[wsj] The New Zealand government has finalized a NZ$300 million plan to roll out high-speed broadband in rural areas combined with overhaul of the Telecommunications Service Obligations, Communications Minister Steven Joyce said Tuesday.
NZ Cabinet Finalizes Rural Telecommunications Overhaul
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Nigeria - GDP grew 6.9% in 2009 on Telecom
[business week] Nigeria’s economy grew 6.9 percent last year, led by expansion in the West African nation’s telecommunications industry, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics said.
Growth accelerated from 6 percent a year earlier, the agency said in a statement published in the Lagos-based ThisDay newspaper today. Non-oil industries expanded 8.6 percent, while oil and gas contracted 1.2 percent, it said.
The pick-up in growth is a “testament to Nigeria’s resilience at a time of globally contracting demand,” said Alan Cameron, Africa analyst at London-based Business Monitor International. Agriculture and general commerce will “continue to be the major drivers of growth in the years ahead.”
The country’s telecommunications industry, Africa’s biggest, expanded 34.2 percent last year, while the hospitality industry grew 12.9 percent and construction expanded 12.8 percent, the bureau said.
Nigerian GDP Grew 6.9% in 2009 on Telecom Industry
Growth accelerated from 6 percent a year earlier, the agency said in a statement published in the Lagos-based ThisDay newspaper today. Non-oil industries expanded 8.6 percent, while oil and gas contracted 1.2 percent, it said.
The pick-up in growth is a “testament to Nigeria’s resilience at a time of globally contracting demand,” said Alan Cameron, Africa analyst at London-based Business Monitor International. Agriculture and general commerce will “continue to be the major drivers of growth in the years ahead.”
The country’s telecommunications industry, Africa’s biggest, expanded 34.2 percent last year, while the hospitality industry grew 12.9 percent and construction expanded 12.8 percent, the bureau said.
Nigerian GDP Grew 6.9% in 2009 on Telecom Industry
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
OECD - Wireless Broadband Indicator Methodology
[oecd] The OECD’s wireless broadband methodology is a new structure for measuring and comparing the number of wireless/mobile broadband subscriptions across countries. The methodology is the result of several rounds of contributions and discussions among member countries and telecommunication firms. The new indicator will assist in informing policy makers and other stakeholders in this increasingly important market segment.
Wireless Broadband Indicator Methodology
Wireless Broadband Indicator Methodology
OECD - Revision of the Methodology for Constructing Telecommunication Price Baskets
[oecd] The OECD uses a “basket” methodology to compare retail prices of telecommunication services across countries. The methodology is used to compare the price of a defined consumption pattern of telecommunication services across operators in OECD countries. The baskets are reviewed and revised periodically as consumption patterns change. This 2009 revision to the basket composition is the result of discussions among operators and regulators and will serve as the basis for price comparisons for several years.
Revision of the Methodology for Constructing Telecommunication Price Baskets
Revision of the Methodology for Constructing Telecommunication Price Baskets
OECD - Developments in Cable Broadband Networks
[oecd] The cable television market has changed drastically in recent years. The threat to cable from non-traditional video sources has pushed cable operators to upgrade their networks to support higher bandwidth data services and new video content and applications. This report examines developments in cable markets including the growth of cable voice services, recent consolidation trends and the transitions toward all-IP infrastructure models.
Developments in Cable Broadband Networks
Developments in Cable Broadband Networks
USA - Survey Finds Wireless Technologies Crucial to Survival for Nearly Two-Thirds of Small Business Owners
[att] Wireless technologies are becoming increasingly crucial to survival for today’s small businesses, who are wanting to stay competitive and connected while gaining flexibility and time away from the office, according to the AT&T Small Business Technology Poll, a national survey recently conducted by AT&T*.
In fact, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of small businesses surveyed said they could not survive — or it would be a major challenge to survive — without wireless technology. This is up dramatically from a similar 2007 AT&T survey in which only about four in 10 (42 percent) of small businesses said they would have difficulty surviving without wireless technologies.
Despite the economic recession, very few small businesses have cut back on their use of wireless technology. Even businesses that reduced or maintained their overall technology budget from 2008 – nearly 80 percent of small businesses surveyed – have not cut back on their use of wireless technologies and expect to rely more on wireless technology over the next two years, indicating its growing importance among small businesses.
“Wireless technology is a critical business tool that allows mobile workers to stay in touch with colleagues and customers, and to access company data on the move,” said Timothy Doherty, associate research analyst for SMB Mobility, IDC. “Reliance on wireless technology will only increase, as growing adoption of mobile business applications among small businesses drives the need for fast, reliable connectivity.”
The AT&T survey further found that small businesses appear to be cautiously responding to a turnaround in the economy. About two-thirds (65 percent) of businesses plan on spending more or about the same on technology overall, including wireless solutions, in 2010 as they did in 2009.
The growing dependence on wireless technologies is likely to continue to increase going forward, as about three-fourths (74 percent) of survey respondents said they expect to depend on it even more two years from now. In addition, more than three times as many small businesses today strongly agree that wireless technology is key to keeping them competitive –49 percent vs. 16 percent in 2007.
“In the current economic environment, small businesses are stretched more than ever before, so they’re demanding wireless technology solutions from providers like AT&T who understand their needs,” said Ebrahim Keshavarz, vice president of Small Business Product Management. “The good news is that they have more and better options today for staying connected – smartphones, Wi-Fi hotspots, laptop data cards or other technologies — whether they’re meeting with customers, partners or colleagues while away from the office or simply staying in touch with their place of business while on the road.”
AT&T Survey Finds Wireless Technologies Crucial to Survival for Nearly Two-Thirds of Small Business Owners
In fact, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of small businesses surveyed said they could not survive — or it would be a major challenge to survive — without wireless technology. This is up dramatically from a similar 2007 AT&T survey in which only about four in 10 (42 percent) of small businesses said they would have difficulty surviving without wireless technologies.
Despite the economic recession, very few small businesses have cut back on their use of wireless technology. Even businesses that reduced or maintained their overall technology budget from 2008 – nearly 80 percent of small businesses surveyed – have not cut back on their use of wireless technologies and expect to rely more on wireless technology over the next two years, indicating its growing importance among small businesses.
“Wireless technology is a critical business tool that allows mobile workers to stay in touch with colleagues and customers, and to access company data on the move,” said Timothy Doherty, associate research analyst for SMB Mobility, IDC. “Reliance on wireless technology will only increase, as growing adoption of mobile business applications among small businesses drives the need for fast, reliable connectivity.”
The AT&T survey further found that small businesses appear to be cautiously responding to a turnaround in the economy. About two-thirds (65 percent) of businesses plan on spending more or about the same on technology overall, including wireless solutions, in 2010 as they did in 2009.
The growing dependence on wireless technologies is likely to continue to increase going forward, as about three-fourths (74 percent) of survey respondents said they expect to depend on it even more two years from now. In addition, more than three times as many small businesses today strongly agree that wireless technology is key to keeping them competitive –49 percent vs. 16 percent in 2007.
“In the current economic environment, small businesses are stretched more than ever before, so they’re demanding wireless technology solutions from providers like AT&T who understand their needs,” said Ebrahim Keshavarz, vice president of Small Business Product Management. “The good news is that they have more and better options today for staying connected – smartphones, Wi-Fi hotspots, laptop data cards or other technologies — whether they’re meeting with customers, partners or colleagues while away from the office or simply staying in touch with their place of business while on the road.”
AT&T Survey Finds Wireless Technologies Crucial to Survival for Nearly Two-Thirds of Small Business Owners
US Broadband Plan: Rewired for a clean energy economy
[climate group] This week, the US Federal Communications Commission sent the National Broadband Plan to the White House. It puts a better communications infrastructure at the heart of solutions to multiple societal challenges, including energy and climate change.
The Climate Group welcomes Goal 6 of the Plan that calls for every American to have access to real time energy information to track and manage their own energy consumption. This is a significant step toward enabling the full global opportunity for the ICT sector to save 15% of global emissions in 2020, and saving 1 Gt CO2e in the US alone.
An entire chapter of the US National Broadband Plan is focused on the benefits of broadband enabled applications for managing environmental impacts and energy consumption. Specifically, it focuses on achieving ‘smart’ grids, buildings and transport systems as well as acknowledging a range of efficiency measures needed in ICT devices and services themselves.
The focus on communications is crucial for two reasons. First, both people and machines will be able to act differently when they have access to better information – they will be able to ‘manage what they measure’. Second, the data-generating platform can be used by companies to provide a whole range of services to consumers and businesses that save energy, fuel and resources.
What’s good for consumers and business is good for the economy. Sensors and instrumentation that collect information from machines and the natural environment are leading to an explosion in data and information on environmental conditions and energy, and a race to create knowledge from it. Data management and analytics is growing nearly twice as fast as the rest of the IT industry at 10% per year. And companies such as Intel are investing more in US manufacturing even as other sectors – automotive and chemical – report declines.
US Broadband Plan: Rewired for a clean energy economy
The Climate Group welcomes Goal 6 of the Plan that calls for every American to have access to real time energy information to track and manage their own energy consumption. This is a significant step toward enabling the full global opportunity for the ICT sector to save 15% of global emissions in 2020, and saving 1 Gt CO2e in the US alone.
An entire chapter of the US National Broadband Plan is focused on the benefits of broadband enabled applications for managing environmental impacts and energy consumption. Specifically, it focuses on achieving ‘smart’ grids, buildings and transport systems as well as acknowledging a range of efficiency measures needed in ICT devices and services themselves.
The focus on communications is crucial for two reasons. First, both people and machines will be able to act differently when they have access to better information – they will be able to ‘manage what they measure’. Second, the data-generating platform can be used by companies to provide a whole range of services to consumers and businesses that save energy, fuel and resources.
What’s good for consumers and business is good for the economy. Sensors and instrumentation that collect information from machines and the natural environment are leading to an explosion in data and information on environmental conditions and energy, and a race to create knowledge from it. Data management and analytics is growing nearly twice as fast as the rest of the IT industry at 10% per year. And companies such as Intel are investing more in US manufacturing even as other sectors – automotive and chemical – report declines.
US Broadband Plan: Rewired for a clean energy economy
EU - Kroes Europe needs effective co-ordination of spectrum
[ec] It is not easy to detect a clear consensus on the exact way forward on spectrum policy. But I have the impression that we all agree, firstly, that efficient spectrum management is a key element in tackling key social and economic challenges and, furthermore, that Europe has an important role to play in achieving that.
The challenges we face are huge and we cannot shy away from them – we have to adopt a clear and strong policy line to take full advantage of current and future technological developments, in order to make the best use of spectrum for the benefit of European citizens and business.
Neelie Kroes Vice President of the European Commission Commissioner for the Digital Agenda - Radio spectrum – why Europe needs effective co-ordination Spectrum Summit, European Parliament Brussels, 23 March 2010
The challenges we face are huge and we cannot shy away from them – we have to adopt a clear and strong policy line to take full advantage of current and future technological developments, in order to make the best use of spectrum for the benefit of European citizens and business.
Neelie Kroes Vice President of the European Commission Commissioner for the Digital Agenda - Radio spectrum – why Europe needs effective co-ordination Spectrum Summit, European Parliament Brussels, 23 March 2010
Commission requests information from Slovenia and Latvia over independence of telecoms regulators
[ec] The European Commission has decided to send a formal request for information to Slovenia over the independence of its national telecoms regulator Agencije za pošto in elektronske komunikacije (APEK). The Slovenian Government dismissed the director of APEK on 26 November 2009. The Commission is concerned that the rules by which this was done may not conform with EU rules that guarantee the independence of telecoms regulators. The Commission also decided to send a complementary formal request for information to Latvia over the lack of effective structural separation between regulatory and ownership functions following a transfer of telecoms regulatory tasks between Ministries.
Commission requests information from Slovenia and Latvia over independence of telecoms regulators
Commission requests information from Slovenia and Latvia over independence of telecoms regulators
UK - Faster broadband roll-out urged by Ofcom
[bbc] Ofcom has unveiled new proposals to encourage the rollout of super-fast broadband across the UK.
The regulator is proposing that BT's fibre lines are opened so rival firms such as Sky and TalkTalk can provide their own services to consumers.
BT would then be able to set prices for these new wholesale products to enable them to make a fair rate of return.
Ofcom hopes its plans will lead to millions more consumers enjoying speeds of 50 to 100 megabits per second.
The plan is similar to the way BT's copper telephone network was opened to rival phone and broadband services.
Ofcom also proposed in its report that BT should offer other communications providers access to its underground ducts and overhead telegraph poles.
The regulator hopes that this would allow other communications providers to build their own fibre networks more cost-effectively.
Ofcom said that its proposals were aimed at helping companies to compete to invest in these new networks.
Faster broadband roll-out urged by Ofcom
The regulator is proposing that BT's fibre lines are opened so rival firms such as Sky and TalkTalk can provide their own services to consumers.
BT would then be able to set prices for these new wholesale products to enable them to make a fair rate of return.
Ofcom hopes its plans will lead to millions more consumers enjoying speeds of 50 to 100 megabits per second.
The plan is similar to the way BT's copper telephone network was opened to rival phone and broadband services.
Ofcom also proposed in its report that BT should offer other communications providers access to its underground ducts and overhead telegraph poles.
The regulator hopes that this would allow other communications providers to build their own fibre networks more cost-effectively.
Ofcom said that its proposals were aimed at helping companies to compete to invest in these new networks.
Faster broadband roll-out urged by Ofcom
UK Budget 2010: Darling puts emphasis on broadband for all
[bbc] Chancellor Alistair Darling reiterated the government's commitment to making Britain a digital world leader, with plans for a major broadband roll out.
He announced super-fast broadband for 90% of homes by 2017, funded by a £6 annual tax on landline phones.
The Conservatives have vowed to scrap the tax if they win the next election.
Fast net services will create "hundreds of thousands" of new jobs while putting services online will lower the cost of public spending, the chancellor said.
He also promised more tax breaks for the UK's computer games industry.
"The UK has the potential to be a digital world leader. It needs high-speed broadband for rural areas as well as urban, it must not be limited to the well-off," the chancellor said in his budget speech.
The broadband tax has proved controversial. The proposal is to charge people with fixed lines 50p a month to help fund super-fast broadband, although it is not clear if those who use cable services will be included.
It has been branded unfair by an all-party group of MPs who say that most people who pay it won't reap the benefits.
It is aimed at the so-called final third of the country that is unlikely to be included in commercial plans to roll out expensive fibre optic services.
Some experts were surprised that the chancellor did not reiterate Gordon Brown's commitment to bring super-fast broadband to 100% of the UK by 2020.
"We are disappointed that the budget has simply repeated the government's previous target of 90% coverage by 2017," said Sebastien Lahtinen, co-founder of broadband site ThinkBroadband.
UK Budget 2010: Darling puts emphasis on broadband for all
He announced super-fast broadband for 90% of homes by 2017, funded by a £6 annual tax on landline phones.
The Conservatives have vowed to scrap the tax if they win the next election.
Fast net services will create "hundreds of thousands" of new jobs while putting services online will lower the cost of public spending, the chancellor said.
He also promised more tax breaks for the UK's computer games industry.
"The UK has the potential to be a digital world leader. It needs high-speed broadband for rural areas as well as urban, it must not be limited to the well-off," the chancellor said in his budget speech.
The broadband tax has proved controversial. The proposal is to charge people with fixed lines 50p a month to help fund super-fast broadband, although it is not clear if those who use cable services will be included.
It has been branded unfair by an all-party group of MPs who say that most people who pay it won't reap the benefits.
It is aimed at the so-called final third of the country that is unlikely to be included in commercial plans to roll out expensive fibre optic services.
Some experts were surprised that the chancellor did not reiterate Gordon Brown's commitment to bring super-fast broadband to 100% of the UK by 2020.
"We are disappointed that the budget has simply repeated the government's previous target of 90% coverage by 2017," said Sebastien Lahtinen, co-founder of broadband site ThinkBroadband.
UK Budget 2010: Darling puts emphasis on broadband for all
Monday, March 22, 2010
Bharti shares rise on Zain Africa deal hopes
[economic times] Shares in Bharti Airtel rose on Monday morning on hopes Bharti is heading towards a smooth landing in its $9 billion deal talks to buy
Kuwaiti telecom Zain's African operations. Bharti said on Sunday it had tied up the entire financing requirement of $8.3 billion, with major international banks committing to underwrite the amount, in a sign of progress as the deadline for exclusive talks with Zain expires on Thursday.
Bharti did not say how much interest it was paying for the loans, but banking sources have said the company was getting around 200 basis points over Libor, lower than initial talks of more than 300 basis points. "The acquisition seems to be on the right track," said Harit Shah, a sector analyst with Karvy Broking. "But at this level, I won't be comfortable buying this stock.
It has risen so much in the last one month. The deal will certainly be EPS dilutive." By 0436 GMT, Bharti shares were up 1.6 percent in a weak market, after rising as much as 2.2 percent, and turned positive for the year. At its high on Monday, the stock was up 18 percent since Feb 16, when it had fallen to its lowest level in nearly a year.
The share was the second-worst performer in the 30-stock BSE index in 2009 and was among the only two stocks to have given negative returns even as the benchmark jumped 81 percent.
TALKS DEADLINE LOOMS
Bharti's talks with Zain mark the third time the Indian firm has tried to get its hands on a meaningful African business after two failed bids for South Africa's MTN. It has been hunting for emerging market assets as its home turf becomes fiercely competitive and call charges plummet in the world's fastest growing mobile market.
Bharti and Zain also look to have cleared a potential stumbling block over ownership of Zain's assets in Nigeria, that is 65 percent owned by the Kuwaiti firm. A source told Reuters last week Bharti might put part of the purchase price in an escrow account to protect it from potential problems such as that in Nigeria.
The unit is a crown jewel, without which Bharti would not close the deal. In Kuwait, Zain said its due diligence process was on schedule and that work on final deal documents could take place after its board meeting on Wednesday. The source also told Reuters last week Bharti was aiming to meet the March 25 deadline, though there was a chance of one or two days slippage in the actual deal being announced.
Bharti shares rise on Zain Africa deal hopes
Kuwaiti telecom Zain's African operations. Bharti said on Sunday it had tied up the entire financing requirement of $8.3 billion, with major international banks committing to underwrite the amount, in a sign of progress as the deadline for exclusive talks with Zain expires on Thursday.
Bharti did not say how much interest it was paying for the loans, but banking sources have said the company was getting around 200 basis points over Libor, lower than initial talks of more than 300 basis points. "The acquisition seems to be on the right track," said Harit Shah, a sector analyst with Karvy Broking. "But at this level, I won't be comfortable buying this stock.
It has risen so much in the last one month. The deal will certainly be EPS dilutive." By 0436 GMT, Bharti shares were up 1.6 percent in a weak market, after rising as much as 2.2 percent, and turned positive for the year. At its high on Monday, the stock was up 18 percent since Feb 16, when it had fallen to its lowest level in nearly a year.
The share was the second-worst performer in the 30-stock BSE index in 2009 and was among the only two stocks to have given negative returns even as the benchmark jumped 81 percent.
TALKS DEADLINE LOOMS
Bharti's talks with Zain mark the third time the Indian firm has tried to get its hands on a meaningful African business after two failed bids for South Africa's MTN. It has been hunting for emerging market assets as its home turf becomes fiercely competitive and call charges plummet in the world's fastest growing mobile market.
Bharti and Zain also look to have cleared a potential stumbling block over ownership of Zain's assets in Nigeria, that is 65 percent owned by the Kuwaiti firm. A source told Reuters last week Bharti might put part of the purchase price in an escrow account to protect it from potential problems such as that in Nigeria.
The unit is a crown jewel, without which Bharti would not close the deal. In Kuwait, Zain said its due diligence process was on schedule and that work on final deal documents could take place after its board meeting on Wednesday. The source also told Reuters last week Bharti was aiming to meet the March 25 deadline, though there was a chance of one or two days slippage in the actual deal being announced.
Bharti shares rise on Zain Africa deal hopes
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Tackling IT complexity in product design
[mckinsey quarterly] As more products are loaded with technology, tangled IT designs can undermine product strategies. Product managers and technical specialists need a better game plan.
Today, it seems that just about every product contains some sort of embedded computing technology. Cars, phones, even washing machines boast interactive features that would not have been imaginable, much less affordable, a decade ago.
That such products have entered the mainstream is easy to understand. Smart phones, electronic navigational equipment, and Wi-Fi-enabled TVs offer convenience, portability, and personalization at reasonable prices. But the price of such progress is growing IT architecture1 and design complexity.
Consider the fact that in the past five years, the average number of tech-enabled engine control units in each new vehicle produced by the automotive industry has risen to 80, from 20. In the mobile-phone sector, the number of IT-based updates per year is about 40, more than twice the level back in 2000. And despite challenging economic times, the number of avionics features—from cockpit VoIP and wind sensors to the electronic flight manuals introduced in newer aircraft—has doubled in recent years. The growing demand for electronics-based product enhancements finds companies across industries struggling to keep costs in line amid fast-changing technologies and the constant pressure for product upgrades.
Tackling IT complexity in product design
Today, it seems that just about every product contains some sort of embedded computing technology. Cars, phones, even washing machines boast interactive features that would not have been imaginable, much less affordable, a decade ago.
That such products have entered the mainstream is easy to understand. Smart phones, electronic navigational equipment, and Wi-Fi-enabled TVs offer convenience, portability, and personalization at reasonable prices. But the price of such progress is growing IT architecture1 and design complexity.
Consider the fact that in the past five years, the average number of tech-enabled engine control units in each new vehicle produced by the automotive industry has risen to 80, from 20. In the mobile-phone sector, the number of IT-based updates per year is about 40, more than twice the level back in 2000. And despite challenging economic times, the number of avionics features—from cockpit VoIP and wind sensors to the electronic flight manuals introduced in newer aircraft—has doubled in recent years. The growing demand for electronics-based product enhancements finds companies across industries struggling to keep costs in line amid fast-changing technologies and the constant pressure for product upgrades.
Tackling IT complexity in product design
UAE - Skype says it is open to talks over ban
[ame] Josh Silverman, chief executive of global VoIP service provider, Skype has said the firm is open to discussions with the government of the UAE over its ban on access to the service, Zawya Dow Jones has reported. "I personally feel it's quite short-sighted of the government. We are always open to discussions," Silverman said at a media summit in Abu Dhabi. "The Middle East is important for Skype. We know they want to use our software, and we want to help them," he added.
Skype says it is open to talks over UAE ban
Skype says it is open to talks over UAE ban
USA - Hoaxes Boost Online Fraud
[wired] Online fraud in the United States doubled to a reported $560 million in losses last year as illicit phishing expeditions by thieves posing as the Federal Bureau of Investigation represented the biggest consumer complaint, according to a Friday government survey.
The e-mail phishing scams represented 16.6 percent of all complaints. The next closest category, at 12 percent, concerned consumer unhappiness about being billed for products never ordered or received, according to FBI data unveiled Friday.
Overall, the number of reported dollar losses stemming from online fraud doubled in 2009 from the year prior.
The authorities last year received 336,655 complaints, a 22 percent increase from 2008, according to the data.
FBI Hoaxes Boost Online Fraud
The e-mail phishing scams represented 16.6 percent of all complaints. The next closest category, at 12 percent, concerned consumer unhappiness about being billed for products never ordered or received, according to FBI data unveiled Friday.
Overall, the number of reported dollar losses stemming from online fraud doubled in 2009 from the year prior.
The authorities last year received 336,655 complaints, a 22 percent increase from 2008, according to the data.
FBI Hoaxes Boost Online Fraud
Australia - Potential broadband providers named
[bigpond news] Primus Telecom, Internode and iiNet have been named by the Australian government as the first retail providers to offer services on the planned $43 billion national broadband network, currently being rolled out in Tasmania.
While Australian Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says the announcement marks another milestone in the project, most analysts believe the project's success hinges on the government's ability to get Telstra on board to help build the infrastructure.
Tasmania is being used as a pilot for the high-speed, fibre-to-the-home network.
The first services are expected to begin in July.
Potential broadband providers named
While Australian Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says the announcement marks another milestone in the project, most analysts believe the project's success hinges on the government's ability to get Telstra on board to help build the infrastructure.
Tasmania is being used as a pilot for the high-speed, fibre-to-the-home network.
The first services are expected to begin in July.
Potential broadband providers named
USA - falling behind in being digitally literate
[washington post - Julius Genachowski] The Internet has transformed America with its power to generate innovation and opportunity and by its ability to connect, inform and entertain us like no technology in history.
But we are not even close to realizing the full potential of high-speed Internet, or "broadband," access. Universally deployed broadband networks can be America's engine for enduring job creation, economic growth and tremendous improvements and savings in education, health care and energy conservation.
This vision of world-leading 21st-century broadband networks and their benefits will not occur spontaneously. While the United States invented the Internet, when it comes to broadband we have fallen behind as other nations have raced ahead. Some studies show us to be as low as 15th in the world in broadband adoption; others have us higher, but none puts us even close to where we need to be.
Our nation is at a high-tech crossroads: Either we commit to creating world-leading broadband networks to make sure that the next waves of innovation and business growth occur here, or we stand pat and watch inventions and jobs migrate to those parts of the world with better, faster and cheaper communications infrastructures.
This, of course, is not a choice -- which is why, this week, at the behest of Congress and the president, the Federal Communications Commission is delivering the first National Broadband Plan: a comprehensive strategy for dramatically improving our broadband networks and extending their benefits to all Americans.
The bad news is that we have a long way to go to meet this generation's great infrastructure challenge:
ad_icon
-- Millions of Americans can't get broadband today. Period. With so many of our daily interactions moving online -- including job listings and job training during the worst recession in decades -- that's unacceptable.
-- Tens of millions of Americans with access to broadband have not signed up. Our surveys show that they aren't connected because they can't afford it, don't know how to use it or aren't aware of its potential benefits.
-- The vast majority of us don't have broadband that's fast enough to take advantage of remote video learning or medical diagnostics, or dozens of other existing and emerging applications.
-- An entrepreneur can't run a small business today without broadband, but 26 percent of rural business sites don't have access to a standard cable modem, and more than 70 percent of small businesses have little or no mobile broadband.
-- Just as mobile broadband becomes ever more important, we face a looming shortage of spectrum -- the electromagnetic oxygen on which our mobile networks run.
The starting point to solve these problems is a set of goals that are ambitious but achievable with a national commitment.
U.S. is falling behind in being digitally literate
But we are not even close to realizing the full potential of high-speed Internet, or "broadband," access. Universally deployed broadband networks can be America's engine for enduring job creation, economic growth and tremendous improvements and savings in education, health care and energy conservation.
This vision of world-leading 21st-century broadband networks and their benefits will not occur spontaneously. While the United States invented the Internet, when it comes to broadband we have fallen behind as other nations have raced ahead. Some studies show us to be as low as 15th in the world in broadband adoption; others have us higher, but none puts us even close to where we need to be.
Our nation is at a high-tech crossroads: Either we commit to creating world-leading broadband networks to make sure that the next waves of innovation and business growth occur here, or we stand pat and watch inventions and jobs migrate to those parts of the world with better, faster and cheaper communications infrastructures.
This, of course, is not a choice -- which is why, this week, at the behest of Congress and the president, the Federal Communications Commission is delivering the first National Broadband Plan: a comprehensive strategy for dramatically improving our broadband networks and extending their benefits to all Americans.
The bad news is that we have a long way to go to meet this generation's great infrastructure challenge:
ad_icon
-- Millions of Americans can't get broadband today. Period. With so many of our daily interactions moving online -- including job listings and job training during the worst recession in decades -- that's unacceptable.
-- Tens of millions of Americans with access to broadband have not signed up. Our surveys show that they aren't connected because they can't afford it, don't know how to use it or aren't aware of its potential benefits.
-- The vast majority of us don't have broadband that's fast enough to take advantage of remote video learning or medical diagnostics, or dozens of other existing and emerging applications.
-- An entrepreneur can't run a small business today without broadband, but 26 percent of rural business sites don't have access to a standard cable modem, and more than 70 percent of small businesses have little or no mobile broadband.
-- Just as mobile broadband becomes ever more important, we face a looming shortage of spectrum -- the electromagnetic oxygen on which our mobile networks run.
The starting point to solve these problems is a set of goals that are ambitious but achievable with a national commitment.
U.S. is falling behind in being digitally literate
Europe - Commissioner Kroes on economic growth
[europe] The most urgent actions are getting the banking system working and getting public finances back into shape. Following on from this immediate work is the long-term need to deliver smart growth. I have a role in that as Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, but more broadly smart growth refers to investing more in young brains and getting rid of the barriers that stop our excellent science from getting to global markets.
To give you one example of the barriers to smart growth: protecting a patent is 13 times more expensive in the EU than in the US. How does that help you as entrepreneurs? It does not!
A second example is that we are failing to use the technologies we now have for low-carbon transport and greener farming. Just think of this: we lost 4% of growth because of the crisis, and we can get 1% of it back just by increasing energy efficiency between now and 2020.
Likewise, the environmental protection industry created around 3 million jobs in the past decade, and the clean technology market is forecast to triple by 2030. I want Limburg and other regions to be a part of this high-tech green future.
The Digital Agenda will consist of 6 key themes, which will have an impact on your daily life – both as businesspeople and as citizens:
* Fast internet: this is the backbone of future business. How fast? At speeds like 100 megabits per second, you are sending and receiving important information quicker than you can blink your eyes.
* Digital Single Market: are you sick of it being hard to buy and sell things across borders when you are online? We aim to end this patchwork of national markets.
* Digital Citizenship: you need skilled workers; you want access to online public services; you deserve protection of your rights online. My co-ordinating role will make this a reality sooner.
* ICT research and innovation need greater priority: we don't get amazing new technology by accident. It takes blood, sweat and tears and it also takes money. We will mobilise and create the incentives for more public and private R&D to support entrepreneurs throughout the life-cycles of their innovations.
* Trust & Security: it sounds obvious, but if you don't trust technology you are not going to use it. We are not forgetting this basic fact in our strategy.
* Interoperability: a digital society can only take off if its different parts and applications are interoperable and based on open platforms and standards.
You can see my focus is concrete action. This is all about matching good infrastructure and frameworks with your energy and ideas.
Neelie Kroes Vice President of the European Commission Commissioner for the Digital Agenda Economic growth in Europe Address at TEFAF ICT Business Summit Maastricht, The Netherlands, 12th March 2010
To give you one example of the barriers to smart growth: protecting a patent is 13 times more expensive in the EU than in the US. How does that help you as entrepreneurs? It does not!
A second example is that we are failing to use the technologies we now have for low-carbon transport and greener farming. Just think of this: we lost 4% of growth because of the crisis, and we can get 1% of it back just by increasing energy efficiency between now and 2020.
Likewise, the environmental protection industry created around 3 million jobs in the past decade, and the clean technology market is forecast to triple by 2030. I want Limburg and other regions to be a part of this high-tech green future.
The Digital Agenda will consist of 6 key themes, which will have an impact on your daily life – both as businesspeople and as citizens:
* Fast internet: this is the backbone of future business. How fast? At speeds like 100 megabits per second, you are sending and receiving important information quicker than you can blink your eyes.
* Digital Single Market: are you sick of it being hard to buy and sell things across borders when you are online? We aim to end this patchwork of national markets.
* Digital Citizenship: you need skilled workers; you want access to online public services; you deserve protection of your rights online. My co-ordinating role will make this a reality sooner.
* ICT research and innovation need greater priority: we don't get amazing new technology by accident. It takes blood, sweat and tears and it also takes money. We will mobilise and create the incentives for more public and private R&D to support entrepreneurs throughout the life-cycles of their innovations.
* Trust & Security: it sounds obvious, but if you don't trust technology you are not going to use it. We are not forgetting this basic fact in our strategy.
* Interoperability: a digital society can only take off if its different parts and applications are interoperable and based on open platforms and standards.
You can see my focus is concrete action. This is all about matching good infrastructure and frameworks with your energy and ideas.
Neelie Kroes Vice President of the European Commission Commissioner for the Digital Agenda Economic growth in Europe Address at TEFAF ICT Business Summit Maastricht, The Netherlands, 12th March 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Telecom companies likely to move to volume-based data charges
[zawya] Dubai As users around the world consume more media on smaller devices, expect to see telecom companies move to volume-based data charges, according to Dr Suk-Chae Lee, chairman of KT Corporation, who spoke yesterday at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit.
KT is one of South Korea's largest telecom companies.
Telecom companies around the world are struggling to handle the amount of traffic generated by wireless devices, such as smartphones. A switch to a volume-based fee, he believes, will help them better manage their networks.
"It will be seen if the telecos can handle the amount of heavy traffic that is being created," he said.
He said the iPhone in particular, which is even being used in place of PCs in Korea, was causing problems with broadband networks even in countries with well-developed digital networks.
Surge in usage
He said a surge in wireless usage following the suicide of former president Roh Moo-hyun nearly brought the networks to a standstill in South Korea.
Dirk Meyer, AMD President and CEO, who also spoke at the conference, said that subsidised models may be on the rise.
Subsidised models involve telecom companies reducing the cost of digital devices to encourage subscription use. This will become more prominent, Meyer said, especially as graphically-intense technology, such as voice and facial recognition, become more prominent.
"This is something the companies need to think about as these technologies come online," he said.
Desktops
Jonney Shih, chairman of hardware manufacturer Asus, said that despite the rise in small and medium-sized devices, PCs will still be important because users still need to be able to work on heavy-duty media creation. "Media is still important," he said. "Content is everything."
The changing nature of the media is also forcing changes in the hardware industry. Meyer said the use of touchscreens in forcing hardware makers to invent better natural user interfaces. He also predicted that keyboards and the mouse will gradually begin to fade away.
Lee said the introduction of the iPhone in South Korea was making hardware makers in the country take notice.
He said the popularity of the iPhone was "a slap in the face of Samsung and other mobile phone companies," but that it may also be good for the country in the long run.
Hopefully, the arrival of smartphones [in Korea] will help young people develop an interest in technology, so finally we can begin to compete with Silicon Valley, but not now," he said.
Telecom companies likely to move to volume-based data charges
KT is one of South Korea's largest telecom companies.
Telecom companies around the world are struggling to handle the amount of traffic generated by wireless devices, such as smartphones. A switch to a volume-based fee, he believes, will help them better manage their networks.
"It will be seen if the telecos can handle the amount of heavy traffic that is being created," he said.
He said the iPhone in particular, which is even being used in place of PCs in Korea, was causing problems with broadband networks even in countries with well-developed digital networks.
Surge in usage
He said a surge in wireless usage following the suicide of former president Roh Moo-hyun nearly brought the networks to a standstill in South Korea.
Dirk Meyer, AMD President and CEO, who also spoke at the conference, said that subsidised models may be on the rise.
Subsidised models involve telecom companies reducing the cost of digital devices to encourage subscription use. This will become more prominent, Meyer said, especially as graphically-intense technology, such as voice and facial recognition, become more prominent.
"This is something the companies need to think about as these technologies come online," he said.
Desktops
Jonney Shih, chairman of hardware manufacturer Asus, said that despite the rise in small and medium-sized devices, PCs will still be important because users still need to be able to work on heavy-duty media creation. "Media is still important," he said. "Content is everything."
The changing nature of the media is also forcing changes in the hardware industry. Meyer said the use of touchscreens in forcing hardware makers to invent better natural user interfaces. He also predicted that keyboards and the mouse will gradually begin to fade away.
Lee said the introduction of the iPhone in South Korea was making hardware makers in the country take notice.
He said the popularity of the iPhone was "a slap in the face of Samsung and other mobile phone companies," but that it may also be good for the country in the long run.
Hopefully, the arrival of smartphones [in Korea] will help young people develop an interest in technology, so finally we can begin to compete with Silicon Valley, but not now," he said.
Telecom companies likely to move to volume-based data charges
China - People in the country’s 60 largest cities spend 70 percent of their leisure time online
[mckinsey quarterly] People in the country’s 60 largest cities spend 70 percent of their leisure time online. Seismic changes in the consumer market are likely as a result.
Just how big (or small) a market would Google leave behind were it to pull out of China today? In January, China Internet Network Information Center, the country’s official domain registry and research organization, reported that by the end of 2009, the number of Internet users in China had touched 384 million, more than the entire population of the United States. That’s an increase of around 50 percent over 2008. Moreover, 233 million Chinese—twice as many as in the previous year—accessed the Net on handheld devices, partly because China’s cellular providers started offering 3G services widely last year.
The Chinese are obsessed with the Internet. People in the 60 largest cities in China spend around 70 percent of their leisure time on the Internet, according to a survey we conducted in 2009. In smaller towns, the corresponding number is 50 percent. The PC is fast replacing the TV set as an entertainment hub, and emotions run high over who gets to log on and for how long. In a small city in northwest China, for instance, a man told one of us that domestic squabbles over using the PC got so out of hand that his wife and he discussed spending, for them, a large sum of money to buy another machine—or filing for divorce. They eventually bought a second PC and saved their marriage.
China’s Internet obsession
Just how big (or small) a market would Google leave behind were it to pull out of China today? In January, China Internet Network Information Center, the country’s official domain registry and research organization, reported that by the end of 2009, the number of Internet users in China had touched 384 million, more than the entire population of the United States. That’s an increase of around 50 percent over 2008. Moreover, 233 million Chinese—twice as many as in the previous year—accessed the Net on handheld devices, partly because China’s cellular providers started offering 3G services widely last year.
The Chinese are obsessed with the Internet. People in the 60 largest cities in China spend around 70 percent of their leisure time on the Internet, according to a survey we conducted in 2009. In smaller towns, the corresponding number is 50 percent. The PC is fast replacing the TV set as an entertainment hub, and emotions run high over who gets to log on and for how long. In a small city in northwest China, for instance, a man told one of us that domestic squabbles over using the PC got so out of hand that his wife and he discussed spending, for them, a large sum of money to buy another machine—or filing for divorce. They eventually bought a second PC and saved their marriage.
China’s Internet obsession
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