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

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Source: Comisión de Regulación de Comunicaciones

El mercado de la banda ancha mantuvo en diciembre la tendencia alcista de los últimos meses (agosto-noviembre) y sumó 63.722 nuevas líneas, tras un periodo (febrero-julio) de crecimiento más moderado. De esta forma, a finales de año, España superó los 9,7 millones de líneas de banda ancha, un 7,6% más que a cierre de 2008 y alcanzó una penetración de 21,1 líneas cada 100 habitantes, según los últimos datos de la CMT correspondientes a la nota mensual de diciembre.

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Source: CMT Comision del Mercado de las Telecomunicaciones

 The Australian Communications and Media Authority has accepted an enforceable undertaking offered by Commonwealth Securities Limited (CommSec), following complaints that commercial electronic messages continued to be sent to customers after consent had been withdrawn.

 The ACMA commenced an investigation following complaints from consumers alleging that CommSec continued to send them commercial messages, despite the fact that they had previously withdrawn their consent. The ACMA also identified that email campaigns conducted by CommSec in January, February and March 2009, did not provide an option to unsubscribe.

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Source: ACMA  Australian Communications and Media Authority

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has issued recently its Determination declaring both Batelco and Zain dominant in their mobile termination services markets. TRA also issued a Position Paper on the regulation of mobile termination rates. Mobile termination is a wholesale service, used by operators to terminate calls, Short Messaging Services (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) on mobile networks. 

According to this determination, Zain’s wholesale mobile termination rates i.e. the amount charged to other operators to terminate a call, will be regulated consistent with the provisions of the Telecommunications Law applying to operators declared dominant. Batelco rates will continue to be regulated.

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Source: Bahrain - Telecommunications Regulatory Authority .

The Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) issued a new Code of Practice to provide the industry with guidelines on the drawing up of service contracts.

The Code will be implemented on voluntary basis and takes effect immediately, replacing two similar codes which the Telecommunications Authority (the TA) issued in 2004. The TA issued a voluntary Code of Practice for the Service Contracts for the Provision of Public Mobile Radiotelephone Services in 2001 and the code was subsequently revised in 2004. The TA also issued the Code of Practice for the Service Contracts for the Provision of Public Telecommunications Service in 2004. These two codes provided that, among other things, language should be plain and words legible and salient points of a contract (such as the compensation clauses and terms for any early termination) should be presented in a prominent place or highlighted in the contract.

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Source: Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA)

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

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Source: TeleGeography

Mr. Bernard Forson Jnr, the Director General of the National Communication Authority (NCA) in Ghana, has given subscribers of the country’s various mobile networks have up to 1 July 2011 to register their SIM cards or risk having their line blocked or disconnected. Mr. Emmanuel Owusu Adansi, NCAs Director of Special Projects said ‘all customers should endeavour to register their chips to get their lines activated before 1 July’, adding that registration would improve security for users and also help in the fight against mobile phone-related crime.

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Source: TeleGeography

OFTA has published a decision following an investigation into Alleged Misleading or Deceptive Newspaper Advertisements by SmarTone. The Telecommunications Authority (the “Authority”) received an industry complaint alleging that certain newspaper advertisements of SmarTone promoting its mobile service packages were in contravention of section 7M of the Telecommunications Ordinance1 (the “Ordinance”). The Authority’s conclusion is  that this was a substantive breach of section 7M, and having regard to the maximum applicable penalty of $1,000,000, the appropriate starting point for determining the level of financial penalty is $220,000.  While the breach is serious, in mitigation it is noted that the Authority has not received any section 7M related consumer complaints concerning the Advertisements. Further, SmarTone has been cooperative with OFTA throughout the investigation. The Authority has not been able to establish that there are any aggravating factors which offset the mitigating factors which have been taken into account. Accordingly, the Authority is of the opinion that in this case of a third financial penalty for SmarTone, the penalty which is proportionate and reasonable in relation to the conduct concerned is $180,000.

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Source : OFTA

T110_08.pdf (1,69 MB)

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is well advanced in its review of the regulation of mobile phone jammers in Australia. As part of that review, the ACMA is also seeking views on a proposal to trial mobile phone jammers at the Lithgow Correctional Centre in NSW.

’It is often not appreciated, but there are important issues involved in weighing up the benefits and disadvantages of allowing jamming of mobile telephone networks,’ said Chris Chapman, Chairman of the ACMA. ‘There are obvious circumstances where there would be clear public benefit in inhibiting the use of mobile phones to prevent criminal and potentially life-threatening activities. At the same time, the use of jammers may have implications for the integrity of mobile networks, including the use of Triple Zero and associated safety-of-life issues.’ 

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Source: ACMA Australian Government

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

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Source: FCC Federal Communications Commission

Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações has adopted a draft decision on the obligation to control prices in the wholesale markets for voice call termination on individual mobile networks. According to the draft decision, which will only become final following the conclusion of a public consultation and once all comments received under this consultation have been reviewed, mobile termination rates will continue to move gradually downwards, over a period of time which will allow Portugal to comply with the European Commission Recommendation on termination rates while avoiding disruption.

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Source: Portugal ANACOM

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

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

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Source: FCC Federal Communications Commission

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

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

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

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Source: Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones

ARCEP has been engaged in efforts to develop high-speed and ultra high-speed mobile networks in France, in accordance with the spectrum strategy announced by the Prime Minister on 12 January 2009. With the procedure for awarding the fourth 3G licence now come to a close, and the procedure for allocating the remaining spectrum in the 2.1 GHz band to be launched in the very near future, ARCEP is looking ahead to the next stage, which will involve the allocation of spectrum in the 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands for the deployment of fourth-generation mobile networks. To this end,  ARCEP published a summary on its website of the public consultation on the future award of spectrum licences in the 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz frequency bands, for the deployment of ultra high-speed mobile networks. This consultation, which elicited 35 responses, allowed the Authority to gather stakeholders' analysis and views on the issues and relevant terms for awarding licences for ultra high-speed mobile networks operating in these frequency bands. ARCEP will soon be publishing preliminary scenarios for allocations in these bands, based on the results of the public consultation. It will also consult further with market players to streamline these scenarios. These efforts will help the Authority set the terms of the allocation procedures for these frequencies, which it plans to carry out in the second half of 2010 - once the remaining spectrum in the 2.1 GHz band has been awarded.

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Source: ARCEP

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

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

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

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

 

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Source: Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transporte

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

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

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

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

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Source: Cellular News