National regulator the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) is promising to improve telecoms access in rural areas under the Ministry of Science and Technology’s ‘Equal Opportunity Trust Fund’, The Citizen daily quotes its deputy coastal zone manager Jumanne Ikuja as saying. According to the TCRA official, the agency is exploring all angles to ensure that areas currently without access to services can receive them. ‘The authority continues to receive information and complaints from different areas regarding poor communication services … we are making analysis that will give us the way forward on all these problems,’ said Mr Ikuja. With companies tending to avoid big investment in areas of low or no chance of profitability, the TCRA is providing its equal opportunity trust fund to subsidise the cost of enabling such remote areas.

See Press Release 
Source: Telegeography

The Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR) announced on March 28, 2011 that Qatar’s government has established a new company - Qatar National Broadband Network Company (Q.NBN) – with a mandate to accelerate the rollout of a nationwide, open, and accessible high-speed broadband Fiber to the Home (FTTH) network.

Q.NBN will provide fiber access to citizens and businesses across Qatar, achieving coverage targets in excess of 95 percent by 2015. The resulting high-speed broadband connectivity will enable the effective use of multimedia and communications applications that are central to developing Qatar’s knowledge economy.
“The Qatar National Broadband Network represents a bold step forward in Qatar’s drive to be a leading knowledge economy. Ubiquitous access to a high-speed network is essential to business development, economic growth, innovation and enhanced government services for our citizens.  This network will do more than connect Qatar to the world; it will truly help enrich the lives of those who live here,” said Dr. Hessa Al-Jaber, Secretary General, ictQATAR.

 

See Press Release 
Source: ictQATAR

 

Germany’s network regulator, the Federal Network Agency (FNA), has lowered the monthly fee that incumbent telecoms operator Telekom Deutschland (TD) can charge rivals for using its lines connecting homes and businesses to the local telephone exchange, known as the ‘last-mile’. The FNA has made a preliminary decision that the rate will fall to EUR10.08 (USD15.3) per month from today (1 April 2011), from the previous fee of EUR10.2. The FNA also lowered the fee for local loop unbundling (LLU) access to a street cabinet from EUR7.21 to EUR7.17. The new rates are subject to national and European Union (EU) consultation procedures, with a final decision expected by the end of the second quarter of 2011. 

See Press Release 
Source: TeleGeography

 

The Swedish Post and Telecom Agency (PTS) that monitors the electronic communications and postal sectors in Sweden conducted the Broadband Survey for 2010 showing that 44 per cent of all permanent households and businesses in Sweden have, or have the possibility of ordering, at least 100 Mbps broadband downstream. This means that the sub-objective of the Government’s Broadband Strategy – that 40 per cent of households and businesses should have access to at least 100 Mbps broadband by 2015 – has been achieved.

PTS will present no later than 31 May a complete follow-up of the sub-objective of the Government’s Broadband Strategy of 100 Mbps for 90 per cent of households and businesses by 2020, together with how access to IT infrastructure will continue to develop.

See Press Release 
Source: PTS

Neelie Kroes Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Digital Agenda European stated that Cloud Computing Strategy needs to aim high and stress that at the edge of a computing era of unprecedented flexibility and economies of scale. That is the promise of the cloud: the chance to turn IT provision into a real utility. And what a big promise that is, given the track record of computing in delivering better and better value. While the opportunities are clear, there is much to be done to ensure that we will take them up and make the best use of them. As with the exploitation of any strategic resource, cloud computing too requires a strategy. It is going to take partnership between industry and government, and European leadership, to ensure that Europe is not merely open or just friendly to cloud providers, but that there is a European effort to actively create the best environment for all parties.

See Press Release 
Source: Europe's Information Society

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

Mobile network backhaul infrastructure plays a key role in the delivery of services to end users and is likely to be an important spend area for network upgrades during the medium and long terms. Operators will be upgrading backhaul to match the capacity of core and access networks that have been receiving constant attention.

Landing of undersea cables on various African countries' coasts and deployment of enhanced 3G (3G+) and 4G technologies will amplify the increasing demand for data services. Microwave-based backhaul is likely to remain dominant for rural coverage; however, operators are likely to adopt resource sharing to provide higher-capacity backhaul for areas with sustainable high demand.

See this article

Source: Cellular News

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

The Pre-Qualification Exercise (PQE) for Singapore's Next Generation Interactive Multimedia Applications and Services (NIMS) Project closed on 27 August 2010, at 4pm. The list of companies successfully pre-qualified is available. Project NIMS is a joint initiative by IDA and MDA to develop a strategy to build up capabilities, infrastructure and the industry ecosystem in the area of interactive multimedia application and services. IDA and MDA will be conducting an Industry Dialogue (ID) to seek views from the industry on the following: Share IDA's and MDA's view on the current interactive multimedia services ecosystem and seek industry views on whether and/or how the ecosystem will evolve in the mid term to achieve the NIMS vision; Understand the potential barriers of entry for successful commercial deployment of NIMS in Singapore; Develop an approach to catalyse the industry in the development of NIMS; and, Establish the need for a NIMS infrastructure provider to provide wholesale access for other retail services providers to deliver NIMS.

See website page
Source : IDA

 Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Celluler Mobile Operators (CMOs) of Pakistan have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) on Infrastructure Sharing. MoUs will be valid for an initial term of three (3) years and may be extended with mutual consent of the parties, upon expiration of the initial term. The MoUs signed by all 5 mobile operators aimed at revving up the current pace of Infrastructure Sharing amongst Cellular Mobile and WLL operators in the country and to increase the overall industry Tenancy Ratio to a reasonable mark.

See Press Release

Source: PTA

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

The European Commission has adopted a Decision establishing harmonised technical rules for Member States on the allocation of radio frequencies in the 800 MHz band that contribute to the deployment of high-speed wireless internet services by avoiding harmful interference. In several Member States the 800 MHz frequencies are being freed up as part of the so-called "digital dividend" resulting from the switchover from analogue to digital television broadcasting. If Member States decide to change the existing frequency allocation (for broadcasting) they must immediately apply the harmonised technical rules laid down by the Decision to make these frequencies available to wireless broadband applications. Today's decision does not itself require Member States to make available the 790-862 MHz band for electronic communication services. However, the Commission is considering such a proposal in the forthcoming Radio Spectrum Policy Programme, which will take account of a recent consultation on the subject and the 22-23 March Spectrum Summit organised by the Commission and the European Parliament.

See Press Release
Source: Europa

For the first time in Europe, 'talking' cars will be out in normal traffic on ordinary roads on 24th March, thanks to European Commission-funded research. These cars will communicate with each other and with road infrastructure (traffic signs, lights, management centres) whilst being driven in everyday traffic around Amsterdam Airport. The information exchanged with other cars and infrastructure gives drivers additional information, such as hidden hazards, beyond what they can see and hear. This road test aims to demonstrate that cooperative mobility, which is based on vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, is working and has the potential to make car trips safer and more energy efficient.

See also: http://www.cooperativemobilityshowcase.eu
Source: Europa - Information Society
See Press Release

ARCEP note the publication of its decision on the terms and methods for deploying and accessing ultra high-speed optical fibre electronic communications lines in very densely populated areas, in the Official Journal of 17 January 2010. Derived from this decision and a recommendation which has also been made public, the regulatory framework will help to stimulate investments in very densely populated areas in France, and to put the principle of infrastructure sharing into practice on a large scale. Operators now have one month to publish their access offers, detailing the technical and pricing terms of their current and future, shared fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network rollouts. As called upon to do so by the Prime Minister, ARCEP will continue its efforts in this area, and aims to complete the regulatory framework that will govern rollouts outside of very densely populated areas in 2010. Some of the provisions contained in the decision published today in fact apply to the entire country, notably the obligation to provide a passive access offer from the shared access point and the principles concerning pricing

See Press Release

Source: ARCEP

IST-Africa 2009 (6 May 2009 - 8 May 2009 Uganda)  is the fourth in a series of annual technology research conferences that bring together representatives from leading commercial, government and research organisations around the world to bridge the Digital Divide by sharing knowledge, experience, lessons learnt and good practice, and identify opportunities for international research collaboration between Europe and Africa under the ICT Theme and Research Infrastructures (Capacities Programme) of Framework Programme 7 (FP7). A Call for Papers on the following Thematic Priorities has been launched : eHealth - Health Information Systems, eInfrastructures, Technology Enhanced Learning and ICT Skills, Digital Libraries and Intelligent Content, Open Source Software - Applications, ICT for eInclusion and eAccessibility, ICT for Environmental Sustainability, RFID and Networked Enterprise, eGovernment - Services to Citizens & Business. Submission deadline is 9 November 2008

See Conference site
Source: Europa

The Consumer Protection Test for telephone number allocation will prohibit the allocation of 070 personal numbers, 0871/2/3 special service higher rate numbers and 09 premium rate numbers by Ofcom to anyone who appears on either of two lists. The lists, which will be published on the Ofcom website, will name companies and individuals that have in the past used telephone numbers to cause serious or repeated harm to consumers or are involved in cases that we are currently investigating. In compiling the lists, Ofcom will assess individuals and companies (including company directors) that have come to its attention by being subject to a decision from a relevant authority (such as PhonepayPlus, the Office of Fair Trading or the police) and where telephone numbers were central to the behaviour that led to the decision concerned. Scams, frauds and other abuses carried out by individuals and companies using telephone numbers cause serious consumer harm and threaten confidence in certain numbers. Ofcom is responsible for managing the UK’s telephone numbers and for ensuring that best use is made of this resource. Ofcom allocates telephone numbers to a broad range of providers who may then sub-allocate them to organisations, businesses and individuals to use themselves.  From 1 January 2009, the test will apply to numbers newly allocated by Ofcom to communications providers.  Ofcom will allow communications providers to take a self-regulatory approach to introducing a similar consumer protection test in their own number allocation processes and strongly encourages providers to do so.  Ofcom will monitor progress to see if this approach is sufficient and will consider additional regulation where necessary.

See Statement
Source: OFCOM

The substitution of mobile services for fixed line is established and growing in Australia, according to research released today by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. However the prospects for convergence of fixed-line and mobile services into a single seamless service - apparent in some overseas markets - are low in the short term.

The report, Fixed-Mobile Convergence and Fixed-Mobile Substitution in Australia, examines these two trends in Australia and the implications for the communications environment.

See Press Release
Source: Australian Communications and Media Authority ACMA

Having considered the responses to Consultation, ComReg has now decided that the initial proposal to revoke the previous ODTR Decision NoticeD8/014, insofar as it relates to LLU Line Share recurring charges and the methodology for the calculation of LLU Line Share recurring charges, as the current mechanism for arriving at the price of LLU Line Share, is still appropriate. ComReg has also
decided to proceed to impose a maximum price of €2.94 per month for an interim period of one year. This decision corrects the current anomaly in the way in which Eircom recovers the cost of the local loop which could give rise to an over recovery of network costs from other operators availing of LLU Line Share.

See Document
Source: ComReg

The Commerce Commission has released its final determinations on the price and non-price terms for the backhaul services that support the unbundled copper local loop (UCLL) and unbundled bitstream (UBA) broadband services.

These services will allow Telecom’s competitors to get access to transmission capacity between Telecom’s local exchanges or data switches, and the competitors’ networks. “Having backhaul for both the UCLL and UBA services available will allow companies to offer broadband and voice services to their customers without having to build their own networks all the way to their customers. Instead, telecommunications companies can use Telecom’s network and pay Telecom a cost-based price for the service,” Telecommunications Commissioner Dr Ross Patterson said today.

See Press Release
Source: New Zealand - Commerce Commission

The International Finance Corporation will support the upgrade of the fixed and mobile infrastructure of Onatel, Burkina Faso’s sole telecoms operator. The investment is part of a broader effort to develop a competitive telecoms market, to increase connectivity and improve business opportunities. In December 2006 the government sold a 51%-stake of Onatel to Maroc Telecom and an additional 20% is set to be sold off. 

Source: TeleGeography

The first part of the consultation covers the role of the building operator, who is the player authorised to install and operate fibre in the private property. This operator’s responsibilities have to be defined concerning the installation of the optical fibre to the benefit of residents and the implementation of sharing to allow competition.
The second part of the consultation deals with the agreement practice between operators and building owners or managers. Until now, there has been a real grab bag of practices only partially meet the guarantee expectations of building owners and managers, especially as concerns the quality of work, connection of the building to a very-high-speed network, and the implementation of sharing by operators to allow residents to benefit from competition. By submitting a model agreement to public consultation, ARCEP hopes to encourage a climate of trust between operators and property players, so that operators can deploy fibre as quickly as possible. Until the law and application texts can be adopted, the model agreement includes a commitment to sharing by the operator, as per ARCEP’s recommendations.
The third part of the consultation covers the degree of sharing of the fibre local loop among operators, which raises the question of the location of the sharing point. While sharing of the fibre located on private property is necessary, its provision at the edge of the private property isn’t a sufficient answer in itself. In particular, if sharing were done solely at the building, not all buildings could be connected by all operators at the same tine, so that residents would have less selection, at least initially.

See Press release
Source: ARCEP

Bid No: MCIT/ Construction of 25,000 lines CCN for 7 cities/ Kabul/ 2008 (Closing Date: Jun 15, 2008)

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has received funds in its core development budget through Ministry of Finance and it intends to apply part of it to payments under the contract for expansion of copper cable network in Afghanistan.

MCIT invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for construction of 25,000 lines copper cable network in 7 new cities of Afghanistan. The contract is for complete work as a turn key project, including survey, planning, providing detailed design, supplying cables and necessary equipments, transportation, complete implementation and testing on single responsibility basis.

See Tender
Source: Ministry of Communications and Information Technology

As part of Budget 2008 the Government has announced a major contestable fund aimed at facilitating high speed broadband connections to businesses in urban centres and key users in the health and education sectors, to extend the reach of broadband into underserved regions, and to improve the resilience of New Zealand's international connections. Government is seeking feedback on the draft process and criteria for urban and rural funding applications.

See Press Release
Source: Ministry of Economic Development

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

In order to reduce input cost of Telecom access Service Providers, thereby facilitating reduction in tariff further, and to enhance the teledensity including rural areas, the Department of Telecom has formulated the some guidelines on infrastructure sharing among the Service Providers and Infrastructure Providers.

See Guidelines
Source: Ministry of Communications & Information Technology - Department of Telecommunications

The 8^th Global Symposium for Regulators took place from 11 to 13 March 2008 in Pattaya, Thailand. This major ITU event focused on best practices in regulatory measures to foster and encourage sharing of infrastructure resources as a means of stimulating investment and growth in the ICT sector.

Ten discussion papers were developed for this year's GSR:

1. What do we mean by 6 Degrees of Sharing?
2. Extending Open Access to National Fibre Backbones in Developing Countries
3. International Gateway Liberalization: the Singapore experience
4. Breaking Up is Hard to Do: The Emergence of Functional Separation as a Regulatory Remedy
5. Mobile Sharing
6. Spectrum Sharing
7. WRC-07 Results and Impact on Terrestrial Broadband Wireless Access Systems
8. End-User Sharing
9. International Mobile Roaming Regulation – An Incentive for Cooperation
10. IPTV and Mobile TV: New Challenges for Regulators

Comments are welcome by 13 April 2008 at: gsr08@itu.int.   

More information on the event as well as the presentations from the panel sessions can be found at the GSR 2008 website.

See: Press release 

Source: ITU

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

Indonesian mobile start-up Hutchison CP Telecommunications (HCPT), a unit of Hutchison Telecommunications International Limited (HTIL), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with rival operator Excelcomindo Pratama (Excelcom) concerning the sharing of base station towers. The MoU will allow HCPT to share base transceiver stations (BTSs) with Excelcom for a period of up to twelve years, enabling it to speed up the rollout of its network in the country. Commenting on the announcement Dennis Lui, chief executive officer of HTIL said: 'This arrangement with Excelcom will greatly assist the acceleration of HCPT's network rollout in Indonesia. Together with our other network expansion plans in the country HCPT will fast become a nationwide operator.'

See Press Release

Source: TeleGeography

Singapore today took a step closer towards having an open access Next Generation National Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN), which will offer pervasive ultra-high speed connectivity by 2015. The Request-For-Proposal (RFP) is now open to all interested parties to submit their bid to design, build and operate the passive infrastructure layer of the Next Gen NBN.

The Next Gen NBN is expected to be available nationwide by 2015, although consumers can begin to look forward to a range of new and exciting Next Gen Services such as high-definition video conferencing, telemedicine, Grid Computing-on-Demand, security and immersive learning applications on the Next Gen NBN from about 2010.

See Press Release

Source: IDA Singapore 

According to the latest figures released by the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) today (4 November 2007), out of the total 2.5 million households in Hong Kong, 1.98 million households and 1.36 million households are provided with at least two and three customer access networks (CANs) self-built by fixed network operators. In other words, 79% and 55% of households have a choice of at least two and three fixed carriers respectively.

"We are pleased to see the continual investment made by fixed carriers in constructing their networks. The initiative taken by the fixed carriers has enabled consumers to enjoy more choices of telecommunications services," said the OFTA's spokesperson. Full press release

Source: OFTA, Hong Kong

 

New Delhi, 30^th October, 2007: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today directed all Access Service providers, including BSNL and MTNL, the following:

            (i) To provide the facility of unsubscribing of any value added service through telephone calls and SMS, free of charge, and through e-mail or FAX or any other means and also give adequate publicity to such facilities through their websites and by communication through SMS and other means.

            (ii) In case of any offer for any value added services made to the customer in writing or through SMS or FAX or e-mail, such offer shall contain all relevant details of the value added service offered, including the charges thereof, and before activation of such value added service the explicit consent of the customer shall be obtained through telephone or SMS or FAX or e-mail or by other electronic means. Full press release

Source: TRAI, India

 

 

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

(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

With the installation of more than 5,000 Wi-Fi hotspots at around 3000 locations in the territory, Hong Kong is at the forefront of the world in the provision of public Wi-Fi service, according to the latest statistics published by the Office of the Telecommunications Authority ("OFTA") today (12 October 2007).

"We are pleased to see such a rapid and massive rollout of public Wi-Fi service. Unlike other cities, where the public Wi-Fi service involves either public funding or coordination by governments, such service in Hong Kong is entirely funded by the commercial sector. This testifies once again the success of our market-driven policy. We look forward to this as one of the many initiatives to be taken forward by the commercial operators to further drive the development of Hong Kong as a wireless city," the spokesperson of OFTA said. Full press release

Source: OFCOM, Hong Kong

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

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has declared a protection zone over a submarine telecommunications cable of national significance off Perth, Western Australia. The protection zone will take effect on 1 February 2008.

The SEA-ME-WE3 cable is nationally significant as it is a high capacity cable linking Australia to global communications systems and is vital to the national interest.

Activities that could damage the SEA-ME-WE3 cable are restricted or prohibited within the protection zone, and significant criminal penalties apply for breaches of the legislation. Full press release

Source: ACMA, Australia

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

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

Activities that could damage submarine communications cables will be prohibited or restricted in protection zones off the Sydney beaches Narrabeen and Tamarama/Clovelly from 1 October 2007, following their declaration by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Prohibited activities include trawling and dredging. Other activities are restricted according to their potential risk of damaging a cable, for example, restriction on anchoring depends on distance from shore, water depth, anchor weight and anchor line breaking strain. Marine users should be aware that significant criminal penalties apply to those engaging in prohibited or restricted activities. Full press release

Source: ACMA, Australia

La aplicación del canon digital, en las actuales condiciones que han pactado el Ministerio de Industria, Turismo y Comercio y el de Cultura, podría llegar a duplicar el precio de algunos dispositivos electrónicos, como determinados teléfonos móviles, según la Asociación de Empresas de Electrónica, Tecnologías de la Información y Telecomunicaciones de España (AETIC).

El canon digital por copia privada es una medida para compensar a los autores y editores prevista por la Ley de Propiedad Intelectual, aprobada el 8 de julio del año pasado, que transpuso así al derecho español las disposiciones de una norma europea aprobada en 2001. Full press release

Source: consumer. es

Biel-Bienne, 20.09.2007 - The Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) has launched a public consultation on the possibilities of allocating free UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) frequencies. By doing so, OFCOM wishes to enable interested parties to give their comments and to determine the needs and intentions of the players concerned. The consultation period runs until 2 November 2007.

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

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

Biel-Bienne, 17.09.2007 - The e-licensing project of the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) is one of the winners of Germany's 7th eGovernment competition and receives the 2007 special prize for Switzerland. The competition awards prizes to projects which drive modernisation of public administration through the use of internet technologies. The award ceremony took place on 14 September in Berlin. The competition is held under the auspices of the German Interior Ministry and is organised by Cisco and Bearing Point.

New Delhi, 14 September, 2007 Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), today issued regulation on Domestic Leased Circuits(DLC). These regulations would benefit both the customers and the service providers. These regulations are expected to enhance competition, allow consumers a wider choice of service providers and make DLCs available at a reasonable price. For service providers these regulations open up the possibility of meeting customers’ demand for end-to-end leased circuits by obtaining DLC or Local Lead from other service providers if such need arises. Full Press release

Source: TRAI, India

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

On 4 September 2007 ITU has released a major publication, Trends in Telecommunication Reform: the Road to NGN. This is the 8^th of a series of reports focusing on the ongoing transformation in the telecom/ICT sector to inform regulators and policy makers around the world.

During the past week, the report got news coverage by numerous leading national and international media, witnessing the interest of the ten chapters of research and analysis dedicated to issues related to the transition towards Next Generation Networks (NGN). You can find links to some of the news reports in the attached document.

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

The publication is available for sale at the ITU bookshop.

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

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.

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

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has granted Orion Satellite Systems Pty Ltd an exemption from the requirement of providing local number portability.

‘While portability improves opportunities for competition, there are some circumstances where it may not be practicable for a new carrier or carriage service provider to provide portability,’ said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. ‘Orion’s local number service is one such case because its interconnection arrangements cannot currently accommodate the porting of single numbers.’ Full Press release

Source: ACMA, Australia

August 29, 2007, Zimbru, Arad county. Today, the Vice-president of the National Regulatory Authority for Communications and Information Technology, Codruta Meran and Claudiu Velimirovici, Manager of the Sales Area Department of Radiocom – the National Society for Radiocommunications – have met with the users of the telecentre installed in Zimbru, Arad county by Radiocom, in order to test the telephone and Internet services offered.

“The telecentre should become a centre of knowledge, a place where both young and old people can find means to communicate and get informed, so necessary today, whether they live in the rural or the urban area. The openness that people showed to our initiative and the results we have had so far following the installation of telecentres give us a lot of confidence and prove once more the importance communications have in the development of each person”, Codruta Meran, Vice-President of ANRCTI, declared. Full Press release

Source: ANRC, Romania

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

 

By means of the Electronic System of Public Procurement (SEAP), available from March 2002 on the website address www.e-licitatie.ro, the registered public institutions organize award procedures of the public procurement contracts by electronic means, in which any economic operator may participate. 

Starting January 1, 2007, according to the Government Emergency Ordinance no.34/2006 regarding the award of the public procurement contracts, public work concession contracts and services concession contracts, all state institutions have the obligation to publish the individual service contract forecast, the service procurement notice and the award notices, as well as the invitations to tender related to the requests for quotation within SEAP. So far, the 8,166 contracting authorities registered within the Electronic System of Public Procurement have published 106,134 notices and invitations to tender related to the public procurement procedures. 6,028 of them were published in the Official Journal of the European Union, thus Romania holds the first position in electronic transmission of notices towards OJEU. Full Press release

Source: ANRC, Romania

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

Mobile coverage in country parks has been further improved with the launch of a new base station at Long Ke today ( 12 August 2007 ), bringing the total number of base stations in country parks to 13. With three more mobile base stations under construction and scheduled to be completed later this year, the mobile coverage in Sai Kung, southern Lantau and Tai Lam Chung will be further enhanced.

"As one of its on-going initiatives, the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) continues to facilitate and coordinate with the mobile network operators to establish new mobile base stations in the country parks. Thanks to the effort of the industry, the mobile coverage in the country parks has been significantly improved in recent years. On this particular occasion we would like to thank China Mobile Peoples Telephone Company Limited for taking a lead in the construction of the new base station at Long Ke as well as Smartone 3G Limited for joining the project. Other operators will also soon join the project," a spokesperson of OFTA said today. Full Press release

Source: OFTA, Hong Kong

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

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

 

ANACOM - Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações has decided to recommend to PT Comunicações that it presents, by 31 October, an alteration to the ''PT ADSL Network'' offer to include NDSL (Naked DSL). This is a wholesale offer model that allows ADSL to be offered to consumers without the need to contract or maintain a fixed telephone service. The objective of the regulator is for PTC to set out a timeframe for the implementation of the offer so that NDSL can be operational as of 01 February 2008.

Despite setting a fixed period for the market to work, insofar as PTC might implement the NDSL offer in cooperation with the interested parties, the regulator has not ruled out the option of regulatory intervention in the event that the timeframe or the characteristics of the offer are deemed to be unsuitable of incompatible with current regulatory principles. Therefore PTC should keep the regulator informed of relevant developments. Full Press release

Source: ANACOM, Portugal

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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

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New Delhi, 07 June, 2007- Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released Regulation on " International Telecommunication Access to Essential Facilities at Cable Landing Stations Regulations, 2007" which provides for the non-discriminatory, fair and open access at the cable landing stations.

A number of submarine cables are landing or terminating in India. These submarine cables terminate at cable landing stations operated and managed by few ILDOs. As such the facilities are predominantly owned by limited number of ILDOs. TRAI considers that access to these cable landing stations by other licensees is necessary for creating a conducive environment and boosting competition in the international bandwidth connectivity / leased circuits segment.

Access to submarine Cable Landing Stations (CLS) is considered an essential input for many telecom services needing international connectivity. Any access barriers to such facility can constrain the competitiveness of telecom operators and become detrimental to healthy growth of international telecom market. Thus for the CLS, which are considered to be essential and critical telecom facilities, it needs to be ensured that any restriction on such facilities should not become a ‘bottleneck’ to international telecom services provision. In pursuance of the recommendations on "Measures to promote competition in International Private Leased Circuits (IPLC) in India", the Department of Telecommunications, after accepting the recommendations, has also amended the relevant clauses in International Long Distance (ILD) Service Licence to ensure efficient, transparent and non-discriminatory access facilities for submarine cables at Cable Landing Stations.

International leased circuits are used by exporters, BPO units/ Call centers, banks, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), ISPs and other information technology enabled service providers. In addition, ILDOs also require international bandwidth connectivity for carrying international voice calls. The Regulation would facilitate:

• provisioning of bandwidth to end consumers at competitive rates;

• boosting of competition and therefore reduction in the price of international private leased circuits (IPLCs);

• availability of International bandwidth at competitive price to ISPs for rapid growth of Broadband Service;

• options to ILDOs to purchase International bandwidth at competitive prices on a range of diversified submarine cables;

• carriage of voice/data at a competitive cost.

The owners of Cable Landing Stations are mandated, from the date of commencement of the Regulation, to submit "Cable Landing Station – Reference Interconnect Offer (CLS-RIO)" containing the terms and conditions of Access Facilitation and Co-location facilities including landing facilities at cable landing stations for International submarine cable capacity in accordance with the specified schedule and provisions in the Regulation within 30 days to the Authority for its approval. The Authority shall approve the CLS – RIO within 60 days. However, if it requires modifications so as to protect the interests of service providers or consumers or to promote orderly growth of the telecom, the Authority will give an opportunity to the owner of Cable Landing Station (CLS) to make necessary modifications and submit within 15 days of receipt of requirement for such modifications in the CLS-RIO for the approval. The owner of CLS shall publish the approved CLS-RIO within 15 days from the date of approval by the Authority. The Regulation would enable the timely provision of International bandwidth connectivity at cable landing stations in a fair, equitable, transparent and non discriminatory manner to eligible International Telecommunication Entities i.e. International Long Distance Operators (ILDOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with International Gateway permission.

The Regulation provides the time limits for owner of Cable Landing Station for various activities in access facilitation including the provision for co-location facility and the Regulation also provides the time limits for eligible Indian International Telecom Entity to enter into agreement, make payments and arrange backhaul circuits to its premises from Cable Landing Station. The Regulation has a provision for a minimum commitment period of three years for Co-location facility and its renewal till the term of lease of International capacity on submarine cable at cable landing station subject to no default and breach by eligible Indian International Telecom Entity.

The Authority is of the view that there is a need for standard/published access facilitation agreement, which the new service providers can make use of for availing of access to international submarine cable capacity. In the absence of such regulation, there is a scope for delay, in provisioning of access to the capacity acquired by the competing operators, from incumbent International Long Distance Operator (ILDO) and other ILDOs with Significant Market Power (SMP) who own cable landing stations. The Authority also noted that problems have been faced by

some of the ILDOs, who had acquired capacity in a submarine cable system from foreign carriers or International Telecom carriers, desired to access such capacity at the cable landing station of an existing operator.

The highlights of Regulation are:

(a) new service providers have access to the International bandwidth capacity in the same way as the consortium members;

(b) access facilitation is not unduly delayed by consortium members having control over CLS;

(c) transparent and non-discriminatory access at cable landing stations;

(d) well defined responsibilities in terms of functioning;

(e) transparent charges for access, Co-location and landing facilities;

(f) time limit for provision of access, Co-location and landing facilities.

Full text of the "International Telecommunication Access to Essential Facilities at Cable Landing Stations Regulations, 2007 (5 of 2007)" is available on TRAI’s website: www.trai.gov.in

Source: TRAI, India

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After long negotiations for more than six months with the three mobile operators in Egypt, and after resorting to NTRA in search for a decisive and fair solution for the problem of national roaming, the efforts were finally realized and NTRA successfully managed to devise a fair commercial agreement that works for the benefit of all the stakeholders and that is in alignment with the fair competition concept sought after by the NTRA.

The signing of the agreement and the launch of the national roaming service has been finally realized on Thursday 7/6/2007, in the NTRA premises in the Smart Village.

According to this agreement the two operating mobile operators are required to supply the national roaming service to the third operator in the areas that are not covered by its network. As well as the responsibility of the third operator to do exactly the same for the other two companies in areas which their networks are not covered.
The national roaming agreement has been already included in the three operators’ licenses, which was one of the reasons behind the increase to almost the double of the expected value of the third license.

The importance of such and agreement is basically because it manages to solve a huge dilemma, as it is increasingly hard to find a middle ground agreement that works for the benefit of both the consumer as well as service provider. Therefore this agreement serves in covering a wider geographical area covered by the networks of the companies, without interfering with the quality of service, which on another hand generates higher profits for the service providers.

Source: NTRA, Egypt

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The Brazilian government has earmarked US$30mn for the purchase of 150,000 laptops for use in educational projects, tech news service IDG Now! reported Cezar Alvarez, head of the government's digital inclusion program, as saying.

The government expects to pay no more than US$200 per computer in an international auction scheduled to take place in the second half of 2007, according to Alvarez.

The computers should be imported in 2008, according Alvarez who is also special advisor to the country's president.

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) association, Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) and India's Encore have expressed interest in participating in the auction, Alvarez said.

Source: Business News Americas

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At a meeting, held on 23.05.2007, the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) decided to announce an intention for the issuance of an individual license for carrying out telecommunications through the public telecommunications mobile network with national coverage under TETRA standard.
CRC took the decision N 863 on the grounds of article 61, paragraphs 1 and 3 and in connection with article 55, paragraph 1 of the Telecommunications Act. CRC announced its intention for issuing an individual license with national coverage for carrying out telecommunications through the public telecommunications mobile network under TETRA standard at its initiative and taking into account the available free scarce radiofrequency spectrum resource 2 x 1.5 MHz in the frequency bands 412.5 – 414 MHz and 422.5 – 424 MHz.
The European standard for mobile radio-network TETRA (Trans European Trunked Radio) is directed mainly towards satisfying the needs of professional business customers by providing access to a wide scope of voice and data transmission services.
The entities, wishing to be licensed for carrying out telecommunications through the public telecommunications mobile network under TETRA standard with national coverage should apply personally or through a representative, authorized explicitly by a notarized power of attorney, each working day from 9.00 till 17.30 h in the general administrative office of CRC or by post – registered letter to address: Sofia 1000, 6 “Gurko” Str. up to 02.07.2007.

Source: CRC, Bulgaria

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ARCEP continues to ease regulation on fixed telephony retail markets by raising France Telecom’s obligations on residential markets. In this way, the end consumer will benefit from a market richer in innovative offers while still enjoying protection from regulation of France Telecom’s base prices under universal service.

ARCEP plans to ease regulation on fixed telephony business markets only once the quality of service offered by France Telecom to alternative operators is considered satisfactory.

The deregulation of retail fixed telephony residential markets eases constraints on France Telecom and benefits the end consumer by encouraging innovation

During its market analyses, ARCEP prefers to impose on operators obligations on wholesale markets (also called "intermediate markets") to prevent competition problems identified on retail markets. Nevertheless, in 2005, given the difficulty in foreseeing the effect of obligations imposed on these wholesale markets on the functioning of competition, ARCEP considered it necessary to complete this measure with obligations applied to France Telecom directly on fixed telephony retail markets.

After easing regulation of retail residential markets in 2006, ARCEP is now continuing this by raising most of the remaining obligations on these markets.

This is made possible through the implementation of the wholesale subscription sale offer which had been imposed on France Telecom, with initial sales in 2006.

This dynamic regulation of the fixed telephony market (cf. appendix 1) let the consumer enjoy innovative offers, such as unlimited call offers as early as 2004, and, in recent months, the first offers combining subscriptions and calls for a flat rate offered by all operators.

Telephone call base rates remain regulated to protect the end consumer

While easing its regulatory action on fixed telephony retail markets, ARCEP continues to protect the consumer, in particular through universal service.

France Telecom’s services covered by universal service (subscription, "base" tariff national and international calls) remain subject to the regulator’s control, which ensures that they are affordable. To this end, ARCEP established a multi-year pricing framework for national calls in 2005 which covers national calls under the universal service offer and ensures that these prices are reduced by 3% over the period 2005-2008 (cf. appendix 2). Remaining universal service prices, i.e. primarily those for international calls as well as telephone subscription fees, are subject to prior individual checks which ensure directly that they are affordable.

It is also important to note that other deregulated France Telecom retail prices may be appealed to the competition authority, Conseil de competition, under the normal framework of competition law.

The easing of regulation on business fixed telephony markets will be considered only once the quality of service of France Telecom’s wholesale offers improves

The alleviation measure currently proposed by ARCEP does not involve raising the obligations currently in force on business fixed telephony markets which do not yet present satisfactory and complete characteristics for regulation to be removed.

Indeed, on business markets where the concept of quality of service (guaranteed effective recovery times, or guaranteed service availability) is structuring, the quality offered by France Telecom to alternative operators buying its wholesale offers could still be improved.

So, ARCEP believes that before taking on any new phase of alleviating retail obligations imposed on France Telecom on business markets, it should first check that France Telecom has established optimal and complete conditions, in terms of quality of service, allowing alternative operators to reproduce its offers.

So, ARCEP is conducting works with all sector players which will allow it to identify reliable indicators on all of France Telecom's wholesale offers underpinning the retail offers (wholesale access to telephone service, unbundling, regional ADSL collection offer, capacity services, etc) and to conduct a precise review.

Source: ARCEP, France

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Today, June 1, 2007, the National Regulatory Authority for Communications and Information Technology (ANRCTI) has launched the sixth public tender for the installation of telecentres in 131 new rural localities in 29 counties of Romania. Any person that is both a provider of public electronic communications networks and a provider of publicly available electronic communications services may participate in the tender.

“Telecentres cover elementary communications needs and ensure to rural communities equal chances for development. The national programme for installation of telecentres shall continue until it will enable the inhabitants of all eligible localities to use the multiple services which are made available for them. In the isolated regions from geographic, but mainly from access to communications means viewpoint, it is very important to ensure people’s access to knowledge, information, as well as to help them enlarge their horizon. The tender launched today is addressed to 62,000 inhabitants in 131 new rural localities”, the President of ANRCTI, Dan Georgescu, declared.

The 131 villages were selected from the localities identified as having low access to telephone services. Furthermore, the mayoralties of these localities expressed their availability to participate in the telecentre programme initiated by ANRCTI and committed themselves to fully cover the telecentre management costs.

The list of the localities envisaged by today’s tender for the installation of telecentres is available here, on the ANRCTI website.

The telecentre is a public space equipped with at least two telephones, two computers, a fax and a UPS device. Thus, the inhabitants will be able to make and receive local, national and international calls, including towards the mobile telephony networks. Furthermore, they will be able to call the emergency number - 112 - and have access to Internet and fax.

The documents required for drawing up and submitting the offer in order to participate in the tender for the installation of telecentres may be purchased from the ANRCTI headquarters between June 1, 2007 and July 13, 2007. The parties willing to purchase the documents must send a written request therefor, one day in advance, to the following fax number: +40 21 3075 408. Further requests for details may be transmitted by July 16, 2007. The deadline for submitting the offers is July 30, 2007, 17:00 hours. The offers will be opened on July 31, 2007 at 10:00 hours and the winning offer will be designated by the tender commission within 30 days from the opening date.

Source: ANRC, Romania

Domestic home network related industry is actively going global, since domestic home network is not very vitalized owing to the stagnation in domestic construction industry for years, and also new regulations, such as price ceilings for first-sale homes and opening the price for the public, which will start to take effect from September.

Samsung Electronics recently started to boost its oversea marketing by establishing home network office in Kazakhstan, placing CIS in the center. Especially, the company sent its core human resources such as Director Kim Jin-An to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan trying to contact both governments and Kazakh Telecom and Uzbek Telecom.

Recently, in CIS countries, such as Kazakhstan, there is overflow of oil money. As the capital comes into construction industry, the rear industry home network is also growing," said a Samsung Electronics Official.

Having taken up 10% of entire sales revenue last year, Hyundai Telecommunication Co., Ltd (CEO Lee Nae-Heun) is also trying to penetrate global market with major domestic construction companies such as WOOLIM CONSTRUCTION.

Hyundai Telecommunication completed the home network construction for 700 households of Woolim Apple Town in Kazakhstan early this year, and succeeded to sell all households. The company is strengthening the local marketing in order to close a home network construction deal on the rest 2,300 households.

TEC WIZ HOME (CEO Choi Nak-Hoon) is supplying its own home network system to 120 households of studio apartment in New Zealand being constructed by Daeju Construction. The company is also working on a contract in luxury apartments and hotels in New York, Philippines and Singapore.

Commax (President and CEO Byun Bong-Duk) is providing its home network system to the world's tallest tower, 'the Burj Dubai', and extending its target to emerging countries in Arab as well as China and India. It is making the half of its entire sales abroad.

Meanwhile, the Korea Home Network Industry Association (President Nam Joong-Soo, CEO of KT Corp) sent a large IT mission consisting of twelve domestic home network companies, such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for 6 days from 14th. Those companies had export consulting conference as well as exhibition for relevant products and solution.

Source: The Electronic Times, Korea

Brazil's government has added laptops to the federal digital inclusion program "PCs for all," President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said at the inauguration of new Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) manufacturing facilities in Hortolândia, Sao Paulo state, on Monday (May 14).

The PCs for all program aims to provide low-cost computers to Brazil's low-income population. The program grants incentives to manufacturers as well as low-interest financing for people acquiring desktops that meet the program's criteria.

The program will now include laptops that cost no more than 1,800 reais (approximately US$900).

The government is also promoting a campaign to bring broadband to all public schools in Brazil.

During his speech, Lula said 70% of PCs sold in Brazil were illegal a few years ago, but his administration's measures have reduced black market sales.

"This measure, along with the PCs for all program and the law that reduces taxes for companies investing in the country, have made Brazil attractive enough for Dell to install this new facility," he said.

According to the president, there were 8mn PCs sold in Brazil in 2006 as part of the PCs for all program, up 43% compared to 2005. On the other hand, sales of laptops increased 116% in 2006 compared to the previous year, with 600,000 units sold.

The country's goal now is to produce 10mn PCs locally during 2007, he said.

"We still have a long way to go [to reduce the digital divide], but digital inclusion is becoming more of a reality in our country all the time. Increasing digital inclusion will also help to reduce social exclusion," Lula said.

Source: Business News Americas

Information and Communications Minister Hon. Mutahi Kagwe officially launched the equipment, known as the Quality of Service Monitoring System (QSMS), at the CCK offices in Nairobi. Other facilities launched together with the QSMS were a specialized ICT library and a Geographic Information System (GIS) for the communication sector.

“Broadband Internet access services are currently a top-priority for the European Union, especially in what concerns the penetration rate in the rural localities. Although these services registered a significant growth in Romania, during the last year - namely 136% - and the broadband connections number exceeded 1,750,000 by December 31, 2006, representing 54% of the total number of Internet access connections, the outstanding stringent issue refers to the access of inhabitants from rural localities, meaning 40% of the population, to broadband services”, the President of ANRCTI, Dan Georgescu, declared today during the Conference “Bridging the Broadband Gap”, in Brussels.

 

In the near future, the European Union will concentrate its efforts on diminishing the difference between rural and urban localities as regards the broadband Internet access services. To this end, it is worth noticing that the works of this conference are chaired by four European Commissioners: Viviane Reding, Commissioner for Information Society and Media, Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Danuta Hübner, Commissioner for Regional Policies and Neelie Kroes, Commissioner for Competition.

 

At a European level, the highest broadband penetration rate is registered by Denmark – 30.3%, while Turkey is at the other end of the scale, with a penetration rate of 3%, while the EU average reaches 15.6%. Romania registers a 8.2% penetration rate, according to the statistical data report for second semester of 2006, published today by ANRCTI, on its website. The report is available here for consultation.

 

The Conference aims at conveying a strong political message regarding the strategic importance that IT&C should have in the use of structural and rural funds, as well as in the fulfilment of a synergy in view of coordinating the regional development policies. More than 600 delegates attend the Conference and discuss the ways the use of new information and communications technologies can support the regional and local development, how can certain geographic obstacles be overcome, and in what way can the infrastructure be extended in order to turn these areas into points of interest both for investors and for simple citizens.

 

One of the issues of major interest approached during the conference was the way Member States can practically intervene for the purpose of financing the projects of developing the broadband networks in disfavoured environments, without hindering competition or breaching the European rules regarding State’s help. The presence of decision makers at the level of the European Commission facilitated the elucidation of numerous questions and interpellations on this issues. 

Source: ANRC, Romania

Since their opening to the public in early 2003, public networks using RLAN technologies, and WiFi in particular, have benefited from an experimental framework separate from the general regime applied to electronic communications operators.

This measure, combined with eased regulatory and technical requirements, encourages experimentation of the technology and the deployment of public RLAN networks. In 2007, over 210 WiFi operators were registered with ARCEP.

The Lignes Directrices relatives à l’expérimentation de réseaux ouverts au public utilisant la technologie RLAN (RLAN technology experimentation guidelines) published in 2002 and modified in 2003, included a review of the experiments with players in order to upgrade the regulatory framework applicable to these networks.

• Review of the development of WiFi in France

So, in the second half of 2006, ARCEP ordered a study from the firm SagaTel to evaluate the maturity of the use of WiFi-RLAN technologies in public networks and to review the offers currently available on the market. This survey provided a technical and economic overview of the experiments conducted since 2003. ARCEP is now making this study public. Interested parties are invited to share their comments.

The study confirmed growing interest on the part of players in the use of high-speed RLAN and the maturity of the technology, whose use has seen considerable growth since the beginning of the experiments. This growth can be explained by the involvement of operators and industrialists, by the attraction of users to this high-speed connection medium and by a series of technical and regulatory developments (opening of a new frequency band, easing of geographic restrictions).

At end 2006, the market is structured in three segments:

- private RLAN uses in the home or business, which were excluded from the scope of the study

- an Internet access market from "hot spots"

- a rural market, where WiFi technology is generally used to complement other access technologies and has been proposed by both local operators and municipalities since 2004

The emergence of new players, specialising progressively in paid services for specialised targets (university residences, shops, leisure infrastructures, ports, rural service, etc.), participates in the dynamism and wealth of the RLAN market in France, just as the diffusion of the WiFi technology does in the high-speed ADSL access offer.

Thus, public RLAN and WiFi technology have reached a sufficient degree of maturity that the experimental character which has been applied since late 2002 can be ended.

• The raising of the experimental character

The experimental character which allowed the public RLAN networks to enjoy a lightened regime suited to this new technology, resulting from corporate networks, for local external coverage projects. This derogation regime, which was justified during the experimentation period of public networks using the RLAN technology, is no longer relevant.

ARCEP is announcing the raising of the experimental character of these networks based on the analysis of the WiFi market in France and in accordance with decision no.°07-0408 dated 26 April 2007 putting an end to the experimental regime of public networks using the RLAN technology.

The switch to a long-lasting framework subjects WiFi operators to the respect of obligations, applicable to any electronic communications operator in accordance with articles D.98 et seq. of the CPCE.

ARCEP reminds readers than operators with annual sales of less than €1 million are exempt from the administrative tax, which helps to increase the dynamism and diversity of new local public network RLAN projects.

• Review of technical conditions of use of "WiFi" frequencies

ARCEP also reminds readers that the use of RLAN technologies in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands is free but subject to the strict respect of power limitations, expressed in EIRP (effective isotropic radiated power), which is reviewed in the attached appendix. These limitations are established at the European level, and their purpose is to technically protect the coexistence of applications by reducing the risk of interference.

ARCEP highlights that the opening of a new frequency band (5470-5725 MHz) for public RLAN applications in February 2006, with never-before-seen power levels on free usage bands (1 W), offers a new tool to players wishing to propose new collection solutions of high-speed local loop networks.

The entire technical and regulatory measure governing RLAN is now in place to allow the long-lasting development of the technology while taking into account the specific nature of this high-speed access radio market.

Source: ARCEP, France

The National Regulatory Authority for Communications and Information Technology (ANRCTI) initiates the process of reviewing the market of access to the public fixed telephone networks in view of calls origination, termination and transit, identified as specific relevant market by end-2002. As part of the analysis, ANRCTI will conduct a series of market studies among the providers of electronic communications networks and/or services in order to obtain complete and correct information, accurately reflecting the reality of the Romanian electronic communications market.

 

To this end, ANRCTI launches the first of this series of studies that are necessary in the process of re-assessing the competitive environment at the level of services of call origination at fixed locations, services of call termination at fixed locations and services for transit through the public telephone networks. The study is based on a questionnaire which was sent directly to the providers of fixed telephone networks, to the providers of telephony services, as well as to the providers of dial-up Internet access services, who deploy their activity, both in demand and in request, in the market segment of services of call termination at fixed locations.

 

The main objectives of the questionnaire envisage the gathering of a set of quantitative and qualitative information which would allow ANRCTI to analyse the characteristics of the demand and offer of interconnection services, in view of call termination at fixed locations in the Romanian public telephone networks. The results of the study will provide a set of conclusions regarding the competitive situation in the analysed segment of the market and, on such basis, the Authority will issue the appropriate regulatory decisions regarding this type of services.     

 

ANRCTI transmitted the questionnaire to 115 providers of electronic communications networks and/or services. The questionnaire included queries regarding the services of call termination at fixed locations (for publicly available telephone services, as well as for dial-up, ISDN and fax services) provided and, respectively, acquired by other providers in view of selling publicly available telephone services. As well, the questionnaire referred to the types of fixed telephony services provided in the retail markets.

 

Should the study reveal competition-related issues, ANRCTI will have the right to intervene by imposing certain obligations on the companies which, due to their control over the access to the subscribers of telephony services provided at fixed locations and to their significant power on the market, might abuse in their relation with other providers. According to the European norms and practices, such obligations – transparency, non-discrimination, accounting separation, cost-orientation of tariffs and/or provision of network access – are meant to eliminate the obstacles that could hinder the establishment of a normal competitive environment and may be imposed in accordance with articles 9-13 of the Government Ordinance no.34/2002 regarding the access to public electronic communications networks and to their associated infrastructure, as well as to their interconnection, approved, with amendments and completions, by Law no.527/2002, with the subsequent amendments and completions.

 

Source: ANRC, Romania

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has sent recommendations on Infrastructure Sharing to the Department of Telecommunications.

The Department of Telecommunication had sought recommendations from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on effective sharing of passive infrastructure (towers etc.). Accordingly, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has concluded consultation process and finalised the recommendations. Given the significance of infrastructure sharing the Authority has not only considered the issue of passive infrastructure sharing but has given the recommendation regarding active infrastructure sharing and backhaul on a suo-motu basis. The Authority also took into consideration of prevailing international practices and has opted for cooperative efforts amongst telecom service providers with least regulatory intervention.

No sharing of spectrum at Access Network side has been recommended.

Full press release

Source: TRAI - Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, India

1          Introduction

Brazil has just started a two-year program focused on Telecom Critical Infrastructure Protection. Its objectives are: i) to identify the critical points of Brazil's telecom infrastructure; ii) to propose recommendations intended to prevent security incidents and to guarantee service and business continuity if they happen; iii) to elaborate strategies and policies to protect Brazil's telecom infrastructure; iv) to analyze interdependence among different infrastructures. This program is developed by Anatel, Brazilian telecom regulator and by CPqD, a private R&D telecom center, and is sponsored by Fundo para o Desenvolvimento Tecnológico das Telecomunicações (Funttel).

2          Development

Critical infrastructure protection on a nationwide level has consequences that can impact a nation socially, politically or economically. This broad scope, that involves the society, government and industry, requires a new approach to understand the related risks and to develop a suitable program to protect what is critical to a country.

The Brazilian CTIP project (see Figure 1) is based upon four main points: contextualization, a protection strategy, a set of methodologies and software tools to support them. See http://www.citel.oas.org/newsletter/2007/marzo/infraestructura_i.asp