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

The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICT Authority) has released the approval of a decrease in the tariffs of the Half-Circuit International Private Lease Circuits, (IPLC), of Mauritius Telecom by 20%. The ICT Authority’s decision is pursuant to the powers conferred upon the national regulator under Section 31 of the ICT Act 2001 and follows an application by Mauritius Telecom Ltd.

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 Australian Communications and Media Authority has issued a written direction to Bytecard Pty Ltd to comply with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Scheme (TIO Scheme).

‘The TIO Scheme is an essential consumer protection mechanism that provides consumers with an independent avenue for resolving disputes with their communications provider. Given the nature of a co-regulatory environment, the failure of this provider to comply with the scheme results in its customers not having the same level of protection as other consumers,’ said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. Full Press release

Source: ACMA, Australia

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

ANRCTI decided to sanction RCS & RDS with a fine of RON 100,000 since, as of August 30, 2007, the company has not published, including on its website, complete information regarding the number and addresses of all switches where the interconnection with the public telephony network it operates can be realized, for the purpose of call termination at fixed locations, thus breaching the obligation provided under art.4 of the ANRCTI President’s Decision no.2849/2007 on the interconnection with the public fixed telephone network operated by S.C. “RCS & RDS” – S.A., for the purpose of call termination at fixed locations, as well as committing the contravention stipulated in art.18 paragraph (1)  letter f) of the Government Ordinance no.34/2002. Moreover, ANRCTI obliged RCS & RDS to take all the necessary measures in order to publish, including on its website, the information mentioned above, by September 7, 2007.

Press release

Source : ANRCTI

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

With the publication of an Information Memorandum (IM) which sets out the detailed auction rules and conditions today (31 August 2007), the Government invites applications to bid for the radio spectrum for the provision of CDMA2000 mobile services (CDMA2000 services).

"CDMA2000 is one of the main mobile communications standards in the world capable of delivering high speed data services. There are over 350 million mobile subscribers in 85 economies, including 39 million in Mainland, adopting this standard," a spokesperson of the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) said. Full Press release

Source: OFTA, Hong Kong

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

"MTN management has been in ongoing discussions with the authorities in Benin to obtain clarity on the status of the current licence. MTN management has obtained positive legal confirmation on the validity of its existing licence," the South African group said.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is proposing to introduce two new number ranges to facilitate trials of new telecommunications services.

‘ACMA recognises that telecommunications providers need to trial new services in order to develop new products for their customers,’ said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. ‘The new trial number ranges give carriage service providers the flexibility they need to trial services, while facilitating the introduction of innovative services into the market.’ Full Press release

Source: ACMA, Australia

TRAI forwarded its recommendations today to the Department of Telecommunications (DOT), Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India on policies that should govern the licensing frame work for access service provision. The recommendations contain proposals on a wide range of inter connected issues that formed the basis of the reference from the DOT dated 13^{th April, 2007.}

Fiji’s interim Commerce Minister, Taito Waradi, says that 15 companies including local and international firms, have applied for a licence to operate a mobile telephone network in Fiji. The minister’s announcement followed the closing of the deadline for submissions yesterday. The country’s Ministry director of communications Jale Curuki added that the nation could theoretically cater for up to nine mobile operators but conceded that the actual level would be ‘determined by the market.’

Meanwhile, Mr Waradi went on to point out that currently there were no mobile operators licensed in Fiji, with the only recognised companies being Telecom Fiji and FINTEL. ‘Both are paying about USD1.2 million each and Vodafone is riding on the back of Telecom Fiji's licence,’ the minister said. ‘Vodafone Fiji itself does not have a licence,’ he said. See full publication

Source: Telegeography

According to the Slovak Spectator,  fixed-line operator Slovak Telekom has paid a fine of Sk1 million for not respecting number portability rules. 

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Source:  Slovak Spectator

New Delhi, 28^{th August, 2007 : It has come to the notice of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India that certain service providers are providing CLIP facility as a compulsory chargeable Value Added Service. Examination by the Authority showed that no significant amount of work is involved in presenting the caller line identity to the called subscriber and thus the incremental cost of providing CLIP facility is negligible. Thus the Authority finds no justification in making CLIP facility a compulsory chargeable item. The Authority recalled its earlier Direction issued vide F.No.301-49/2005 dated 16th September, 2005 that all monthly fixed recurring charges including CLIP which are compulsory for a subscriber under any given tariff plan shall be shown under one head to make it easier for the consumer to make a choice from among all tariff plans available in the market. Full Pres release}

^{Source: TRAI, India}

France Telecom could face a fine of up to 60 mln EU for abuse of a dominant position in the ADSL market. Before this happens, Competition authorities will meet in September to make a judgement on the settlement procedure.

Source: Forbes

OECD Ministerial Meeting -- The Future of the Internet Economy, Seoul, Korea, 17-18 June 2008

The Internet is increasingly critical to our economies and societies – with implications for all policy domains.
Only now is the world beginning to grasp the Internet’s potential as a powerful driver of innovation, sustainable economic growth and social well-being. It is timely for Ministers, CEOs and Internet experts to forge broad principles that will guide the next decade of the Internet economy.
In preparation for this event, the OECD is inviting public comment on issues to be discussed at that meeting. Such issues include enhancing the participatory web, protecting consumers, and battling malware.  You can provide your comments by filling out an online questionnaire.  The public consultation will be open until Friday, September 14, 2007.

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Source: OECD