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

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

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

Source: Business News Americas

Two companies have qualified to bid for a 70 percent stake in Rwandatel, a state-owned fixed and mobile phone operator, a government official told Reuters on Thursday. They are Libya's LapGreen Network and South Africa's Vodacom, according to Manasseh Twahirwa, the executive secretary in Rwanda's privatisation unit.

"We are now going to invite each one of these two companies separately for negotiations on both their technical and financial offers," Twahirwa said. "There's need to harmonise their offers with our government's vision. It's from that stage that we will come up with an overall winner." 

Six companies, including Kuwaiti-owned Celtel and Jordan's V-Tel, had shown interest in the operator in the tiny central African country where cellular services have become an indispensable communication tool. In July, Rwanda bought back Rwandatel for $12 million having previously sold it to Terracom for $20 million, saying the new owners had failed to deliver on contractual obligations such as rolling out a new mobile network.

Source: Reuters

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

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

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

Source: Anatel, Brazil

During the first half of 2007, ANACOM received 10,259 written complaints and 363 requests for information from users of communications services and from the general public about their dealings with providers of communications services and the use of these services. In addition, a further 2,347 consultations were made by phone or in person.

Compared to the same period of 2006, the overall volume of complaints has increased by 28% from 8,004.

See Press Release

Source: ANACOM

 

This year, the Romanian regulator is facing multiple challenges, ranging from the expansion of its powers to cover spectrum issues to carrying out the first round of market analyses within Romania’s membership in the EU. This conference will be a unique opportunity for ANRCTI to present the results of a one-year exercise of investigation, analysis and reflection, which are now rounding up in a regulatory policy and strategy for the Romanian electronic communications sector up to 2010.

Full press release

 

Source: ANRC, Romania

 

According ARCEP, Free Mobile did not meet the criteria and requirements for the fourth 3G license.

See Press Release and access the decision

Source: ARCEP

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

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

 

Source: COFETEL, Mexico

 

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

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

Full press release

Source: CRTC, Canada

Report on the provision of universal service to disabled people by Telekomunikacja Polska S.A.
Find the complete press release

Source : UKE

Between 13 August and 7 September 2007 employees of the Office of Electronic Communications inspected how mobile providers implemented the provisions on retail charges for regulated roaming calls and on transparency of information on retail charges derived from Article 4 and Article 6 (3) of the Regulation (EC) No 717/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2007 on roaming on public mobile telephone networks within the Community and amending Directive 2002/21/EC.

Here you can find the complete press release

Source : UKE

According to this Report, regulatory activities afford optimism about the future growth of competition on Poland's telecommunications market and should soon not only provide end-users with a greater choice of their service providers, but also bring about considerably lower retail prices.

Here find the complete Report

Source: UKE

Vietnam's mobile service operators have complained of problems when it comes to installing base station antennae due to complicated procedures in obtaining construction licences, and strong objections from local residents fearful of possible health problems. Hanoi and northern Ha Nam province project are significant problem areas. The number of stations to be installed has shot up this year with Vinaphone and MobiFone, both owned by state-run incumbent Vietnam Post and Telecoms (VNPT) planning 6,000 new stations between them.

See more

Source : Telegeography

Orascom Telecom will bid for Egypt's second fixed line telephony licence, which the government plans to sell next year. Minister of Communications Tarek Kamel said in late June that Egypt would offer a licence to operate a second fixed line network, ending years of monopoly by state-dominated Telecom Egypt. Orascom also received a licence on Sunday to build a submarine network for international phone calls.

See more

Source: Telegeography

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

 

Source: FCC, United States

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

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

Source: Business News Americas

In the context of its universal service strategy in the telecommunications sector, Senegal plans a pilot projet in the region of Matam.

Click here for the submission form

Source: ARTP

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

According to Telegeogrpahy, Vietnamese ISP FPT Telecom, a subsidiary of the Corporation for Financing and Promoting Technology (FPT), has  a USD20 million deal with EVN Telecom, part of state-owned utility Electricity of Vietnam to lease a 2.5Gbps international ADSL line. FPT is planning to enter the wireline market and is said to have bought a new switchboard from US vendor Cisco Systems that will allow internet, telephone and television services to be provided via a single cable – so-called ‘triple-play’ services.

See more

Source Telegeography

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

Source: CRT,Colombia

Tuesday, October 4, 2007, the Decision on the general terms regarding the inter-operability of interactive digital TV services, as well as of the consumers’ digital TV equipment has been approved in Government session. This decision provides for the TV receivers on the market – for sale or rental – to be endowed with an external interface connector, standardized at a European level, which should enable certain functions, so that to ensure the receiving of digital signals.

 

Thus, an analogue TV receiver should have at least one external interface connector that allows for the simple connection of peripherals, especially of digital receivers. Moreover, digital TV receivers should be able to relay all the components of a digital TV signal, including information on interactive services and on restricted access services. The inter-operability of these services will enable the decoding of TV signals transmitted according to the European encoding algorithm. Full press release

 

Source: ANRCTI, Romania

 

Decision ANRT/DG/N°12/07 has designated operators with significant market power for the year 2008.

Source: ANRT

The consumer guide Phones and Broadband - a Guide for People with Disabilities and Older People, has been launched by ComReg and the National Disability Authority (NDA). The Large Print, Braille, Easy to Read and Audio formats of the guide can be acquired directly from both ComReg and the NDA. The available electronic formats can be accessed below by clicking on the following link to ComReg's consumer website.

Source: ComReg

After approval by the EC, France ARCEP reduces wholesale mobile termination rates for the period 2008-2010.

Source: ARCEP

Consumers in the European Union have been paying up to 60% less for using their mobile phone abroad since this summer. The transition to the Eurotarrif by Europe's mobile phone operators is proceeding according to plan. This is the result of a study carried out by the 27 national telecom regulators – united in the European Regulators Group (ERG) – in collaboration with the European Commission.

(04/10/2007) Mobile operators have generally complied with the requirements to introduce, offer, and make available a "Eurotariff" (tariffs no higher than 49 eurocents per minute for calls made abroad and no higher than 24 eurocents for calls received abroad, excluding VAT) for all their roaming customers from 30 July. By 30 August, around 200 million EU consumers had already switched to the Eurotariff. Many operators have moved faster than legally required and activated the Eurotariff already in July or in August. The ERG study also shows that operators are generally on track to implement the new transparency provisions introduced by the EU Roaming Regulation.. Full press release

Source: Europe's Information Society

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

Ofcom today published the UK’s first comprehensive review of the children’s television market. The review assesses the current state of children’s programming and the prospects for the future delivery of a wide range of high-quality and original content for children.

Ofcom’s study reveals significant changes in the children’s media market, including:

• Children have an increasing range of media available to them - nearly two thirds of 12-15 year olds have access to the internet and mobile phone while ‘media stacking’ is becoming increasingly common – over 80% of this age group regularly watch TV while engaging with other media devices...Full press release

Source: OFCOM, United Kingdom

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

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

Source: Business News Americas

ComReg has issued revised guidelines to licence applicants for Radio Spectrum Links - Point-to-Point (> 1GHz). This document replaces the previous guidelines which were issued in December 2002. The guidelines – ComReg 98/14R4 – are available here.

Source: CCR

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

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

Source: Reuters

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

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

Source: CEPAL

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

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

Source: El comercio news paper, Perú