Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden have the lowest prices for mobile phone calls among OECD countries, according to the latest OECD Communications Outlook. The highest were found in Canada, Spain and the United States.

Comparing prices on a medium-use basis for a package of 780 voice calls, 600 short texts (SMS), and eight multimedia (MMS) messages, the survey found monthly prices ranged from 11 to 53 US dollars across countries as of August 2008.

See Press Release
Source: OECD

A recent study of the Columbia Business School calculates the impact of investment in broadband technology on employment and economic output.  

According to the study, some EUR 36 billion of investment will be fulfilled under the National Broadband Strategy of Germany by 2020. This investment is expected to create close to a million jobs from broadband construction and network effects between 2010-2020. In addition, this investment will result in over EUR170 billion in incremental GDP over the same period.

The full paper and the summary are available online.

Source: Columbia Business School

Atlantic Telecom is reported to be facing the suspension of its network in Togo after failing to renew its operating license. The operator's license expired in June 2008, and has been given until 10th August to pay a 20 billion CFA (US$44 million) renewal fee.

The company is said not to have complied with two decrees spelling out the financial conditions of renewal of its licence. So far, only operators Togo Telecom and Togo Cellular have started carrying out measures in the decrees, the regulator, ARTP reported in a statement on Saturday.

Estimates from the  Mobile World analysts shows that the operator ended Q1 '09 with around 530,000 subscribers. The dominant telco is the state owned Togo Cellular, with around 1.25 million customers. France Telecom's Orange seems to have an operating license but has not started services yet.

See Press Release
Source: cellular-news

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

See more
Source: CTRC

Europe took an important step towards a new generation of mobile services . The Council of Ministers followed the European Parliament in approving a proposal from the European Commission to modernise European legislation - the so-called GSM Directive - on the use of the radio spectrum needed for mobile services. The GSM Directive of 1987 reserves the use of part of the 900MHz spectrum band to GSM (Global System for Mobile or originally Groupe Special Mobile) access technologies such as mobile phones. The updated Directive now allows the 900 MHz frequency band to be used to provide faster, pan-European services such as mobile internet while ensuring the continuation of GSM services. This new flexibility will foster stronger competition on Europe's telecoms market and contribute to a more rapid and more widespread roll-out of wireless broadband services, one of the drivers of economic recovery.

See Press Release
Source: Europa

The Australian Communications and Media Authority today announced a substantial reduction in charges for number applications by telecommunications carriage service providers. The lower charges reflect a considerable reduction in the time and effort to process these applications, following enhancements to the ACMA’s online system for managing numbers.

‘The reduction in charges for number applications is one outcome of an ongoing transformation process the ACMA is undertaking, which involves overhauling many of its legacy IT systems. This particular enhancement has significantly reduced the time required to complete and process applications for numbers,’ said Chris Chapman, Chairman of the ACMA.

See Press Release
Source: Australian Communications and Media Authority - ACMA

Los operadores de cable y los operadores alternativos han obtenido el 82,86% de la ganancia neta de líneas de banda ancha entre marzo y mayo de 2009, según la última nota mensual publicada por la Comisión del Mercado de las Telecomunicaciones (CMT). Los operadores de cable se han hecho con el 16,21% de las líneas y el resto de operadores alternativos, con el 66,65%. Telefónica, por su parte, ha captado el 17,14% restante de las líneas.
 
Durante el mes de mayo de 2009 se han dado de alta 46.397 líneas de banda ancha, con lo que el total ya alcanza los 9,34 millones, un 8,7% más que el año anterior. La presión competitiva que están ejerciendo los operadores alternativos en banda ancha se ha dejado notar también en los datos de portabilidad fija, que obtuvieron en mayo su segundo mejor registro en 12 meses, con 126.836 números portados, un 28% más que en mayo de 2008.
 
See Press Release
Source: Comisión del Mercado de las Telecomunicaciones (CMT)

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

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

See Press Release
Source: COFETEL - Comision Federal de Telecomunicaciones

Iraq's government has approved plans to tender two additional mobile licenses, with one of them reserved for 3G services. The country already has three mobile networks, although there have been complaints from the regulator about poor coverage and service reliability.

"Now we are waiting to start the procedure (for tendering), which we expect to be soon," Iraq's Finance Minister Bayan Jabor told Reuters.

It has been previously reported that Turkcell and Etisalat would be interested in bidding for a mobile license in the country.

Figures from the Mobile World shows that the country ended Q1 '09 with 16.8 million mobile phone users, which represents a population penetration level of 58%.

See Press Release
Source: cellular-news

The French telecoms regulator, Arcep is expected to make another attempt at offering a fourth 3G license by the end of this month. The President of Arcep told a press conference that the "tender offer will almost certainly be launched by the end of July," without expanding on the details.

French Internet Service Proider, Iliad is the only company to have formally tabled its intention to bid for the license, although Numericable and Virgin Mobile France are mulling a joint bid. A previous bid for the license by Iliad was rejected by the regulator in October 2007.

According to figures from the Mobile World analysts, the three incumbent operators market share at the end of Q1 '09 was: Orange (47%), SFR (36%) and Bouygues Télécom (17%)

See Press Release
Source: cellular-news

An Auction of Radio Spectrum in the 1800MHz Band for Expansion of Public Mobile Telecommunications Services, Successful Bidder Notice was referred to in paragraph 5.4.1 of the Notice dated 24 April 2009 that was issued by the Telecommunications Authority (the “Authority”) in exercise of the powers conferred by section 32I of the Telecommunications Ordinance, the Telecommunications (Level of Spectrum Utilization Fees) (Second Generation Mobile Services) Regulation, the Telecommunications (Determining Spectrum Utilization Fees by Auction) Regulation and all other powers enabling him to specify the terms and conditions of the Auction and the payment of the Spectrum Utilization Fees. Unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise requires, words and expressions used in this notice have the same meaning as that given to them in the Notice.
 
The Authority is pleased to announce that the Successful Bidders of the Auction and the Frequency Bands assigned to them.  See document.
Source: OFTA

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

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

Source: CRTC

The following publications were added to the ComReg website concerning the consultation related to "Liberalising the future use of 900 MHz & 1800 Mhz Spectrum Bands and Spectrum Release Options"

See related publications:
Consultation - Liberalising the Use of the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz Spectrum Bands
Submissions to Consultation - Liberalising the Use of the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz Spectrum Bands

Source : ComReg