to Congress on March 17. Although the proposal itself has been expected for months, Friday's announcement offered the first solid details.

The FCC said it envisions transforming the Universal Service program over the next decade to pay for high-speed Internet access instead of the traditional voice services that it currently finances. The proposal would create a Connect America fund inside the Universal Service program to subsidize broadband, and a Mobility Fund to expand the reach of so-called 3G, or third-generation, wireless networks.

See Press Release
Source: Cellular-news

El presidente del Consejo Directivo del Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (INDOTEL), negó categóricamente que en esa entidad se tenga la intención de dañar la imagen o la buena reputación de la Compañía Dominicana de Teléfonos, C. Por A. (CODETEL/CLARO).
El doctor José Rafael Vargas reiteró a la prensa que, en su sesión del 2 de marzo, el Consejo Directivo del órgano regulador de las telecomunicaciones ordenó solicitar a CODETEL/CLARO las informaciones correspondientes a los planes que aplicará a sus usuarios, para fines de compensación por las averías ocurridas en el servicio telefónico móvil GSM provisto por esa concesionaria, los días 15, 16 y 26 de febrero y 1 de marzo de 2010.

See Press Release
Source: Santo Domingo - Consejo Directivo del Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (INDOTEL)

Mexico's MVS Comunicaciones has lost its WiMAX operating license after the regulator chose not to renew it. The regulator argued that the company had not deployed a network as planned, although MVS Comunicaciones claimed that regulatory uncertainty had imperiled investment plans. However, the company was reported late last year to have secured an agreement with US based Clearwire to deploy a WiMAX network covering 23 Mexican cities. The roll out was expected to start in the second half of this year, with a launch some time in the fourth-quarter.

See Press Release
Source: Cellular-news

La Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes acelera las medidas para promover una política de competencia, convergencia y cobertura en el sector telecomunicaciones. Así, trabaja simultáneamente en distintos frentes para asegurar la rectoría del Estado sobre el espectro radioeléctrico garantizando el uso eficiente del mismo, otorgar seguridad jurídica a los operadores y abatir el rezago existente en materia de concesiones y prórrogas.
- Acelera las medidas para promover una política de competencia, convergencia y cobertura en el sector telecomunicaciones
- Niega la prórroga de dos concesiones de TV restringida en los canales 46 y 52 en la ciudad de México
- Determina sancionar a TV Azteca y Televisora del Valle de México por la transmisión de un servicio de telecomunicaciones que no cuenta con concesión
- Niega la prórroga de nueve concesiones en la banda de 2.5 a 2.7 GHz.

See Press Release
Source: Mexico - Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes  

 The New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008 (NET 911 Act) became law on July 23, 2008, requiring Internet Protocol (IP) enabled voice service providers to provide 911 and enhanced 911 (E911) services, and requiring various regulatory undertakings by the Federal Communications Commission.

See Press Release 
Source: FCC Federal Communications Commission

Mintic y CRC dan a conocer decisiones regulatorias de gran impacto para los usuarios El Ministerio de Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones y la Comisión de Regulación de Comunicaciones a través del Ministro (E) de TIC, Daniel Medina Velandia, y del Director ejecutivo de la CRC, Cristhian Lizcano Ortiz, dan a conocer decisiones regulatorias adoptadas por el organismo regulador, referentes a: 1.Aumento de velocidad de acceso a Internet considerada como de Banda Ancha 2.Implementación de Portabilidad Numérica de Telefonía Móvil en Colombia y 3.Reducción de Cargos de Interconexión a Redes Móviles

See Press Release

Source: Comisión de Regulación de Comunicaciones

Haitian telecoms regulator Conatel has granted 12MHz of additional spectrum in the 850MHz band to local mobile operator Comcel (Voila) to help with relief efforts in the wake of the devastating earthquake on 12 January, Stewart Sherriff, CTO with Voila's US-based parent Trilogy International, told BNamericas. Sherriff stressed that the extra spectrum was crucial as networks were being stretched to the limit with the surge in traffic. ‘We're very grateful for the 12MHz the government gave us. It will aid enormously in relieving the congestion we have in the network, he said. Voila now has 47MHz (2x23.5MHz) in the 850MHz band, whilst just a small 2x1.5MHz block remains set aside for emergency purposes.

See Press Release

Source: TeleGeography

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Federal Communications Commission Consumer Bureau Chief Joel Gurin and Wireless Bureau Chief Ruth Milkman sent letters to AT&T, Google, Sprint Nextel, TMobile, and Verizon Wireless to gather facts and data on the consumer experience with wireless early termination fees. This inquiry follows last week’s launch of the FCC’s Consumer Task Force, which was established to promote cross-agency collaboration on the Commission’s consumer agenda.

See Press Release 

Source: FCC Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission launched an initiative on the future of media and the information needs of communities in the digital age. This initiative will examine the changes underway in the media marketplace, analyze the full range of future technologies and services that will provide communities with news and information in the digital age, and, as appropriate, make policy recommendations to the FCC, other government entities, and other parties.

The FCC also launched a preliminary Web site that will serve as an arena for public discussion on the future of media and any public policy recommendations. At launch, the Web site includes a forum for citizens and experts to weigh in on key questions, and an area for consumers to describe the health of, or problems with, media in their communities.

See Press Release

Source: FCC Federal Communications Commission

El Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (Indotel), ordenó auditar la calidad de los servicios de telecomunicaciones que prestan las operadoras, con miras a garantizar a los usuarios el óptimo funcionamiento del sistema en el país. La información la ofreció hoy el secretario de Estado y presidente del Indotel, doctor José Rafael Vargas, quien anunció la realización en los próximos días, a través de una reconocida firma internacional radicada en la República Dominicana, un estudio sobre la calidad en los servicios de telecomunicaciones provistos por las diferentes prestadoras que operan en el sistema nacional.

“Con este análisis, el órgano regulador de las telecomunicaciones procura identificar los  principales inconvenientes que presentan los usuarios a la hora de hacer uso de los servicios de telecomunicaciones y en consecuencia propiciar los ajustes o correctivos de lugar que garanticen el óptimo funcionamiento de los mismos”, expresó el secretario de Estado y presidente del Indotel, doctor José Rafael Vargas.

Dijo que el estudio a realizarse abarca desde aspectos técnicos, calidad en la atención de servicio al cliente, satisfacción en la facturación de los servicios, entre otras consideraciones, todas a evaluarse por las dos (2) tecnologías desarrolladas en el  país, CDMA y GSM, y desagregado por las diferentes operadoras de servicios.

See Press Release

Source: Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones

Como una medida para impulsar la competitividad, promover las inversiones brindar certeza jurídica, y apoyar al sector telecomunicaciones, la Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT) da por concluidos 22 títulos de concesión para operar sistemas de radiolocalización de personas (paggin) y dos títulos de transmisión de radio y TV restringidas, con ello, recupera espectro radioeléctrico para ser aprovechado con nuevas tecnologías.

La resolución se realizo luego de no presentarse en tiempo y forma las solicitudes de prorroga así como por comprobar tecnología obsoleta de estas técnicas de transmisión.

De esta manera, la SCT busca impulsar la competitividad del sector, y generar un ambiente favorable para la planeación de los negocios, así como favorecer a los consumidores con una más amplia variedad de servicios y proveedores.

Finalmente, la dependencia considera que los criterios indispensables para el desarrollo saludable del sector son: fomentar la competencia y evitar el acaparamiento del espectro; garantizar la explotación eficiente del espectro y el pago de una contraprestación por las concesiones; incrementar la cobertura de los servicios; Introducir nuevas tecnologías; y, permitir la continuidad de los servicios para el usuario.

 

See Press Release

Source: Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transporte

Costa Rica has announced details of plans to break the telecoms monopoly held by he state-owned Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) and introduce competition into the mobile phone market. The telecoms regulator, Sutel aims to launch a tender for a second mobile license in April, with the license to be awarded in the second half of this year.

Sutel said that the companies that have expressed an interested in bidding include America Movil, Telefonica and Digicel Goup.

Costa Rica was obliged to open its telecoms market to competition as a condition of entry into the Central American Free Trade Agreement.

Figures from the Mobile World notes that the incumbent operator ended Q3 '09 with an estimated 3.23 million subscribers. The population penetration level is 76%.

See Press Release

Source: Cellular News

The Government of Canada has varied a Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) decision regarding Globalive Wireless Management Corp., a Canadian-owned and controlled company. The variance is effective immediately so that Globalive can enter the wireless telecommunications market without delay. In varying the CRTC decision, the Government is not removing, reducing, bending or creating an exception to Canadian ownership and control requirements in the telecommunications and broadcasting industries. The Government’s decision to vary is specific to the facts of this case.

See Press Release
Source: Industry Canada

Commencing on 7 December 2009, the Commission will hold a public hearing in order to prepare a report to thegovernment on the implications and advisability of implementing a compensation regime for the value of local television signals. For more information or to listen to the hearing through live audio feed, please visit the CRTC website.

See webpage
Source : CRTC

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission  determined that Globalive Wireless Management (Globalive) does not meet the Canadian ownership requirements set out in the Telecommunications Act. Under the legislation, a telecommunications company is only eligible to operate in Canada if it is not at any time owned and controlled, in law and in fact, by non-Canadians. Today’s decision follows a public process that included a public hearing, which was held on September 23, September 24 and October 1, 2009.

 

See Decision

Source: CRTC

Bajo el marco de la Ley del Consumidor, la Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones y el Sernac requerirán a la operadora móvil, Claro, un proceso de descuentos que incluya, sin diferencias, a todos sus clientes afectados por el corte de servicio ocurrido entre el martes y miércoles de esta semana.

"No pueden haber clientes de primera y segunda categoría. Todos los usuarios tienen los mismos derechos, independiente de su modalidad de pago", sostuvo el Subsecretario de Telecomunicaciones, Pablo Bello.

Ver artículo
Fuente: Ministerio de Transporte y Telecomunicaciones - Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously today to begin the process of crafting formal rules for "net neutrality," the principle that all content on the Internet should be equally accessible to all users, and that companies cannot discriminate or block one set of content in favor of another.

The Commission agreed at its monthly open meeting to publish a "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" that would solicit public comment on how best to create rules for ensuring net neutrality, while enabling Internet service providers and telecom networks to continue policing their systems for spam and illegal content.

See Press Release
Source: cellular-news

The Dominican Republic’s telecoms regulator, Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (Indotel), has said it has plans to roll out fixed line telecoms services to an additional 1,000 rural communities as part of an initiative aimed at providing broadband and home voice services to all towns with more than 300 inhabitants. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms database, the announcement comes just over a year after fixed line incumbent Codetel inked a deal with Indotel to undertake a rural connectivity project that will see investment of USD100 million.

See Press Release
Source: TeleGeography

Several operators in the United States of America have raised concerns on the insufficiency of spectrum to meet future demands, following a recent explosion in mobile data traffic. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seeking comment on whether more spectrum is needed for wireless broadband services as it continues to develop the national broadband plan, and has thus launched a consultation in this regard.

See More
Source TeleGeography

Canada's Supreme Court  dismissed an appeal by two main phone companies asking to reject an order by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission for BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. to distribute  funds to residential subscribers through a one-time tax credit or by lowering phone rates.

Source:  Total Telecom

See the decision Bell Canada v. Bell Aliant Regional Communications, 2009 SCC 40

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)  previously embraced four open Internet principles affirming that consumers must be able to access the lawful Internet content, applications, and services of their choice, and attach non-harmful devices to the network. Chairman Genachowski proposed the addition of two new principles. The first would prevent Internet access providers from discriminating against particular Internet content or applications, while allowing for reasonable network management. The second principle would ensure that Internet access providers are transparent about the network management practices they implement.

The FCC has created a new section on Open Internet.

Source: FCC

Perú y Japón suscribieron un convenio de cooperación en el proceso de implementación de la televisión digital en el país,durante una reunión en Tokio del ministro de Transportes y Comunicaciones, Enrique Cornejo con su homólogo nipón, Tsutomu Sato.

El ministro de Transportes y Comunicaciones visita esta semana ese país en consideración de la importancia de la introducción del Estándar Japonés – Brasilero de Televisión Digital Terrestre (TDT) en el Perú.

“Hace unas horas acabamos de firmar un convenio de  cooperación con el ministro de Comunicación japonés, Tsutomu Sato”, afirmó el ministro Cornejo.

See Press Release
Source: Cellular News

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today issued its second annual Communications Monitoring Report. The report, which is based on 2008 data, provides information on the various sectors of the telecommunications and broadcasting industries, as well as on how Canada compares internationally.

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Source: CTRC

A dos meses de haberse puesto en marcha el Registro Nacional de Usuarios de Telefonía Móvil (RENAUT), casi 9 millones de números telefónicos han sido registrados en todo el país. Según los cifras que arroja el RENAUT, durante el período comprendido entre el 10 de abril y el 10 de junio, 8 millones 729 mil 199 usuarios de telefonía móvil han registrado exitosamente su número telefónico en la base de datos que exprofeso ha diseñado la Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB).

Los usuarios de telefonía móvil en el país envían un mensaje de texto al 2877 con la palabra “Alta” (punto) seguida del nombre (punto), apellido (punto), así como su fecha de nacimiento, y unos segundos más tarde reciben en su aparato telefónico la confirmación de que su número ha quedado registrado en la base de datos.

See Press Release
Source: COFETEL - Comision Federal de Telecomunicaciones

Commencing on 6 July 2009, the Commission will hold a hearing in Gatineau, Quebec, to do a review of the Internet traffic
management practices of Internet service providers. For more information or to listen to the hearing through live audio feed,
please visit the website here.

See eeference documents:     Telecom Public Notice CRTC 2008-19
See also Telecom Public Notices CRTC 2008-19-1; 2008-19-2  and 2008-19-3.

Source: CRTC

El Ministerio de Comunicaciones, con el fin de recibir comentarios y observaciones del sector de telecomunicaciones, se permite poner a consideración, durante el periodo comprendido entre el día 15 de abril hasta el 05 de mayo de 2009, los proyectos de Resolución: a). "Por la cual se atribuyen y planifican unas bandas de frecuencias radioeléctricas en el rango comprendido entre 450 a 470 MHz para el desarrollo de servicios de telecomunicaciones que utilicen sistemas para Acceso de Banda Ancha Inalámbrica". b). "Por la cual se reglamenta el otorgamiento de permisos para el uso del espectro radioeléctrico en unas bandas del rango de frecuencias comprendido entre los 450 a 470 MHz y se dictan otras disposiciones".  Ver Resolución

See Press Release
Source: Ministerio de Comunicaciones Colombia

Ecuador’s telecoms policy maker Secretario Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Senatel) has signed a contract with Ecuadorian-Norwegian consortium Systor Telconet JR Electric Supply and the country’s three mobile operators, Movistar, Porta and Alegro, to implement mobile number portability (MNP). The technology provider, a joint venture of Ecuadorian corporate carrier Telconet and Norwegian database provider Systor Trondheim, won a tender to administrate a number portability database at the end of last month. According to Telecoms Secretary Jaime Guerrero, tests of the system, costing an estimated USD11 million, will be carried out in July ready for commercial launch by 12 October. Telecoms regulator Consejo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Conatel) previously said that an MNP system should be ready for quality testing by 10 October, ahead of a proposed deadline for cellcos to commercially launch MNP to mobile users in February 2010. Customers will be able to port a number free of charge up to twice per year.

See Press Release (Telegeography), Press Release (CONATEL)
Source: Telegeography, CONATEL - Ecuador

The Federal Communications Commission took the first step Wednesday in developing a comprehensive plan to give all Americans high-speed Internet access.

At a meeting in Washington, the commission put out a request for comments from the public and industry. The FCC will assemble its plan and present it to Congress by next February, as ordered in the economic stimulus package passed this year.

During the Bush administration, Democrats and consumer advocates called on the government to take a more hands-on approach to speed adoption of broadband, pointing to the higher uptake and Internet speeds available in some other countries.

See Press Release
Source: cellular-news

Chilean telecoms regulator Subtel has published details of a tender for 3G licences to be held in July. ‘This is an industry that has enjoyed double-digit growth since 2006. This contest raises the possibility of increased competition that will directly benefit consumers,’ said Minister of Transport and Telecommunications (MTT), Rene Cortazar. Under the tender three blocks of 30MHz in the 1700MHz and 2100MHz frequency band will be allocated; winners will be those which promise the widest population coverage in the shortest amount of time.

See Press Release
Source: Telegeography

Canada  announced the upcoming launch of the redesigned CRTC Web site thereby making changes to better meet the needs of
visitors to crtc.gc.ca and to meet the new standards for federal government Websites. Visit  online for more information on the CRTC Web site revitalization.

A través de la Providencia Administrativa Nº 1330 de fecha 10 de diciembre de 2008, la Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones, CONATEL, ordenó la apertura del procedimiento de oferta pública N° 0031, destinado al otorgamiento del bloque de frecuencias 1805-1810 MHz pareado con 1710-1715 MHz, para la prestación del servicio de telefonía móvil en todo el espacio geográfico nacional.

See Press Release
Source: CONATEL

El Consejo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CONATEL) dio luz verde al proyecto de nuevos índices de calidad para la telefonía fija. A partir de enero del próximo año las operadoras deberán cumplir con estos nuevos parámetros que toman en cuenta los avances tecnológicos en este tipo de servicio.

En cuanto a la reparación de problemas, el 70% de los reclamos deberán ser solucionados en las primeras veinte y cuatro (24) horas. El restante podría ser resuelto en las siguientes cuarenta y ocho (48) horas o en cinco (5) días.

See Press Release
Source: CONATEL

The congressional telecommunications committee has ruled that Spainish telco Telefonica's minority stake in Telecom Italia (TI) voilates Argentinean anti-trust laws. An investigation was opened after Telefonica joined a consortium that acquired nearly a quarter stake in TI in October 2007.

TI owns a 50% stake in the Sofora holding company that controls Telecom Argentina. When Argentina’s telecoms sector was privatised in the 1990s its fixed line services were divided between Telecom Argentina and Telefonica de Argentina, with a government directive that there be no cross-ownership between the two.

See Press Release
Source: Telegeography

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today introduced new policies to prepare the Canadian broadcasting industry for the transition to a fully digital environment. In developing these policies, the Commission has simplified its regulation in order to foster a more coherent and well-calibrated broadcasting system. The CRTC has developed forward-looking policies that will give the broadcasting system added flexibility while retaining the necessary regulations to achieve the objectives of the Broadcasting Act. The majority of the changes will come into effect on August 31, 2011. This date coincides with the end of analog over-the-air broadcasting in Canada and will give the industry time to adapt.

See Press Release
Source: CRTC

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) launched a proceeding to gain a better understanding of broadcasting in the new media environment. The proceeding will include a public hearing starting on February 17, 2009, in Gatineau, Que. In 1999, the Commission exempted from regulation services that distribute broadcasting content over the Internet. In 2007, it also exempted broadcasting services that are received through cellphones and other mobile devices. Today, high-speed Internet access has been adopted by most Canadians, new technologies and applications are offering high-quality broadcasting content, and Canadians are spending more time accessing this type of content over the Internet and mobile devices. With this proceeding, the Commission wishes to further examine the role of broadcasting in the current new media environment, and what role this environment can be expected to play in the Canadian broadcasting system in the future.See Press Release and documents

Source: CRTC

La Comisión de Regulación de Telecomunicaciones (CRT) presenta al sector la propuesta regulatoria de modificación del artículo 65 de la Resolución 1732 de 2007, relativo a las reglas para el envío de SMS y MMS. Asimismo se publica el documento soporte que acompaña la propuesta contemplada en el proyecto de resolución. Se convoca la participación de operadores, entidades, usuarios y público en general dentro del proyecto.

See Press Release
Source: Comisión de Regulación de Telecomunicaciones (CRT), Colombia

Los presidentes de los organismos reguladores de América Latina eligieron al Organismo Supervisor de la Inversión Privada en Telecomunicaciones (OSIPTEL), para que lidere en el año 2010 a las entidades regulatorias de América Latina que están agrupadas en Regulatel.

Por otro lado, el OSIPTEL y los miembros de Regulatel se han propuesto reducir las tarifas del roaming internacional entre los países de América del Sur, la cual permitirá que el público que viaje al interior de nuestros países lleve su equipo móvil y realice sus llamadas a un precio mucho más bajo del que se paga actualmente.

See Press Release
Source: OSIPTEL

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today issued the inaugural Communications Monitoring Report. Prior to this year, the Commission had published separate annual monitoring reports for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries.

See Press release and report
Source: CRTC

El Organismo Supervisor de Inversión Privada en Telecomunicaciones (OSIPTEL) tendrá listas las reglas para la implementación de la portabilidad numérica para el servicio móvil a mediados de 2009, pues ha avanzado en forma acelerada en este tema. Cuando el OSIPTEL culmine su trabajo será el Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones el que decida si adelantará la aplicación de la portabilidad o esperará hasta el 2010, fecha en la que está prevista su aplicación.

See Press Release
Source: Organismo Supervisor de Inversión Privada en Telecomunicaciones (OSIPTEL)

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today approved, subject to certain conditions, Remstar Diffusion inc.'s (Remstar) acquisition of the TQS Network and television stations in Montreal, Quebec, Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke and Saguenay. The Commission has also renewed the licences of these stations until 2015, but will re-examine the programming commitments after three years.

See Press Release
Source : CRTC

On June 12, 2008, the Government of Canada introduced long-overdue and much-needed amendments to the Copyright Act that will bring it in line with advances in technology and current international standards. The bill fulfills the government's commitment in the 2007 Speech from the Throne to improve the protection of cultural and intellectual property rights in Canada, including copyright reform.

See Bill C-61

Source: Industry Canada

The Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Industry, today announced the opening of the bidding process for the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction. This auction follows a commitment made by this government to enable more competition in the wireless market. A total of 105 megahertz (MHz) of radio spectrum will be open for bidding, which includes 40 MHz of AWS spectrum for new entrants and another 65 MHz of spectrum for all bidders.

See Press Release

Source: Industy Canada

Para la semana del 3 al 10 de junio de 2008, se tiene previsto realizar pruebas destinadas a la selección del estándar de Televisión Digital que operará en Venezuela, así lo informó Wilfredo Morales, director General de Tecnología de la Información del MPPTI, quien además señaló que se efectuarán en Caracas y contarán con los estándares evaluados el año pasado, Europeo y Japonés, pero además en esta evaluación se incluirá el estándar Chino, con la finalidad de que exista transparencia en la decisión.

See Press Release
Source: Ministerio del Poder Popular para las Telecomunicaciones y la Informática

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)  reviewed and varied its December 2007 decision granting conditional approval to the consumer agency known as the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services Inc. Some industry members filed, in February 2008, applications requesting modifications to the decision. After reviewing the applications and related submissions, the Commission has decided to maintain the agency’s membership requirements for a period of only three years. At that time, the Commission will review the need for these mandatory requirements. No extension of the mandatory requirements can take place without a new Commission decision. Membership is currently required for all service providers whose annual revenues exceed $10 million. In addition, the Commission has clarified the circumstances under which the agency can provide remedies related to consumer complaints. For example, when a consumer is awarded monetary compensation related to a dispute with a service provider, the award will be limited to direct financial loss. Finally, should the agency receive a collective complaint, the maximum monetary compensation for that complaint will be no more than $5,000, regardless of the number of complainants.

See Press Release
Source: CRTC

La República Dominicana a través del Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (Indotel), abrió una licitación pública internacional para seleccionar la empresa extranjera que administrará la base de datos del sistema central de Portabilidad Numérica en el país. El anuncio lo hizo el director ejecutivo del Indotel, licenciado José Alfredo Rizek, quien dijo que mientras tanto, técnicos del ente regulador implementan las primeras fases de la portabilidad.

Señaló que el Indotel puso en marcha el proceso de implementación de la Portabilidad Numérica la cual está fijada su aplicación para julio del 2009. Explicó que la Portabilidad Numérica consiste en un esquema de servicio telefónico que permitirá a los usuarios de los servicios de telecomunicaciones mantener su número no obstante cambiar de prestadora.

See Press Release
Source: Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (Indotel)

Con el voto de 72 de los 86 representantes, la Asamblea Constituyente dio paso al Mandato No. 10 sobre Portabilidad Numérica, a través del cual se establece que todo abonado de los servicios de telecomunicaciones móviles tiene el derecho a mantener su número telefónico móvil, aún cuando cambie de red, servicio o empresa operadora.

En cumplimiento a este mandato, el Consejo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones –CONATEL-, como máximo órgano de regulación del Sector, deberá definir y aprobar en un plazo de 120 días la normativa pertinente, para lo cual la SENATEL como su brazo ejecutor ya cuenta con un equipo de técnico y profesional que elaborará el respecto proyecto de reglamento para análisis y consideración del Conatel.

See Press Release
Source: Consejo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CONATEL)

Se trata de un incremento sin precedentes que supera 14 veces el PIB.

Durante el primer trimestre del año, el sector de las telecomunicaciones registró un crecimiento sin precedentes de 36.4 por ciento, lo que confirma su fortaleza inclusive, en fases de marcada incertidumbre financiera a nivel global. Este incremento multiplica 14 veces el crecimiento general de la economía, medido por el comportamiento del Producto Interno Bruto (PIB) del país, que fue de 2.6 por ciento en el periodo de referencia.

See Press Release
Source: Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL)

El Organismo Supervisor de Inversión Privada en Telecomunicaciones conmina al público a denunciar estos actos delictivos.

En cumplimiento de sus funciones, y a efectos de proteger al público de estos fraudes, el OSIPTEL comunica a la colectividad que sujetos inescrupulosos están utilizando el nombre o las siglas del OSIPTEL, con el fin de que los usuarios de telefonía fija y/o telefonía móvil participen en sorteos de premios aduciendo que son avalados por el OSIPTEL. Estos sujetos solicitan al público que adquieran tarjetas telefónicas y luego los conminan a proporcionar las claves de estas tarjetas con el fin de estafarlos.

See Press Release
Source: Organismo Supervisor de la Inversión Privada en Telecomunicaciones (OSIPTEL)

In Decision Telecom Decision CRTC 2008-39, the CRTC (the Commission) denies the interim relief requested by the Canadian Association of Internet Providers (CAIP) regarding Bell Canada's practice of "throttling" its wholesale ADSL access services. In regard to the process associated with the disposition of CAIP's application on a final basis, the Commission has set out the process in a letter to the parties to be issued on 15 May 2008.

See Decision
Source: CRTC

Facilitarán labores de emergencia de evacuados.

Equipos técnicos de la Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones, de Entel PCS, Movistar, Claro, Telefónica del Sur y de la División logística del Ejercito de Chile, desplegaron en tiempo récord la infraestructura necesaria para habilitar servicio celular y acceso público a Internet en Palena, con el fin de facilitar las comunicaciones de las autoridades responsables de las tareas asociadas a la emergencia y de las chilenas y chilenos evacuados.

See Press Release
Source: Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)  launched a consultation on broadcasting in the new media environment for a public hearing to be held in early 2009. The Commission is asking for public input on the scope of such a proceeding.  Today, the Commission released a compilation of research and views titled Perspectives on Canadian Broadcasting in New Media. This document is the result of research commissioned by the CRTC over the past year and includes views obtained from the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications industries, academia, and national and international policy-makers. Broadcasting in the new media environment is an expansive and complex subject. Those consulted held different opinions on its very nature. They also expressed various ideas on how to make the most of emerging opportunities for the broadcast of high-quality, professional Canadian content in new media. The Commission therefore wishes to narrow the range of issues that could be considered as part of a proceeding on broadcasting in this environment. In a call for comments also issued today, it is asking for public input on whether the following questions, and what other questions, should fall within the scope of the public hearing to be held early next year: What is broadcasting in new media?  Should the creation and promotion of Canadian broadcasting content for the new media environment be supported? If so, how?  Are there any barriers to accessing Canadian broadcasting content in the new media environment?  What other issues should be considered?  Interested parties may submit their comments by July 11, 2008.

News Release
Source: CRTC

La Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL) publica en el Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF) los Lineamientos para la Transición a la Radio Digital Terrestre (RDT) de las estaciones de radiodifusión sonora ubicadas dentro de la zona de 320 kilómetros de la frontera norte de México.

Los Lineamientos tienen como propósito, en una primera etapa del proceso de transición a la RDT, que los concesionarios y permisionarios cuyas estaciones de radiodifusión sonora están ubicadas en la frontera norte, puedan realizar en forma voluntaria, transmisiones con el sistema IBOC (In Band on Channel) para que la prestación de sus servicios se encuentre en igualdad de condiciones tecnológicas a las que actualmente tienen las emisoras estadounidenses, las cuales operan con la misma tecnología.

See Press Release
Source: Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL)

La Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (SITTEL) dispuso la intervención preventiva de la Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones Sociedad Anónima (ENTEL S.A.), el 1 de mayo del año en curso, con el propósito de garantizar la prestación de todos los servicios de telecomunicaciones que presta esta empresa.

Para efectivizar esta tarea regulatoria, SITTEL designó al Lic. Joel Flores Carpio como Interventor, a través de la Resolución Administrativa Regulatoria N° 2008/1056, por el plazo de 90 días hábiles administrativos. Flores Carpio es Administrador de Empresa y tiene amplia experiencia en el sector de telecomunicaciones.

See Press Release
Source: Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones de Bolivia

The Federal Communications Commission on May 1st  adopted an interim cap on payments to competitive eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) under the Universal Service Fund (Fund).

This action was a crucial first step toward comprehensive reform of Universal Service and intercarrier compensation, two carrier compensation regimes that are directly interrelated. Such comprehensive reform is critical to ensuring the continued provision of affordable telecommunications for all Americans.

See Press Release
Source: Federal Communications Commission - FCC

El Consejo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones, en nombre del Estado, garantiza la continuidad y calidad de servicio de telefonía móvil en Ecuador. Esta entidad resolvió ayer terminar de forma irreversible la negociación llevada entre la Senatel y la operadora Conecel (Porta) debido a que la propuesta económica de esta empresa móvil no era conveniente para los intereses del Estado.

Esta resolución del Consejo dispone además iniciar un proceso de reversión a partir del próximo 26 de agosto de este año, fecha en la que finaliza el período contractual entre la Operadora Conecel y el Estado Ecuatoriano.

See Press Release
Source: Consejo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CONATEL)

In this Decision, the Commission determines that it was inappropriate for TELUS Communications Company (TCC) to impose a $2.95 per month network access charge for certain residential subscribers of basic toll services. For basic toll subscribers who had not used TCC's long distance network during the applicable period, the Commission finds that the network access charge was equivalent to an unauthorized residential local rate increase in non-forborne areas and contravened the rate cap in forborne areas, and directs TCC to reimburse or credit those affected customers.

See Press Release and Decision
Source: CRTC

The Federal Communications Commission held, on Thursday 17th, its second hearing on network management in recent weeks. The majority of people who spoke at the meeting support mandated network neutrality, which would require ISPs to deliver data equally without regard to the source or subject matter, and to disclose the way they are managing their networks and if they deliver on the speeds they promise.

The FCC Chairman Kevin Martin expressed his opinion on the commission’s task to investigate the management of broadband networks by providers such as Comcast Corp. The FCC is currently looking into some reports sent by different consumer groups, which show that cable operator Comcast Corp has unreasonably blocked or hindered some file-sharing services. Programs such as BitTorrent, used to distribute TV shows and movies were unavailable.

See Statements from the Hearing; Press Release eFluxMedia, Information Week
Source: Federal Communications Commission - FCC

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today approved, subject to certain conditions, the purchase of BCE Inc.'s (BCE) broadcasting assets by a group that includes the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Teachers') and three American private-equity firms, Providence Equity Partners L.P., Madison Dearborn Capital Partners L.P. and Merrill Lynch Global Partners Inc.

See Press Release
Source: CRTC

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) starts a new joint project with the European Community entitled “Support for the establishment of harmonized policies for the ICT market in the ACP”. This is a four-year project aiming at developing and promoting an harmonized approach to Information and Communication Technology ICT policies in the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of States (ACP), in close collaboration with the regional organizations, through the development of harmonized ICT policies, guidelines and regulations in the area concerned and at building institutional capacity in the field of ICT through a range of targeted training, education and knowledge sharing measures.

In order to customize the project to the specific needs of each region, the project is implemented via three sub-projects:

a) Support for Harmonization of the ICT Policies in Sub-Sahara Africa (HIPSSA),
b) Enhancing competitiveness in the Caribbean through the harmonization of ICT Policies, Legislation and Regulation Procedures (HIPCAR) and
c) Capacity Building and ICT Policy, Regulatory and Legislative Frameworks Support for Pacific Island States (ICB4PIS).

ITU seeks talented people to fill the following job opportunities related to the joint ITU-EC project:

• PPP1-2008 - P5 - Project Manager, Support for the establishment of harmonized policies for the ICT market in the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of States (ACP)
  Duty station: Geneva, Switzerland
• PPP2-2008 - P4 - Senior Project Coordinator, Support for harmonization of the ICT policies in Sub-Sahara Africa” (HIPSSA)
  Duty station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 
• PPP3-2008 - P3 - Project Coordinator, Enhancing competitiveness in the Caribbean through the harmonization of ICT Policies, Legislation and Regulation Procedures (HIPCAR)
  Duty station: Trinidad

More information about these vacancies can be found in English at the ITU website.   

The deadline for applications is 28 April 2008.

Autoridades buscan prevenir y contrarrestar explotación sexual y pornografía de niños, niñas y adolescentes en el país.
La Comisión Nacional para la Sociedad de la Información y el Conocimiento (CNSIC) y el Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (Indotel), pusieron en marcha hoy los trabajos para establecer una estrategia nacional que garantice “un uso sano y ético del Internet en la República Dominicana”. La medida tiene como objetivo realizar acciones administrativas, técnicas y comunicacionales para prevenir y contrarrestar la explotación sexual y pornografía de niños, niñas y adolescentes en el país.

See Press Release
Source: Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones - INDOTEL

Para impulsar el desarrollo de las telecomunicaciones y la economía del país, así como acercar nuevas tecnologías a la población y permitir la entrada de nuevos inversionistas a este sector, el secretario de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT), Luis Téllez, dio a conocer el Nuevo Programa de Licitaciones de Frecuencias que incorpora una nueva banda para el Tren Suburbano.

Con este programa, los consumidores tendrán más y mejores opciones para acceder a servicios fundamentales como la banda ancha. Las nuevas frecuencias anunciadas hoy, permitirán también que aquellos operadores de radiofrecuencias que han llegado a su límite de capacidad puedan continuar creciendo.

See Press Release
Source: Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) modified the rules governing Broadband Personal Communications Services (PCS) and Advanced Wireless Services (AWS-1) to permit the use of a power spectral density model (PSD) when measuring and calculating emissions and power limits. Today’s action is consistent with the FCC’s April 2007 decision to allow a PSD model in the commercial services portions of the 700 MHz Band.

Today’s rule changes offer greater flexibility to PCS and AWS-1 operators, are more technologically neutral, and will better accommodate broadband technologies. The PSD model also has the potential to reduce network infrastructure costs, thus enabling providers to offer enhanced wireless broadband services, including to consumers living in rural America.

See Press Release
Source: Federal Communications Commission - FCC

Los suscriptores de Internet aumentaron en el país un 21% en el segundo semestre de 2007, llegando a 1.381.473. Los suscriptores dedicados aumentaron un 27,9% alcanzando 1.207.090, mientras que los suscriptores conmutados disminuyeron en un 12% hasta 174.383.

See Press Release
Source: Comisión de Regulación de Telecomunicaciones

Con esta medida el Organismo Supervisor de la Inversión Privada en Telecomunicaciones (OSIPTEL), impulsa la competencia en el servicio de Internet y reducirá en más de 90% el costo fijo mensual de los operadores que deseen competir con Telefónica del Perú a nivel nacional en el servicio de Internet mediante el uso de los circuitos virtuales ATM con acceso ADSL.

Con respecto a la medida que incentivará el acceso a Internet el Regulador de las Telecomunicaciones emitirá pronto una norma que logrará que se reduzca el precio mensual y el fijo que pagan los operadores por conectarse a la red de Telefónica. De esta manera, los operadores distintos de Telefónica podrán ofrecer a sus clientes un servicio con tarifas más competitivas.

See Press Release
Source: Organismo Supervisor de Inversión Privada en Telecomunicaciones - OSIPTEL

United States’s full-power television stations will transition from analog broadcast television service to digital broadcast television service on February 17, 2009. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)(the “Commission”) today released the DTV Consumer Education Order requiring television broadcasters, Multi-Channel Video Programming Distributors (MVPDs), telecommunications carriers, retailers, and manufacturers to promote awareness of the nation’s transition to digital television. The educational efforts of these diverse groups are intended to provide consumers with clear and correct information about the DTV transition.

See Press Release
Source: FCC - Federal Communications Commission

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today established a new framework for wholesale services that will promote competition in wholesale and retail telecommunications markets based on sound economic principles. The new framework was developed with a view to ensuring that existing and new competitors continue to have access to the services they need to compete, while at the same time providing incentives for innovation and investments in competing networks.

See Press Release and Decision
Source: CRTC

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)  announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Statistics Canada to streamline the annual collection of data from the telecommunications industry. Beginning this year, companies will be required to fill out only one annual telecommunications survey and submit their data through a single point of contact, the CRTC's web-based Data Collection System. This data will then be shared with Statistics Canada while ensuring that all necessary safeguards to protect information are respected.

See Press Release
Source: CRTC

The Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis (OSP) today released three working papers on two important spectrum management issues:

- Working Paper #41, “Enhancing Spectrum’s Value Via Market-informed Congestion Etiquettes” and Working Paper #42, “Modeling the Efficiency of Spectrum Designated to License Use and Unlicensed Operations,” examine ways in which spectrum designated to licensed and unlicensed use can be more efficiently used.

- Working Paper #43, “A Market-based Approach to Establishing Licensing Rules: Licensed Versus Unlicensed Use of Spectrum,” examines the feasibility of employing a market mechanism to determine whether spectrum should be designated to either licensed or unlicensed use.

See Full text of each working paper
See Press Release
Source: Federal Communications Commission - FCC

New Program should reduce prices and triple the number of connection points to the internet broadband. The Minister of Communications will perform in April a program to contract connectivity services to the Program Gesac (Electronic Goverment - Customer Service to citizens). This program will increment the digital inclusion of the government which will go from current 3,400 points to 12,000.

See Press Release
Source: Minister of Communications - Brazil

On 25 February, 2008, the Commission will hold a public hearing in Gatineau, Quebec, to consider an application by BCE Inc. seeking, among other, authority for the transfer of its effective control to a corporation to be incorporated (BCE Holdco) by an investor group led by Teachers Private Capital, the private investment arm of the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, Providence Equity Partners Inc., Madison Dearborn Partners and Merrill Lynch Global Partners, Inc. For more information or to listen to the hearing through live audio feed, please visit  website.
Reference documents:    Broadcasting Notice of Public Hearing CRTC 2007-19
See also 2007-19-1

Also on 25 February, 2008, the Commission will hold a public hearing in Vancouver, British Columbia, to consider diverse broadcasting applications. For more information or to listen to the hearing through live audio feed, please visit  website.
Reference documents:    Broadcasting Notice of Public Hearing CRTC 2007-18
See also 2007-18-1; 2007-18-2;  2007-18-3   and 2007-18-4.

Source: CRTC

In January 2008, there were 1.877.474 new cellphone registers, a number 135.12% higher than 798.520 registered in january 2007. Thus, Brazil is close to a 123 millions subscribers in the Mobile Service Personnel (SMP). The 122.857.577 phones registered in the country representing a growth of 1.55% in January. Of the total of hits, 99,217,125 (80.76%) are pre-paid and 23,640,452 (19.24%), post-paid.

See Press Release
Source: National Telecommunications Agency - ANATEL

The Authority has published the document : Equipment Standardization and Certification Framework for the Telecommunications and Broadcasting Sectors of Trinidad and Tobago

See complete document
Source: Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago

El presidente del Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (Indotel), doctor José Rafael Vargas, afirmó que la teledensidad en el país “ya supera el 70%, una realidad que pocos países del mundo pueden exhibir”, y sostuvo, asimismo, que “República Dominicana forma parte del selecto grupo de países en desarrollo que cuenta con la más avanzada infraestructura de telecomunicaciones”.

See Press Release
Source: Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (INDOTEL)

According to Total Telecom, HSDPA network deployments are accelerating across the Americas. North America is leading the charge and Latin America following hot on its heels.  According to Chris Pearson, president of 3G Americas, AT&T now covers more than 265 cities with its HSPA network, offering download speeds of between 6 Mbps and 14 Mbps and upload speeds of between 6 Mbps and 8 Mbps. T-Mobile USA has yet to roll out any HSDPA infrastructure as it is waiting for the necessary spectrum in the 1700 MHz and 2.1 GHz band to be cleared.

See More
Source Total Telecom

T-Mobile and SunCom seek consent to the transfer of control of the wireless licenses2 and international section 214 authorizations3 held by subsidiaries of SunCom – SunCom Wireless License Company, LLC and SunCom Wireless Puerto Rico License Co., LLC (“SunCom Subsidiaries”) – to T-Mobile. Additionally, the Applicants have filed a Petition requesting a clarification that T-Mobile’s prior foreign ownership rulings permit the indirect foreign

See Press Release
Source: Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

T-Mobile and SunCom seek consent to the transfer of control of the wireless licenses2 and international section 214 authorizations3 held by subsidiaries of SunCom – SunCom Wireless License Company, LLC and SunCom Wireless Puerto Rico License Co., LLC (“SunCom Subsidiaries”) – to T-Mobile. Additionally, the Applicants have filed a Petition requesting a clarification that T-Mobile’s prior foreign ownership rulings permit the indirect foreign

See Press Release
Source: Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

CRTC has published a Telecom Decision "Review of local number portability for voice over Internet Protocol services". In this Decision, the Commission determines that voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers will continue to be required to port out telephone numbers, assigned from both inside and outside of their operating territory, to other VoIP service providers or to other telecommunications service providers, including local exchange carriers and wireless service providers. Further, the Commission determines that all telephone numbers, whether assigned from inside or outside the company's operating territory, may be ported in at a VoIP service provider's discretion. The Commission also determines that the local number portability (LNP) rules for VoIP, which include LNP as a condition of forbearance for access-independent VoIP services, will continue to apply equally to all VoIP telephone numbers, whether they are primary or secondary numbers.

See : Press Release
Source: CRTC

Socorro Hernández, Ministra del Poder Popular para las Telecomunicaciones y la Informática, informó que el Satélite Simón Bolívar será lanzado al espacio en el mes de septiembre, luego de las Olimpiadas de Beijing 2008.

Destacó Hernández que el lanzamiento tendrá lugar en China, luego está bajo la responsabilidad de los venezolanos dirigir el satélite hasta sus coordenadas finales: “en China van a sacar al exterior el satélite, pasadas esas 16 horas todo lo que ocurra hasta tener el satélite en su sitio se va a hacer desde Bamari (donde se encuentra el telepuerto), nosotros tenemos que tener todo listo para el momento del lanzamiento, el tema del espectro lo va a estar manejando la CANTV, el centro de control del satélite lo va a manejar el Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Ciencia y Tecnología”.

See Press Release
Source: CONATEL - Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones

Price cap regulation of telecommunications services came into force as a result fo the Fair Trading Commussion's Decision, which outlined the reasons for the move from the Rate of Return form of economic regulation to the Price Cap methodology to regulate telecommunications services provided by Cable and Wireless (Barbados) Limited "Cable & Wireless"

See Press Release
Source: Fair Trading Commission - Barbados

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the launch of a new, online resource for those in rural America looking to bring the benefits of broadband services to their communities.

This “Broadband Opportunities for Rural America” web site makes available the expertise and resources of the FCC and USDA in a single, easily-accessible location and user-friendly format.
The site provides information on the different technology platforms that can be used to provide broadband service, how to access spectrum necessary for delivery of wireless broadband services, government funding for broadband services, proceedings and initiatives, and data on broadband deployment.

See Website
See Press Release
Source: Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

The Communications Minister, Hélio Costa, signed the consignation of two channels of the International Digital TV System ( which incorporates Europena, American, Japanese and Brazilian standards) to Rio de Janeiro city. 

According to the Digital TV cronogram, cities such as Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador have up to next July in order to operate the digital system digitally.

Until June 2016, all broadcasting stations will have to make simultaneous transmission, digital and analogic. After the due date pass, the analogic system will be deactivate.

See Press Release
Source: Ministry of Communications

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today approved several initiatives that will benefit Canadians with disabilities and expand broadband services to rural and remote communities. The major local telephone companies were also directed by the Commission to finalize proposals for the dispersal of the funds in their deferral accounts.

“Today's decision will not only make telecommunications services more accessible to all Canadians, but also serve to enhance social and economic development in underserved communities,” said Len Katz, the CRTC's Vice-Chairman of Telecommunications.

The proposals approved by the Commission include initiatives to improve accessibility to telecommunications services for persons with disabilities in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. In developing their proposals, the companies consulted with federal and provincial governments, national and provincial organizations representing persons with disabilities, and researchers in the field.

See Press Release and links to documents
Source: CRTC

Commissioner Sheridan Scott of Canada's Competition Bureau has recommended in a submission to the Competition Policy Review panel that restrictions on foreign investment in the Canadian telecoms industry should be ended. The Commissioner has recommended the total elimination of foreign ownership restrictions that currently limit foreign companies' ownership to 46.67% of voting equity. Report of the Panel will be awaited at the end of June, after  the  AWS spectrum auction, scheduled for 27 May 2008.

See Submission
Source : Industry Canada

commissioner_competition_bureau.pdf (173,7 KB)

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announces a Full Committee hearing for February 14, 2008, at 10 a.m., on U.S. readiness for the nationwide transition from analog television broadcasting to digital television (DTV) broadcasting.

With the February 17, 2009 transition date now just one year away, the hearing, One Year to the DTV Transition: Consumers, Broadcasters, and Converter Boxes, will focus on consumer awareness, the role of broadcasters and the Federal Communications Commission, and the status of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration converter box program.

See Press Release
Source: United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation

En cumplimiento de lo dispuesto por Ley 1151 de 2007, la Comisión de Regulación de Telecomunicaciones (CRT) presenta al sector la propuesta regulatoria para ampliar la metodología actual para la contraprestación por el uso de infraestructura compartida de postes y ductos, para su aplicación a las torres, hasta tanto se defina el nuevo marco regulatorio contemplado en el proyecto “Revisión de la metodología para acceso y uso compartido de infraestructuras físicas y/o bienes de uso público para la prestación de servicios de telecomunicaciones”.

See Documentos relacionados: Proyecto de Resolución y Documento de Análisis

See Press Release
Source: CRT Comisión de Regulación de Telecomunicaciones

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today introduced new policies to ensure that a diversity of voices is maintained in the Canadian broadcasting system.

See Press Release
Source: CRTC

The Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago has recommended to the Minister of Public Administration that Concessions be granted to Trinidad Publishing Company Limited ( CNC3) and Synergy Entertainment Network Limited to provide Free to Air Television Broadcasting Services for periods of ten years. On April 27th 2007, the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago invited interested parties to submit Expressions of Interest for the provision of Free to Air Television Broadcasting Services. Based on responses to the above, the Board of the Authority took a decision to open the Free-to-Air television market to allow for three (3) additional National, two (2) additional Major Territorial and two (2) additional Minor Territorial providers of television broadcasting services.

See Press Release
Source: Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago

El Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (Indotel), inaugurará este año 2008 modernos sistemas de videoconferencias con acceso a salas digitales en los hospitales de las Fuerzas Armadas (FFAA), de la Fuerza Aérea Dominicana (FAD), de Barahona y La Romana, anunció el secretario de Estado y presidente del órgano regulador, doctor José Rafael Vargas.

Informó que el Indotel desarrolla, asimismo, el "proyecto Internet 2 en República Dominicana" que significó, "nos convertirá en uno de los pocos países de América Latina con redes avanzadas de tecnologías para desarrollar investigaciones desde las universidades".

Por otra parte, el presidente del Indotel afirmó que el 2008 será el año de Wi-Max, de la Convergencia y del Tripleplay en la República Dominicana. Destacó que ya dos nuevas empresas comenzarán a desarrollar en este 2008 los servicios de IPTV, o sea, televisión por el Protocolo de Internet (IP).

See Press Release

Source: Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones

"En materia social, hoy es evidente el aumento de nuestra inversión en telecomunicaciones sociales así como su impacto en las instituciones oficiales educativas y hospitalarias. En 2007 se aumentó el presupuesto de inversión en un 93% frente a 2006. En 2007 se invirtieron $251.147 millones y en 2006, $130.084 millones de 2006." Sostuvo la Ministra de Comunicaciones, María del Rosario Guerra.

Desde el punto de vista regulatorio se expidió el Decreto 2870 denominado de Convergencia con el fin de maximizar la utilización de la infraestructura de telecomunicaciones existente, así como la apertura del servicio de larga distancia. "Al momento se han recibido 89 solicitudes de Título Habilitante Convergente de los cuales se han expedido 39. De estos 39, 20 incluyen el servicio de Larga Distancia" precisó la Ministra.

See Press Release

Source: Ministerio de Comunicaciones

The Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Industry, today released details on how the auction for Advanced Wireless Services spectrum, to be held on May 27, 2008, will be conducted. Of the 105 megahertz of spectrum to be made available, 40 MHz will be set aside exclusively for new entrants to bid on. The other 65 MHz will be available to all bidders. The spectrum being set aside amounts to less than 14 percent of the total mobile spectrum that will be in use after the auction.

See Press Release

See Policy Framework

Source: Industry Canada

Municipal multi-utility operator ETAPA has invested USD10 million in deploying a next generation network (NGN) to expand telephony and internet services, local newspaper El Comercio reports, quoted by BNamericas. With the rollout, the Cuenca-based water and telecoms provider expects to reduce telephony and internet rates, whilst the NGN platform will enable it to install up to 100,000 new fixed lines in the short term. The company's technical director for telecommunications, Alfredo Carrillo, said that ETAPA’s goal is to migrate all users from TDM to IP technology. In just under a month of operation, 3,500 users have been migrated to the IP-based network. The telco also plans to set up twelve free public Wi-Fi access zones in Cuenca.

See Press Release

Source: TeleGeography

The Competition Bureau has undertaken an initiative to ensure that consumers receive proper disclosure of any terms and conditions that affect the value and use of prepaid long distance telephone calling cards. The Bureau will be contacting providers of prepaid telephone calling cards across Canada to ensure that these businesses disclose more information on the cards themselves and in any related advertising material. At a minimum, businesses should:

• Disclose the effective rate per minute and the number of minutes available on the card.
• Disclose any conditions that might adversely affect the advertised rate per minute and number of minutes near the main body of the representation — this information should not be printed in a small font or appear on a background that obstructs its visibility.
• Discontinue the use of fine print disclaimers that contain information contradicting the main message — the main body of the representation should not be misleading when read alone.

See Press Release

Source : Industry Canada

Como un paso adelante en la competencia de los servicios de telecomunicaciones que finalmente beneficiará a los usuarios, calificó la ministra de Transportes y Comunicaciones Verónica Zavala Lombardi al nuevo BackBone (red) de Fibra Optica de la Costa Norte inaugurada esta mañana en San Juan de Miraflores por el presidente de la República, Alan García Pérez.

El BackBone es una red de fibra óptica desarrollada por la empresa Internexa S.A., instalación desplegada sobre 1,200 kilómetros de red eléctrica que beneficiará a cinco regiones del país: Ancash, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Piura y Tumbes. A partir de ahora, dijo Zavala Lombardi, en las ciudades de la Costa norte se podrá brindar el servicio de transporte para los operadores de telecomunicaciones, con lo cual éstos podrán desarrollar proyectos de internet de banda ancha, telefonía y otras modalidades de transmisión de datos.

See Press Release

Source: Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones - MTC

La Comision de Regulacion de Telecomunicaciones (CRT) establecio las nuevas reglas que definen las condiciones bajo las cuales los operadores de telecomunicaciones remuneran el uso de sus redes por la interconexion.

En resolucion emitida, se establece que los diferentes prestadores moviles y de larga distancia pagaran ahora por el uso de la red local un valor maximo, dependiendo de la clasificacion del operador local.

See Press Release

Source: Comision de Regulacion de Telecommunicaciones (CRT)

El Gobierno Chileno impulsara un marco regulatorio que favorezca y promueva la produccion audiovisual, "para lo que se requiere aumentar los recursos publicos destinados a la creacion de contenidos y profundizar la cooperacion tecnica dirigida a las pymes de la television local"

El Subsecretario de Telecomunicaciones ratifico la necesidad de tener un canal publico que se motor del desarrollo de la oferta local para tener una transicion exitosa.

See Press release

Source: Subsecretaria de Telecomunicaciones (SUBTEL)

Durante el tercer trimestre de 2007, el sector telecomunicaciones registro la tasa de crecimiento anual mas importante desde hace siete años al aumentar 31.1 por ciento en comparacion con el mismo periodo del año anterior.
El documento elaborado por la Comision Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL) resalta que este comportamiento se explica por el repunte del trafico de telefonia movil, la fortaleza permanente de la industria de trunking y la fase de expansion experimentada por el segmento de provision satelital.

See Press Release

Source: Comision Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL)

In its Small incumbent local exchange carriers' show cause – Follow-up to Telecom Decision 2006-14, the Commission (CRTC)
* determines that the local winback rule and the competitive safeguards for promotions will not apply to the small incumbent local exchange carriers (SILECs);
 * forbears from regulating the retail access-independent local voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services provided by the SILECs but does not forbear from regulating the access-dependent local VoIP services provided by the SILECs;
* determines that the other aspects of the VoIP framework – including local number portability, digital subscriber loop service providers' access, directory listings, and equal access obligations – will apply to the SILECs; and
* determines that the quality of service rate rebate plan detailed in Telecom Decision 2005-20 will not apply to the SILECs. Instead, the Commission directs the SILECs to continue to use their complaint-based system.

See the Decision

Source : CRTC

Cualquier operador de telefonia fija o movil debe permitir la realizacion de llamadas de larga distancia a traves de los operadores habilitados y segun lo soliciten los suscriptores, reitero la Comision de Regulacion de Telecomunicaciones -CRT-.

El Director Ejecutivo de la CRT afirmo que los cambios recientes en el servicio de telefonia de larga distancia no modificaron los derechos de los usuarios, por lo cual ninguna empresa que preste servicios de telefonia fija o movil puede imponer o restringir un operador determinado para cursar a traves del mismo llamadas de larga distancia.

See Press Release

Source: Comision de Regulacion de Telecomunicaciones (CRT)

On November 14, 2007, the Commission will hold a public hearing in Gatineau, Québec, to consider the organization and mandate of
the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services. The hearing is expected to last one to two days.

See more

Source: CRTC

Está aberto o prazo para envio de contribuições à proposta da Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) de alteração do Plano Geral de Metas para a Universalização (PGMU) e de Minuta de Termo Aditivo aos Contratos de Concessão das operadoras do Serviço Telefônico Fixo Comutado (STFC). A alteração pode possibilitar a troca de 8.461 Postos de Serviços de Telecomunicações (PSTs), que devem ser instalados pelas concessionárias da telefonia fixa, por troncos (backhauls) com infra-estrutura de rede e de suporte do STFC para conexão banda larga por meio do protocolo IP em alta velocidade, o que beneficiará 3.570 cidades. Full press news

Source: Anatel, Brazil

O Conselho Diretor da Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) decidiu hoje, em sua 459º Reunião, submeter à consulta pública proposta de alteração do Plano Geral de Metas para a Universalização (PGMU) e Termo Aditivo ao Contrato de Concessão da telefonia fixa. A proposta prevê a substituição de 8.461 Postos de Serviços de Telecomunicações (PSTs) por backhauls com infra-estrutura de banda larga em todos os municípios brasileiros, o que beneficiará 3.570 municípios sem banda larga. A consulta ficará disponível para contribuições entre os dias 8 e 19 de novembro. Full press release

Source: Anatel, Brazil

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today announced that the scope of the review of its policies for broadcasting distribution and discretionary services is being expanded to consider the possible introduction of a subscriber fee for the carriage of local conventional television stations (fee-for-carriage).

See Press Release

Source: CRTC

La CRT pone a disposición del sector y demás interesados, las presentaciones que fueron expuestas el pasado 22 y 23 de octubre de 2007 en el Salón Imperial del Hotel Las Americas con motivo del 2ndo Taller Internacional sobre Regulación, Competencia e Interconexión. En este evento se buscó proporcionar las herramientas básicas para que los agentes del sector a nivel nacional e internacional y los reguladores de la región adquirieran los conocimientos necesarios para fomentar el establecimiento de marcos reglamentarios que promuevan la innovación, la inversión y el acceso asequible a las NGN, y faciliten la transición hacia las mismas, mediante la orientación de expertos internacionales en el tema, que trataron diferentes tópicos relacionados. Full press release

Source: CRT, Colombia

Washington, D.C. – The right of consumers to keep the same, familiar phone number when switching to a new telephone company was expanded today by the Federal Communications Commission, in an Order that will further ensure consumers’ opportunity to choose a telephone service provider based on quality, price and service.

The FCC made clear that the obligation to provide local number portability extends to interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol providers and the telecommunications carriers that obtain numbers for them.  This action was, in part, a response to numerous complaints by consumers about their inability to port numbers to or from interconnected VoIP providers.  The FCC also initiated a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on additional VoIP numbering issues. Full press release

 

Source: FCC, United States

Washington, DC – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today adopted a Report and Order (Order) banning the use of exclusivity clauses for the provision of video services to multiple dwelling units (“MDUs”) or other real estate developments.  The Order finds that nearly 30% of Americans live in MDUs and these numbers are growing.

 

With this proceeding, the Commission is taking another step to foster greater competition in the market for the delivery of multichannel video programming.  These rules will increase choice and competition for consumers residing in MDUs and other real estate developments.   In this Order, the Commission prohibits the enforcement or execution of existing exclusivity clauses and the execution of new ones by MVPDs subject to section 628 of the Communications Act. Full press release

 

Source: FCC, United States

As faixas destinadas ao Serviço Móvel Pessoal (SMP) podem ser usadas para a prestação da telefonia celular independentemente da tecnologia. Segundo o conselheiro José Leite Pereira Filho, com esse entendimento da Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel), fica permitido o uso das freqüências destinadas ao serviço móvel para a tecnologia IMT-2000, conhecida como de terceira geração (3G).

Também em sua 458ª reunião, realizada hoje, o Conselho Diretor da Anatel decidiu submeter a consulta pública a revogação da Resolução 227/2000, que destina as faixas de 1,9 GHz e de 2,1 GHz ao uso exclusivo da IMT-2000. A consulta pública está prevista para receber contribuições no período de 6 a 26 de novembro de 2007. Full press release

Source: Anatel, Brazil

Peru is expected to end 2009 with over 1mn broadband subscribers, local newspaper Gestión quoted Mario Norero, area manager at French equipment supplier Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU), as saying.

The government has previously said it expects to reach this figure at end-2010.According to Norero, the goal will be reached earlier because the broadband segment is enjoying a particularly rapid growth rate and new technologies such as WiMax are expected to be launch in the country next year. Full press release

Source: Business News Americas

A Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) abriu consulta pública para ouvir a sociedade a respeito do cumprimento das metas de universalização por parte das operadoras de telefonia fixa que atuam no regime público. O Plano Geral de Metas de Universalização (PGMU), previsto no decreto 4.769, de 27 de junho de 2003, estabelece as obrigações de expansão do serviço a partir de 1º de janeiro de 2006.

Entre as metas a serem cumpridas estão a instalação de Telefone de Uso Público (TUP), conhecido como orelhões, em cada localidade com mais de 100 habitantes e o atendimento com linhas individuais em cada localidade com mais de 300 habitantes. Elas devem ser cumpridas por todas as operadoras de telefonia fixa que atuam no regime público: as concessionárias na modalidade local, nas suas áreas de atuação - Brasil Telecom, Oi/Telemar, CTBC Telecom, Sercomtel e Telefônica - e a concessionária na modalidade longa distância - Embratel -, com atuação em todo o território nacional. Full press release

Source: ANATEL, Brazil

(PRENSA CONATEL /Leonardo Azarak) El Ministro del Poder Popular para las Telecomunicaciones y la Informática, Jesse Chacón se reunió con las delegaciones de Siria, Nigeria y Rusia, para compartir los adelantos del proyecto Satélite Simón Bolívar, dando cumplimiento a la agenda venezolana en la Conferencia Mundial de Radiocomunicaciones en Suiza.

Nabil Kisrawi, delegado de la comisión siria, con gran trayectoria en la Unión Internacional de Telecomunicaciones (UIT), se mostró complacido con los avances en la construcción del satélite y comentó que la administración siria apoyará el proyecto y dará a conocer con otros países árabes los beneficios de la iniciativa venezolano – uruguaya. Full press release

Source: CONATEL, Venezuela

Durante el evento "Libérate con WiMAX", Eduardo Díaz Corona, Gerente General de Telmex, acompañado del Subsecretario de Telecomunicaciones, Pablo Bello; del Presidente de la Comisión de Transporte y Telecomunicaciones del Senado, Carlos Cantero; de la Alcaldesa de Huechuraba, Carolina Plaza, de clientes y empresarios, presentó la evolución de la Banda Ancha móvil, basado en WiMAX revisión "e", presentando innovadoras aplicaciones móviles de Datos y Video a los asistentes, quienes experimentaron directamente las bondades de estos servicios. Full press release

Source: SUBTEL, Chile

Brazil's telecoms regulator Anatel gave conditional approval on Tuesday to Spanish telco Telefónica's (NYSE: TEF) acquisition of Telecom Italia (NYSE: TI), local and international press reported Brazil's communications minister Hélio Costa as saying.

On April 28, a consortium of Italian firms and TEF reached an agreement to indirectly acquire a 23.6% controlling stake in TI. The group agreed to buy TI's controlling shareholder Olimpia from Italian holding companies Pirelli and Sintonia for around 4.1bn euros (US$5.6bn). Full press release

Source: Business News Americas

A "Proposta de Manutenção da Atribuição da faixa de 143,60 MHz a 143,65 MHz ao Serviço de Pesquisa Espacial (no sentido do espaço para terra) e sua destinação ao Serviço Limitado Privado para uso em aplicações de Pesquisa Espacial" está sob a Consulta Pública nº 829. De acordo com a proposta, por essa faixa estações terrenas receberiam sinais e informações do espaço permitindo a realização de estudos e pesquisas. A Consulta receberá comentários e sugestões da sociedade, até as 24h do dia 19 de novembro, pelo portal da Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel), www.anatel.gov.br . Full press release

Source: Anatel, Brazil

Los especialistas que participan en la reunión 36 de APECTEL, analizan los desafíos que impone la seguridad de las redes de telecomunicaciones y los ataques informáticos. La cooperación entre los operadores de la industria y la protección de los consumidores, son materias de preocupación para las economías del Asia Pacífico.

La importancia de Internet como una infraestructura indispensable para el desarrollo de las actividades socioeconómicas del mundo global, ha motivado a las Economías miembros de APEC a enfrentar el incremento y la especialización de los ataques informáticos con una estrategia común. Full press release

Source: SUBTEL, Chile

Rogers today announced the next phase of its 3G high speed wireless network and Vision services in 22 Canadian markets. Earlier this year, Rogers introduced its Vision suite of services in Ontario's Golden Horseshoe. Rogers is the first and only wireless carrier in North America to offer wireless video calling. The Rogers Vision suite of services operates on Rogers' new High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) network, the fastest wireless network in Canada. HSPA is the latest evolution of GSM, the world-wide standard for mobile wireless communications. This 3G protocol significantly increases download speeds on wireless devices, providing a user experience similar to broadband high-speed services.
For information about Rogers Vision services and Rogers High Speed Wireless network for business, visit www.rogers.com/Vision.

See Press Release

Source: Rogers Communications

Chile's telecoms regulator Subtel plans to auction spectrum for wireless broadband in the 700MHz band, watchdog head Pablo Bello told reporters.

Bello said licenses for the WiMax-type service would be offered in the upper part of the UHF band, which has traditionally been used for television broadcasting.

"In the US, spectrum has been awarded in the 700MHz band, which has a lot of advantages, as it can be used to penetrate closed areas and cover long distances, which facilitates the development of new connectivity services, Bello said. Full press release

Source: Business News Americas

A Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) aprovou, hoje, o Regulamento de Proteção e Defesa dos Direitos dos Assinantes dos Serviços de Televisão por Assinatura, que abrange os usuários de TV a Cabo, Serviço de Distribuição de Sinais Multiponto Multicanais (MMDS), Serviço de Distribuição de Sinais de Televisão e de Áudio por Assinatura via Satélite (DTH) e Serviço Especial de Televisão por Assinatura (TVA).

De acordo com dados do primeiro semestre de 2007 da Anatel, o regulamento afeta cerca de cinco milhões de usuários (9,4 assinaturas por centena de domicílios). O usuário passará a ter direito ao recebimento, em dobro e em dinheiro, das quantias pagas em decorrência de cobrança indevida feita pela prestadora. Além disso, qualquer valor novo instituído pela operadora, diferente do acordado em contrato, deverá ser previamente informado ao assinante em data anterior à cobrança e aceito por ele. Full press release

Source: Anatel, Brazil

A fin de definir con claridad el uso de las bandas de frecuencias del espectro radioeléctrico y ofrecer seguridad jurídica a los inversionistas y usuarios de telecomunicaciones, la Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL) envió a la Comisión Federal de Mejora Regulatoria (COFEMER) el anteproyecto de actualización del Cuadro Nacional de Atribución de Frecuencias (CNAF) 2007 para su revisión.

La COFETEL solicitó la exención a la Manifestación de Impacto Regulatorio, pues el anteproyecto aprobado por el Pleno del órgano regulador no genera costos ni obligaciones a los particulares. Full press release

 

Source: COFETEL, Mexico

 

OTTAWA-GATINEAU — The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today initiated a public process to handle the telephone number shortage affecting the area code 613 region, which may result in the introduction of a new area code.

According to the Canadian Numbering Administrator (CNA), area code 613 is expected to run out of telephone numbers by May 2012.

Full press release

Source: CRTC, Canada

On April 4, 2007, the Media Bureau (“Bureau”) of the Federal Communications Commission (“Commission”) announced a filing window opening on Friday, October 12, 2007 and closing on Friday, October 19, 2007 for FM reserved band (channels 201 – 220) applications for noncommercial educational (“NCE”) FM new station and major change applications. On August 9, 2007, the Commission issued a public notice (the “Notice”) seeking comment on a proposed limit of ten NCE FM new station applications during the window for any party. For the reasons stated below, the Commission is adopting the proposed ten-application limit on NCE FM new station applications filed by any party during the window. Full press release

 

Source: FCC, United States

Chile's government has assigned US$80mn to subsidize projects designed to boost internet coverage during 2008-09, Pablo Bello, head of the telecoms regulator Subtel, told press.

Bello made the announcement at a presentation of the latest broadband internet index for Chile developed by US networking equipment vendor Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) and tech consultancy IDC. The latest Barometer report for Chile shows broadband penetration of 7.9% at the end of June, with 1.2mn connections, up 33% year-on-year. Full press release

Source: Business News Americas

On October 9, 2007, the Commission will hold a public hearing in Gatineau, Québec, to review the regulatory framework for telecommunications wholesale services. The Commission expects the hearing to last for seven days. For more information or to listen to the hearing through live audio feed, please visit this website.

La Comisión de Regulación de Telecomunicaciones publica para conocimiento y comentarios del sector, el documento “Modelo Inicial de Medición del Nivel de Satisfacción del usuario para los servicios de Larga Distancia, Móvil, e Internet”, que describe las principales características de la metodología propuesta para realizar la Medición del NSU de los mencionadas servicios, así como los formatos de las encuestas a utilizar para la prueba de campo. Full report

Source: CRT,Colombia

Mexico's telecoms regulator Cofetel has approved guidelines to ensure that all operators offer their peers the same terms and conditions for interconnection, local press quoted watchdog head Héctor Osuna as saying.

The introduction of the guidelines comes at a time when a slew of cable operators are starting to seek interconnection agreements with telcos in order to offer converged service packages. Full report

Source: Business News Americas

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government plans to criminalize identity theft to give police the ability to stop such activity before any fraud has actually been carried out, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said on Tuesday.

He said he would introduce legislation targeting the actual gathering and trafficking in credit card, banking and other personal data for the purposes of using it deceptively.Full report

Source: Reuters

1 de octubre, 2007) Según estudios de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), las Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación (TIC) aportan entre 10% y 24% a la tasa de crecimiento del PIB de América Latina. Pero aunque representan herramientas importantes para el desarrollo económico y social de la región, el debate en torno al impulso a estas tecnologías está apenas iniciado.

Para avanzar en la adopción de las TIC y establecer nuevas metas concretas para el acceso e inclusión digital, creación de capacidades y conocimientos, entre otras materias, la CEPAL y el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Internacional y Culto de la República Argentina han organizado la Reunión de Consulta Regional preparatoria de la II Conferencia Ministerial sobre Sociedad de la Información de América Latina y el Caribe, este 4-5 octubre de 2007 en el Palacio San Martín, sede de la Cancillería Argentina, en Buenos Aires, Argentina. Full press release

Source: CEPAL

Hoy martes entró en vigencia el bloqueo de las llamadas de larga distancia nacional e internacional, según dispuso el Organismo Supervisor de Inversión Privada en Telecomunicaciones (Osiptel), según informó la agencia Andina.

Telefónica del Perú anunció que ya se procedió a bloquear los códigos "0" y "00" de salida de larga distancia nacional (LDN) e internacional (LDI), respectivamente, a los clientes de telefonía fija que a la fecha no hayan escogido la compañía que les brindará dicho servicio, según el proceso de preselección dispuesto por el Osiptel. Full press release

Source: El comercio news paper, Perú

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today made public an independent report prepared by Michael Osborne on its policies for wholesale telecommunications services.

Mr. Osborne, a lawyer who practises competition law and commercial litigation, was commissioned to prepare his report as input for the review of the CRTC's policies for wholesale services. This report contains Mr. Osborne's analysis and opinion on many of the issues raised in the CRTC's proceeding to review its regulatory framework for wholesale services, which includes a public hearing starting on October 9, 2007, in Gatineau, Que. Parties appearing at the hearing may refer to, or comment on, the report.

See Press Release and link to the report

Source: CRTC

En coordinación con la industria, el Pleno de la Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL) resolvió anoche diferir la consolidación de cinco Áreas de Servicio Local en distintos puntos del país, a efecto de que dicha medida sea técnicamente más eficiente.

Como se recordará, el pasado 14 de marzo, el Pleno de esta Comisión resolvió favorablemente la solicitud de diversos operadores para consolidar 70 ASL’s a fin de disminuir los destinos de larga distancia nacional en beneficio de millones de mexicanos de diversas regiones del país. Full press release

Source: COFETEL, Mexico

La Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL) inició el proceso de mejora regulatoria de las Especificaciones Operativas para la implementación de la Portabilidad, que permite a los usuarios conservar su número telefónico en caso que decidan cambiar de proveedor.

De esta manera, el regulador cumple con el Calendario de Implantación de la Portabilidad, en el que se establece que las Especificaciones Operativas deberán ser enviadas a la Comisión Federal de Mejora Regulatoria dentro del plazo de 100 días naturales luego de la entrada en vigor de la Resolución de Portabilidad, publicada el pasado 12 de junio en el Diario Oficial de la Federación. Full press release

Source: COFETEL, Mexico

La Comisión de Regulación de Telecomunicaciones pone a disposición de los agentes del sector la “Propuesta Regulatoria para la fijación de los cargos de acceso a redes fijas y móviles en Colombia”, a la luz de los principios y objetivos regulatorios que ha trazado la entidad. En dicho documento se revisa de manera integral el actual esquema de cargos de acceso y se presenta una nueva propuesta para la remuneración de las redes de telecomunicaciones por concepto de la interconexión. Adicionalmente, se espera que los beneficios de la misma se transfieran en el corto plazo a los usuarios de servicios de telecomunicaciones en Colombia. Full report

Source: CRT, Colombia

Todo o Brasil estará coberto pela portabilidade nas telefonias móvel e fixa a partir de 1º de março de 2009. A ativação comercial da portabilidade durará ao todo sete meses - período de 29 de agosto de 2008 a 1º de março de 2009. A identificação das localidades a serem portadas será realizada de acordo com os Códigos Nacionais de Numeração (CNN) - que correspondem, popularmente, ao DDD (por exemplo, o 11 para a região metropolitana de São Paulo, e o 61 para o Distrito Federal e Entorno). A fiscalização da Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) acompanhará a implementação da portabilidade em todo o Brasil.

O cronograma representa o compromisso de todas as prestadoras de serviços de telecomunicações de modo a preparar suas redes e sistemas de tecnologia da informação a fim de suportar as demandas decorrentes da implantação da portabilidade. As áreas de numeração a serem ativadas comercialmente em agosto de 2008 compõem a experiência piloto de o projeto de execução da portabilidade. Os dados gerados possibilitarão o aprimoramento desse processo. Full press release

Source: ANATEL, Brazil

A Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) publicou ontem a Resolução nº 481, que aprova a Norma para a Certificação e Homologação de Baterias de Lítio e Carregadores Utilizados em Telefones Celulares. As baterias e os carregadores, que antes eram analisados em conjunto com os telefones, passarão por teste específicos de segurança e qualidade. Entre eles, está o que permite avaliar a bateria quando submetida a ações que podem provocar elevação excessiva da temperatura, o que pode desencadear a explosão do material que compõe a célula de armazenamento de energia.

A expectativa é de que as novas regras ajudem a reduzir o comércio dos produtos de origem duvidosa. Com a norma, que afeta um mercado de mais de 110 milhões de linhas móveis, as baterias de celulares deverão portar um selo de segurança, para facilitar a identificação da origem pelo usuário. O selo trará a logomarca da Anatel e o número da homologação, que será um requisito obrigatório para o comércio do produto. Full press release

Source: ANATEL, Brazil

Washington, DC -- The Commission has released an updated agenda for its Digital Television Consumer Education Workshop to be held Wednesday, September 26, 2007, at FCC Headquarters, 445 12^th St., NW, Washington, DC, in the Commission Meeting Room.  It will begin at 8:00 AM and end at 4:15 PM.   The updated agenda is attached.

 

Source: FCC, USA

La actual gestión ha publicado un proyecto de modificación del Reglamento de Calidad de los Servicios Públicos de telecomunicaciones, que establece metas de calidad obligatorias por hora y por componente de la red, bajo apercibimiento de sanción. Además, incorpora nuevos indicadores para regular la calidad de acceso a la red, mensajes de texto, calidad de voz y cobertura y que exigirá para su correcta supervisión de una adecuada provisión de recursos en el Organismo Regulador. Full report

Source: OSIPTEL, Perú

Começou ontem, 17, na Câmara dos Deputados, a Conferência Nacional Preparatória de Comunicações. O evento tem como tema "Uma Nova Política para a Convergência Tecnológica e o Futuro das Comunicações" e ocorre num momento importante, pois a convergência digital está transformando a comunicação, o que torna necessário o debate sobre o aperfeiçoamento legal e regulatório para o setor. A solenidade de abertura contou com a presença do presidente da Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel), Ronaldo Mota Sardenberg, que destacou a importância do evento e elogiou a parceria entre os poderes Executivo e Legislativo, que poderá contribuir fortemente para a revisão do marco regulatório. Full Press release

Source: ANATEL, Brazil

Verizon Wireless has launched an appeal against the Federal Communication Commission (FCC's) final rules for the upcoming radio spectrum auction, saying the US regulator’s proposed laws concerning so-called ‘open-access conditions’ are ‘arbitrary’ and ‘capricious’.

See more

Source: Telegeography

OTTAWA-GATINEAU — The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today announced that it will issue its decision on the Canadian Television Fund (CTF) before the end of December, rather than on September 15, due to the high level of interest generated by the process and the complexity of the issues.

The Commission launched a public process on June 29, 2007, the same day that the Task Force on the Canadian Television Fund published its report. The report contained a number of recommendations to improve the funding of Canadian programs, increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the CTF, and enhance the participation of broadcasting distributors, such as cable and satellite companies, in the CTF. During the public process, Canadians and stakeholders from the broadcasting industry were invited to submit their views on the implementation of the Task Force’s recommendations. Full press release

Source: CRTC, Canada

A Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) promove - em conjunto com o Ministério das Comunicações; a Comissão de Ciência e Tecnologia, Comunicação e Informática, da Câmara dos Deputados; e a Comissão de Ciência e Tecnologia, Inovação, Comunicação e Informática, do Senado Federal - a Conferência Nacional Preparatória de Comunicações. O encontro, que acontece na próxima semana, de 17 a 19 de setembro, no Congresso Nacional, terá como tema "Uma Nova Política para a Convergência Tecnológica e o Futuro das Comunicações". Full Press release

Source: ANATEL, Brazil

La SUBTEL cierra la próxima semana el listado de hogares que servirán como puntos fijos de medición de las señales digitales. Cualquier ciudadano puede participar en este proceso inscribiendo su residencia en el sitio web de la Subsecretaría. Si su ubicación geográfica es compatible con el radio de transmisión de las pruebas, puede ser seleccionada entre las 160 casas que formarán parte del trabajo de campo.

Un paso más hacia la definición de la norma de TV digital en Chile, se concretó esta mañana con la constitución de la Comisión encargada de velar por el fiel cumplimiento de lo establecido en el protocolo de pruebas, que se aplicará al medir la recepción de transmisiones experimentales en Santiago. Full Press release

Source: SUBTEL, Chile

 sessão para o recebimento do Documento de Identificação, das Propostas de Preços e da Documentação de Habilitação para obtenção de autorização para exploração do Serviço Móvel Pessoa (SMP), a telefonia celular, no âmbito de Edital da Licitação 001/2007/SPV da Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel), será realizada na próxima terça-feira, 18. Os interessados devem se credenciar entre 8h30 e 10h, no Espaço Cultural da Anatel (SAUS, Quadra 6, Bloco C, Brasília, DF). Full press release

Source: ANATEL, Brazil

FCC Establishes New Benchmarks and Procedures to Expedite Completion of the 800 MHz Rebanding Process. By this Public Notice, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces supplemental procedures and provides guidance for completion of 800 MHz rebanding by National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (NPSPAC) licensees. As part of the rebanding process, NPSPAC licensees are being relocated to new frequencies in the 800 MHz band, with all rebanding costs to be paid by Sprint Corporation (Sprint). The Commission’s orders provide for the rebanding process to be completed by June 26, 2008.

See more

Source: FCC

The three largest US cellcos are facing legal action for alleged violations of patents relating to mobile e-mail services. Technology licensing firm NTP Inc claims that wireless e-mail services offered by AT&T Inc, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel infringe eight of its patents.

See more

Source: Telegeography

Fair Use exceptions to U.S. copyright laws are responsible for more than $4.5 trillion in annual revenue for the United States, according to the findings of an unprecedented economic study released today. According to the study commissioned by the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and conducted in accordance with a World Intellectual Property Organization methodology, companies benefiting from limitations on copyright-holders’ exclusive rights, such as “fair use” – generate substantial revenue, employ millions of workers, and, in 2006, represented one-sixth of total U.S. GDP.

The exhaustive report, released today at a briefing on Capitol Hill, quantifies for the first time ever the critical contributions of fair use to the U.S. economy.  The timing proves particularly important as the debates over copyright law in the digital age move increasingly to center stage on Capitol Hill.

See more

Source: CCIA

Washington, D.C. – The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) today adopted rules to ensure all cable subscribers, including those with analog TV sets, can view broadcast television after the transition to digital television occurs on February 17, 2009. Approximately 35 percent of all television homes, or approximately 40 million households, are analog-only cable subscribers. The Commission is committed to ensuring that the 98 million TV viewers watching roughly 120 million sets retain the same access to their local stations after the transition as they do today.

See FCC release

Washington, DC – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today took steps to promote competition in the marketplace for video programming by adopting a Report and Order (“Order”) which ensures competitive multichannel video programming distributors (“MVPDs”) continue to have access to essential programming. The Report & Order extends the ban of exclusive contracts between vertically integrated programmers and cable operators to October 5, 2012. A vertically integrated programmer is one that is affiliated with a cable operator or other covered MVPD’s. This ban had already been in place and was set to expire October 5, 2007.

See more

Source: FCC

Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit today reversed a lower court's dismissal of antitrust claims Broadcom brought against Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, allowing the antitrust case against Qualcomm to go forward.

See press release

Source: Broadcom

According to Reuters, the U.S. International Trade Commission opened a hearing on Monday to try to determine if Nokia  violated three cell phone patents owned by U.S. chip maker Qualcomm Inc. Qualcomm attorney Terrence McMahon displayed documents he said showed Nokia researchers had been struggling with the problem of dropped calls, without success. Qualcomm was able to resolve the problem using the three patents at issue, McMahon said in his opening address.

Source: Reuters

Carrier will bring fibre optic cables right to customer's door in trial of costly technology

Source : Globe & Mail

The Federal Trade Commission is warning mortgage brokers and lenders, and media outlets that carry their advertisements for home mortgages, that some of the advertising claims currently appearing in Web sites, newspapers, magazines, direct mail, and unsolicited e-mail and faxes may violate federal law.

See Press release

Source : FTC

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a Report and Order (Order) released today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) permitted Fixed Service (FS) operators in the 10.7-11.7 GHz (11 GHz) spectrum band to install and use smaller antennas.  This action will facilitate a range of fixed microwave applications – including those that support next generation mobile services – that are not accommodated under the existing rules for the 11 GHz band.  These rule changes were proposed in a March 2007 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which the FCC adopted in response to a Petition for Rulemaking filed by FiberTower, Inc., a wireless backhaul provider. 

 

The lower costs and enhanced benefits of smaller antennas will result in more efficient use of the 11 GHz band without harming existing users.  An applicant seeking to use a smaller antenna in the 11 GHz band will need to coordinate its proposed facilities with existing users in the band.  The FCC also stated that it expected FS applicants in the 11 GHz band to carefully coordinate their operations with the authorized feeder link operations of any licensed geostationary (GSO) Mobile Service Satellite (MSS) gateway earth station in the 11 GHz band so as to avoid harmful aggregate interference. Full Press release

Source: FCC,United States

Bolivia's telecoms regulator Sittel is in the process of evaluating technical reports presented by mobile operators explaining why they have failed to meet minimum traffic congestion standards, Sittel's public affairs chief Erick Butrón told BNamericas.

Mobile operators had until September 4 to present these reports. According to Butrón, the regulator may decide this week when its technicians will present their final conclusions to the board. Full Press release

Source: Business News Americas

FCC CLARIFIES GEOGRAPHIC AREA OVER WHICH WIRELESS CARRIERS MUST MEET ENHANCED 911 LOCATION ACCURACY REQUIREMENTS

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) today adopted a Report and Order (Order) which clarifies that wireless carriers must meet the Enhanced 911 (E911), Phase II location accuracy requirements at the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) service-area level. To accomplish this, the Order requires carriers to meet interim, annual benchmarks over the next five years in order to ensure that they achieve PSAP-level compliance no later than September 11, 2012.

See FCC release
More info : See the FCC home page for statements
Source: FCC

The US Department of Justice has aligned itself with the country’s telecoms operators. The final decision on new regulations for how broadband internet providers transmit and deliver internet traffic lies in the hands of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), but the DoJ’s statement is a bitter blow to the likes of Google, Microsoft, Amazon and eBay  championing net neutrality. Proponents of the plan say the move would curb the ability of big telecoms carriers such as AT&T and Verizon, and cablecos like Comcast which would like to be able to charge certain users extra fees for carrying web content such as video-streaming.

Source: Telegeography

eLAC 2007 reveals a Plan of Action for the Informations Society in Latin America.

See  presentation of the document

Source: CEPAL

The Justice Department told the Federal Communications Commission that Internet service providers should be allowed to charge a fee for priority Web traffic.   It is opposed to "Net neutrality," the principle that all Internet sites should be equally accessible to any Web user.

See article

Source: Associated Press

Atendiendo las solicitudes recibidas de diferentes agentes del sector, en las que se manifiesta la necesidad de contar con tiempo adicional para el estudio detallado del documento sobre “Consideraciones para la implementación de la presuscripción en Colombia”, la Comisión de Regulación de Telecomunicaciones amplía el plazo de recepción de comentarios al mismo hasta el 21 de septiembre de 2007. Full note

Source: CRT, Colombia

If Costa Ricans vote in favor of liberalization of the telephony market in an October referendum, the country's mobile business is likely to grow 18% a year until 2012 to total annual revenues of US$1.2bn, according to a report from consultancy Signals Telecoms Consulting.

Currently the mobile market in Costa Rica is monopolized by state company ICE, which has around 1.4mn subscribers and saw revenue of around US$425mn from mobile services in 2006, the report said. Full Press release

Source: Business News Americas

Com o Termo assinado, há a previsão de se beneficiar 782 instituições que assistem pessoas com deficiência auditiva. A Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) e as concessionárias da telefonia fixa local - Brasil Telecom, CTBC, Oi, Sercomtel e Telefônica - assinaram o Termo de Obrigações de Universalização que prevê o benefício, por meio da instalação de Terminal de Telecomunicações para Surdos (TTS), a 782 instituições que assistem pessoas com deficiência auditiva. A assinatura do Termo ocorreu em cerimônia realizada na tarde de quarta-feira, 5, na Anatel. Full Press release

Source: ANATEL, Brazil

A Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) e as cinco concessionárias de telefonia fixa local - Brasil Telecom, Oi/Telemar, Telefônica, CTBC Telecom e Sercomtel - assinam o Termo de Obrigações de Universalização que vai beneficiar instituições de assistência às pessoas com deficiência auditiva. A partir da assinatura do termo, as concessionárias terão nove meses para atender a todas as instituições cadastradas na Secretaria Especial de Direitos Humanos da Presidência da República (SEDH) e que tenha assinado o Termo de Adesão. A cerimônia será realizada às 16h desta quarta-feira, 5, no miniauditório da Agência, localizado no Setor de Autarquias Sul, Quadra 6, Bloco E, em Brasília.

Esta é a primeira vez que serão utilizados recursos do Fundo de Universalização dos Serviços de Telecomunicações (Fust). Estão estimados cerca de R$ 1,3 milhão para cobrir a parcela de custo exclusivamente atribuível ao cumprimento das obrigações de universalização que não possa ser recuperada com a exploração eficiente do serviço. O ressarcimento às concessionárias será realizado em parcelas semestrais, ao longo de cinco anos.  O Fundo cobrirá os custos de instalação de uma linha telefônica na sede da instituição beneficiária de isenção do pagamento mensal da assinatura básica e dos equipamentos de interface que permitam a utilização da telefonia fixa pelas pessoas com deficiência auditiva, aparelhos denominados Terminais de Telecomunicações para Surdos (TTS's). Full Press release

Source: Anatel, Brazil

Geneva, 4 September 2007 — ITU has released a major publication, Trends in Telecommunication Reform: the Road to NGN. In its 8th edition, Trends reports on the evolution of circuit-switched telecommunication into "next-generation" networks, as operators around the world fight to remain competitive. The Report aims at enabling regulators and policy-makers in developing countries to better understand the changes transforming the ICT sector so they can evolve their policy and regulatory frameworks to leverage today’s technological and market developments.

What does NGN mean for regulators? They have many choices to make. Some view NGN as the intersection of the telecom and Internet worlds. If so, which regulatory regime should apply? The current heavily-regulated telecom regulatory model? The lightly-regulated Internet model? Or some new hybrid model? The migration to NGN affords an opportunity for regulators to analyze current practices and revise them in light of what makes sense going forward. This Trends report offers a detailed discussion of the kinds of measures that are needed to ensure that regulation keeps pace with technological and market developments so that the best of NGN is available to all of the world’s people.

The ITU press release is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

More information about the content of the 2007 report is available at the “On the Road to NGN” website.

The publication is available for sale at the ITU bookshop.

The FCC has agreed to alter legislation which will allow major telcos such as AT&T and Verizon Communications to combine their local and long-distance telephony operations without facing additional regulations. Operators will be able to integrate their local and long-distance services without being burdened with ‘dominant carrier’ regulations. Telcos have agreed to introduce measures to protect consumers’ interests, including the launch of special tariff plans for low usage long-distance subscribers.

Source: Telegeography

On August 9th 2007, President George W. Bush signed into law today the America COMPETES Act, which expands education, and research and development, in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Peru's transport and communications ministry (MTC) issued Friday (Aug 31) a decree obliging all telecoms operators to install emergency network capacity to ensure communication does not fail in the event of a natural disaster, MTC said in a statement.

Decree 030-2007 orders mobile and fixed telephony operators to have reserve capacity available for emergency communications among public bodies and the general public, something that was lacking in the aftermath of the August 15 earthquake. The decree did not specify if additional infrastructure would have to be built. Full Press release

Source: Business News Americas

Adopts Measures to Improve the Management, Administration and Oversight of the Fund

In a Report and Order released today, the Commission adopts several measures to further safeguard the Universal Service Fund from waste, fraud, and abuse.  In the Comprehensive Review of the Universal Service Fund Management, Administration, and Oversight proceeding, the Commission fortifies its debarment rule for parties convicted of criminal violations or found civilly liable in connection with acts arising from participation in any of the four universal service programs.  Previously, the Commission's debarment rules applied only to the E-rate Program.  As a result of the changes adopted in this order, bad actors who defraud the program can be prohibited from receiving funds in the High Cost, Low Income, and Rural Healthcare programs. Full Press release

 

Source: FCC, United States

 

Washington, DC – The Federal Communications Commission today announced the agenda topics and tentative speakers for the Digital Television Consumer Education Workshop to be held Wednesday, September 26, 2007, at FCC Headquarters, 445 12^th St., SW, Washington, DC, in the Commission Meeting Room.  It will begin at 8:00 AM and end at 3:45 PM.   

 

          The purpose of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for all interested parties to jointly discuss the challenges associated with the upcoming transition and explore ways to develop coordinated consumer education activities. Organizations representing a broad range of consumers and other stakeholders will be represented, including those who represent senior citizens, low-income consumers, non-English speakers, people with disabilities, tribes, and public interest organizations working on behalf of underserved customers or those living in rural areas.  A preliminary agenda is attached. Full Press release

 

Source: Federal Communication Comission (FCC), USA

A Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) aprovou na quarta-feira, 22, o Termo de Obrigação de Universalização a ser assinado pelas cinco concessionárias de telefonia fixa. O termo viabiliza a utilização dos recursos do Fundo de Universalização dos Serviços de Telecomunicações (Fust) na implementação do Plano de Metas para a Universalização do Serviço Telefônico Fixo Comutado em Instituições de Assistência às Pessoas Portadoras de Deficiência Auditiva (PMU I), aprovado pelo Decreto n.º 6.039, de 7 de fevereiro de 2007.

O termo é o documento necessário para a implementação do Programa de Atendimento às Pessoas com Deficiência Auditiva, instituído pelo Ministério das Comunicações em abril de 2006. Esse projeto, que viabiliza a utilização dos recursos do Fust pela primeira vez, vai fornecer às instituições que assistem pessoas com deficiência auditiva a instalação gratuita de uma linha telefônica na sede da instituição beneficiada; a isenção do pagamento mensal da assinatura básica; e equipamentos de interface, os Terminais de Telecomunicações para Surdos (TTS), que permitam a utilização da telefonia fixa pelas pessoas com deficiência auditiva. Full Press release

Source: ANATEL, Brazil

Despite a partial setback last month from FCC, CEO Eric Schmidt said Google is leaning toward bidding in upcoming U.S. mobile phone airwave auctions.

See article

Source: Reuters

OTTAWA-GATINEAU —The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today issued a public notice asking for input on the nature, governance, structure and mandate of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS).

In April 2007, the federal government called on the telecommunications industry to establish an independent, industry-funded agency to resolve complaints from consumers and small businesses. This new agency (the CCTS) was set up by industry members on a provisional basis and began operations on July 23, 2007. On that same date, the agency’s founding members filed a proposal with the CRTC describing its organization, which the Commission will consider during a public consultation starting on November 14, 2007, in Gatineau. Full Press release

Source: CRTC, Canada

Some 12 companies have expressed interest in bidding for two mobile concessions licenses in Panama, the country's public services regulator Asep was reported as saying by local press.

The auction process is slated to start October 27 and be awarded in May.

The interested parties are Mexico's América Móvil (NYSE: AMX), France's Orange, Luxembourg's Millicom International Celular (Nasdaq: MICC), Jamaica-based Digicel, and Panama's Vtel, Global Star, Clarocom, Cable Onda, Advanced Communication, Innovation Wireless, Torres Troncales and Pan American Wireless. Full Press release

Source: Business News Americas

RealNetworks, Inc. (NASDAQ: RNWK), MTV Networks, a division of VIACOM International (NYSE: VIA.A and VIA.B), and Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), and Vodafone (LSE: VOD) today announced they are teaming to create a single, integrated digital music experience that consumers can access via their PC, portable music device or mobile phone. Promising to be ultra-rich in music culture, programming and discovery, Rhapsody will unite the best of RealNetworks' market-leading service and MTV Networks critically acclaimed URGE music service. Verizon Wireless' V CAST Music — the most successful mobile music service in the country — will become the mobile platform for the integrated Rhapsody service.

See full press release

Source: Real Network

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a Report and Order (Order) and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Notice) adopted today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) clarified the roaming obligations of Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS) providers, stating that automatic roaming is a common carrier obligation for CMRS carriers. Automatic roaming allows roaming mobile telephone customers to place calls as they do in their home coverage area, by simply entering a phone number and pressing “send.”

The FCC required CMRS carriers to provide roaming services to other carriers upon reasonable request and on a just, reasonable, and non-discriminatory basis under Sections 201 and 202 of the Communications Act. When a reasonable request is made by a technologically compatible CMRS carrier, a host CMRS carrier must provide automatic roaming to the requesting carrier outside of the requesting carrier’s home market. The FCC also decided to maintain its existing manual roaming requirement, which requires CMRS providers to permit customers of other carriers to roam manually on their networks, for example by supplying a credit card number, provided that the roamers’ handsets are technically capable of accessing the roamed-on network. Full Press release

Source: FCC, United States

Bolivian telecoms watchdog Sittel is due to give local mobile telephony operators 10 days starting Wednesday (Aug 15) to decongest the current mobile traffic on their networks or face sanctions, Sittel head Clifford Paravicini told BNamericas.

According to Paravicini, Sittel's technicians determined last weekend that the average mobile congestion on the networks of the three operators was 20% while regulations allow for a maximum of 5%. Full Press release

Source: Business News Americas

El presidente de la Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL), Héctor Osuna Jaime, presentó el Informe de Actividades 2006-2007 de la dependencia ante las Comisiones Unidas de Comunicaciones y Radio y Televisión del Senado de la República, documento que refleja el trabajo elaborado para promover el crecimiento del sector y detonar las inversiones que requiere el país.

Acompañado por los comisionados que integran el Pleno de la COFETEL y por los jefes de unidad de la dependencia, Osuna Jaime expuso ante los legisladores las acciones realizadas por el órgano regulador en materia de Prospectiva y Regulación, Servicios a la Industria y Radio y Televisión. Full Press release

Source: COFETEL, Mexico

A Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) recebe esta tarde comitiva norte-americana composta de representantes do Departamento de Estado, do órgão regulador das telecomunicações - a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) e do Departamento de Comércio. Esse será o terceiro encontro bilateral entre autoridades dos dois países. A agenda do encontro, coordenado pelo presidente da Agência, Ronaldo Mota Sardenberg, prevê a discussão dos seguintes temas: panorâmica das telecomunicações, Internet, espectro de radiofreqüências, certificação e acordos de reconhecimento mútuo, TV e rádio digitais, além de competição. Uma outra reunião será realizada  amanhã, no Ministério das Comunicações, sempre com o objetivo de discutir questões de interesse comum no setor das telecomunicações. Full Press release

Source: ANATEL, Brazil

Washington, D.C. – In a Second Report & Order (Order) adopted today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revised the 700 MHz band plan and service rules to promote the creation of a nationwide interoperable broadband network for public safety and to facilitate the availability of new and innovative wireless broadband services for consumers.

The 700 MHz Band spectrum, which runs from 698-806 MHz, currently is occupied by television broadcasters and will be made available for other wireless services, including public safety and commercial services, as a result of the digital television (DTV) transition. The Digital Television and Public Safety Act of 2005 (DTV Act) set a firm deadline of February 17, 2009, for the completion of the DTV transition. The DTV Act also requires the FCC to commence an auction of the previously unauctioned commercial spectrum in the 700 MHz Band no later than January 28, 2008. Full Press release

Source: FCC, Unites States

Bolivian telecoms watchdog Sittel has given local mobile telephony operators until Friday (Aug 10) to improve the quality of their mobile telephony services or face economic sanctions and risk losing their licenses, state news agency ABI reported, citing official sources.

ABI said Sittel's head Clifford Paravicini confirmed the three main operators had been notified on August 2 of the requirements. In addition, Sittel ordered the telcos to suspend all marketing campaigns until they have satisfied the regulator that improvements have been made. Full Press release

Source: Business News Americas

Balanço preliminar produzido pela Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) sobre a implantação do novo sistema de tarifação na telefonia fixa local demonstra que 30% dos usuários dos novos planos (Plano Básico e Plano Alternativo de Serviço de Oferta Obrigatório - Pasoo) já receberam pelo menos uma fatura emitida em minutos. Não houve, segundo os dados avaliados, variação no número de reclamações feitas nas centrais de atendimento da Anatel e das concessionárias em função da mudança, o que pode ser considerado um primeiro indício de satisfação do consumidor com o novo método de tarifação.

Dos 35,3 milhões de terminais fixos das concessionárias em serviço no Brasil, 8,8 milhões (cerca de 25%) já pertenciam a outros planos alternativos tarifados em minutos - os que eram oferecidos em pulsos foram convertidos para o novo sistema. Dos 26,5 milhões (cerca de 75%) restantes, que pertencem ao Plano Básico, em torno de 800 mil (cerca de 3%) estão em 2.825 municípios em que o novo sistema ainda não foi implantado, por opção das prestadoras (Brasil Telecom e Oi). Por força da regulamentação, esses usuários não pagarão pelas ligações locais para telefones fixos até que a concessionária implemente, nesses municípios, a tarifação por minuto. Full Press release

Source: ANATEL, Brazil

Brazil's Minas Gerais state-based mobile phone operator Telemig Celular (Nasdaq: TMB) aims to offer 3G technology in state capital Belo Horizonte by the end of the year, Telemig said in a statement.

Telemig, which was acquired by Brazil's largest mobile operator Vivo (NYSE: VIV) for 1.21bn reais (US$644mn) on August 2, expects to launch 3G/WCDMA technology in central and southern parts of Belo Horizonte, Paulo Amador, Telemig's director of engineering, told BNamericas. Full Press release

Source: Business News Americas

 

Remarks on Commission historical step creating a nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband network.

See document at: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-275812A1.pdf

Source: FCC

WASHINGTON, D.C. –In a Report and Order (Order) and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Notice) adoptedtoday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) clarified the roaming obligations ofCommercial Mobile Radio Services(CMRS)providers, stating that automatic roaming is a common carrier obligation for CMRS carriers. Automatic roaming allows roaming mobile telephone customers to place calls as theydo in their home coverage area, by simply entering a phone number and pressing “send.”

See document at: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-275797A1.pdf

Source : FCC

Washington, DC – Today, the FCC released a new DTV Table which provides television stations across the country with their final channel assignments for broadcasting following the DTV transition on February 17, 2009. The new DTV Table specifies channels for over 1,800 stations. This is a significant and necessary step towards completing the transition to digital television. DTV provides consumers with better quality television picture and sound, and can make new services available through multicasting. The switch from analog to digital technology will also make valuable spectrum available for public safety uses and expanded wireless competition and innovation. Full Press release

Source: Federal Communications Commission (FCC), USA

By a 367-57 vote, legislators approved the America Competes Act (short for the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act).

Link to the Act.

http://science.house.gov/legislation/leg_highlights_detail.aspx?NewsID=1938

Source: US Committee on Science and Technology.

Congress has approved legislation dedicated to improving America's ability to compete in a global economy. The America Competes Act would potentially dedicate more than $40 billion to federal research, development funding and math and science education.

See article

Source: Internetnews

La Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones ha logrado avances en temas estratégicos para el desarrollo del sector, como la implantación de la portabilidad numérica, el diseño de un nuevo plan técnico de interconexión y la entrada en vigor del programa El que Llama Paga Nacional e Internacional, expuso el presidente del organismo, Héctor Osuna Jaime.

Al participar en la Novena Reunión de la Comisión de Alto Nivel en Materia de Telecomunicaciones México-Estados Unidos, el titular de la COFETEL habló de los "grandes cambios de la estructura reglamentaria" que ha vivido el recientemente el sector mexicano de las telecomunicaciones. Full Press release

Source: COFETEL, Mexico

Colombia's communications ministry Mincomunicaciones (Mincom) has issued a decree creating a universal concession license for providing long distance telephony and internet services as well as obliging operators to unbundle their networks, Mincom said in statement.

The decree allows operators to offer any added value over the internet or long distance without having to ask for separate licenses. The decree follows a decision by telecoms regulator CRT in July to create a new numbering scheme for long distance services that is designed to encourage more operators to enter the market. Full Press release

Source: Business News Americas

 

In an application to the Competition Bureau, CIPPIC has requested a review of the proposed merger between Google and DoubleClick. CIPPIC is concerned that the merger prevents or lessens competition substantially in the online targeted advertising market, as Google-DoubleClick will be able to manipulate the market to raise advertising prices and advertisers and web publishers will have to choose Google-DoubleClick in order to be visible in the e-commerce market.

See CIPPIC webpage

Chilean mobile operator Claro is violating consumer protection laws by reporting subscribers that are behind on bill payments to credit reporting agency Dicom, telecom regulator Subtel's head Pablo Bello told press.

According to Bello, Claro, which is owned by Mexico's América Móvil (NYSE: AMX), has been sending subscriber information to Dicom, owned by US credit reporting agency Equifax, for the last six months for late payments of between 15,000 pesos (US$28.65) and 500,000 pesos.

However, consumer protection laws mandate that consumers cannot be reported to Dicom for non-payment of utility bills, José Roa, director of Chile's consumer protection agency Sernac said. Chilean authorities have registered about 180 cases involving Claro reporting subscribers to Dicom, Roa added. Full Press Release

Source: Business News Americas

La Comisión Consultiva de Alto Nivel México-Estados Unidos en Materia de Telecomunicaciones (CCAN) se reunirá para analizar los asuntos bilaterales que están encaminados a promover la comunicación transfronteriza y la interoperabilidad, así como para prevenir interferencias perjudiciales a los servicios de seguridad pública, comerciales y de radiodifusión en las zonas altamente pobladas de la franja común.

En el marco de esta reunión, a celebrarse este viernes 3 en la Ciudad de México, se prevé que las delegaciones reiteren su intención de promover la cooperación y coordinación para encontrar soluciones a los retos que surjan en la operación de los servicios de telecomunicaciones y radiodifusión a lo largo de la frontera común, además de los que puedan aparecer con los servicios vía satélite, incluyendo la revisión y actualización de los acuerdos existentes en la materia para apoyar la introducción de nuevos servicios. Full Press release

Source: Comision Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL), Mexico

A Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) disponibilizou ontem, 31 de julho, o edital de licitação para exploração do Serviço Móvel Pessoal (SMP). A licitação permitirá a expedição de autorizações do serviço em todo o território nacional, além de possibilitar às atuais operadoras expandir seus serviços. Ao todo, serão licitados 105 lotes em 28 áreas de prestação.

Os preços mínimos estabelecidos variam de R$ 9,3 mil - lotes 90 e 91, correspondentes à área de prestação 25, que abrange o município de Paranaíba, no Mato Grosso do Sul - a R$ 106,4 milhões - lote 5, correspondente à área de prestação 16, que abrange a Região 1 (veja a tabela ao lado) do Plano Geral de Autorizações (PGA), área de concessão da Telemar. Full Press release

Source: Anatel, Brazil

3G Americas  published a  white paper entitled Defining 4G: Understanding the ITU Process for the Next Generation of Wireless Technology.

See all stories on this topic

Source: 3G Americas

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today released, for an eighth consecutive year, its Broadcasting Policy Monitoring Report. The report reveals that this industry is continuing to expand and that new media are becoming an increasingly important part of Canadians’ lives.

Source: CRTC

Full Report available at:

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/NEWS/RELEASES/2007/r070731.htm

Argentine telephony cooperative associations Fecotel and Fecosur need not worry about obtaining mobile spectrum to offer services, local telecommunications regulator CNC's head Ceferino Namuncurá told BNamericas.

On July 24, telecommunications ministry SeCom authorized Fecotel and Fecosur to provide mobile telephony. However, the cooperatives now need to request spectrum and there has been some concern about how much spectrum is available and speculation about whether other telcos may compete for that spectrum. Full Press Release

Source: Business News Americas

 

Washington, D.C. – In a Second Report & Order (Order) adopted today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revised the 700 MHz band plan and service rules to promote the creation of a nationwide interoperable broadband network for public safety and to facilitate the availability of new and innovative wireless broadband services for consumers.

The 700 MHz Band spectrum, which runs from 698-806 MHz, currently is occupied by television broadcasters and will be made available for other wireless services, including public safety and commercial services, as a result of the digital television (DTV) transition. The Digital Television and Public Safety Act of 2005 (DTV Act) set a firm deadline of February 17, 2009, for the completion of the DTV transition. The DTV Act also requires the FCC to commence an auction of the previously unauctioned commercial spectrum in the 700 MHz Band no later than January 28, 2008. Full Press Release

Source: Federal Communications Commission (FCC), United States

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today issued a Request for Proposal to find an operator to develop, implement and manage the National Do Not Call List (National DNCL).

The National DNCL will help reduce the number of unsolicited calls Canadians receive as they will have the option of adding their numbers to the database. The CRTC published rules for the creation and operation of the list on July 3, 2007.

Link to the press release

Source: CRTC

Washington, DC – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) which seeks comment on potential DTV consumer education initiatives. Among other things, the NPRM seeks comment on requiring broadcasters, multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs), retailers and manufacturers to take certain actions to publicize the digital transition. It will facilitate the upcoming transition to digital on February 17, 2009, a deadline established by Congress.  A successful completion of the digital transition depends upon ensuring that appropriate policies are in place to minimize the burdens and costs borne by consumers. It also depends on government and industry working together in promoting consumer awareness. Full Press Release

Source: Federal Communications Commission (FCC), United States

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today released the seventh annual CRTC Telecom Monitoring Report. The report shows that the residential market is experiencing vigorous competition due to the efforts undertaken by cable companies and, to a lesser extent, other providers of local telephone service.

“As we rely more and more on market forces, and only regulate where necessary, the CRTC Telecommunications Monitoring Report is one of the important tools that allows us to assess whether the Canadian Telecommunications Policy objectives are being met,” said Konrad von Finckenstein, Q.C., Chairman of the CRTC. “This year’s report tells us that competitors are making inroads in local telephone markets. In fact, competition has increased to the extent that it has accelerated the deregulation of certain markets, which will benefit consumers.”

The telecommunications industry continues to demonstrate growth, which is being driven by the adoption of new technologies by Canadians. For instance, Internet and cellular telephone services accounted for 50% of all telecommunications revenues in 2006, a jump from 45% over the previous year.

Source: CRTC

Link to the press release and report

Osiptel anunció ayer oficialmente que el nuevo factor de productividad, o porcentaje de reducción anual de las tarifas de telefonía fija, será de 6,42% para el período comprendido entre setiembre del 2007 y agosto del 2010. La cifra aprobada por el consejo directivo se encuentra casi en el justo medio entre el planteamiento de Telefónica del Perú (4,13%) y el presentado inicialmente por el equipo técnico de Osiptel (8,23%).

La empresa, notificada casi a mediodía, no tardó en rechazar la decisión y aseguró que la cifra "solo beneficiará a quienes ya tienen teléfono", pues, al verse obligada a rebajar sus tarifas, la empresa no podrá seguir invirtiendo en ampliar la cobertura a lugares que aún no están conectados. "El nuevo factor es el más alto de la región, a pesar de que las tarifas actuales están en el tercio más bajo del comparativo internacional", aseguraron. La empresa anunció que "Telefónica está evaluando la resolución emitida por el organismo regulador". Full Press Release

Source: El Comercio News Paper, Peru

América Móvil (NYSE: AMX) unit Claro Perú and digital trunking operator Nextel Perú have won mobile concession licenses after presenting offers on Friday (Jul 27), Peru's state agency for promoting private investment ProInversión said in a statement.

According to the report Claro picked up the B band license, equating to 835-845MHz, 880-890MHz, 846.5-849MHz and 891.5-894MHz spectrum blocks, for US$22.2mn, which was US$20,000 more than the minimum bid, a ProInversión official told BNamericas.

The D and E bands were awarded to Nextel Perú, owned by US mobile holding company NII Holdings (Nasdaq: NIHD), for US27mn, which was US$1.5mn more than the minimum bid, the official said. The D band covers the 1,865-1,870MHz and 1,945-1,950MHz blocks, and the E band covers 1,882.5-1,895MHz and 1,962.5-1,975Mhz. Full Press Release

Source: Business News Americas

O Conselho Diretor da Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) aprovou hoje, em sua 444ª reunião, alterações no Regulamento do Serviço Móvel Pessoal (SMP). O regulamento define as regras gerais para a prestação do serviço da telefonia móvel, estabelece direitos e deveres (dos usuários e das prestadoras) e também trata das formas de provimento do serviço. As principais alterações aprovadas pela Anatel ampliam e consolidam os direitos dos usuários e aumentam os deveres das prestadoras. Entre as inovações decorrentes das regras aprovadas - que entrarão em vigor seis meses após sua publicação no Diário Oficial da União - destacam-se:

Créditos - As operadoras serão obrigadas a oferecer créditos pré-pagos com validade de até 180 dias e revalidar os créditos expirados a partir da inserção de novos créditos (desde que antes do prazo de rescisão do contrato). Full Press Release

Source: ANATEL, Brazil

Las empresas Rural Telecom S.A. C. y Consorcio Trébol Informática S.L. e Itaca Perú S.A. se adjudicaron hoy el programa “Banda Ancha Rural a Nivel Nacional”, al ofrecer el menor financiamiento requerido por cada proyecto, así como las mejores condiciones en términos de calidad, cobertura y tarifas.

Rural Telecom se adjudicó las zonas centro, centro norte y nororiente del país, mientras que el Consorcio Trébol e Ítaca Perú se adjudicó las zonas centro sur, norte y sur. Como se recuerda el proyecto está dividido en seis regiones (centro, centro norte, centro sur, nororiente, norte y sur) y los operadores podrán adjudicarse hasta un máximo de tres regiones. Full Press Release

Source: Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones (MTC), Peru

The seventh annual CRTC Telecom Monitoring Report shows that the residential market is experiencing vigorous competition due to the efforts undertaken by cable companies and, to a lesser extent, other providers of local telephone service.

The telecommunications industry continues to demonstrate growth, which is being driven by the adoption of new technologies by Canadians. For instance, Internet and cellular telephone services accounted for 50% of all telecommunications revenues in 2006, a jump from 45% over the previous year. Full Press Release

Source: Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Canada

La Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones, CONATEL, en ejecución de las políticas de universalización del servicio de telefonía móvil que promueve el Ministerio del Poder Popular para las Telecomunicaciones y la Informática, las cuales propician el aumento de la penetración, la mejora en los niveles de calidad de los servicios y la comercialización justa de los mismos, inició los procedimientos de oferta pública de las bandas 1700, 1800 y 1900 MHz para servicios de telefonía móvil.

La oferta pública se realiza ante la necesidad de las operadoras móviles de ampliar su capacidad espectral en virtud del notable crecimiento experimentado por la telefonía móvil en los últimos años, y particularmente en el segundo trimestre de 2007, donde se incorporaron 1.572.413 nuevas líneas móviles. Full Press Release

Source: CONATEL, Venezuela

Consumers in deregulated markets will benefit from increased competition between local telephone service providers, in the same way they already do when choosing between competing long-distance, wireless and Internet services,” said Konrad von Finckenstein, Q.C., Chairman of the CRTC. Full Press Release

Source: Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Canada

En la Gaceta Oficial de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela N° 38.730, fue publicada este viernes 20 de julio de 2007, la Providencia Administrativa N° 1039 contentiva de las Condiciones bajo las cuales los Operadores de Servicios de Telefonía Móvil podrán ofrecer la facilidad de Mensajería de Texto, de conformidad con lo establecido en la Ley Orgánica de Telecomunicaciones y demás normas aplicables.

A través de esta Providencia Administrativa la Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones establece las condiciones bajo las cuales los operadores de los servicios de telefonía móvil deberán ofrecer la facilidad de mensajería de texto. Full Press Release

Source: CONATEL, Venezuela

"Canada's New Government believes that an independent agency with a mandate to resolve complaints from individuals and small business retail customers is an integral component of a deregulated telecommunications market," said Minister Bernier, Minister of Industry. "We continue to believe that reliance on market forces and competition benefits both Canadian businesses and consumers."

The Telecommunications Policy Review Panel, in its 2006 report, recommended the creation of such a telecommunications consumer agency, noting that it would protect the interests of Canadian consumers in a world where "telecommunications services are becoming more pervasive and increasingly complex for consumers." Full Press Release

Source: Ministry of Industry, Canada

Ampliar a participação da sociedade no processo de regulamentação das telecomunicações, bem como traçar os perfis de usuários que fazem críticas e sugestões a documentos da Anatel disponíveis para consulta na Internet. Foi com base nesses propósitos que o Sistema de Acompanhamento de Consulta Pública (Sacp) passou por alterações recentemente. A grande novidade é que o cidadão, ao fazer seu cadastro ou recadastramento, poderá escolher a opção "receber notificação de novas consultas" - o que implica o recebimento de e-mail toda a vez em que forem disponibilizados novos documentos no sistema. O usuário poderá, além disso, escolher os temas sobre os quais deseja receber a notificação de inclusão de consultas públicas. Full Press Release

Source: ANATEL, Brazil

Por la cual se modifica el Capítulo II del Título XIII de la Resolución CRT 087 de 1997, se establecen algunas disposiciones relativas a los Planes Técnicos Básicos y a la administración de Códigos de operador para el servicio de Telefonía Pública Básica Conmutada de Larga Distancia y se dictan otras disposiciones.

Así mismo se publica el documento de respuesta a comentarios recibidos al proyecto de Resolución. Full Press Release 

Source: Comisión de Regulación de Telecomunicaciones (CRT), Colombia

 

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation released today a witness list for a full Committee hearing on Protecting Children on the Internet. The witnesses are listed below. At the hearing, the Committee will explore efforts to protect children from online predators. Full Press Release

Source: United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation

La Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL) inició la segunda fase de la consulta pública del Plan Técnico Fundamental de Interconexión e Interoperabilidad, que estará vigente hasta el próximo 10 de agosto y permitirá conocer y evaluar las opiniones de todos los interesados sobre la primera versión del documento que ya incluye los comentarios y aportaciones de diversos actores del sector.

De esta manera se podrá continuar con los trabajos para la emisión del Plan, documento que regulará de manera equilibrada y transparente la interconexión entre redes para el beneficio de todos los usuarios de telecomunicaciones en el país.

Source: COFETEL, Mexico

Washington, DC – The Federal Communications Commission today announced it will hold a day-long Digital Television Consumer Education Workshop at its Washington, DC headquarters on Wednesday, September 26, 2007.

 

The purpose of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for all interested parties to jointly discuss the challenges associated with the upcoming transition and explore ways to develop coordinated consumer education activities.  Organizations representing a broad range of consumers and other stakeholders will be represented, including those who represent senior citizens, low-income consumers, non-English speakers, people with disabilities, tribes, and public interest organizations working on behalf of underserved customers or those living in rural areas. 

Source: FCC, United States

Costa Rican telecoms and IT chamber Camtic believes the highest priority in preparing the telecoms sector for liberalization is the creation of a suitable regulator, Camtic president Alexander Mora told BNamericas.

For the transition to a completely liberalized market to truly benefit consumers the changes that come have to go much further than just turning a state monopoly into a private monopoly, he said.

"The most important issue of the telecoms liberalization is the overall regulation... we need a regulator with teeth and claws," Mora said.

Source: Business News Americas

The Competition Policy Review Panel will review key elements of Canada's competition and investment policies to ensure that they are working effectively, allowing us to encourage even greater foreign.

The Panel's core mandate is to review two key pieces of Canadian legislation, the Competition Act and the Investment Canada Act, including the treatment of state-owned enterprises and the possibility of a national security review clause. The Panel will also examine Canada's sectoral restrictions on foreign direct investment, and the competition and investment regimes of other jurisdictions to assess reciprocity between their rules and Canada's. Separately, the Panel will also assess how Canada's policies may further encourage outward investment. Full Press Release

Source: Minister of Indstry of Canada.

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Mexico's government IT promotion program, MexicoIT, has helped 10 Mexican companies find US outsourcing clients in under two years, Eduardo Ruiz, president of the country's electronics, telecom and IT association Canieti told BNamericas.

The program, which started in late 2005, has two objectives: to find foreign clients for Mexican IT companies and to attract foreign companies to set up operations in Mexico.

MexicoIT has helped Mexican IT companies establish relationships mainly with US and also some European customers, Ruiz said. The program, supported by the nation's economy ministry, is designed to boost Mexico's standing as an IT provider for other markets and an outsourcing location, taking advantage of the country's proximity to the US.

Canieti has promoted the program and plans to set up new Canieti offices in eight states between now and the end of 2008. The Canieti offices are important points of reference for company's interested in learning about MexicoIT, according to Ruiz.

"We want to include more states in this [program] and our organization has been able to capture their interest. If they want to be a part of it, they have to fulfill three requirements: have local government support; have a specific strategy; and establish alliances between the local government, academic institutions and industry," Ruiz Esparza said.

The states of Jalisco and Nuevo León are currently the main states of interest for foreign IT companies, however, in 2008 Canieti will be placing offices in the northern states of Coahuila, Sinaloa, Sonora and Chihuahua, as well as Aguas Calientes, Querétaro, Zacatecas and Yucatán.

"The Yucatán is close to Florida and can focus on the Miami market," he added.

BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER

Companies that have found clients through the program include Neoris, Softtek and Internacional de Sistemas, according to Ruiz.

"These are the three companies that have benefited most from the program. They all offer outsourcing of IT services and software development," he added.

In order to network and create such business ties across the US-Mexico border and in Europe, MexicoIT has held four events over the past year in Dallas, New York, Boston and Barcelona.

As an example of attracting new investments in Mexico, Ruiz points out that Indian IT firm Infosys Technologies (Nasdaq: INFY) decided to open its first Latin American offices in Monterrey due to the efforts of MexicoIT.

The software firm plans to employ 250-300 people at the new location with a view to increasing that to 900-1,000 within three years.

Ruiz believes the only obstacle that Mexican IT companies might face in the future is the limited source of certified engineers. As a remedy, both MexicoIT and the local governments are engaged in programs promoting IT studies and university-industry alliances.

Source: Business News Americas

The Peruvian government has given the public from July 2 until Oct 31 to freely choose a long distance operator to make domestic and international long distance calls through direct dialing, local news service Agencia Andina reported.

Though telecoms legislation has always allowed customers to freely choose their operator and set up direct dialing using the 0 prefix for domestic long distance and 00 for international calls, most long distance operators have offered their services through a four-digit dialing code or calling cards.

Incumbent Telefónica del Perú (TdP) has been the main operator offering direct dialing through the 0 and 00 prefixes. For that reason, most of the general public believed that direct dialing was only possible through TdP.

The four-month period will include an educational program informing consumers about their right to set up direct dialing contracts with any of the 15 existing long distance companies operating in the country.

Once the period ends, anyone who has not set up a direct calling contract will only be able to make long distance calls using four-digit prefixes provided by the operator or calling cards.

According to local telephony regulator Osiptel, the measure will enable the entry of new operators into the market. Clients that set up direct dialing contracts before October 31 will be allowed to change operator every two-months if they want.

According to Liliana Ruiz, a former director of Osiptel and current president of telecoms consultancy Alterna Perú, this measure is aimed at promoting competition in the long distance telephony segment.

"I think it is very important the regulator has taken charge of the selection process so the user receives the appropriate information," Ruiz told BNamericas.

Ruiz said that among operators offering four-digit prefix and calling card dialing include Impsat Perú, Sitel, Movistar, Gamacom, TdP, Infoductos y Telecomunicaciones del Perú, Nextel, Americatel, Convergia, Telmex (NYSE: TMX), IDT, LD Telecom, Perusat and LA&C Sistemas.

Source: Business News Americas

OTTAWA-GATINEAU — In a decision issued today, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) set out rules for the creation and operation of a National Do Not Call List (National DNCL) for Canadians who wish to avoid unsolicited calls. These rules will come into effect once an operator has been chosen and the list is fully operational.

The Commission also determined that it would seek out an independent operator for the list and issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) later this month to solicit bids from parties. The information made public today ensures that potential bidders on the RFP are fully informed. It also allows the public and the industry to familiarize themselves with the changes and to prepare for the implementation of the National DNCL.

Once an operator has been selected and has taken the necessary steps to put the list into operation, Canadians who prefer not to receive unsolicited calls will be able to add, at no charge, their numbers to the database. Telemarketers will be prohibited from calling consumers who are registered on the list. However, there are certain exemptions to the list, most of which are provided for in the Telecommunications Act. These include unsolicited calls made by or on behalf of:

registered charities;

political parties;

nomination contestants, leadership contestants or candidates of a political party;

opinion polling firms;

general-circulation newspapers;

organizations that have an existing business relationship with a consumer; and

organizations to business consumers.

The CRTC will be in a position to provide clearer timelines once the operator is selected.

Source: CRTC, Canada

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OTTAWA-GATINEAU — The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today published the report of the Task Force on the Canadian Television Fund (CTF). The report highlights the importance of the role played by the CTF and the Canadian independent production sector in the creation of quality Canadian television programs, and of the contributions paid to the CTF by the Canadian government. The Task Force recommends certain measures to improve the funding of Canadian programs, increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the CTF, and enhance the participation of broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs) in the CTF.

“The Task Force’s report recognizes the importance of the CTF for the production of Canadian programs,” said Michel Arpin, the CRTC’s Vice-Chair of Broadcasting and Chairman of the Task Force on the CTF. “The CTF’s mandate must be reviewed to include two components: one that will continue to conform to the Contribution Agreement with the Department of Canadian Heritage and a second with a more commercial outlook in order to reflect the important role of the contributions of the distribution undertakings in the financing of Canadian television productions.”

The Task Force recommends that the CRTC’s Broadcasting Distribution Regulations be amended to better reflect an orientation more focused on the market. It also proposes amendments to the Regulations to clarify that BDU contributions to the CTF are to be made on a monthly basis. In addition, the Task Force proposes that the CTF allocate a portion of its funds to the development of productions for new media platforms.

Independent producers benefit directly from the funds allocated by the CTF while sitting on its Board of Directors, which can give the appearance of a conflict of interest. The Task Force recommends that independent producers should no longer be members of the CTF Board of Directors, but that their perspectives should continue to form an important part of the CTF’s deliberations.

Source: CRTC, Canada

Report Urges Caution on Network Neutrality Regulation

The Federal Trade Commission’s Internet Access Task Force today issued a report, “Broadband Connectivity Competition Policy,” which summarizes the Task Force’s findings in the area of broadband Internet connectivity and, in particular, so-called network neutrality regulation. Based on these findings, and FTC staff’s experience with the operation of myriad markets throughout the economy, the report identifies guiding principles that policy makers should consider in evaluating proposed regulations or legislation relating to broadband Internet access and network neutrality.

According to Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras, “This report recommends that policy makers proceed with caution in the evolving, dynamic industry of broadband Internet access, which generally is moving toward more – not less – competition. In the absence of significant market failure or demonstrated consumer harm, policy makers should be particularly hesitant to enact new regulation in this area.”

As the report notes, certain conduct and business arrangements that broadband providers may pursue, including data prioritization, exclusive deals, and vertical integration into online content and applications, can benefit consumers. “The primary reason for caution is simply that we do not know what the net effects of potential conduct by broadband providers will be on all consumers, including, among other things, the prices that consumers may pay for Internet access, the quality of Internet access and other services that will be offered, and the choices of content and applications that may be available to consumers in the marketplace.”

Noting that three federal agencies – the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Justice, and the FTC – have jurisdiction to address broadband Internet access, the report explains that the FTC, for its part, will continue to devote substantial resources to maintaining competition and protecting consumers in the broadband area. In addition to vigorously enforcing the antitrust and consumer protection laws, the FTC will expend considerable efforts on consumer education, industry guidance, and competition advocacy in the area of broadband Internet access.

In addition to proposing guiding principles for policy makers, the report includes background information on the technical functioning of the Internet and the legal and regulatory developments that have led to the current debate over network neutrality regulation; provides an overview of the arguments for and against such regulation; analyzes the consumer welfare effects of certain potential conduct by broadband providers, including data discrimination and prioritization; explores the application of the antitrust and consumer protection laws to such conduct; and identifies various proposals for broadband Internet access that have been put forth to date.

The report is the second publicly released work from the Task Force, which was convened by Chairman Majoras in August 2006 and is headed by Maureen K. Ohlhausen, Director of the FTC’s Office of Policy Planning. With members from throughout the agency, the Task Force seeks to enhance the FTC’s expertise in the increasingly important area of Internet access.

The Commission vote to approve the report was 5-0, with Commissioner Jon Leibowitz issuing a separate concurring statement. In his statement, Commissioner Leibowitz said, "The Report also soberly reminds us that regulation often has unintended side-effects. That is surely true. But it seems to me equally clear that this Report shows that doing nothing may have its costs as well."

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, click http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.shtm or call 1-877-382-4357.

Source: FCC

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Honduran telecoms regulator Conatel has launched an auction for a spectrum license for a third mobile operator to enter the market and fixed July 2 for the prequalifying process to start, the watchdog said in a statement.

Bidding rules will be available through July 27 with an entry fee of US$500 for the prequalifying round. The regulator will auction spectrum in the 1,870-1,890 MHz and 1,950-1,970 MHz bands.

The announcement by Conatel came as a surprise to many, including local telecoms engineer and independent consultant Oscar Andino, who expected the government to wait on the country's state-owned fixed line incumbent Hondutel to enter the mobile market first.

Andino told BNamericas that Hondutel has had full permission to offer mobile services for two years, but has yet to do so due to a lack of funding.

However, regardless of whoever enters the mobile market a new entrant will have an uphill task ahead of them due to the strength of the country's current duopoly, the market leader Tigo, owned by Luxembourg's Millicom International Cellular (Nasdaq: MICC), and Claro, of Mexico's América Móvil (NYSE: AMX).

"Tigo has almost 11 years in the market and Claro almost five... and they have competitive prepaid plans... whoever comes will have to do something very creative," Andino said.

The strong position of two of the largest regional mobile conglomerates means that for a real impact in the market, another giant, perhaps Spain's Telefónica (NYSE: TEF), would have to enter the process.

Despite the prospects, Andino said that an existing local company, such as fixed line operator Multifon, which currently offers a fixed mobile solution, could also be a viable candidate. However, while the company could create a viable business plan by complementing its fixed line service, it would have difficulty competing with the regional players on a massive scale, Andino said.

Source: Business News Americas

CWA Speed Test illustrates need for sound data, national high-speed Internet policy

Results released today of the first-ever state-by-state report on Internet connection speed reveal that the United States is falling far behind other industrialized nations. The report, based on aggregated data from nearly 80,000 users, shows that the median real-time download speed in the U.S. is a mere 1.9 megabits per second (mbps). The best available estimates show average download speeds in Japan of 61 mbps, in South Korea of 45 mbps, in France of 17 mbps and in Canada of 7 mbps. The national report is based on data collected through the Speed Test at SpeedMatters.org (www.speedmatters.org), a project of the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

While the Speed Test was made available to all users, more than 95 percent connected to the Internet with DSL or cable broadband. Data, therefore, is largely representative of "high speed" access in America. SpeedMatters.org was launched in September 2006 to help bridge the digital divide and keep America competitive by encouraging Congress to pass a telecommunications policy fit for the 21st century. "The United States is the only industrialized nation without a national policy to promote universal, high-speed Internet access," said Larry Cohen, president, Communications Workers of America. "The grim results of the CWA Speed Test illustrate that, without a national policy, we risk losing our competitive edge in today's global economy—and the jobs that go with it." CWA supports many of the provisions in Senate bill S1492, the Broadband Data Improvement Act recently introduced by Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and currently under review in the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The legislation would require collection and evaluation of data on broadband deployment, an upgraded definition of "high speed" that fits with ever-evolving technology, and grant programs for states and local communities to conduct their own broadband mapping. "The first step to informed policy is good data," added Cohen. "Sound data will help policymakers establish the affordability of Internet services, identify which communities are being left behind and determine where to target policy solutions."

The report also ranks individual states based on median Internet connection speeds. The speediest states? Rhode Island (5.011 mbps), Kansas (4.167 mbps), New Jersey (3.68 mbps), New York (3.436 mbps) and Massachusetts (3.004 mbps). Iowa (1.262 mbps), Wyoming (1.246 mbps), West Virginia (1.117 mbps), South Dakota (0.825 mbps) and Alaska (0.545) make up the bottom five. The same 10 megabyte (MB) file that takes 15 seconds to download in Rhode Island would take nearly two and a half minutes to download in Alaska. A full list of state rankings is available at www.speedmatters.org. "The benefits of true broadband access for communities across the country are innumerable. From e-government and distance learning to telemedicine and public safety, high-speed Internet access for all Americans—from the rural plains to the inner cities—is essential to improving the quality our economic, civic and personal lives," said Cohen.

The Speed Test, available at www.speedmatters.org, is an online tool that measures the last-mile speed of a user's Internet connection. To report the real-time connection speed, the test sends an HTTP request to the nearest server and measures the time that it takes to receive a response. The test does not measure the actual transfer speed of a file over the Internet; uncontrolled variables, such as the content provider's server load and bandwidth, would interfere with accurate data collection.

Information included in the report is based on data gathered from September 2006 to May 2007. About Speed Matters Launched in September 2006, Speed Matters is a project of the Communications Workers of America. CWA launched Speed Matters to bring attention to the issue of Internet connectivity and to encourage elected officials to implement policies that will guarantee every American access to all of the promises of the information age. About the Communications Workers of America The Communications Workers of America represents more than 700,000 workers employed in telecommunications, the media, public sector, manufacturing, health care and airlines.

Source: CWA

Battle Looms in US Over Royalty Fees for Internet Radio Webcasters across the United States fell silent on 26 June in an effort to influence the passage of legislation reversing royalty rate increases many say will kill radio delivered over the Internet. The “Internet Radio Equality Act,” introduced in the Senate and the House of Representatives, responds to a ruling by the US Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) that webcasters claim will raise payments for digital public performances of sound recordings by 300 percent to 1200 percent.

Link to the article by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch : http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/index_test.php?p=670

Source: IPW

 

Strategic review process: BCE signs non-disclosure and standstill agreement with TELUS Corporation to explore possibility of a business combination

The Strategic Oversight Committee of the Board of Directors of BCE Inc. (TSX/NYSE: BCE) today
announced that TELUS Corporation has entered into discussions to explore the
possibility of a business combination with the Company. BCE and TELUS have
entered into a mutual non-disclosure and standstill agreement on a
non-exclusive basis.

The Company had previously announced its intention to review all
strategic alternatives with a view to further enhance shareholder value. The
review is currently expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2007.
No assurances can be provided that any offer, if made, by any entity or
group, now formed or to be formed in the future, will be accepted by the Board
of Directors or that this review of alternatives will result in any specific
action being taken by the Company.

BCE is Canada's largest communications company, providing the most
comprehensive and innovative suite of communication services to residential
and business customers in Canada. Under the Bell brand, the Company's services
include local, long distance and wireless phone services, high-speed and
wireless Internet access, IP-broadband services, information and
communications technology services (or value-added services) and
direct-to-home satellite and VDSL television services. Other BCE holdings
include Telesat Canada, a pioneer and world leader in satellite operations and
systems management, and an interest in CTVglobemedia, Canada's premier media
company. BCE shares are listed in Canada and the United States.

Source: BCE

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The government of Venezuela plans to award mobile spectrum in the 1,800 MHz and 1,900 MHz bands in a move to expand mobile penetration in the country, newspaper El Universal reported.

The process is due to start July 11 with winners of the spectrum expected to start operating on it by November 13, according to the press report. Concession licenses for 15-year periods will be awarded and the initial bidding price is US$120mn.

According to telecommunications minister Jesse Chacón, the mobile market has reached maturity with current penetration over 75%, a number that is expected to reach 90% by 2011.

The government said it will take into consideration quality of service, coverage and the value of the bid.

Moreover, the government will also take into account all the infrastructure already deployed by participating operators, which is a clear advantage for Movistar, a unit of Spanish giant Telefónica (NYSE: TEF) and Movilnet, the mobile unit of fixed line operator Cantv, which are both saying they need more spectrum to offer more services to their clients.

The government also expects all towns with more than 500 inhabitants to have access to telecommunications services by 2011.

Source: Business News Americas