Presentations from the CEPS Digital Forum - ITS Conference are Available Online!
The final papers from 1st, 2nd and 4th CEPS Digital Forum Working Groups are now online below. See also the draft report of the 3rd Working Group on Critical Information Infrastructure Protection.
The final papers from 1st, 2nd and 4th CEPS Digital Forum Working Groups are now online below. See also the draft report of the 3rd Working Group on Critical Information Infrastructure Protection.
Follow @CEPSdigfor on Twitter for the latest CEPS Digital Forum Updates.
The e-volution in Europe.
CEPS Digital Forum is a platform for debating the policy challenges posed by
the developing of a Digital Internal Market, at a time in which the European
Commission is engaged in shaping the digital agenda for the years to come.
It groups academics, telecommunications operators, broadcasters, equipment
manufacturers, application producers, Internet champions, national
regulators and European institutions, to enable a constructive dialogue on
how to achieve a successful transition towards the information society for
all.
Contacts:
info@cepsdigitalforum.eu
In the news
China Mobile "in talks" with Apple
category: Latest news | posted on 18/05/2012
The world's biggest mobile phone network, China Mobile, could soon offer its customers Apple's iPhone. The Chinese carrier's chairman has confirmed the two firms are in talks. Compatibility issues between the iPhone and China Mobile's 3G network mean that currently Apple's handsets only work on the much slower 2G service. The problem could be resolved with the launch of the next iPhone, rumoured to happen this summer, and when China adopts the 4G standard, analysts say.
Total Telecom Regulatory Summit - 30 May in Brussels
category: Upcoming events | posted on 02/05/2012
On 30 May 2012, Total Telecom and ETNO will host the European Regulatory Summit in Brussels. This one day event will bring together leading regulators, policy makers, and other senior industry executives to discuss some of the fundamental issues facing telecom regulation in Europe and what this means for the future of the industry.
Digital Agenda Assembly 2012 - June 21-22
category: Upcoming events | posted on 01/05/2012
A new online engagement platform was launched to collect feedback and ideas for the Digital Agenda Assembly 2012, which will take place in Brussels on 21-22 June. The goal is to collectively identify relevant evidence and inspiring stories in a series of policy actions which are relevant to the Digital Agenda for Europe.
14-15 June in Stockholm: European Dialogue on Internet Governance
category: Upcoming events | posted on 08/05/2012
The 5th edition of the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDig) will bring together some 500 representatives from civil society, business, governments, parliaments and international organisations to openly discuss the most pressing issues on Internet public policy. Some of these issues will be: Are rules for Internet governance a necessity or a threat to a free Internet? Who should set the rules? How can IP be protected without criminalising users and creators? What tools do users need to protect their personal data? What are the responsibilities of service providers with regard to the enjoyment of rights such as freedom of expression? Are regulations needed to protect network neutrality in Europe?
Security and Privacy in the Digital World - 20 June 2012
category: Upcoming events | posted on 18/05/2012
On 20 June 2012 in, the conference, "Security and Privacy in the Digital World," organized by Eurosmart, the association representing the Smart Security Industry for multisector applications, will be held in Brussels. It will focus on 3 major topics: security of mobile devices, applications and transactions; smart embedded security for the Internet of Things; digital identity and access management for cloud based services.
Milestone for Wi-Fi using the "T-Ray" Band
category: Latest news | posted on 17/05/2012
Researchers in Japan have smashed the record for wireless data transmission in the tetrahertz band, an unchartered part of the electro-magnetic spectrum. The data rate is 20 times higher than the best commonly used wi-fi standard. As consumers become ever more hungry for high data rates, standard lower-frequency bands have become crowded. The research, published in Electronics Letters, adds to the idea that this "T-ray" band could offer huge swathes of bandwidth for data transmission.
Telecoms See BYOD Demand Growing 25% This Year
category: Latest news | posted on 17/05/2012
Survey reveals bandwidth use, increased IT support costs are telecoms operators' biggest concerns in the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) segment. Telecom operators expect enterprise demand for BYOD solutions to grow by up to 25% this year. Bring Your Own Device describes the recent trend of employees bringing personally-owned mobile devices to their place of work, and using those devices to access privileged company resources such as email, file servers, and databases.
ICT Proposers' Day 2012
category: Upcoming events | posted on 17/05/2012
This even, on 26-27 September 2012 in Warsaw, Poland, will offer a networking opportunity to build quality partnerships for participating in the new Information and Communication Technologies Work Programme for 2013. Presentation of project ideas, first-hand information from European Commission officials, practical guidance on how to submit a proposal and more will be provided at the event.
US Customs Review Delays HTC Phone Sales
category: Latest news | posted on 17/05/2012
Shipments of HTC's flagship smartphones to the US are being delayed by a customs review after the Taiwanese company lost a lawsuit against Apple last year, highlighting the real business impact of the smartphone patent wars roiling the industry. The ruling had been seen as an early test case for the many other intellectual property cases between rival technology groups.
Digital Agenda: EU Research Breakthrough will Cut 4G/LTE Mobile Network Energy Use in Half
category: Latest news | posted on 16/05/2012
The Digital Agenda for Europe reports that the EU-funded project EARTH has received the 2012 "Future Internet Award" prize for developing unprecedented energy efficiency solutions for wireless communication networks. Researchers have optimised the energy use of 4G/LTE base stations, which account for the highest energy consumption in the mobile network.
Is Comcast Prioritizing Traffic?
category: Latest news | posted on 16/05/2012
U.S. cable giant Comcast, once again, has some explaining to do. An engineer has conducted experiments that he says show the nation's largest broadband provider is prioritizing traffic--something it's not supposed to do under the conditions the government imposed when the cable company bought NBC-Universal. At issue are the methods and arguments Comcast uses to exempt some of its Xfinity on-demand traffic from its broadband cap.
FCC Wants to Know if Verizon is Warehousing Spectrum
category: Latest news | posted on 16/05/2012
The FCC, the U.S. telecoms regulator, is curious why U.S. telecoms giant Verizon bought a bunch of 4G spectrum back in 2008 but now plans to sell it, because better airwaves have now come along. The FCC is asking Verizon some poignant questions, and though the word "warehousing" is never mentioned it's certainly the direction the FCC is heading.
EU to Impose Compulsory Cyber Defence Rules
category: Latest news | posted on 16/05/2012
The European Commission is planning to force energy, transport and financial companies to invest more in their cyber security and to report on breaches suffered, two EU officials said. "The European Commission will propose by the end of the third quarter of 2012 a new obligation for security breach notifications for the energy, transport, banking and financial sectors," said an official working at the Commission's Digital Agenda department.
BT and TalkTalk Get Low Marks in Broadband Shopper Test
category: Latest news | posted on 16/05/2012
Mystery shopper tests conducted by Ofcom, the UK's telecoms regulator, have revealed that UK providers are failing to inform customers about broadband speeds. While some were usually upfront about the maximum speed users could expect, others were not. TalkTalk and BT were the worst offenders, offering users a speed estimate without prompting in fewer than half of cases.
US Carriers, Policy Groups Join Up to Stop Verizon-Cable Deal
category: Latest news | posted on 15/05/2012
T-Mobile USA, Sprint, rural carriers and advocacy group Public Knowledge have teamed up to oppose the Verizon-cable deal. Called the Alliance for Broadband Competition, the loose-knit group of companies and organizations is committed to opposing Verizon's multi-faceted spectrum sale and cross-selling partnership with the cable operators, but they can't seem to agree on exactly how they would oppose it. If Verizon gets hold of cable operators' Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum, and then sells off its excess 700 MHz licenses as planned, Verizon and AT&T could effectively create private LTE bands, making it difficult for other operators to get devices and sign roaming agreements.
Hungary Mobile Operators Slam Government Telecoms Tax Bill
category: Latest news | posted on 15/05/2012
Hungary's mobile operators Monday slammed a government bill to tax operators on voice traffic, deeming it a direct successor to sectoral levies the government agreed to phase out from 2013. A part of a fiscal overhaul program, the government has proposed several taxes, including the voice-traffic levy, in a bid to hit budget deficit goals of 2.5% of GDP in 2012 and 2.2% of GDP in 2013.
Telenor Says India Bandwidth Auction Steps "Bizarre"
category: Latest news | posted on 15/05/2012
Norway's Telenor ASA said Monday the Indian telecom regulator's suggestion to slightly modify the rules it earlier proposed to auction radio frequencies looked "bizarre" and was a missed opportunity to fix the flaws in its guidelines, and urged the government to avoid steps that would scare away investors. Telenor's Indian unit, Unitech Wireless Ltd., is facing the risk of closing down its operations unless it gets radio bandwidth reallocated.
ETNO Calls for a Sustainable Model of Internet Development and for a Level Playing Field in the Internet Value Chain
category: Latest news | posted on 14/05/2012
Luigi Gambardella, ETNO Executive Board Chair, said in a press release, "The US and the EU should foster continued investment in high-bandwidth infrastructures. It is important to ensure that fair compensation is received for carried traffic. The US and the EU need to support new IP interconnection policies that provide both best effort delivery and end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) delivery. QoS-based delivery allows the deployment of new business models and an improved user experience." ETNO calls for EU and US authorities to put at the centre of their ICT dialogue the sustainability of the current Internet model and the need for a level playing field for all players offering e-communications to citizens.
ITU Says Pricing Still a "Major Obstacle" to Broadband Adoption
category: Latest news | posted on 14/05/2012
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) on Friday said that affordability is one of the main reasons why more than 5 billion people have still never used fixed-line Internet services. The industry body in its latest report highlighted that broadband penetration in industrialised markets has reached 26%, compared to 4.8% in developing countries. To make services more affordable and to encourage network deployment, ITU highlighted the role that national regulators need to play in order to foster investment.
A Third Industrial Revolution
category: Latest news | posted on 14/05/2012
In a Special Report in The Economist, authors say that as manufacturing goes digital, a third great change is now gathering pace. It will allow things to be made economically in much smaller numbers, more flexibly and with a much lower input of labour, thanks to new materials, completely new processes such as 3D printing, easy-to-use robots and new collaborative manufacturing services available online. The wheel is almost coming full circle, turning away from mass manufacturing and towards much more individualised production. And that in turn could bring some of the jobs back to rich countries that long ago lost them to the emerging world.
How Big Data Will Change Networking
category: Latest news | posted on 14/05/2012
Boundary, a startup that has raised $4.1 million and now has 21 paying customers after about 6 weeks of making its subscription networking monitoring service generally available, lets customers see their network operating in real time--every packet and every flow. Each day it gets about 200,000 inbound records a second and generates about a terabyte of data that is processed through its proprietary data store--built using a combination of Scala and Erlang. Real time monitoring, says Boundary's CEO, has allowed customers to see more, see faster and save money.
Surfing the Web Above the Clouds
category: Latest news | posted on 14/05/2012
Despite a number of airlines now offering in-flight internet, also called onboard wi-fi, far from every plane is equipped with the necessary technology. And, often, the costs are sky-high, compared with terrestrial prices, thus not many passengers use it. But this may change soon, say analysts. The recent deal between British satellite telecommunications company, Immarsat, and one of the biggest global aviation suppliers, US-based Honeywell, may help give in-flight connectivity a boost.
European Parliament Approves Lower Roaming Charges
category: Latest news | posted on 11/05/2012
European lawmakers on Thursday approved a plan to extend and lower the EU's limits on mobile phone roaming charges paid by consumers for another five years, and added the first controls on mobile Internet use. In addition to the caps, the legislation adopted by the European Parliament will allow EU residents to buy roaming services from a carrier besides their regular operator beginning in 2014, an attempt to create competition in the market that will lower prices and supplant the need for price controls.
Online Engagement - Digital Agenda Assembly 2012
category: Latest news | posted on 12/05/2012
More than 450 members are now discussing on the online discussion platform which European Commission Vice-President Neelie Kroes launched on 19 April. Outcomes of this debate, and the feedback which the Digital Agenda for Europe pick up from other platforms, will contribute to the next meeting of the Digital Agenda Assembly (Brussels, 21-22 June) and to the review of the Digital Agenda for Europe, to be adopted later in the year.
Intel Sees Hybrid PC "Golden Age"
category: Latest news | posted on 11/05/2012
Intel has challenged Apple's view that tablets will become the preferred form of computing, with its chief executive telling the company's investor meeting that new hybrid PC forms would offer a "no-compromise" experience. Tim Cook, his counterpart at Apple, told analysts last month that Apple saw tablets overtaking PCs in sales, while it would keep separate its iPad and MacBook line, with no plans for a device that could be converted from a traditional laptop into a tablet.
U.S. Wireless Chiefs Plead for More Data Capacity
category: Latest news | posted on 10/05/2012
U.S. Wireless company chiefs used a major industry conference to prod regulators to free up more airwaves to help relieve what they describe as a crippling data capacity crunch. Executives from Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA said the future of data use, such as streaming video and photos, is at risk if more airwaves, or spectrum, aren't put to use. At the CTIA conference in New Orleans, Verizon CEO said the largest carrier will be maxed out in some markets as early as next year and most others by 2015.
Sprint has Big Plans for Small Cells
category: Latest news | posted on 10/05/2012
U.S. telecoms company Sprint plans to make aggressive use of small cells in its future LTE network, launching tens of thousands of tiny high-capacity base stations in high-traffic indoor and outdoor areas in 2013 and 2014. Speaking at a briefing at CTIA Wireless conference in New Orleans, Sprint VP of network development and engineering, Iyad Tarazi, said the end goal of Sprint's small-cell network is a heterogeneous network, or HetNet.
India May Hit Vodafone with $3.75 Billion Tax Bill
category: Latest news | posted on 10/05/2012
India plans to demand about $3.75 billion in taxes from UK telecoms giant Vodafone if parliament approves a law to retroactively tax overseas mergers which have an underlying Indian asset, a senior official said Wednesday. The demand will include a basic tax of about $1.48 billion, a penalty of a similar amount and interest charges of about $790 million, R.S. Gujral, secretary at the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance, said on television.
Interoperability Between Difi and DIGIT in the Area of e-Procurement
category: Latest news | posted on 10/05/2012
As Yuliya Krumova writes, the sending of an electronic invoice across borders should be simpler than sending it by post. However, this is often not the case. Exchanging electronic business documents is subject to several barriers which may impede the data to flow between organisations. The challenge is not only to interconnect information systems, but also to enable the sharing of business processes and meaningful information with a legal context across borders. In the last years, public administrations have been working together to eliminate these barriers through common organisational and semantic agreements.
Mobile Firms Attack "Early 4G" on Everything Everywhere
category: Latest news | posted on 10/05/2012
Three mobile operators have told the UK's telecoms regulator that rival Everything Everywhere (EE) should be blocked from rolling out 4G mobile services before them. EE had asked UK regulator Ofcom for permission to reuse some of its existing spectrum for next-generation data services. During a consultation period, which ended this week, all three UK rivals stated their objection. Ofcom is due to make its decision in June.
Keeping the Internet Neutral
category: Latest news | posted on 09/05/2012
In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission is under siege in Congress--where the phone and cable companies, who provide broadband services, have unleashed their lobbying might over whether high-speed broadband access should be equally open to all or have special fast lanes for those who pay more. In a New York Times article, Eduardo Porter writes that innovation online requires an open playing field for all.
Telefonica Unveils Data-Based Communication App to Challenge Skype
category: Latest news | posted on 09/05/2012
Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica is launching an app that allows smartphone users to make calls and send messages without using up their quota of call minutes or texts. Actions taken by the app, "Tu Me", will instead be deducted from data allowances. It poses a challenge to existing apps including Skype, Viber, and Whatsapp.
Future Internet Assembly - 10-11 May in Denmark
category: Upcoming events | posted on 04/05/2012
Registration is still open for this year's Future Internet Assembly with the theme of "Smart Cities and Internet of Things." The program features discussions on how the future internet can be used to make our cities smarter and become a basis for more innovation and how the architecture of the Internet of Things relates to the future internet.
Ericsson, NSN to Build All Major U.S. LTE Networks
category: Latest news | posted on 08/05/2012
Ericsson is now building every major LTE network in the U.S. T-Mobile revealed on 7 May that its current 3G and HSPA+ equipment suppliers, Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) would handle its new $4 billion LTE rollout, deploying 37,000 next-generation base stations that will support an eventual upgrade to LTE-Advanced.
Nokia Siemens Wants to Shut Off 2G One Frequency at a Time
category: Latest news | posted on 08/05/2012
At CTIA Wireless in New Orleans this week Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has been talking about shutting down its 2G networks. NSN is showing off a technology at the show that will help operators repurpose their old 2G spectrum for mobile broadband by allowing them to gradually shut off small increments of their GSM networks and add that capacity to HSPA.
India Formally Starts Process to Auction Mobile Bandwidth
category: Latest news | posted on 08/05/2012
India's Department of Telecommunications late Thursday invited bids from companies to conduct bandwidth auctions for basic mobile-phone services, initiating the spectrum sale process, even as it has sought clarity on the regulator's auction proposals. Companies have until 11 June to submit bids for 1800-MHz and 800-MHz spectrum.
European Government & Innovation Summit, 8 May 2012
category: Upcoming events | posted on 17/04/2012
The 2012 Ernst & Young European Government & Innovation Summit in Brussels will be held at the Bozar Conference Centre on 8 May. The European conference is an opportunity to connect with the EU and the business community around innovation and to stimulate an ongoing dialogue between both communities. Key note speakers include: Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, Andrea Renda, Senior Research Fellow at CEPS, and Ilaria Rosso, co-founder of Electro Power systems and winner of the first EU Prize for Women Innovators.
Kroes: "The European Public on the Net" and Internet Freedom
category: Latest news | posted on 07/05/2012
Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda spoke at the Internet Freedom Re:publica conference about "The European Public on the Net" in Berlin on 4 May. Ms. Kroes discussed why freedom matters, why it must be protected, and how the European Commission is attempting to do that. She emphasized that "Freedom online can deliver that potential to innovate, but systems that are dated, closed or complex can strangle it." She further said that, as a result, web entrepreneurs are the "key" to Europe's future growth. Ms. Kroes also pushed open standards for open markets and completing the European telecoms single market.
Burden of Obsolescence Becomes More Acute
category: Latest news | posted on 07/05/2012
Keeping systems going even as some of their constituent parts become obsolete is not a new problem. It is, however, an increasingly acute one. In 2000, just more than a 1000 end of life notices--warnings by manufacturers that they are about to stop making certain components--were issued. In 2010, the figure was almost 5000. The main reason is the speed of technological change, according to Stuart Kelly who was the UK Ministry of Defence's expert on the topic.
UK Faces £1 Billion Broadband Shortfall
category: Latest news | posted on 05/05/2012
A £1.1 billion funding gap means the UK government's targets for broadband are unlikely to be met, says a report by the London School of Economics. The government wants 100% access to fast broadband services and 90% access to superfast services by 2015. The report says the government should do more to ensure that underinvestment does not harm the UK economy.
London to Test "Smart City" Operating System
category: Latest news | posted on 05/05/2012
An operating system designed to power the smart cities of the future will be put through its paces in London. Living Plan IT has developed its Urban OS to provide a platform to connect services and citizens. With partners including Hitachi, Phillips, and Greenwich council, it aims to use the Greenwich peninsula as a testbed for new technologies running on the system. The OS aims to connect key services such as water, transport, and energy.
Future Comprehensive Cooperation in ICT Between EU and Japan
category: Latest news | posted on 05/05/2012
Neelie Kroes, Vice President of the European Commission and Mr. Tatsuo Kawabata, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications in Japan, met in Brussels on 3 May to reaffirm their close partnership in the area of ICT. In particular, they discussed Internet policies, Internet security, cloud computing, safer Internet for children, cooperation on ICT R&D, and healthy ageing.
Using ICT to Build Sustainable Cities
category: Latest news | posted on 04/05/2012
Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda, spoke at the "Smart Energy & Sustainable ICT Conference" in Brussels on 3 May about "Using ICT to build Sustainable Cities." She discusses how through new information and communications technology, ICT can help make our cities, which consume 70% of Europe's energy, more sustainable and efficient.
European Regulators May Reopen Street View Inquiries
category: Latest news | posted on 04/05/2012
European privacy regulators said Wednesday that they were considering reopening their inquiries into Google's collection of personal e-mail and Web searches for its Street View service. The move came after revelations that the activity had not been a lone programmer's error, and that others at the company had been told about it. Many regulators in Europe now feel misled by Google.
Delivering Better Public Services Through the Use of Social Media
category: Latest news | posted on 04/05/2012
In a blog by Paul Timmers, Director of "ICT Addressing Societal Challenges" at DG INFSO, he discusses in what areas and how EU action on social media could benefit employability, jobs, and growth across Europe. These questions will be addressed during the Digital Agenda Assembly on 21-22 June in Brussels.
The State of Mobile: Less Talking, Fewer Texts, More Data
category: Latest news | posted on 03/05/2012
People generally talk less on the phone and send fewer text messages now because there are so many ways to communicate over an Internet connection. Though this may seem obvious to anyone who owns a smartphone, a new study confirms the trend. In an independent study on the state of the global mobile industry, Chetan Sharma found that overall text-messaging use is growing, but more slowly, and in some parts of the world, texting is in steep decline. But worldwide revenue from mobile data is increasing steadily.
New EU Strategy for Safer Internet and Better Internet Content for Children
category: Latest news | posted on 03/05/2012
The Commission has set out a plan to give children the digital skills and tools they need to benefit fully and safely from the digital world. The new strategy is to build up the market for interactive, creative, and educational content online, in a partnership between the European Commission and Member States, mobile phone operators, handset manufacturers, and providers of social networking services.
File-sharers Look to VPNs to Overcome Pirate Bay Ban
category: Latest news | posted on 03/05/2012
Young people are increasingly turning to virtual private networks (VPNs) to anonymise their free sharing of music and movies, a new study has suggested. Sweden's Lund University indicated that there had been a 40% rise in the number of 15 to 25 year olds using such services since 2009. Many believe a clampdown on piracy is behind their rise in popularity.
Nokia Set to Respond to Cycles of Change
category: Latest news | posted on 03/05/2012
For a number of "Nokians" - as some Nokia staff call themselves - it is the last three weeks that have been the hardest since the arrival in 2010 of Stephen Elop, chief executive, who is leading the embattled company's turnaround. There was a profit warning, worrying first-quarter loss, and the loss of its investment-grade status by two rating agencies. Nokia also lost the top spot of largest maker of phones to Samsung. Though the company is at a crossroads, Nokia believes it will adapt and succeed in the ever-changing tech marketplace.
Interview with Georg Serentschy, 2012 BEREC Chair
category: Latest news | posted on 02/05/2012
On 26 April Total Telecom interviewed Dr. Georg Serentschy, the 2012 BEREC Chairman, who said that "regulators need to speak more with the investing community." He also discussed the difficulties of reaching the goal of a European digital single market. He talks about the need for regulatory practices to "take divergent national situations into account" and that if there is a "co-relation between copper prices and high speed network investments at all than it's a positive one."
Vodafone India Raises Contract Call Prices 20%
category: Latest news | posted on 02/05/2012
Vodafone India Ltd., a unit of Vodafone Group PLC, Tuesday raised prices of local and intra-city calls for its on-contract customers by at least 20%, indicating increasing stabilization in India's low-priced telecoms market. The tariff hike strengthens the view that a high base price for upcoming 2G re-auction will lead to higher prices for users.
Science and Innovation in Europe: Keys to Tomorrow's Growth
category: Latest news | posted on 02/05/2012
In a publication entitled "The European Files", DG INFSO promotes the need for European cooperation in the strategic fields of innovation. The webzine emphasizes that Europe needs innovation more than ever before to support sustainable growth and create new jobs to replace those lost in the crisis. To keep up with growing global competition, Europe must leave the comfort zone of business.
Convergence - What Does it Mean to You?
category: Latest news | posted on 01/05/2012
Gerard de Graaf, Director of "Audiovisual, Media, Internet" at DG INFSO, writes about convergence in a recent blog post on the Digital Agenda for Europe website. He asks and responds to questions such as: Which innovations do you see emerging? Do you think there are enough legal possibilities to access content online? How can protection of consumers be ensured? What is the impact of convergence on media pluralism? How can we make the most out of the opportunities to transfer content from one device to another?
Judge Blocks Channels to Pirate Bay
category: Latest news | posted on 01/05/2012
Record labels and other content owners have claimed a victory after the High Court ruled that five of Britain's largest broadband providers must block access to Pirate Bay. The ruling against the source of illegal file-sharing used the precedent of last year's Newzbin case.
Google Warns Brussels Over Mobile Payments
category: Latest news | posted on 30/04/2012
Google and PayPal have sounded the alarm in Brussels over a proposed joint venture between Britain's biggest mobile phone operators, warning it could choke the fast-developing mobile payments market. The "Project Oscar" tie-up involves Vodafone, Telefonica's O2 and Everything Everywhere, the merged UK businesses of Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom. According to conclusions from the initial investigation, Europe's top competition watchdog is worried the venture could stunt innovation and shut out rivals.
Campaign to Speed Up 4G Roll-Out
category: Latest news | posted on 30/04/2012
UK mobile network Everything Everywhere has taken fresh steps to lobby for 4G data services in the UK. The firm is urging business leaders and consumer champions to join 4GBritain--a campaign calling on the government "to do whatever is necessary to move forward" with the roll-out.
European Regulator Warns Silicon Valley About Privacy
category: Latest news | posted on 27/04/2012
A European data protection supervisor, Peter Hustinx, urged Silicon Valley companies to innovate in privacy protection or face more regulation. A Microsoft lawyer said no company loses market share by violating privacy. The European Commission has proposed a right to be forgotten, which would allow consumers to demand that personal data, from shopping records to photographs, be deleted forever.
Transition to Digital Broadcasting, Borderline Frequency Coordination, and Digital Dividend
category: Upcoming events | posted on 27/04/2012
ITU Regional Development Forum for Europe will host a Seminar for Europe and CIS on "Transition to Digital Broadcasting, Borderline Frequency Coordination and Digital Dividend" on 7-9 May in Warsaw, Poland. This forum should provide an opportunity for high level dialogue between the ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) and decision-makers of ITU Member States as well as Sector Members on key challenges and actions related to the spectrum management and digital dividend, to better assess strategic orientations that may have an impact on BDT's regional workplan in between World Telecommunication Development Conferences.
Commission Opens Public Consultation on How to Reduce the Cost of Rolling Out High-Speed Internet
category: Latest news | posted on 27/04/2012
The European Commission is seeking views on how to cut the costs of setting up new networks for high-speed internet in the EU. In particular, the Commission wants to explore how to reduce the costs associated with civil engineering, such as the digging up of roads to lay down fibre, which can account for as much as 80% of the total cost. Input is sought from all interested public and private parties including telecoms and utility companies, investors, public authorities, and consumers.
Why European SMEs Need the Digital Single Market
category: Latest news | posted on 27/04/2012
The fragmented nature of the EU's digital single market is preventing many small businesses from reaping the benefits of the Internet and ICTs, writes Ann Mettler and Sylwia Stepien. SMEs that are intensive technology users not only grow and export twice as much as their peers, but also create twice the number of jobs. Greater use of technology is needed in all companies across all sectors.
Why Mobile Data is Such a Cash Cow for Carriers
category: Latest news | posted on 27/04/2012
Verizon and AT&T reported their quarterly earnings in the last week, and they told nearly identical stories: both are making a lot of money just from mobile data--the fees customers pay to reach the Internet over their networks. The CEO of AT&T Mobility said that about 60 percent of smartphone customers were paying for tiered data plans, and of those, 70 percent were choosing the higher-priced plans.
"Coping with Copper" Speakers Question Need for EU Regulation
category: Latest news | posted on 17/04/2012
Yesterday, 26 April, at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels, a conference entitled "Coping with Copper - Regulation and Investment in Telecoms Infrastructure" was held with speakers Robert W. Crandall of the Brookings Institution and Andrea Renda, Senior Fellow at CEPS, about the effect of regulation and subsequent investment in the telecoms industry. Crandall and Renda showed that unbundling does not actually lead to more broadband investment, thus regulation--of copper and fiber--is often not conducive to growth. There was a live Twitter feed running from the beginning of the conference, which can be read @CEPSdigfor.
Liberals Put Last Nail in ACTA Coffin
category: Policy news | posted on 26/04/2012
The liberal ALDE group jumped onto the bandwagon to oppose the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) and declared yesterday (25 April) that they will vote against it, as "too many provisions" were "unclear". This would apparently mean that in case of a vote in plenary by the summer, a majority of MEPs could kill ACTA.
Privacy Controls to be Adopted by Mobile Phone Operators
category: Latest news | posted on 25/04/2012
International mobile operators are set to adopt guidelines designed to give customers more control over how data about them are used. The industry initiative will develop tools to log what kinds of information consumers are happy to share. The action will limit the kinds of data available to marketers and others if a subscriber adds restrictions.
European Watchdog Warns ACTA Could Threaten Rights
category: Latest news | posted on 25/04/2012
A European data protection watchdog has added its voice to growing criticism of proposed anti-piracy legislation. The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) said that the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) might have "unnacceptable side effects" on individaul rights, perhaps giving internet providers the right to spy on users, breaching European Union law. ACTA must be rubber-stamped by the European Parliament to come into force.
Change of Tone Could Help Google in European Antitrust Case
category: Latest news | posted on 25/04/2012
For the past two years, Google has worked hard to avoid facing formal antitrust charges in Europe that could mean years of expensive litigation and encourage the authorities in other parts of the world to take comparable action. But the European Commission could bring charges against the U.S. company for abusing its dominance in the search and advertising market in the next few weeks. But there remains hope for a deal that would spare Google--that hope is the result, at least in part, of a changed environment in Brussels and the role played by Joaquin Almunia, the EU's competition commissioner.
eHealth Week 2012 - Innovation/SME Village
category: Upcoming events | posted on 25/04/2012
For the first time ever, eHealth Week is launching the Innovation/SME Village, at this year's event in Copenhagen, Denmark from 7-9 May. This platform offers the unique opportunity for Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to showcase their products, services and technology solutions.
Google Drive to Offer Free Storage in the Cloud
category: Latest news | posted on 24/04/2012
Google is expected to shortly launch a major new consumer service offering cloud-based storage for photos and other online content. The effort--dubbed Google Drive--is likely to offer 5 gigabytes of free storage with more available for a monthly fee. It would challenge services including Dropbox and Microsoft's SkyDrive.
Kroes: Investing in Our Digital Future
category: Latest news | posted on 24/04/2012
Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda spoke about "Investing in Our Digital Future" at the COSAC Conference of National Parliaments in Copenhagen on 24 April. Ms. Kroes' message is "simple" to invest in the internet economy--such as wireless internet which is "key to our competitiveness"--in order to make the overall economy grow in the future. She points out studies that show that investment in ICT capital is among the most productive there is. Ms. Kroes pushes for three main digital needs: high-speed networks to provide bandwidth; a skilled, digitally literate workforce; and the legal framework to open up a vibrant digital Single Market.
The Shifting Landscape from PCs and Web to Mobile
category: Latest news | posted on 24/04/2012
Google and Facebook, young and successful companies that they are, risk being left behind as technology shifts from PCs and Web browsers to mobile devices. Why? One theory is that the employees of Google and Facebook don't function as much in the "real" world--i.e. using mobile devices frequently--because they are given so many comfortable perks at their work campus locations.
European Commission and Parliament: Building the e-EU Together
category: Latest news | posted on 24/04/2012
Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda spoke yesterday in Brussels at a Structured Dialogue with ITRE Committee about "The European Commission and Parliament: Building the e-EU together." Ms. Kroes calls for a legal framework that opens up a vibrant digital Single Market; a proper network infrastructure; and human capital to help access tomorrow's economic and social opportunities.
Creating a New Culture by Building New Technologies
category: Latest news | posted on 23/04/2012
Nearly every tech company of significance, it seems, is building technologies that are producing an entirely new kind of culture. Ebay, in theory, can turn anyone on the planet into a merchant. Amazon Web Services gives everyone a cheap supercomputer. Twitter and Facebook let you publish to millions. And tools like Google Translate allow us to transcend old language barriers. If tech is building a new culture, with new senses of the private and the shared, the failure of overstepping boundaries--and the controversies and lawsuits it is bringing--is also the only way to learn where those boundaries have shifted. But to the outsiders, it can look a lot as if the companies are playing "catch us if you can" by continually testing, and sometimes exceeding, boundaries.
Multinational Knowledge Brokerage Event on Sustainable Consumer Electronics
category: Upcoming events | posted on 23/04/2012
In Vienna, Austria, from 30 May to June 1, 2012, the "Green ICT for Growth and Sustainability?" event will be held by Responder, bringing together representatives from science and policy and address various topics in the field of sustainable ICT, focusing on its contribution to economic growth and sustainable consumption.
Ultra-Fast Broadband - Policy & Practice, 21 May 2012
category: Upcoming events | posted on 21/04/2012
On 21 May in Brussels, Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda will give a keynote speech at the above titled conference organised by the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA). Some of the topics that will be discussed include: Do we need industrial policy to achieve Digital Agenda targets? Will the market deliver the Commission's broadband targets on its own or should policy-makers be more pro-active? Should we favour fibre-to-the-home or be technology neutral? Should pricing be used to incentivise investment in NGA? Should policy-makers favour "infrastructure competition" or a "one-network" approach?
Treaty to Give New Impetus to ICT Sector Development
category: Latest news | posted on 21/04/2012
European operators meeting at a joint ITU and ETNO event have agreed that upcoming revisions to the treaty that governs international telecommunications should act as a positive catalyst for the future development of ICT, to benefit all countries. Meeting in Brussels this week to discuss preparation for the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12) which will be held in Dubai, 3-14 December, ITU representatives described the mechanisms for input into the WCIT process.
European Data Forum 2012, 6-7 June in Copenhagen
category: Upcoming events | posted on 21/04/2012
The European Data Forum 2012 (EDF2012) on 6-7 June in Copenhagen, Denmark, will offer a platform for industry, research, policy-makers and community initiatives to discuss the challenges of Big Data and the emerging Data Economy and to develop suitable action plans for addressing these challenges. Topics discussed will range from novel, data-driven business models, to technological innovations and societal aspects.
Delivering Savings for Europe: Moving to Full e-Procurement for All Public Purchases by 2016
category: Latest news | posted on 21/04/2012
Electronic procurement (e-procurement) refers to the use of electronic communication by public sector organisations when buying supplies and services or tendering public work. Increasing the use of e-procurement in Europe can generate significant savings for European taxpayers says the European Commission. These savings would maximise the efficiency of public spending in the current context of fiscal constraints.
What Does it Mean to be Open Online?
category: Latest news | posted on 20/04/2012
Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda spoke about what it means to open online at the World Wide Web Conference in Lyon, France on 19 April 2012. She discussed the idea that the Internet is built on the idea that every device can talk to every other, using a common, open language, which is why it continues to grow. She further discussed how standards can help the Internet continue to stay open and grow, improving such fundamental values as freedom of speech. Finally, she focused on the importance of Innovation, which can give more people around the world more opportunities.
Innovation Centres Often Victim of Chaotic Public Finance Rules
category: Latest news | posted on 20/04/2012
The European Union has bet big on Innovation as a source for growth, but one the ground, the finances of many regional research agencies and competitiveness clusters are endangered by conflicting public finance rules reports EurActiv France. For example, France has long provided significant public support to joint projects for small and medium enterprises to encourage their research and business. However, during a July 2011 audit, the European Commission found that EU structural funds in the French region of Champagne-Ardenne were being used to finance projects with a majority of public funds, violating EU competition rules mandating that such actions can only be 50% publicly financed.
Building the Companies of the Future
category: Latest news | posted on 20/04/2012
Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda spoke about "Building the Companies of the Future" at the European CIOs of the Year ceremony in Brussels on 19 April 2012. Ms. Kroes spoke about the importance of embracing the change and disruption ICT brings. She said that future opportunities will come mainly from two particular resources: physical and human capital and high-speed broadband and digital skills. In the end Ms. Kroes proposed the idea of forming a "grand coalition for ICT jobs," asking for the CIOs help in supporting future ICT opportunities.
European Core Telco Revenues to Decline 1.8% per Year Until 2015
category: Latest news | posted on 19/04/2012
Europe's telco sector will see core revenues decline by 1.8% per year through 2015 unless operators make dramatic changes, including cost-cutting and moving into new sectors, warned a joint study by Arthur D. Little (ADL) and Exane BNP Paribas on Tuesday. The report warns that emerging market growth opportunity will slow.
Verizon to Sell Spectrum if it Can Buy More from Cable Companies
category: Latest news | posted on 19/04/2012
Verizon Wireless, the U.S. telecoms giant, is prepared to sell some parts of its radio spectrum, revealing Wednesday that if it gets permission to buy some cable operators' 4G airwaves it will "rationalize" its spectrum holdings by discarding extra 700 MHz licenses it picked up at auction in 2008. The two deals would basically make Verizon's LTE rollout a lot easier, allowing it to focus its 4G efforts on two big frequency blocks nationwide. But it would also kill any hope of interoperable LTE smartphones and tablets across U.S. carriers' networks.
The Future of Mobile: A Segment Analysis by GigaOM Pro
category: Latest news | posted on 19/04/2012
As our demand for data increases, so too do the number of mobile devices and services. Add to that the infrastructure needed to support such connectivity, and a wide, complex picture of the mobile industry emerges. This report examines the various sectors of the mobile landscape and what the future holds for each.
C&W Confirms Ongoing Talks with Vodafone as Tata Withdraws
category: Latest news | posted on 19/04/2012
U.K. telecommunications company Cable & Wireless Worldwide PLC said Wednesday that it remains in talks with Vodafone Group PLC about a potential takeover bid from the operator, as Tata Communications Ltd. said it won't make an offer for C&W Worldwide. The Indian conglomerate said it had been unable to agree to a price with C&W Worldwide.
U.S. Carriers Warn of Crisis in Mobile Spectrum
category: Latest news | posted on 18/04/2012
AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint say they need more radio spectrum, the government-rationed slices of radio waves that carry phone calls and wireless data. The U.S. wireless carriers say that in the next few years they may not have enough of it to meet the exploding demands for mobile data. The result, they ominously warn, may be slower or spotty connections on smartphones and tablets. They imply in carefully couched language that, given the laws of supply and demand, the price of cellphone service will soar. But some scientists and engineers say the companies are playing a game that is more about protecting their businesses from competitors.
New Study on Shared Spectrum Access
category: Latest news | posted on 18/04/2012
The European Commission published a study last week on the socioeconomic value of shared spectrum access and its impact on competition, innovation, and investment. Shared spectrum access is defined as a situation in which two or more users are authorized to utilize the same frequencies on a non-exclusive basis based on a predetermined sharing agreement. The report noted the emergence of a strategic partnership between the mobile telecoms and broadcast industries. This could lead to new hybrid audiovisual services and an integrated vision of the use of the UHF band in the future. The report also highlights the need for regulatory approval of "white space" technology.
Commission Concerned About Future High Mobile Rates in Estonia
category: Latest news | posted on 18/04/2012
The European Commission put a hold on a proposal by the Estonian Competition Authority (ECA) to impose some of the highest mobile termination rates (MTRs) in the European Union from mid-2012 until mid-2015. The Commission is concerned that ECA's proposed pricing methodology does not fully follow the method set out in EU telecoms rules and will lead to durably excessive MTRs and ongoing consumer harm.
France Consults on FTTH Obligations
category: Latest news | posted on 18/04/2012
The French telecoms regulator, ARCEP, has launched two public consultations, respectively on the implementation of the obligation to deploy Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) networks in isolated areas and on legal issues raised by the final connection of fibre networks to the home. The consultation is running until 25 May.
Greece Adopts New Telecoms Law
category: Policy news | posted on 18/04/2012
The new Greek electronic communications law, transposing among other things the 2009 EU Telecoms Package, was voted on and accepted by the Greek Parliament on 10 April and will soon enter into effect.
Investigation Opened into Mobile Commerce Joint Venture
category: Latest news | posted on 18/04/2012
The European Commission opened a merger investigation on April 13 into the proposed creation of a joint venture in the UK between Vodafone, Telefonica, and Everything Everywhere in the field of mobile commerce. The Commission's preliminary investigation indicated potential competition concerns in the nascent markets of mobile payment applications supply, mobile advertising, and related data analytics services, where the joint venture may have very high market shares.
Investigation into New Wholesale Prices in France Opened
category: Latest news | posted on 18/04/2012
The European Commission sent an article 7 letter on April 13 to the French telecoms regulator, ARCEP, opening an Phase II investigation into its plans to set higher mobile termination rates (MTRs) for Free Mobile, Lycamobile, and Omea Telecom. The Commission questions ARCEP's justification of higher MTRs on the grounds that it is more expensive for new companies to provide call termination rates.
Notion to Raise $150 Million Cloud-Focused Fund
category: Latest news | posted on 17/04/2012
Notion Capital of the UK is close to raising $150m for a new fund to invest in cloud-based technology companies, one of very few European technology-focused venture capital firms to have been able to attract investment in the last year.
EU Parliament's Draftsman Urges ACTA Rejection
category: Latest news | posted on 13/04/2012
British MEP David Martin, in charge of steering the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) through the European Parliament, said yesterday (12 April) that he would urge lawmakers to reject the controversial treaty. Martin (Socialists and Democrats) cited fears that the agreement could discourage generic drug supplies to developing countries, and presents an outdated concept of intellectual property. “We have to modernise our approach to intellectual property rights. There is a risk that ACTA will freeze it in its current form,” he said. The Parliament’s approval is necessary to ratify the international agreement.
EU Public Consultation About "Internet of Things" Now Open
category: Latest news | posted on 16/04/2012
The EU has opened a Public Consultation about governing the "Internet of Things" (IoT) in the future. IoT refers mainly to "the next technological revolution": communication with and among objects. The consultation is open from April 10th to July 10th, 2012 and is open to all citizens, organizations, and public authorities.
Greening the Cloud
category: Latest news | posted on 16/04/2012
Everything is going online--or into "the cloud"--as it has become known. We expect access to our emails, photos and files from any device. With zettabytes of data to process and deliver, data centres are becoming major power consumers. An EU-funded project, coordinated by Dr. Emre Ozer, an R&D Staff engineer at chip technology company ARM, is using some clever 3D design to build an energy-efficient super server chip.
Iraq Emerges from Isolation as Telecommunications Hub
category: Latest news | posted on 16/04/2012
Iraq, cut off for decades of technological progress because of dictatorship, sanctions and wars, recently took a big step out of isolation and into the digital world when its telecommunications system was linked to a vast new undersea cable system serving the Gulf countries. The new cable will speed Internet and telephone traffic to India in the East and Sicily in the West. From there, traffic moves onto other networks to connect to the rest of the world.
MTN Defends Operations in Iran
category: Latest news | posted on 16/04/2012
MTN, the emerging markets mobile phone group, mounted a blistering defense of its Iranian operations after rival Turkcell made a series of spectacular allegations in a $4.2 billion lawsuit. The South African group last week described the allegations, which include claims that it bribed officials and used its influence to get South Africa to abstain from a vote on Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency, as "unfounded" and "simply ludicrous".
Oracle and Google's Android Copyright Row Trial Begins
category: Latest news | posted on 16/04/2012
Oracle's claim that Google violated several of its patents and copyrights goes to trial in a San Francisco court on Monday. It is one of the biggest such tech lawsuits to date. Oracle is claiming about $1 billion in compensation.
EU Investigates Internet's Spread to More Devices
category: Latest news | posted on 13/04/2012
The European Commission is extending a probe into the spread of the internet. The regulator says it expects an explosion in the number of household appliances and other devices connected to the net before 2020. It is launching a consultation over controls of the way information is gathered, stored and processed, saying it wants to "ensure the rights of individuals are respected".
Vivendi Caught Unaware by Telecoms Rival
category: Latest news | posted on 13/04/2012
French group’s operator SFR comes under attack from upstart competitor as Vivendi chief assumes control of SFR.
Is 4G Really 10X Faster?
category: Latest news | posted on 12/04/2012
We’ve all heard the commercials and seen the ads. The major cellular carriers are rolling out their shiny new 4G networks, and they’re promising speeds “up to 10 times faster” than regular 3G networks. They also toss the term “LTE” around as if it were going out of style. Cellular marketing hype has only added to the confusion. For instance, Apple’s iOS 5.1 update changed a descriptive label in the iPhone 4S UI from 3G to 4G, and nobody is quite sure if it means anything. For most people, 4G feels a little faster, but not anything close to the 10 times we were promised.
Informa's 8th Annual 3G, HSPA+, and LTE Optimisation Conference
category: Upcoming events | posted on 12/04/2012
Informa's 8th annual 3G, HSPA+ and LTE Optimisation will be held in Prague, Czech Republic from 17-18 April is an essential event in the calendar, bringing together the global mobile ecosystem to debate and analyse issues surrounding managing traffic, future connectivity and collaborations across the value chain.
Telecom CEM World Congress 17-19 April
category: Upcoming events | posted on 12/04/2012
From 17-19 April in Berlin, Germany, the Telecom Customer Experience Management (CEM) World Congress will be held, offering a variety of speakers and discussions to operators and industry players.
IPTV Boost as Fibre Spreads Across US
category: Latest news | posted on 12/04/2012
Continued expansion of North American fibre to the home (FTTH) has seen the number of households connected directly into optical fibre networks grow by 13% as telcos of all sizes continue to upgrade to next-generation fibre to the home technologies. According to the data released by the Fibre-to-the-Home Council Americas 900,000 households across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean were upgraded to FTTH service since April 2011, as the total number of North American homes with all-fibre connections surged past eight million. In the region FTTH is now being offered to 19.3 million homes on the continent, 95% of which are in the US.
Vast Majority of LTE Devices Support 700-Mhz Band
category: Latest news | posted on 12/04/2012
A GSA report reveals LTE device makers orientated around the fast-growing U.S. market. The vast majority of LTE devices are designed to be compatible with U.S. networks, it has emerged this week. The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) said in a report late Thursday that of the 347 LTE devices that have so far been unveiled, 170 run on U.S. digital dividend spectrum in the 700-MHz band. By comparison, 94 devices operate in the 2.6-GHz band, and 72 in the 800-MHz band, which are the two frequencies commonly adopted by European countries.
U.S. FCC Rule Change Aims to Extend Reach of Broadband White Space
category: Latest news | posted on 12/04/2012
The government has traditionally been wary of allowing the use of TV white spaces for wireless Internet services, but caution is slowly giving way to greater acceptance. Late last week, the Federal Communications Commission amended its rules around deploying white spaces broadband in rural areas. At the top of the list of changes, the FCC announced it is increasing the height at which white spaces receivers can be placed on towers in order to accommodate hilly terrain and improve signal reach. The FCC also said it is changing the rules around channel emission limits, and allowable power spectral density.
Waiting For the Coalition's Vision For Australia's Future
category: Latest news | posted on 12/04/2012
There is still a lot of chest beating going on, but in reality Australia's Coalition’s views have been moving closer to the NBN as it is currently being rolled out. Over the last few years there has been more or less bipartisan support for the structural separation of Telstra and for the fixed wireless broadband and satellite networks – in the case of the latter, at least support for the need for such a service. There is also acceptance of the fact that NBN Co is here to stay, albeit perhaps subject to change.
Loop Telecom to Shut Operations in Most India Areas
category: Latest news | posted on 12/04/2012
Indian mobile operator Loop Telecom asked the government for a $645 million refund for cancellation of 21 of its 22 licences. Privately-held Loop Telecom Pvt. Ltd. Tuesday said it will shut shop across all of India except for Mumbai, which accounts for 3.25 million of the company's 3.26 million subscribers in the country.
EIF Special Event on Cloud Computing
category: Latest news | posted on 12/04/2012
In a European Internet Foundation Special Event round table discussion, Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, talked about cloud computing. The event was recorded on YouTube.
Kroes Warns Italian Government on Telecom Law
category: Latest news | posted on 12/04/2012
A newly-passed Italian law affecting maintenance provisions for its telecommunications network raises concerns about the independence of the country's regulatory authorities, the European Union Vice-President, Neelie Kroes, said Wednesday.
Interview with Ben Verwaayen, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent: A Drop in Copper Prices is Not Likely to Trigger New Investments
category: Latest news | posted on 12/04/2012
ETNO Digital interviewed Ben Verwaayen, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent. Among the topics discussed are investments and regulation, the role of Europe, European single and national ICT markets. To read it, go to ETNO Digital.
A Turning Point for Mobile
category: Latest news | posted on 11/04/2012
Right now, at a time when the mobile start-up Instagram can command $1 billion in a sale to Facebook, some start-ups are asking: Who needs the Web? Smartphones are everywhere now, allowing apps like Foursquare and Path to be self-contained social worlds, existing almost entirely on mobile devices. It is a major change from just a few years ago, underscoring how the momentum in the tech world is shifting to mobile from computers.
Key Specifications for Interoperability Developed by EU and Agreed to by WC3
category: Policy news | posted on 11/04/2012
The European Commission has reached an agreement with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) on the sustainability of key specifications to facilitate interoperability, across borders and sectors, between public administrations in Europe and beyond.
Why Facebook Bought Instagram
category: Latest news | posted on 11/04/2012
Om Malik of GigaOm reports that Facebook was very scared by Instagram's success and knew that for first time in its life it arguably had a competitor that could not only eat its lunch, but also destroy its future prospects. Why? Because Facebook is essentially about photos, and Instagram had found and attacked Facebook’s achilles heel — mobile photo sharing.
Workshop on Revising the International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs) - Preparations for WCIT-12
category: Upcoming events | posted on 20/03/2012
The International Rules for Telecommunications (ITRs) are to be revised at the next World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12) due to be held in Dubai in December. 19 April 2012 in Brussels will be an opportunity to adapt the ITRs to better reflect today's telecoms market and the innovation that has occurred since 1988, when the rules were last negotiated. The workshop is organised by the European Telecommunications Network Operators' Association (ETNO) in cooperation with International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
A Ballooning Megabyte Budget
category: Latest news | posted on 10/04/2012
Cellphone carriers have always kept close tabs on how many minutes we use each month. Now, in the smartphone era, more people are being forced to think about how many megabytes of data they are using. But what, exactly, counts as a megabyte? Most people can count their minutes easily, but there is no intuitive or natural way to gauge data use for users.
Network of Excellence in Internet Science - Plenary Meeting
category: Upcoming events | posted on 04/04/2012
From 10-11 April in Brussels, the Plenary Meeting of the Network of Excellence (NoE) will be held. The objective of NoE is to allow an open and productive dialogue between all the disciplines which study the Internet systems under any technological or humanistic perspective, and which in turn are being transformed by the coninuous advances in Internet functionalities and applications.
Companies Risk Fines Over New Data Rules
category: Latest news | posted on 10/04/2012
Most British companies have failed to prepare for new data protection rules due to come into force next month amid fears the measures will make it much harder for websites to secure commercially valuable information about their users. About 95% of UK companies have yet to comply with the regulations, which require websites to get permission from consumers to use the tracking "cookies" that monitor people's internet habits, according to KPMG, the consultancy.
4G: A Stream of Positive Thoughts
category: Latest news | posted on 09/04/2012
The Financial Times was given an advance glimpse of the first 4G consumer trials in the UK, in London, this summer, by operator O2. Operators such as O2 hope 4G services will support data-intensive services in heavily populated areas. FT says that 4G is a major improvement over 3G and that if implemented properly, media consumption and online communication on the go will be much easier.
China's Mobile Base Hits 1 Billion
category: Latest news | posted on 06/04/2012
China's mobile phone user base hit 1 billion at the end of February. The number of mobile users went up by 20.67 million in the first two months of this year to reach a total of 1.01 billion, the China Daily writes citing a statement by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The number of 3G mobile users increased by 15.5 million in the first two months to bring the total to 143.92 million. The number of internet users with broadband access grew by 4.96 million to reach a total of 154.96 million at the end of February.
India Supreme Court Rejects Pleas to Review Telecom Order
category: Latest news | posted on 06/04/2012
India's Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the pleas of seven telecommunications companies to review its February order cancelling their licenses to provide communication services, effectively ending their hopes of a reprieve and putting in jeopardy billions of dollars invested in the country by local and foreign companies. The court also dismissed a similar plea filed by former telecom minister Andimuthu Raja, but postponed hearing the Indian government's petition to review parts of the order to April 13.
Italy Passes Telecoms Law; EU Concerned
category: Policy news | posted on 06/04/2012
Italian lawmakers on Wednesday approved legislation to open up the country's telecoms market despite concerns from the European Commission and telecoms operators such as Telecom Italia that it may undermine the national regulator's independence and power.
Poland to Raise Several Billion Zlotys in Spectrum Auction
category: Latest news | posted on 06/04/2012
The government expects to raise several billion zlotys in license fees from telecommunications companies bidding to use frequencies for operating high-speed Internet, said Tomasz Arabski, the prime minister's chief of staff. Poland's Electronic Communication Office said earlier it wanted to launch tenders for the 800 megahertz frequency range, to be vacated by the army, next year.
ENISA's New Guide for Monitoring Cloud Computing Contracts
category: Latest news | posted on 06/04/2012
The EU's cyber security agency, ENISA, has launched a new guide for IT procurement teams, focusing on continuous security monitoring throughout the life-cycle of a cloud contract. The publication builds on groundwork done by ENISA in 2009, when the agency produced an assurance framework and tool for IT teams to assess the security of service providers before making a decision to move to the cloud.
New Broadband Commission Climate Report Confirms Technology is the Key to a Low-Carbon Future
category: Latest news | posted on 06/04/2012
Broadband can help transition the world towards a low carbon-economy and address the causes and effects of climate change, according to a new report just released by the Broadband Commission for Digital Development. The report urges governments to harness the power of information and communication technologies to dramatically cut emissions.
Five Member States Subscribe to All of Commission's Aims
category: Latest news | posted on 06/04/2012
Twenty-two member states have made national plans in the field of high-speed broadband in answer to the European Commission's objectives on the matter, according to a 30 March Commission working document on the implementation of these plans.
Australia's NBN Begins Large-Scale Network Rollout
category: Latest news | posted on 06/04/2012
Two of Australia's Internet service providers (ISPs), iiNet and Internode, have taken the wraps off their National Broadband Network (NBN) service launch plans after the government pledged to extend the nationwide wholesale network to 3.5 million premises within the next three years.
Divide Between Tech-Savvy Countries Widens
category: Latest news | posted on 05/04/2012
A new digital divide is opening up between countries that make effective use of information and communications technology, and those that do not, argue the authors of a new report published Wednesday by Insead and the World Economic Forum. The report compares the availability and use of technology in 142 countries and focuses this year on what the authors describe as "the transformational impacts of ICT on the economy and society."
Lancashire Agrees to Rural Broadband Deal
category: Latest news | posted on 05/04/2012
Lancashire has become the first UK county to agree to a deal to roll broadband out to rural areas. It will use some government money and has partnered with BT which will also be providing funding. The government wants to improve rural broadband and councils have been given until the end of April to get projects up and running. The deal will be a model for public-private partnership that Europe's broadband industry will watch closely.
Commission Sides With Business on ACTA
category: Latest news | posted on 05/04/2012
The European Commission took a stance Wednesday in favour of a quick adoption of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), against the will of the European Parliament, which plans to reject it in a plenary vote by the summer. EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, a promoter of ACTA, called on the European Parliament to "respect the European Court of Justice and await its opinion before determining its own position on ACTA."
Will Sprint's Network Catch Up With Its 4G LTE Phone?
category: Latest news | posted on 05/04/2012
The newest phone from HTC on the Sprint network will have the words "4G LTE" in its name--even though Sprint hasn't finished building a network that uses 4G LTE technology yet. This underscores a problem for Sprint: if it doesn't build out that network in a hurry, it risks falling behind its competitors AT&T and Verizon.
Commission Warns Against Slow Take Up of Ultra-fast Internet
category: Latest news | posted on 04/04/2012
The European Commission renewed its warning against the "moderate" migration from copper to fibre in telecoms networks, as markets expect EU long-awaited guidelines on how to foster investment in so-called Next Generation Access to ultra-fast Internet. "In general, migration to NGA is taking place at a moderate pace," reads a Commission working document circulated among experts last week.
Motorola Mobility's Patent Lawsuits Investigated by EU
category: Latest news | posted on 04/04/2012
Motorola Mobility's patent lawsuits have become the subject of two investigations by the European Commission. It follows complaints by Apple and Microsoft after Motorola tried to block sales of their products. They said that Motorola, which is in the process of being taken over by Google, had failed to license "essential" technologies on fair and reasonable terms.
U.S. Willing to Share Airwaves with Commercial Users
category: Latest news | posted on 04/04/2012
The U.S. government is will to share some of its airwaves with wireless service providers to help them meet increasing demand for services such as mobile Web surfing. The proposal made last week would give wireless companies access to another 95 megahertz of spectrum--almost 20% of the target set by the Obama administration for freeing up airwaves for broadband use.
India's 2G Scandal and the Aftermath
category: Latest news | posted on 04/04/2012
The 2G scandal that broke in late 2010 has continued to put the Indian government under enormous political pressure. Within six months of the telecommunications minister A Raja resigning, charges had been laid. This is the second instance of a former cabinet minister of the ruling party being charged with corruption. In early 2011 the new telecom minister Kapil Sibal committed to putting in place a transparent regime to manage such telecom regulatory issues such as licensing, spectrum allocation, telecom tariffs and pricing. But more complications and uncertainties in India's telecom industry have ensued.
Regulators Face Tough Choices on LTE Spectrum
category: Latest news | posted on 03/04/2012
One of the key decisions facing US regulator FCC this year will be whether to reserve any spectrum in the next round of auctions for new entrants, and/or restrict the ability of Verizon and AT&T to gain the biggest allocations. There has always been a difficult balance to strike for regulators, between expanding competition and ensuring that operators are sufficiently financially stable and spectrum-rich to be viable. This has got far worse in LTE, because to deliver the full performance of 4G, carriers need to be able to deploy wide channels, plus they are trying to build up more capacity for the data explosion and for the rising number of MVNOs in many countries.
Telecoms Sector Leading in Patent Applications
category: Latest news | posted on 03/04/2012
The telecommunications and IT sectors filled the highest number of patent applications with the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2011, with over 14,600. The court cases between the giants in the field--Microsoft, Apple, and Samsung--are evidence of this.
Interview with CEO of Deutsche Telekom, Rene Obermann
category: Latest news | posted on 03/04/2012
ETNO interviews Rene Obermann, CEO of Deutsche Telekom about why the German telecom giant is changing. Mr. Obermann discusses cloud services, partnerships with innovative internet companies, governments and regulators, and fibre access, among other topics.
Mobile Broadband Demands Set to Soar
category: Latest news | posted on 02/04/2012
Ofcom, the UK's telecommunications regulator, is looking into ways to free more radio spectrum to satisfy the UK's vast appetite for mobile broadband. Demand for high mobile data rates could grow 800-fold between 2012 and 2030, the communications regulator suggests. Operators will need help to meet this demand, said Ofcom, which is asking the industry about the best way to do it.
Commission Staff Working Document on the Implementation of National Broadband Plans
category: Latest news | posted on 02/04/2012
As part of the Digital Agenda governance and in order to support Member States' efforts, the Commission has now published a Staff Working Document. It summarises the current state of play in national broadband plans and fosters a mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge on good practices between countries by assembling examples of national implementation measures.
Smart Energy and Sustainable ICT Conference
category: Upcoming events | posted on 02/04/2012
On 3-4 May 2012 in Brussels, the European Commission will hold a conference on sustainable ICT, smart grids and smart cities. It will bring together policy makers and stakeholders such as telecom companies, energy providers, regulators and consumer organisations. It will provide a platform for discussing the challenges of deploying smart grids
EU Deal Paves Way for Dedicated Roaming Providers
category: Latest news | posted on 02/04/2012
The new roaming price caps deal struck by the European Commission with the European Parliament paves the way for the introduction of dedicated roaming providers and further retail price caps. The new rules will see consumers given the option from July 2014 to take out a mobile roaming contract offered by a separate service provider from their own operator, but keep the same phone number.
www2012 16-20 April in Lyon
category: Upcoming events | posted on 26/03/2012
The 2012 World Wide Web Conference is a yearly international conference on the topic of the future direction of the World Wide Web. The conference, this year held in Lyon on 16-20 April, brings together researchers, developers, users and commercial ventures. This year's conference will focus on "openness" in web technologies, standards and practices.
Commission to Refer Doubts on ACTA to EU Court
category: Policy news | posted on 02/04/2012
The European Commission confirmed on March 28 that it plans to ask the EU Court of Justice for an opinion on the conformity of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement or ACTA with European Union law.
Copenhagen Declaration Signed at End of e-Skills Week
category: Latest news | posted on 02/04/2012
Governments, industry, NGOs, academics and other stakeholders from thirty-one countries as well as the European Commission called for further action to implement the Europe 2020 Strategy, a Digital Agenda Flagship Initiative focusing on jobs for growth. The signatories of the Copenhagen Declaration also committed to being more competitive through investment in ICT and ICT skills, to foster IT leadership, to encourage life-long education and training and to invest in innovation.
Mobile Firms Bleed Billions to Fraud and Bill Errors
category: Latest news | posted on 30/03/2012
Juniper Research found operators were "leaking" revenue to the tune of $58 billion a year worldwide because the complexity of networks made fraud and errors harder to spot. The problem is worst in Africa and the Middle East, where 15% of revenue is lost annually, compared with 1% in Europe and about 2.8% in North America.
Smartphones Now Half of All U.S. Mobiles
category: Latest news | posted on 30/03/2012
As of February, 49.7% of U.S. mobile owners have smartphones, according to the latest figures by Nielsen. Additionally, the research group found that more than two-thirds of new phone buyers in the last three months opted for smartphones over feature phones. If growth continues at this rate, smartphones could account for 70% of all U.S. mobile devices by next year.
Roaming Deal Means More to EU than Telecoms
category: Latest news | posted on 29/03/2012
Though the price of roaming is but a small part of Europeans' holiday budgets, the issue has been the subject of repeated regulations--and EU rhetoric--since 2007, when caps first appeared for voice calls. For all the bluster around the issue, European telecoms groups say privately that fighting roaming price cuts is scarcely a priority when they lobby EU policy makers. Much more important to telecoms is how Brussels is changing the rules of the game, sometimes in technical ways, in areas that are far closer to their core revenue streams.
Can White Space Fill in the Broadband Gaps?
category: Latest news | posted on 29/03/2012
Rory Cellan-Jones of the BBC reports about an experiment which could help the UK achieve the government's slightly unlikely goal of leading Europe in broadband provision. The Isle of Bute is the site of a pilot of the technology called White Space, which seems to be ideally suited to fill in gaps in broadband coverage. BT, which is running the trial, is hoping that it will be part of the answer to reaching the 10% of the population which won't be served by the market, or by the various government schemes to bring fast fibre to remote areas.
Deutsche Telekom Calls for Cooperation and Open Access to Push High Speed Network Rollout
category: Latest news | posted on 29/03/2012
In an interview with ETNO Digital, CEO Rene Obermann said: "I believe in open access and Deutsche Telekom will let its competitors use the fibre network. On the other hand, we seek access to their infrastructure as well." He later said, explaining why he is seeking partnership, "Cooperation makes sense to safeguard effective capacity utilisation and to push the broadband rollout."
Working Paper of WP4 on the Economics of Cloud Computing Now Available
category: Academic papers | posted on 07/03/2012
Working Group 4 of the CEPS Digital Forum has completed the final draft of a working document on the economics of cloud computing. As the text is still open for consultation all contributions from the CEPS Digital Forum members are welcome. The final version will be available soon once all contributions are integrated. Click here to download.
Fewer Europeans Ready for Computer Revolution
category: Latest news | posted on 29/03/2012
Young Europeans are getting fewer degrees in computer science, according to statistics released a week after a policy expert warned the European Commission that regulators are not keeping up with the pace of technological change. New Eurostat figures show that 3.4% of students across the 27 EU countries graduated in computer science in 2009, compared with 4.0% in 2005, with a mixed picture across individual countries.
EU Announcees Plans to Set Up Centre to Fight Cybercrime
category: Latest news | posted on 29/03/2012
The European Commission has announced plans to set up a dedicated centre to fight cybercrime. "[It] will bring together some of Europe's best brains in the field of cybercrime," said Cecilia Maimstrom, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, at a press conference in Brussels. Based in The Hague, it will be housed alongside Europol, the pan-European police force.
European Lawmakers Reach Deal to Extend Caps on Roaming Fees
category: Policy news | posted on 28/03/2012
European lawmakers on Wednesday agreed to extend the European Union's system of retail price controls on mobile phone roaming charges for five years, and enacted the first price caps on mobile Internet fees paid by traveling smartphone users--capped at 70 cents a megabyte, falling to 20 cents by 2014. The new price controls will serve as an extension of a cap on roaming fees for voice service and text messaging that have been in effect in the EU since 2007.
Pressure Grows on Europe to Act Against Google
category: Latest news | posted on 28/03/2012
As EU antitrust investigators prepare final recommendations in a case against Google, a prominent consumer group is calling for tough sanctions, warning that the U.S. technology giant may be using its power to the disadvantage of Internet users. The director general of the European Consumers' Organization, in a letter to Joaquin Almunia, the E.U. antitrust commissioner, said Google "may have abused its position in the search market to direct users to its own services and secondly to reduce the visibility of competing Web sites and services."
ETNO Participates in EU Smart Grids Task Force
category: Latest news | posted on 28/03/2012
Through its Communication on Smart Grids in 2011, the European Commission decided to extend the activities of the Smart Grids Task Force (SGTF). Results of the SGTF have so far included recommendations for standardisation, consumer data privacy and security. Key challenges for the Task Force, which will deliver its first findings at the end of the year, will include smart grids standards, regulatory recommendations for data privacy and data protection in the smart grids environment and for smart grids deployment and infrastructure roll out.
The Benefits of Rural Broadband Access
category: Latest news | posted on 28/03/2012
Urban locations may offer support networks not apparent in the countryside, but in Barnard Castle, near Staindrop in County Durham, England, Emma Hignett, a professional voice over artist, can access support including advice on marketing, search engine optimisation and back-up broadband at the NeST Business and Community Hub, a rural satellite of Middlesbrough-based DigitalCity Business. The public-private body is encouraging the growth of digital businesses, in urban and rural Teesdale. The attractive countryside has helped the area retain Teesdale's largest employer, a GlaxoSmithKline plant.
Cullen Reports a Fall in Wholesale Charges for Copper Access Over Past 10 Years
category: Latest news | posted on 28/03/2012
Between December 2000 (the date of adoption of the LLU Regulation) and December 2011, the simple EU-15 average of monthly rates for physical access fell by 33% (from €13.40 to €8.96), notes a report from Cullen International published March 26. Taking into account inflation, the single average EU-15 montly LLU charge went down 51% from December 2000 to December 2011.
Security Issues Damaging Huawei's Growth
category: Latest news | posted on 27/03/2012
Less than four years after Huawei Technologies and Symantec teamed up to develop computer network security products, the joint venture is being dismantled mainly because Symantec feared that the alliance with a major Chinese telecom company would prevent it from obtaining United States government classified information about online security threats. Huawei's growth is also being hurt in Australia because of security-related concerns. The Australian government has blocked it from bidding on contracts in the $38 billion Australian National Broadband Network, citing security concerns.
The Consequences of the Mobile Standards Compromise
category: Latest news | posted on 27/03/2012
The technical standards for mobile phone Sim cards in Europe has become the subject of a public argument among some of the industry's biggest companies. Apple's attempt to force adoption of its own design against a rival standard proposed by Nokia and other big handset makers smacks of technical arrogance and raises the issue of intellectual property control, but there is more to this as well. If Apple's so-called nano-Sim design is adopted in preference to the new micro-Sim proposed by others, it will inconvenience other hardware makers who have planned their future devices around a different format. And Apple will be left with patent control over an industry-wide standard design.
FCC Seeks Tougher Consumer Privacy Rules
category: Latest news | posted on 27/03/2012
The U.S. government's chief consumer protection agency said on Monday that it intended to take direct aim at the vast industry that has grown up around the buying and selling of information about American consumers. The FCC called on Congress to enact legislation regulating so-called data brokers, which compile and trade a wide range of personal and financial data about millions of consumers from online and offline sources. The legislation would give consumers access to information collected about them and allow them to correct and update such data.
Computer Skills in the 27 EU Member States in Figures
category: Latest news | posted on 27/03/2012
In anticipation of e-skills week, 26-30 March, Eurostat has released data on university graduates in computing and computer skills of individuals. The European e-Skills week 2012 is a European campaign focused on raising the interest of young people in ICT.
Europe Changes Tone on Telecommunications Initiatives
category: Latest news | posted on 26/03/2012
By creating the world's dominant mobile phone technology standard in the 1980s, Europe and the companies that worked on the effort, like Ericsson and Nokia, played a major role in the birth of the global wireless industry. But three decades later, industrywide initiatives are no longer in vogue in Europe. This month, the European Commission's powerful competition directorate said it was examining a series of meetings that had been held since late 2010 by the chief executives of the five largest mobile operators in Europe who may have colluded in order to try to develop standards. In 1982, Europe essentially sanctioned the same form of collaboration when it developed the GSM standard, which now covers more than 90% of the world's population.
European e-Skills Week 2012, March 26-30
category: Upcoming events | posted on 21/03/2012
The European Commission has launched the European e-Skills Week 2012 from 26-30 March to mobilise stakeholders to inform young people on how to acquire e-skills and find jobs in the digital economy. By 2015, 90% of jobs will need e-skills. The number of ICT practioners in Europe was 4.7 million in 2007 and is forecast to reach 5.26 million in 2015.
France Telecom-Orange Makes "10 Commitments" to Support Digital Agenda
category: Latest news | posted on 26/03/2012
At an Orange event held last week in Brussels, with Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, in attendance, Orange made 10 specific commitments to help support the EU Digital Agenda. The plans cover a range of areas of importance to the future of digital communications and were chosen specifically to coincide with the aspirations contained in the Commission's initiative.
Myanmar Hearing Calls to Reform Telecom Market
category: Latest news | posted on 26/03/2012
Myanmar is considering plans to open its underdeveloped telecommunications market to large-scale foreign investment, a senior regulator said. Khin Maung Thet, director-general of Myanmar's Post & Telecommunications Department, said in an interview that a new communications law is being studied to create four new telecommunications licenses in the country, with the licenses available both to local and foreign investors.
Australia Passes Universal Service Reform Legislation
category: Latest news | posted on 26/03/2012
Australia has passed the last major piece of legislation underpinning the National Broadband Network (NBN) and the structural reforms to the telecommunications sector, namely the universal service reform legislation. The reform moves from a regulatory model for delivery of universal service, with obligations imposed directly onTelstra and other service providers, to a more accountable and flexible contractual model.
Indian Budget Expects $7.95bn From Sale of Telecom Bandwidth
category: Latest news | posted on 26/03/2012
India expects to raise at least INR 400 billion ($7.95 billion) through auctions of bandwidth for telecommunications services in the next fiscal year that begins April 1, the federal budget shows. The expected proceeds will be key to New Delhi's plans to increase non-tax revenue at a time when slowing economic expansion is weighing on tax revenue, while expenses are set to grow.
IctQATAR Issues Qatar's First Radio Spectrum Policy
category: Latest news | posted on 26/03/2012
Qatar's telecoms regulator ictQATAR has issued its first comprehensive Radio Spectrum Policy, which aims to balance the allocation of spectrum between the public and private sectors, and includes radio spectrum allocation and national frequency allocation.
FCC Proposal Could Help Dish Wireless Plan
category: Latest news | posted on 26/03/2012
FCC regulators proposed on Wednesday a path for making satellite airwaves available for mobile broadband use, a rule that could help Dish Network Corp launch a wireless cellphone network. The proposal is in line with the FCC's push to free up more airwaves to meet the booming demand for mobile devices like Apple's iPad tablet and Google's suite of Android-powered smartphones.
AT&T Executive Cicconi Again Bashes FCC
category: Latest news | posted on 26/03/2012
AT&T Executive James Cicconi, who serves as AT&T's senior executive vice president for external and legislative affairs, strongly criticised the FCC last week during the Free State Foundation's fourth annual Telecom Policy Conference. Cicconi has been a persistent critic of the current FCC's decisions and has further stepped up his attacks on the agency's policies after the FCC helped kill AT&T's proposed $39 billion merger with T-Mobile last year.
Report on Indian Mobile Broadband Market
category: Latest news | posted on 26/03/2012
ABI Research has put together a report that focuses exclusively on th 3G and 4G mobile services market in Inida. It discusses the general market situation and some of the current regulatory issues and marketing challenges faced by industry players.
Industry Warns Against Tariffs Proposed by MEPs
category: Latest news | posted on 26/03/2012
The EU could stand in the way of the growth of new online mobile telephony operators warned new operator Transatel to members of the European Parliament's Committee on Industry (ITRE), who have voted to lower international roaming tariffs.
Data Agreement is Still "Missing piece of the puzzle"
category: Latest news | posted on 26/03/2012
A strong transatlantic agreement on personal data protection is needed to ensure progress is made in such diverse areas as technological progress and fighting terrorism, EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said last week. "This continues to be a missing piece of the puzzle and a source of constant political concerns and also some legal uncertainty," she said in a speech on data protection.
Europe Criticises Hungary's Media Watchdog
category: Latest news | posted on 26/03/2012
Hungary's media watchdog lacks transparency, has excessive powers and is staffed on a political rather than a professional basis, according the Europe's main human rights body. The report by the Council of Europe adds to the growing criticism of legislation passed by the centre-right government of Viktor Orban, prime minister, since his election almost two years ago.
Commission Asks ECJ to Fine Portugal Over Exclusion of Companies from Providing Universal Service
category: Latest news | posted on 23/03/2012
The European Commission has asked the European Court of Justice to impose a fine on Portugal because it has not respected a 2010 Court judgment requiring it to follow EU telecoms rules when deciding who should provide universal service in Portugal. The Commission is suggesting a lump sum of €39,984/day and a daily penalty payment of 7571 until the obligations are fulfilled.
Securing and Sharing Content in the Cloud
category: Latest news | posted on 23/03/2012
One of the challenges facing companies with digital assets stored in the cloud is just how they secure their intellectual property while still enabling legitimate access particularly among collaborating employees. One of the ways to do so is to deploy specialist cloud-based collaboration tools that facilitate secure sharing. The Financial Times talked with Barrie Hadfield, chief technology officer and co-founder of SkyDox, about this issue.
Microsoft Targets Chinese Smartphone Market
category: Latest news | posted on 23/03/2012
Microsoft is trying to stem the slide in market share of its mobile operating system in China with a push into the low-end smartphone market. Bringing the price of Windows smartphones down to Rmb 1000 ($158) in the Chinese market was the target, said Simon Leung, the company's chief executive for Greater China. "We will continue to drive the price down," he added.
Commission Takes Hungary to Court Over Telecom Tax
category: Latest news | posted on 22/03/2012
The European Commission will refer Hungary to the European Court of Justice on 22 March over its special telecommunications sector tax, as the country's tense relationship with Brussels comes under further pressure. Hungary introduced the measure in 2010 to try to reduce its budget deficit. Documents obtained by Reuters show Hungary will be referred to the ECJ, Europe's highest court, under the EU's infringement process.
Commission Queries OPTA's Regulatory Plans for Dutch Business Broadband Customers
category: Latest news | posted on 22/03/2012
The European Commission has decided to investigate whether the Dutch telecoms regulator OPTA should oblige KPN (the main Dutch telecoms operator) to give alternative operators access to its infrastructure so they can also offer high-speed broadband connections to business customers. The Commission has serious doubts about whether OPTA's decision not to regulate access to KPN's fibre-to-the-office (FttO) networks and to high-quality wholesale broadband is compatible with EU telecoms rules.
Ten Super-connected Cities Announced by UK
category: Latest news | posted on 22/03/2012
UK Chancellor George Osborne has announced which cities will benefit from a £100m pot of Treasury cash aimed at making them "super-connected". He also announced a further £50m to improve net access in 10 unnamed "smaller cities". Mr. Osborne said that he wanted the UK to become "Europe's technology centre".
Internet Speeds May Lag at London 2012 Olympic Games
category: Latest news | posted on 22/03/2012
Already hailed as the "Twitter Games", experts are warning that internet speeds at the London 2012 Olympic Games may be slow because of the deluge of data as events get under way. It has led the Internet Service Providers' Association to warn of a "massive hit on the infrastructure". Businesses could struggle with bandwidth if they allow employees to watch the games at work, it said.
Will Cloud Computing Make Factories Digital?
category: Latest news | posted on 21/03/2012
In a blog by Erastos Filos, DG INFSO, Coordinator Intelligent Manufacturing Systems/ICT for Factories of the Future, he discusses how cloud computing could impact manufacturing. Mr. Filos writes about the roundtable discussion he had at CeBIT and how ICT has a major role to play in advancing European manufacturing.
Ovum: Italian Legislature's Move is Potentially Pro-Competitive, but could Upset the EC
category: Latest news | posted on 20/03/2012
The Italian parliament is in the process of approving rules related to the liberalization of several services across different sectors. One of the amendments to the bill presented by the government obliges Telecom Italia (TI) to present separate prices for the fully unbundled local loop core service and for ancillary services such as line activation and maintenance. In principle the measure is good for competition, but, Ovum says, we must wait to pass judgment in this regard until the evidence of its actual impact on both competition and, in turn, retail prices, is in.
ETNO Calls for a Consistent Data Protection Framework on Both Sides of the Atlantic
category: Latest news | posted on 20/03/2012
On the day of the annual EU Conference on Privacy and Data Protection in Brussels and Washington D.C., ETNO says that Commissioner Reding has been instrumental in placing a sound legislative proposal on the table to help strengthen the privacy rights of European citizens while lessening the administrative burden for businesses. The telecommunications operators' association says that "The EU proposal for a Data Protection regulation is a first step towards establishing a sound and future proof framework."
How Digital Are We? Digital Agenda Scoreboard 2011
category: Latest news | posted on 20/03/2012
For information on how Europe is progressing on its scores for the Digital Agenda targets, go to the Digital Agenda Scorecard 2011. The Digital Agenda is part of the overall Europe2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. It identifies 13 key performance targets to show whether Europe is making progress in this area.
EU Demands Google Response to Privacy Worry
category: Latest news | posted on 20/03/2012
European data protection authorities have asked Google to respond to concerns about the search engine's new privacy policy, which came into force at the beginning of March. France's National Commission for Computing and Civil Liberties (CNIL), the lead agency representing regulators in Europe, has written to Larry Page, Google CEO, saying it "deeply regrets that Google did not delay the application of the new policy." Last month, CNIL had asked Google to postpone implementation of its new privacy policy.
Telecom Firms in Scramble for Cashless Mobile Wallets
category: Latest news | posted on 19/03/2012
The United Kingdom's three largest mobile operators filed an application with the European Commission for approval of a new cashless mobile wallet venture last week, joining a Dutch proposal under consideration by the EU executive against a background of growing international competition. Consortia in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Hungary are eager to develop platforms for rolling out mobile wallets.
Telecoms Antitrust Probe Details Revealed
category: Latest news | posted on 19/03/2012
Europe's top antitrust enforcer last month forged ahead with an investigation into whether the continent's five largest telecoms groups rigged mobile technology standards, in spite of their chief executives offering personal assurances to work through a pan-industry body. Documents from the investigation seen by the Financial Times give fresh insight into a decision by Joaquin Almunia, Europe's competition regulator, to challenge the industry and press on with a probe into telecoms executives, querying whether they potentially colluded "to the detriment of third parties and consumers".
UK is the "Most Internet-Based Major Economy"
category: Latest news | posted on 19/03/2012
The internet contributes to 8.3% of the UK economy, a bigger share than for any of the other G20 major countries, a new study suggests. The "internet economy" was worth £121bn in 2010, more than £2000 per person, researchers at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said. The UK also carries out far more retail online than any other major economy.
MEPs Hold Firm on Lower Roaming Charges
category: Latest news | posted on 19/03/2012
Members of the European Parliament pledge to stick to the lower range of their proposed price caps for roaming charges. A recent report by national regulators found that providers' costs for these services are likely to remain below the higher caps originally suggested by the Commission and backed by many member states.
Sprint Nextel Cancels Agreement with LightSquared
category: Latest news | posted on 19/03/2012
LightSquared, the broadband wireless start-up backed by Philip Falcone's Harbinger Capital, has had a further serious setback in its plans to launch a nationwide wholesale network based on LTE technology. Sprint Nextel, the third-largest US mobile operator by subscribers, cancelled an agreement with LightSquared under which it would have built and operated the new LTE network and returned a $65 million pre-payment to the start-up.
EU Regulators Say Telecoms Block Skype
category: Latest news | posted on 16/03/2012
Mobile telecom companies regularly block voice over IP (VoIP) and prevent services such as Skype from functioning on their networks, the group that represents EU telecom regulators (BEREC) says in the preliminary findings of a much-awaited report on internet neutrality. "BEREC preliminary findings on traffic management practices in Europe show that blocking of VoIP traffic is common," the group said in a statement.
WSIS Forum 2012 on 14-18 May in Geneva
category: Upcoming events | posted on 16/03/2012
From 14-18 May in Geneva, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2012 will beheld by the United Nations. The summit was initiated in order to create an evolving multi-stakeholder platform aimed at addressing the issues raised by information and communication technologies (ICTs) through a structured and inclusive approach at the national, regional, and international levels. The 2012 WSIS Forum will be hosted by ITU.
Telecoms Face EU "War of Attrition"
category: Latest news | posted on 16/03/2012
The relationship between European Union regulators and the region's largest telecoms groups was already strained, but tension reached new levels this week with the top competition body admitting it is concerned that meetings between the five powerful operators could lad to collusion. Regardless of whether or not there is any evidence of collusion at the "E5" meetings--which were openly held and in the presence of a lawyer--industry insiders are concerned that the two parties' "war of attrition" threatens to undermine plans to roll out high-speed next-generation mobile and fixed-line networks across Europe.
Commission Insists that Latvian Consumers Should Benefit from Joined-up Mobile Networks
category: Latest news | posted on 16/03/2012
The European Commission has suspended the plans of the Latvian telecoms regulator which could make it difficult for Latvian consumers to contact friends, family or businesses who use a different mobile network.
ETNO Announces Workshop on Revising International Telecommunication Regulations
category: Upcoming events | posted on 15/03/2012
ETNO, in co-operation with ITU, announced a workshop in Brussels on April 19th entitled "Revising the International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs) - Preparations for WCIT 2012" that will gather a range of high level industry speakers from across the globe, including speakers from the ITU, ISOC, the Council of Europe, the European Commission, Ambassador David Gross and US Ambassador to the EU, William Kennard.
Telecom Italia: EU Telecoms Firms Acted Transparently
category: Latest news | posted on 15/03/2012
In response to the European Commission's request of information concerning possible collusion by Europe's five largest telecom operators, the head of Telecom Italia said on Wednesday that European telecom companies have acted transparently and always informed the European Union. The European watchdog has sent a questionnaire, which represents an information-gathering process and is not an official probe, to Vodafone, France Telecom, Telecom Italia, Deutsche Telekom, and Telefonica, as well as to the telecom operators' trade group, the GSMA.
Deutsche Telekom to Have First Fiber Cooperation with an Energy Supplier
category: Latest news | posted on 15/03/2012
For the first time Deutsche Telekom is cooperating with a power supplier to operate a high-performance optical fiber network to provide a city, Chemnitz, with broadband internet. The regional provider, Eins Energie, in Sachsen, will construct the infrastructure and Deutsche Telekom will operate the network. Residents will be able to download from the Internet at speeds of up to 200 megabits per second.
Canada Plans Spectrum Caps to Boost Mobile Competition
category: Latest news | posted on 15/03/2012
The Canadian government announced a range of measures aimed at improving competition in the mobile industry, including relaxing foreign ownership restrictions and reserving spectrum for smaller operators. Under the proposals presented by Industry Minister Christian Paradis, the Telecommunications Act will be amended to lift foreign investment restrictions for telecom companies that hold less than a 10 percent share of the total Canadian telecommunications market. In upcoming spectrum auctions, the government will also impose caps to ensure that the larger operators do not acquire all the available spectrum.
Cybersecurity Bills Duel Over Rules for Firms
category: Latest news | posted on 15/03/2012
In the U.S., a bipartisan Senate bill to bolster cybersecurity has sparked a competing proposal from Republicans wary of new regulations for businesses, a signal that burgeoning anti-government fervor has begun shaping nation-security measures. The White House-backed proposal would require companies that own computer networks integral to key critical infrastructures like electric-power systems and nuclear reactors to meet certain cybersecurity standards. The Republican alternative omits provisions for critical infrastructure security.
India Mulls President's Reference on License Cancellation Court Order
category: Latest news | posted on 15/03/2012
The Indian government is considering approaching the country's President, Pratibha Patil, for seeking the Supreme Court's opinion on its recent ruling revoking teleocommunications licenses, a top government official said Saturday. India's Supreme Court on February 2nd ordered scrapping of 122 licenses for second-generation phone services issued to several companies in 2008 on complaints of corruption in their allotment.
Cable Europe Concerned about Dutch Proposals
category: Latest news | posted on 15/03/2012
European cable industry executives are concerned about two Dutch draft legislative amendments that aim to implement the EU telecoms package of 2009. They cited their concerns about the Dutch proposals last week and in a meeting with Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes.
Brussels Probes Possible Telecoms Collusion
category: Latest news | posted on 14/03/2012
Europe's biggest telecoms companies are facing the threat of a European Commission probe focusing on whether meetings between their top executives led to possible collusion. In the first stage of an antitrust action, Brussels competition officials have demanded information about discussions between the leaders of the five largest telecoms groups in Europe, after they met to debate industry issues.
BEREC Expresses Concern Over Italian Legislature Moves to Undermine Regulator's Independence
category: Latest news | posted on 14/03/2012
In a press statement, BEREC said "It is with great concern that BEREC, the network of European telecoms regulators, has learned of the recent passage by the lower house of the Italian Parliament of a government decree purporting to regulate the terms of access to Telecom Italia's network." BEREC believes that the integrity and independence of national governments is being threatened and asks for the European Commission to take action.
UK May Get 4G Network in 2012
category: Latest news | posted on 14/03/2012
The UK's first mainstream 4G mobile service may launch later this year, says Ofcom. The regulator says it has received an application by Everything Everywhere to use its existing spectrum to offer the higher-speed service. It says it does not believe the move by the owner of Orange and T-Mobile networks would distort competition.
France Telecom to Invest in Fledgling Tech Groups
category: Latest news | posted on 14/03/2012
France Telecom and Publicis Groupe will invest €150 into three funds promoting fledgling technology businesses in the latest attempt by large European communications groups to tap into the high growth digital industry. Large telecoms groups such as France Telecom have been investing behind such venture capital funds to provide access to the next wave of technological innovations in the sector.
New Step in Telecoms Unbundling Finds Tough Hurdles
category: Latest news | posted on 13/03/2012
An attempt by the Italian Parliament to further liberalise telecom services has spurred an unprecedentedly tough reaction from top European operators and regulators that say the changes could protect vested interests. With an amendment added last minute to a draft law meant to reduce red tape, the lower chamber of Parliament introduced a new liberalisation measure in Italy's telecoms market. MPs decided to allow so-called last-mile operators to choose their own repair and maintenance providers for telephone exchanges, which link the infrastructure between telecom networks to a customer's home. Currently Telecom Italia selects the providers of these services and negotiates prices on behalf of third-party operators.
Content Providers and Operators at Peace
category: Latest news | posted on 13/03/2012
This year alone, mobile network operators will invest a total of $204bn in capital to build, update and maintain their networks and generate $1.9tn in industry revenue, of which about $1.1tn will be mobile operator revenue, according to GSMA trade association. Mobile operators would like to capture a higher percentage of industry revenues but they increasingly emphasise a desire to co-operate with content providers rather than confront them. It marks a subtle but important shift in the way the two traditionally hostile groups view each other.
Arm's Latest Processors Aim to Stretch Internet's Reach
category: Latest news | posted on 13/03/2012
Arm Holdings has unveiled what it describes as the "world's most energy-efficient microprocessor" design. Arm says it paves the way for "the internet of things"--the spread of the net to a wider range of activities. Two firms, NXP Semiconductors and Freescale, have already licensed the technology from the British firm. "It opens up all devices to the potential of being connected all the time," Freescale's Geoff Lees told the BBC.
BT Calls on EU to Recognise Long-Term Strategic Role of Copper
category: Latest news | posted on 13/03/2012
Denying companies the appropriate recovery of costs relating to copper access, including on sunk and fixed assets, will deter investment in fibre assets, says BT in its NGA paper. Expropriating copper asset values would discourage investment in fibre. BT also insists that technology changes mean that FTTC is increasingly able to meet the Digital Agenda targets and copper will have a permanent role in the network.
Multinational Knowledge Brokerage Event on Sustainable Consumer Electronics
category: Upcoming events | posted on 12/03/2012
From 30 May-June 1 in Vienna, Austria, this event will bring together representatives from science and policy and address various topics in the field of sustainable ICT, focusing on its contribution to economic growth and sustainable consumption. The aim of the international consortium of researchers is to connect scientific evidence on sustainable consumption and production (SCP) with policy makers' needs for the decision making process on SCP issues.
May 23-25: eLearning Africa 2012
category: Upcoming events | posted on 12/03/2012
From 23-25 May in Cotonou, Benin, eLearning Africa will hold its 2012 international conference on ICT for development, education and training. It aims to bring together decision-makers from governments and administrations with universities, schools, governmental and private training providers, industry and key partners in development cooperation.
One Step Closer to a Digital Single Market by 2015?
category: Latest news | posted on 10/03/2012
In a blog by Jorgen Abild Andersen, Director General Telecom, Danish Business Authority, he describes the four main messages developed during the recent Copehagen conference on developing a digital single market by 2015. Abild says that most participants, as well as past statements by the European Council and a letter from 12 European heads of state, called for a digital single market sooner rather than later and that the conference debate was ultimately summarized by four key messages: connectivity, trust, digital mindset, and data.
EIF Special Event on Cloud Computing
category: Upcoming events | posted on 09/03/2012
On 27 March 2012, European Internet Foundation (EIF) will hold the EIF Special Event on Cloud Computing in Brussels. "The Cloud", as the conference programme states, is changing the way the world uses digital tools and technologies. As the EU system moves toward a more formal and focused assessment of the policy implications of cloud computing, the special EIF event under the chairmanship of EIF political members will feature workshops bearing directly on three core cloud policy themes: interoperability including data portability, security and data privacy, and public sector and cloud computing.
The 2012 European Cloud Computing Conference
category: Upcoming events | posted on 02/03/2012
On 21 March 2012, Forum Europe will host the European Cloud Computing Conference in The Hotel, in central Brussels. it will be an opportunity to hear from professionals from the technology industry, EU policymakers and other stakeholders for a debate on the current state and the future of Cloud Computing in Europe.
India Releases Spectrum for 4g Mobile Broadband Services
category: Latest news | posted on 09/03/2012
Spectrum in the 700MHz band is to be made available for fourth generation (4G) mobile broadband services in India, following an agreement between the country's Information and Broadcasting Ministry and Department Telcommunications (DoT). The ministry had wanted to use the 700MHz spectrum for mobile TV services; however, the band has been allocated for wireless broadband, in line with international standards. This will enable the delivery of video content at high speed to mobile devices, as well as other data rich internet-based applications.
Arab Leaders Put Spotlight on Regional ICT Investment Projects Potentially Worth $46bn
category: Latest news | posted on 09/03/2012
At International Telecom Union's Connect Arab Summit in Doha 5-7 March, industry and government leaders attending identified market opportunities worth over $46 billion for new regionally focused projects designed to enhance ICT access, applications and services throughout the region. The investment opportunities identified by the Summit focused around key priorities for the region, including building a regional Arab ICT highway, developing e-services, empowering local people through training and human capacity building, leveraging ICT for youth job creation, strengthening cybersecurity, and protecting Arab heritage and culture.
Egypt Minister Sees Telecom Tender Within 4 Weeks
category: Latest news | posted on 09/03/2012
Egypt will launch a tender for mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) licenses within four weeks, the country's communications minister said on Tuesday. MVNOs are mobile phone service providers which lease excess network capacity from telecom operators.
Ofcom's CEO: Increase Dynamic Spectrum Access
category: Latest news | posted on 09/03/2012
Ed Richards, chief executive of British regulator Ofcom, said in a speech in Brussels that dynamic spectrum access, long discussed, debated, and researched, is now ready for widespread use. In the past, technological constraints have held back the development of dynamic spectrum access; this is no longer the case--constraints are now essentially of regulation and policy. The grounds for moving the vision of dynamic spectrum access from academia to implementation are now very powerful.
Serentschy: Platform Competition Most Effective to Drive Competition and Progress
category: Latest news | posted on 09/03/2012
Georg Serentschy, chair of BEREC 2012 (Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications), has told the Cable Congress Policy Session, that platform competition is the most effective way to drive competition and speed up progress. Serentschy also said that wholesale prices for broadband should not face sudden and significant cuts. He empasized that it was the role of the regulator to take into account the needs of the operators and form a bridge with the needs of the consumer.
Negotiations Focus on Tariff Ceilings and LBO
category: Policy news | posted on 09/03/2012
Negotiations, agreed by the European Parliament and the Council on 7 March, about the draft regulation on roaming will mainly focus on tariff ceilings for retail and wholesale prices, as well as on the introduction of a technological solution "local breakout", known as LBO.
Twelve Countries Defend Liberal Outlook
category: Policy news | posted on 09/03/2012
The debate on the reform of copyright in the EU promises to be more than lively, with, on the one hand, the defenders of the protection of copyright online--such as France; and, on the other hand, the countries that are in favour of a broad reform.
Kroes: Unblocking the Broadband Bottleneck
category: Latest news | posted on 09/03/2012
On 8 March European Commissioner responsible for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, spoke in Brussels to the Cable Congress of the European Cable Communications Association about unblocking the broadband bottleneck. She spoke mainly about significantly investing in Europe's broadband infrastructure and innovation. By unblocking investment, supporting a mix of technologies, and cutting risk and costs, Commissioner Kroes aims to stimulate innovation, creativity, and, ultimately, the economy.
Commercial Trials of "White-Space" Technology Set to Begin in Cornwall
category: Latest news | posted on 08/03/2012
Commercial trials of so-called "white-space" technology in Cornwall are being prepared as the UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, presses for the exploitation of fallow parts of the broadcast spectrum for fast mobile services across Europe. Ed Richards, chief executive of Ofcom, used a speech in Brussels on Wednesday to call for a co-ordinated European policy on using this technology, often called "white space" because it exploits the gaps in between spectrum for other services such as television.
Commission and Digital Agenda Create 1st WebZine, "Build-Connect-Grow"
category: Latest news | posted on 08/03/2012
The European Commission and Neelie Kroes, Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, have just launched the first issue of "Build-Connect-Grow", an online WebZine. The magazine shows off the five Large-Scale Pilots (LSPs) projects that the Member States and Commission are cooperatively working on as well as other Digital Agenda items related to the connectivity of Europe.
The Importance of Apple Using (or Not Using) LTE
category: Latest news | posted on 08/03/2012
Apple, which just released its new iPad with 4G technology, may have single-handedly boosted the future of LTE technology. LTE will now most likely make it into the next iPhone. But if one or the other did not include LTE, Apple would strike a huge blow to the wireless industry and impede mobile broadband's progress.
Commission Insists Spain Must Not Delay Cheaper Mobile Rates
category: Policy news | posted on 07/03/2012
The European Commission has suspended plans of the Spanish telecoms regulator (CMT) to postpone by a year the introduction of cheaper mobile termination rates (MTRs), the rates mobile networks charge other networks for delivering voice calls. These costs are ultimately included in call prices paid by consumers and businesses.
Kroes: The Future of eGovernment
category: Latest news | posted on 07/03/2012
Commissioner Kroes spoke at the opening of the CeBIT Meeting of eGovernment Expert Group session in Hannover on 6 March 2012 on "eGovernment: Towards the Future". Ms. Kroes empahsized the importance of having the resources necessary to complete the Digital Single Market. She also encouraged the practice of and innovate approaches to monitoring and benchmarking in eGovernment. Finally, Ms. Kroes urged the importance of creating and strengthening the EU strategy for Cloud computing in order to help the markets and create more efficiencies in the public sector.
Deutsche Telekom Claims Record Data Transfer Record
category: Latest news | posted on 07/03/2012
Deutsche Telekom says it has set a new data transfer speed record over a long distance and outside a laboratory. The German firm says it achieved a usable bit rate of 400Gbps (gigabits per second) over a single channel of its fibre optic network. That is more than double the 186Gbps record set by researchers in the US and Canada last year. The company says it now plans to roll out the technology to ensure users can enjoy an "unclogged" service.
Opponents to Verizon Spectrum Deal Demand a Pause
category: Latest news | posted on 07/03/2012
Verizon Wireless's attempt to buy wireless spectrum from cable companies for $3.9 billion took another twist Tuesday when companies and advocacy groups opposing the purchase urged the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to pause the review process until redacted statements Verizon made to the commission are made public. Last month, T-Mobile USA and Metro PCS, two smaller wireless companies had urged the F.C.C. to block Verizon's planned purchase of spectrum from cable companies, which include Comcast, Time Warner, Bright House Networks and Cox Communications.
Inmarsat Looks to New Satellite Boost
category: Latest news | posted on 07/03/2012
Inmarsat expects a new fleet of satellites providing broadband to return the company to double-digit growth in two years, despite the UK satellite operator losing a lucrative source of income from the LightSquared mobile phone venture in the US. Some $238.1m payments from renting radio spectrum to Philip Falcone's LightSquared, which Inmarsat is unsure of receiving, were the main driver of revenue growth for Inmarsat in 2011.
Days are Numbered for Unlimited Mobile Data Plans
category: Latest news | posted on 06/03/2012
Telecommunications executives in Europe and the United States say that offering data plans designed for heavy users of social networks or, for example, video, will allow more efficient use of overstressed wireless networks and make those who use the networks the most pay for that use. "We are moving into a phase of microsegmentation," said Hans Vestberg, chief executive of Ericcson, the leading maker of networking equipment, during an interview at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Small Businesses Harness the Power of Cloud Computing
category: Latest news | posted on 06/03/2012
In a BBC News article by John Engates, chief technology officer at Rackspace Hosting, which provides cloud computing services and is a founder of Openstack, the open source cloud operating system, he says that small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have access to greater computing power than ever before thanks to cloud computing. The remote computing power--provided by a third party, usually over the internet using a web browser, and often without a contract--is transforming the way SMEs use IT and even do business.
Kroes: From Crisis of Trust to Open Governing
category: Latest news | posted on 06/03/2012
Commissioner Kroes spoke on 5 March 2012 in Bratislava about the Digital Agenda and Open Data, saying that the principles of transparency and accountability must be embraced in the way we approach the public sector. Europe must bring back trust in markets and governments. She emphasized that digital tools can help connect the government with the governed and that public data should be opened to the public by governments.
"White-Space" Bandwith and Wireless's Colliding Worlds
category: Latest news | posted on 05/03/2012
The recent U.S. Congressional vote to extend America's emergency payroll tax-cuts is going to have very positive unintended consequences for the wi-fi and telecom industry. Half of the $30 billion cost of extending the emergency measures will be met by auctioning off a bunch of UHF airwaves, deemed "white-space" bandwith, that were used by local television stations in America to broadcast on channels below 52. Since the switch to all-digital television in 2009, these airwaves are no longer needed by broadcasters. The auction for such a huge chunk of spectrum--said to be more than America's big four wireless carriers currently have between them--should go a long way to overcoming the "spectrum crunch" mobile-phone companies have begun to experience since introducing data-hungry devices like the iPad and other tablet computers.
Should the EU Regulate Roaming Charges?
category: Latest news | posted on 05/03/2012
Vittorio Colao, the boss of mobile-nework operator Vodafone, recently inveighed against what the company sees as overweening European regulators. The European Union has proposed further to lower existing caps on roaming charges operators can levy on phone calls customers make while in other EU countries, and has suggested introducing a cap on data roaming. Vodafone and others claim this will starve them of revenue needed to expand their networks. Should the EU set prices? Do companies charge extortionate fees without regulation? Cast your vote at The Economist and join the discussion.
"Twisted" Waves Could Boost Capacity of Wi-fi and TV
category: Latest news | posted on 05/03/2012
A striking demonstration of a means to boost the information-carrying capacity of radio waves has taken place across teh lagoon in Venice, Italy. The technique exploits what is called the "orbital angular momentum" of the waves--imparting them with a "twist". Varying this twist permits many data streams to fit in the frequency spread currently used for just one. The approach, described in the New Journal of Physics, could be applied to radio, wi-fi, and television.
F.C.C. Asks for Guidance on Whether, and When, to Cut Off Cellphone Service
category: Latest news | posted on 05/03/2012
The Federal Communications Commission is reviewing whether or when the police and other government officials can intentionally interrupt cellphone and Internet service to protect public safety. Late Thursday, the commission requested public comment on the issue, which came to widespread attention last August, when Bay Area Rapid Transit in San Francisco shut off cellphone service for three hours in some stations to hinder planned protests there.
Industry Accepts Responsibility for Security Fears Over Cloud
category: Latest news | posted on 02/03/2012
Threats to cyber security and privacy are real and must be addressed by industry as cloud computing pushes technology into a hyper-connected phase, senior telecommunications executives warned at the Mobile World Congress. In a session on cloud computing at the Barcelona conference on 28 February, senior executives said the cloud was unleashing a new phase of technological development that would usher a "hyper-connected world" and the so-called Internet of Things. As a result, the telecommunications industry is moving with such speed that the business "reflection point", which used to happen every seven years, is now over and companies must "reinvent constantly", Cisco chairman and chief executive John Chambers told the conference.
Google Privacy Changes "In Breach of EU Law"
category: Latest news | posted on 02/03/2012
Changes made by Google to its privacy policy are in breach of European law, the EU's justice commissioner has said. Viviane Reding told BBC that authorities found that "transparency rules have not been applied." The policy change, implemented on 1 March, means private data collected by one Google service can be shared with its other platforms including YouTube, Gmail and Blogger.
Proposal to Manipulate Copper Access Prices Creates Stir
category: Latest news | posted on 02/03/2012
In October 2011, the European Commission offered a proposal: wholesale access prices for the copper networks of incumbent operators should be lowered to give these operators incentive to invest in fibre networks. This proposal, contained in a consultation, created a stir among telecommunications operators, who are clearly divided on the issue. The issue, brought up again in the past days at the Mobile World Congress, is extremely touchy because billions of euros are at stake and because the Commission, which says it is promoting a "technology neutral" approach, seems to be givign priority to pure fibre.
Vodafone Boss Calls for Moratorium on Mobile Phone Regulation; Kroes Responds with Rebuke
category: Latest news | posted on 02/03/2012
The chief executive of Vodafone, Vittorio Colao, has called for a "moratorium on regulation" in the telecoms industry, warning that unless Europe stops imposing price cuts, mobile companies will slash investment in networks. Colao told reporters at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona that the move would cost jobs in the wider economy and that lawmakers faced a choice between a "heaven and hell scenario." European Commissioner Neelie Kroes responded by issuing a stern rebuke to Mr. Colao, saying that she "takes the side of the Vodafone customer...if consumers lose the fear of using their smartphones and tablets (because of lower fees) when travelling across Europe, operators will benefit as well."
Mobile Broadband Industry Survey, Asia-Pacific 2011-12
category: Latest news | posted on 02/03/2012
Ovum is licensing its 2011-12 survey on the Asia-Pacific broadband industry. The main finding was that operators must protect their most valuable asset--the network--at all costs. For the first time, quality of service was considered to be the most important service differentiator by respondents. To ensure QoS, operators must have sufficient spectrum holdings, enforceable fair usage policies, and will have to abandon unlimiited pricing.
FT Digital Media Conference 2012
category: Upcoming events | posted on 02/03/2012
On 7-8 March, the Financial Times' flagship Digital Media Conference "Building Success in a Connected World" will be held in London. The conference will bring together innovators and business leaders from the world's most influential media companies to share their thoughts on an industry that's changing at breakneck speeds.
Commissioner Kroes and ETNO Share Vision on ICT Research
category: Latest news | posted on 02/03/2012
European Commissioner and Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, and Luigi Gambardella, Executive Board Chairman of ETNO issued a joint statement about their shared commitment to EU ICT research. They proclaimed that "ICT research is...at the heart of our economy" and that promoted the Commission's Horizon 2020 plan. They want "further public investment in ICT research and development [which] would enable further successes."
€110bn at Stake in Completing e-Communications Single Market According to Commission
category: Latest news | posted on 01/03/2012
The European Commission released a study showing that, if the internal market for electronic communications were completed, the EU gross domestic product could grow by up to 110 billion euros a year, or more than 0.8% of GDP. eCommunications is a critical part of overall efforts to build a digital Single Market. This "digital bonus" for EU growth would result from more competition, increased economies of scale for telecom operators, and the chance for every European to access all online content and services throughout the EU, such as music, movies and video games.
Single "Smart" Technology Standard on Horizon
category: Latest news | posted on 01/03/2012
The first step to create a new single industry standard for smart homes and grids capable of offering energy savings and health monitoring is set to be made in Tokyo next month, EurActiv has been told. In an interview at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, a representative of the China Standards Authority--Huwaei's Richard Brennan--told EurActiv that he expects a large consortium of companies and standards agencies to sign preliminary papers with a view to creating the standard. "The name for this initiative is 'one m-to-m' and the papers should be signed in Tokyo at the end of March," Brennan said.
Google Implements Privacy Policy Despite EU Warning
category: Latest news | posted on 01/03/2012
Internet company Google has gone ahead with its new privacy policy despite warnings from the EU that it might violate European law. The change means private data collected by one Google service can be shared with its other platforms including YouTube, Gmail and Blogger. Google said the new set-up would enable it to tailor search results better. But data regulators in France have cast doubt on the legality of the move and launched a Europe-wide investigation.
The New Quest for Speed
category: Latest news | posted on 01/03/2012
Google and other tech companies are on a new quest for speed, trying to make the fast go faster. The reason is that data-hungry smartphones and tablets are creating frustrating digital traffic jams, as people download maps, video clips of sports highlights, news updates or recommendations for nearby restaurants. The competition to be the quickest is fierce. People will visit a Web site less often if it is slower than a close competitor by more than 250 milliseconds. "Two hundred fifty milliseconds, either slower or faster, is close to the magic number now for competitive advantage on the Web," said Harry Shum, a computer scientist and speed specialist for Microsoft.
Europe Lagging Broadband Benefits
category: Latest news | posted on 29/02/2012
Broadband technology is boosting GDP globally--especially in the developing world--but Europe remains the only continent where the telecommunications business is running at a loss, according to speakers at the Mobile World Congress. Europe is the only world region where telecommunications companies are taking lossees, said Luigi Gabardella, Chief Board Executive of ETNO.
Mobile Operators Submit Pay Plan to Brussels
category: Latest news | posted on 29/02/2012
The UK's largest mobile operators are preparing to submit plans for a mobile payment system for European regulatory consideration next week, although they will face continued opposition from rival company, Three. Everything Everywhere, Vodafone and O2 have agreed to submit their plans to Brussels for approval next week after months of discussion. Operators want payments to be made by their phones, allowing them access to billing and advertising businesses, by replacing debit and credit cards with applications and an ability to swipe the phone using a technology called near-field communications.
ETNO Exec Chairman Calls for Policy Reassurance
category: Latest news | posted on 29/02/2012
Luigi Gambardella, the Executive Board Chairman of European Telecommunications Network Operator's Association (ETNO) called for a strong policy signal to reassure investors and accelerate the deployment of high speed broadband networks in line with the Digital Agenda objectives, despite overall economic downturn and revenue decline in the EU telecoms sector for the third year in a row. Mr. Gambardella spoke at the Huawei Broader Way Forum at the GSMA World Congress in relation to the theme: "The Future of Broadband: A New Growth Model?"
Google "Fails to Meet EU Rules" on New Privacy Policy
category: Latest news | posted on 29/02/2012
Google's new privacy policy may violate the European Union's data protection laws, according to the French data regulator. The search giant plans to unify 60 different privacy policies across its products from 1 March. But EU regulators had urged a "pause" so they could analyse the changes. The French regulator, CNIL, said that the policy "raises deep concerns" and that it fails to meet the needs of the European Data Protection Directive.
AT&T May Try Billing App Makers
category: Latest news | posted on 29/02/2012
U.S. telecom giant AT&T said that it is considering a way to let the providers of mobile services pay for the cost of the data traffic associated with things like streaming movies and smartphone applications, opening up a new round of debate over the rules of the mobile internet. John Donovan, the executive responsible for AT&T's network and technology, explained the carrier's interest in the service in an interview, likening it to toll-free calling for the mobile-broadband world.
Mobile Roaming Charges Likely to Fall After EU Vote
category: Policy news | posted on 28/02/2012
It could soon cost less to use mobile phones when travelling abroad in the European Union. MEPs voted today for a significant cut in the price companies can charge for calls and texts and--for the first time ever--to introduce a maximum fee for data usage. It's the latest in a long running effort by EU officials to increase competition in the single market when it comes to mobile roaming. EU officials say previous attempts to introduce price measures have failed to spark competition between operators.
New Mobile App Privacy Guidelines
category: Latest news | posted on 28/02/2012
Some of Europe's biggest mobile phone companies, such as Orange, Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom, have signed up to new privacy guidelines published by the GSMA. The body which represents mobile operators hopes it will help users understand what personal information apps may "access, collect and use". Several companies have said they are starting to implement the guidelines in apps they produce. The policy's publication follows concern that some apps were using customer data without permission.
Vodafone Chief Warns Regulators
category: Latest news | posted on 28/02/2012
Vittorio Colao, Vodafone chief executive, warned that the infrastructure investments being made in the telecoms industry could be at risk in Europe if regulators continued to undermine traditional sources of revenue such as roaming charges. Mr. Colao used his keynote address to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to criticise European regulators for what he described as an outdated approach to telecoms groups, which are investing heavily in their networks at a time when revenues are under pressure from the economic downturn and fierce competition.
Kroes: Giving Europe a Mobile Broadband Boost
category: Latest news | posted on 28/02/2012
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda for Europe, Neelie Kroes, spoke at the Mobile World Congress on 27 February, saying that the advances in mobile telecom is helping to life Europe of the economic crisis. Ms. Kroes spoke about the importance of avoiding a spectrum crunch and exploring novel ways to share spectrum. She also emphasized the importance of greater integration of fixed and wireless networks and urged the creation of sound and competitive markets flowing from the EU's framework.
Europe, U.S. Lag in Developing World in eHealth
category: Latest news | posted on 28/02/2012
Despite Europe's huge broadband coverage and smartphone use compared to the developing world, the continent is lagging in eHealth solutions because costing models do not encourage innovation, the leading global telecoms conference heard yesterday, 27 February. The findings emerged from a key session on health at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the telecommunications industry's largest annual gathering. Experts on provision of eHealth solutions using smartphone applications said that they tried and tested their products in the developing world because billing for eHealth services directly using mobile payments is something better suited to those markets.
EU on Track to Miss Super-Fast Internet Roll-Out Targets
category: Latest news | posted on 27/02/2012
Europe's broadband internet coverage is close to 100%, but super-fast connections remain marginal and well behind the EU's official target despite the rhetoric surrounding the benefits of the digital economy. European Commission figures show that 95.3% of EU households live in areas covered by broadband--near the 100% coverage the bloc aims to achieve by 2013.
US Rollout of LTE Phone Networks Accelerates
category: Latest news | posted on 27/02/2012
The announcement this week that Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA unit plans to launch LTE services in most of the 50 largest metropolitan markets over the next two years means that all four leading US mobile operators will have commericial LTE networks up and running by the end of 2013, several years ahead of earlier expectation. After lagging well behind their European counterparts in the rollout of 3G services in the early 2000s, US network operators, led by Verizon Wireless, the joint venture between Verizon Communications and Britain's Vodafone group, have led the rollout of commercial LTE services, spending billions of dollars in recent years on upgrading network infrastructure.
Operators Fight Back Against Free Messages
category: Latest news | posted on 27/02/2012
The world's largest operators will next week begin their fightback against the free instant-messaging applications such as WhatsApp Messenger that have eroded billions of dollars from the traditional revenues of the telecoms industry. European operators such as Vodafone and Telefonica, North American operators Verizon and AT&T, as well as Asian groups such as SK Telecom of Korea, have signed up to a global standard for an operator-run instant messaging-service created by the GSMA, the organisation that represents the telecom industry.
Telecoms Groups Bank on 4G Profit Boost
category: Latest news | posted on 27/02/2012
Spain's largest telecoms company by sales and Alcatel-Lucent of France will have Europe's fastest next-generation network, known as LTE or 4G, fully functioning for the annual World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, which started on Sunday. Its success is not only important for both companies to prove their future networks can handle the industry's busiest event. LTE technology is crucial for the future of the telecommunications industry and the services that send the data through the pipes, such as Facebook and Google, given the 10-fold surge in global mobile traffic that Ericsson estimates will occur by 2016. The existing 3G network is already strained. LTE is based on the same communications protocols as the internet and could be up to 10 times faster than 3G services.
White House Calls for Consumer "Bill of Rights" for Internet
category: Latest news | posted on 26/02/2012
The White House has called on internet firms to develop stronger privacy protections for consumers. The move comes amid worries that browsing information is being tracked and given to advertisers. The US has advocated since 2010 for "Do Not Track", a one-click browser option to prevent information gathered while web browsing being shared with third parties. In a statement, President Barack Obama outlined a "consumer privacy bill of rights". The White House said internet users should have the right to limit the context in which information was collected, should be allowed to correct information and should have the right to transparency in privacy policies.
The Spectrum Crunch: A CNNMoney Report on the U.S.'s Increasing Spectrum Defecit
category: Latest news | posted on 24/02/2012
The U.S. mobile phone industry is running out of the airwaves necessary to provide voice, text and Internet services to its customers says David Goldman, author of a CNNMoney week-long series on America's spectrum deficit. The problem, known as the "spectrum crunch," threatens to increase the number of dropped calls, slow down data speeds and raise customers' prices. It will also whittle down the nation's number of wireless carriers and create a deeper financial divide between those companies that have capacity and those that don't. Almost everyone in the industry agrees that a crunch is coming, perhaps as early as next year, according to the Federal Communication Commission's estimates.
EU Court to Rule on Anti-Piracy Agreement
category: Latest news | posted on 23/02/2012
The European Union's highest court has been asked to rule on the legality of a controversial anti-piracy agreement. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) has been criticised by rights campaigners who argue it could stifle free expression on the internet. EU trade head Karel de Gucht said the court will be asked to clarify whether the treaty complied with "the EU's fundamental rights and freedoms".
A Third of UK Homes Have Slow Broadband Speeds
category: Latest news | posted on 23/02/2012
A third of homes in the UK have broadband speeds well below the national average, according to research from price comparison site uSwitch. While half of addresses get broadband speeds of 6.7Mbps or above, a third struggle to get speeds above 5Mbps, 1.7m speed tests found. The government wants to see super-fast broadband as the gold standard in most UK homes, and has pledged to make the UK the fastest broadband nation in Europe in 2015.
T-Mobile Urges U.S. to Block Verizon's Spectrum Purchase
category: Latest news | posted on 23/02/2012
After its failed merger with AT&T, T-Mobile USA is urging the federal government to block Verizon Wireless's planned purchase of wireless spectrum from cable companies. The proposed spectrum deal with Verizon involves Comcast, Time Warner, Bright House Networks and Cox Communications. In its filing late Tuesday, T-Mobile, the No. 4 cellphone carrier in the United States, told the Federal Communications Commission that the deal would leave too much spectrum in the hands of Verizon, the No. 1 carrier.
Social Messaging Apps Cost Mobile Network Operators $13.9bn in 2011
category: Latest news | posted on 22/02/2012
Social messaging applications cost mobile network operators $13.9bn in lost SMS revenue last year, an analysis from Ovum, who studied global use of popular services like Whatsapp, Blackberry Messenger and Facebook chat, claims. It concluded that mobile operators must "work together to face the challenge from major internet players." Industry experts say operators can offset any losses through effective costing plans by mobile networks.
Rybenfeldt: How to Create a Smart and Digital Public Sector?
category: Latest news | posted on 22/02/2012
Pia Rybenfeldt, Chairman of DI ITK, Danish ICT and Electronics Federation, says in a Digital Agenda for Europe blog, that the problem in terms of Smart public services in the Digital Single Market is that the public sectors across Europe are essentially 30-something different systems with little or no cross-border interaction. Rybenfeldt says that this must change and the digital single market offers the tools to make this happen.
Commission Looks to New Standards for Public Sector Data
category: Latest news | posted on 22/02/2012
The European Commission launched this month a consultation designed to streamline electronic public-sector information amid uncertainty as to how new data protection rules will effect public administrations as well as the private sector. The consultation, which will run for three months, aims to create consistency in how administrative categories--such as people, vehicles, businesses, and locations--are described in member states' government information systems.
White House Calls for Expanded Broadband Spectrum
category: Latest news | posted on 22/02/2012
The White House has called for the US wireless broadband spectrum to be nearly doubled over 10 years. A report unveiled by Vice-President Joe Biden says the measure would boost public safety and accomodate the surge in wireless data traffic. The report predicts that use of wireless data will increase 20-fold between 2010 and 2015. The rollout of new spectrum would be used "to spread wireless communication, and to fulfill a promise made to first responders after 9/11 that they would have the technology they need to stay safe and do their jobs," Mr. Biden said.
ICT Forum for SMEs, 25-26 March
category: Upcoming events | posted on 21/02/2012
Designed specifically for SMEs operating in the ICT sector, on 25-26 March in Lisbon, Portugal, the Venture Academy will consist of a one-day coaching event where experienced coaches from relevant industry areas will help SMEs develop their pitching skills towards potential investors. The Forum offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to showcase their businesses in front of an international network of venture capital and corporate investors, strategic partners and expert advisors.
EU Eyes Energy-Efficient Design of Computer Servers
category: Latest news | posted on 21/02/2012
Computer servers, the high-performance machines used to run programmes and software services, are facing a design revamp that will make them more energy efficient, following recent assessments by the European Commission. Servers, together with data storage equipment and four other groups of products, have recently made the Commission's "priority list" for the Ecodesign Directive because of their "significant" energy savings potential. Big players of cloud computing, like Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Amazon, could lead the industry by opening the discussion on server efficiency.
UK Launches Public Sector "Cloudstore"
category: Latest news | posted on 21/02/2012
The UK government has launched a new "app store" which it says will help small businesses offer IT services to the public sector. The Cloudstore, as it will be known, will feature more than 1700 apps provided by more than 250 suppliers. It is hoped the service will allow organisations to purchase services on a "pay-as-you-go" basis, rather than be locked into lengthy contracts. About 50% of apps are being provided by small- to medium-sized businesses.
Kroes: Unleash Public-Sector Buying Power on Cloud
category: Latest news | posted on 20/02/2012
European institutions and governments should throw their weight behind joint procurement of computing services to encourage the use of cloud computing, says Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes. In an interview with EurActiv, which has also seen other documents spelling out Kroes' strategy for cloud services, the Commission vice president signalled she intends to enlist the EU's collective spending power to drive a bargain with cloud computing providers. Cloud computing enables vast amounts of data to be stored efficiently on off-site servers, allowing corporate computer systems to operate more smoothly.
Myrmel-Johansen: Web Entrepreneurs are the Future Drivers for Growth and Jobs
category: Latest news | posted on 20/02/2012
Lars-Henrik Myrmel-Johansen, Director General of the Ministry of Government Administration for Norway says in a blog for the Digital Agenda for Europe that web entrepreneurs play an important role in boosting the digital economy. He says that they will not only contribute with innovative content and services for users, but are also essential to the actual creation of growth and jobs.
Smartphone Use Changes Debate on Data Protection
category: Latest news | posted on 20/02/2012
Consumer organisations and industry are squaring off for battle over how far smartphone users' personal data can be used under the European Union's proposed data protection regime. Large institutions and tiny app-makers alike have been accused in recent months of mishandling personal data. Draft rules proposed by Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding would require some form of consent from smartphone users before companies could use the personal information contained in applications.
Cash-Strapped Regions Hesitate to Jump on Cloud Bandwagon
category: Latest news | posted on 17/02/2012
The promise of a leaner, more efficient administration and innovation in online services to citizens is making cloud computing an attractive solution for local governments. However, some are still reluctant to jump on the new IT bandwagon, fearing data protection issues and high investment costs. In times of austerity, European regions are hesitant to invest in new e-government technologies such as cloud computing, even when they're being sold as a cost-cutting tool. Oxford Economics, a leading economic forecasting consultancy, predicts that the EU's GDP could increase by €760 billion by 2020 if the EU matched US levels of investment in ICT.
Commission's Digital Agenda Stakeholder Registration
category: Latest news | posted on 17/02/2012
The Commission is updating its friends base for the Digital Agenda for Europe. If you wish to remain informed about new developments of the Digital Agenda, you can register on the Digital Agenda website.
To register, go to: Digital Agenda for Europe Registration
Falkenrath: Google Must Remember Our Right to be Forgotten
category: Latest news | posted on 17/02/2012
Richard Falkenrath, cybersecurity advisor and adjunct senior fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations, writes in the latest Financial Times that Google should remember the users' right to be forgotten. Last month the European Commission proposed adding a new "right to be forgotten" to privacy law. Falkenrath says that this simple idea is essential, both for Europeans and Americans, to protect personal privacy in the age of pervasive social media and cloud computing.
European Court of Justice Blocks Net-Filtering Bid
category: Latest news | posted on 17/02/2012
A social network cannot be required to install an anti-piracy filtering system, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled. Belgian music royalty collecting firm SABAM wanted the social network Netlog to stop users infringing copyright. But the court said the filtering required would contravene rights to freedom of business, personal data and freedom of information. The judgement could have consequences for similar cases across the EU.
U.S. Congress Will Auction Public Airwaves to Pay for Benefits
category: Latest news | posted on 17/02/2012
The need for revenue to partly cover the extension of the payroll tax cut and long-term unemployment benefits has pushed the U.S. Congress to embrace a generational shift in the country's media landscape: the auction of public airwaves now used for television broadcasts to create more wireless Internet systems. If a compromise bill completed Thursday by Congress is approved as expected by this weekend, the results will eventually be faster connections for smartphones, iPads and other data-hungry mobile devices. The measure would be a rare instance of the government compensating private companies with the proceeds from an auction of public property--broadcast licenses--once given free.
European Parliament Adopts Five-Year Radio Spectrum Policy Programme
category: Policy news | posted on 16/02/2012
On 15 of February, the Commission welcomed the European Parliament's adoption of the five-year Radio Spectrum Policy Programme (RSPP) which will allow more spectrum to be made available for wireless applications and services such as high speed 4th generation (4G) wireless broadband. Radio Spectrum supports approximately 3.5 million jobs and more than €250 billion of economic activity each year in Europe, including very popular services such as wireless broadband.
Commission Hopes to Make EU the World Leader in High-Performance Computing
category: Latest news | posted on 16/02/2012
In a Communication on 15 February, the Commission highlights the strategic nature of High-Performance Computing (HPC) as a crucial asset for the EU's innovation capacity, and calls on Member States, industry and the scientific communities to step up joint efforts to ensure European leadership in the supply and the use of HPC systems and services by 2020. HPC is critical for industries that rely on precision and speed, such as automotive and aviation, and the health sector.
More Mobiles than Humans in 2012 says Cisco
category: Latest news | posted on 16/02/2012
Mobile devices will outnumber humans this year, according to network firm Cisco's latest analysis of global mobile data traffic. By 2016 it predicts that there will be 10 billion mobile connected devices around the world. By the same date networks will be carrying 130 exabytes of data each year, equivalent to 33 billion DVDs. Mobile data traffic in 2011 was eight times the size of the global internet in 2000, according to the report.
Cisco to Challege Microsoft-Skype Deal at EU Court
category: Latest news | posted on 16/02/2012
Cisco has said it will challenge Microsoft's $8.5bn takeover of Skype at the EU's top court. The networking giant said conditions needed to be set to ensure Microsoft would not block other video services. In October, the European Union had ruled the deal would not impede competition. But Cisco has called on the European Commission to introduce open standards similar to those used for mobile phones. "Cisco does not oppose the merger, but believes the European Commission should have placed conditions that would ensure greater standards-based interoperability," Cisco's video conferencing head Martin de Beer wrote in a blog post.
F.C.C. Bars the Use of Airwaves for a Broadband Plan
category: Latest news | posted on 15/02/2012
A proposed wireless broadband network that would provide voice and Internet service using airwaves once reserved for satellite-telephone transmissions should be shelved because it interferes with GPS technology, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday. The F.C.C. statement revokes the conditional approval for the network, pushed by LightSquared, given last year, squashing its near-term hopes. LightSquared responded to the news saying that it "profoundly disagrees" with the results of the testing.
Getting the Cloud Right
category: Latest news | posted on 15/02/2012
David Hendon, Senior Advisor of UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, says that cloud computing offers the promises of transformed business models, new economic growth and new jobs. He suggests that the EU should explore how to provide users and providers with conditions that allow for competition and innovation. He calls for policy makers, users and providers to come together and strike the right balance in establishing a functioning single market for cloud services.
Commission Suspends Dutch Proposal to Raise Wholesale Rates for Fixed & Mobile Telephony
category: Policy news | posted on 15/02/2012
The European Commission on 13 February expressed serious doubts about a new proposal from the Dutch telecoms regulator (OPTA) regarding fixed and mobile termination rates which would negatively affect consumers in the Netherlands. Under OPTA's new proposal, fixed and mobile termination rates would be twice as high as under the EU approach following the Commission's 2009 Recommendation under the EU telecoms legislation.
Commission Suspends Discriminatory Danish SMS Price Regulation
category: Policy news | posted on 15/02/2012
On February 13th the Commission wrote to the Danish telecoms regulator, Danish Business Authority (DBA), to express its serious doubts about the compatibility with EU law of DBA's proposed regulation of SMS termination rates, the rates mobile networks charge each other to deliver SMS between networks. The Commission is concerned that the price control DBA proposes might be discriminatory as it treats differently SMS coming from operators providing telecommunication services in Denmark.
Web Giants in Silent Battle for "Social Search" Supremacy
category: Latest news | posted on 14/02/2012
Microsoft and Google are developing web platforms combining the roles of a social media and search engines--"social search"--in moves that reveal a raging battle to harness cloud computing and combine the web's most popular functions. At a seminar on social media in Brussels on 8 February, Microsoft revealed that it is developing a "social search" tool, called So.cl, currently in use at experimental stage primarily amongst the academic community. Google Plus, which launched last autumn, combines the search giant's usual engines with new social services and has been described as an attempt to rival the social network, Facebook. Both platforms involve users sharing information with each other and have a strong business application, allowing research and business communities to be created on line.
EU Commission, Businesses Play Down ACTA Fears
category: Latest news | posted on 14/02/2012
As mass demonstrations took place across Europe over the weekend against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), the European Commission and pro-ACTA industry groups published statements intending to fend off "unjustified accusations". The European Commission published a document in the form of questions and answers that explains that ACTA will not monitor the internet, that it does not change EU law and that it does not give preference to industry over fundamental rights. Simultaneously, forty mostly European business federations published a letter addressed to MEPs stressing "the strengths of ACTA and how it can benefit Europe".
European Parliament President Criticises ACTA Treaty
category: Latest news | posted on 14/02/2012
The President of the European Parliament, Martin Shulz, said of the ACTA Treaty on German television: "I don't find it good in its current form." His comments follow mass protests across Europe against the agreement. Mr. Schulz said that the balance between copyright protection and the individual rights of internet users "is only very inadequately anchored in this agreement." Supporters of the agreement insist it will not create new laws and is necessary to standardise copyright protection measures.
Blogging About Trusting the Internet & Innovation and Entrepreneurship Online as Today's Main Drivers of Growth
category: Latest news | posted on 13/02/2012
Fabio Colasanti, President of International Institute of Communications will be hosting a session at the High Level Conference on the Digital Single Market in Copenhagen on how to improve trust in the endless possibilities of the Internet. You can read his blog here about his ideas on why it is crucial Europe trusts the Internet more. You can also read Sacha Wunsch-Vincent's blog about how innovation and entrepreneurship online are today's main drivers of growth. Mr. Wunsch-Vincent is Senior Economist at World Intellectual Property Organization.
Thousands Take to Streets Across Europe to Protest ACTA
category: Latest news | posted on 13/02/2012
Thousands of people have taken part in co-ordinated protests across Europe in opposition to a controversial anti-piracy agreement. Significant marchees were held in Germany, Poland and the Netherlands against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). Demonstrators argued that ACTA will limit freedom of speech online. However, the agreement's supporters insist it will not alter existing laws and will instead provide protection for content creators in the face of increasing levels of online piracy. The treaty has to date been signed by 22 EU members, but has yet to be ratified by the European Parliament. A debate is due to take place in June.
Proposal for E.U. Roaming Fees Includes Global Cap
category: Policy news | posted on 13/02/2012
European lawmakers, who two years ago capped fees for mobile data roaming within the European Union at €50 a month, want to expand the protection to cover the whole world. The proposal is part of a plan to extend Europe's five-year-old limits on charges for voice, text and data roaming through 2022 and is likely to go a European Parliament vote by April. The current limits are set to expire in July. Extending the price controls is considered likely, but the rates proposed for the new limits through 2014 have been criticized by consumer advocates as too high, exceeding existing prices in Sweden and some other E.U. countries.
Tech Companies Erasing the Boundaries
category: Latest news | posted on 13/02/2012
The biggest tech companies are no longer content simply to enhance part of your day. They want to erase boundaries, do what the other big tech companies are doing and own every waking moment. The new strategy is to build a device, sell it to consumers, and then sell them the content to play on it. And maybe some ads, too. The industrywide goal is that each tech company becomes all things to all people all day long.
Telecoms Firms Unite Against EU Mobile Price Caps
category: Latest news | posted on 10/02/2012
In a rare show of unity, telecom firms large and small have rejected European Parliament plans to further lower price caps on mobile phone calls passed abroad--the so-called roaming regulation--saying it will squeeze out new competitors from the market. Incumbent operators and new entrants alike are condemning proposed changes to the draft roaming regulation, proposed by Neelie Kroes, the European Commissioner in charge of the digital agenda, being pushed through by the European Parliament.
High Level Conference 27-28 February in Copenhagen: A Digital Single Market by 2015
category: Upcoming events | posted on 10/02/2012
The Danish Presidency and the European Commission have invited high level representatives from Member States, European institutions, businesses, civil society and academia for a forward-looking dialogue on the political challenges of creating a truly European Digital Single Market. The overall aim of this High Level Conference is to address the challenges and potential in creating a fully-fledged European Digital Single Market as well as to identify the steps necessary to achieve this goal.
Progress in Privacy Impact Assessment for RFID Applications
category: Latest news | posted on 10/02/2012
Some 80 people attended a February 8th conference on the Private Impact Assessment Framework (PIAF) for RFID applications, which was developed by industry (January 2011), endorsed by the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party (February 2011) and signed in Brussels on 6 April 2011, in the presence of Commissioner Neelie Kroes. One year after its completion, the PIAF represents a success of coregulation, however, as discussed at the conference, some issues need to be addressed in the near future, such as how to raise awareness of the PIAF in all EU Member States and across industries.
A Digital Single Market by 2015 to Spark Economic Growth
category: Latest news | posted on 10/02/2012
Jorgen Abild Andersen, Director General Telecoms, of the Danish Business Authority sees a digital way forward and out of the European economic crisis. He believes that creating a Digital Single Market in the EU is not only a prerequisite for sustainable growth, but also holds a promising prospect for economic growth and jobs in Europe. As the European Heads of State have previously called for, Anderson says that Europe must have a well-functioning Digital Single Market in place by 2015 in order to generate new economic growth.
Europe Lags Behind US and Japan on Innovation
category: Latest news | posted on 09/02/2012
Once again Europe is trailing the United States, Japan and South Korea when it comes to boosting innovation and meeting EU targets devoting 3% of GDP to research and development. New data released 7 February by the European Commission show that almost all 27 EU countries have improved their innovation performance but have not managed to close the consistent gap with global innovation leaders like the United States, Japan and South Korea.
Reding Unveils New EU Data Protection Rules
category: Policy news | posted on 09/02/2012
After much internal strife, the European Commission published a broad legislative package aimed at safeguarding personal data across the EU. The proposal, if approved, is expected to strengthen citizens' rights and could have far-reaching impact on the way online data are collected and processed. Vivian Rediing, the justice and fundamental rights commissioner, had to struggle to have her proposals accepted by other commissioners, but eventually managed to pass a set of new rules that will significantly increase the rights of citizens--if member states and the Parliament do not water them down.
Mobile, Social, Cloud Changing the Way We Work
category: Latest news | posted on 09/02/2012
In a special "Future of Work" BBC series, Google's Sebastien Marotte discusses how the way we work is going to change. Mr. Marotte says that the speed at which ideas can be generated, tested and brought to fruition is accelerating faster than we could have anticipated--largely because of the explosion of social media and mobile and cloud computing. Over the next decade, the process of sharing and developing ideas will be dramatically accelerated by the advance of these relatively young technologies having a major impact on the way products and services are brought to market, businesses are structured, job roles are created and talent is attracted, rewarded and retained.
Apple Seeks Change to European Patent License Rules
category: Latest news | posted on 09/02/2012
Apple has asked for more clarity over how patents deemed crucial to industry standards should be handled. The firm wrote a letter to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in November, which has now been reported by the Wall Street Journal. The iPhone maker called for "more consistent and transparent" application of rules designed to ensure that such intellectual properties were licensed. Both Samsung and Motorola Mobility have sued Apple over "essential" patents.
Ofcom Proposes Openreach Broadband and Phone Price Cut
category: Latest news | posted on 09/02/2012
BT Group will have to cut the prices it charges internet providers and others who sell services using its lines, British telecoms regulator Ofcom says. Ofcom wants the cost for use of a broadband and phone line to fall from £91.50 per year to £87.41. The cost of using a broadband line only should also drop from £14.70 per year to £11.92, Ofcom said. The proposals have been submitted to the European Commission which has a month to comment on the changes.
European Activists Harnessing the Political Power of the Web
category: Latest news | posted on 08/02/2012
European activists who participated in American Internet protests last month--which effectively killed the U.S.'s SOPA and PIPA anti-piracy measures-- learned that there was political power to be harnessed on the Web. Now activists are hoping to use similar pressure to stop the international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, or ACTA, which is meant to clamp down on illegal commerce in copyrighted and trademarked goods. Opponents say that it will erode Internet freedom and stifle innovation. About 1.5 million people thus far have signed a Web petition calling for the European Parliament to reject ACTA. Thousands of people have turned out for demonstrations across Europe, with more scheduled for next Saturday.
Samsung Reduces its LTE Chip Cost by Half
category: Latest news | posted on 08/02/2012
Samsung has recently created a new phone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, that makes it faster, but costs a lot less, says Lynn La of CNET. According to ABI Research, a market intelligence company, the Galaxy Nexus runs on a Via Telecom CDMA/EV-DO Rev., an integrated circuit with a Samsung baseband integrated circuit. This new baseband LTE chip is estimated to cost about half of the previous chip's $23.
Call for Papers for 23rd European Regional ITS Conference in Vienna
category: Academic papers | posted on 23/01/2012
ITS recently released a call for papers on Technology Drivers and Market Changes for the 23rd European Regional ITS Conference in Vienna. Further details are available here. The deadline for abstracts and panel proposals is 10 February 2012.
A Look Back at Technology in 2011
category: Latest news | posted on 27/12/2011
Looking back at 2011 month by month, technology played a big part in many stories from riots to revolutions to natural disasters to the economic crisis, while also making many of its own headlines.
To read the BBC review, go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16291888
Services and Linked Data Feed Future Internet
category: Latest news | posted on 27/12/2011
With tens of billions of devices networked together, a figure that is growing daily, the world is seeing a fundamental shift in the way that data is produced, stored, used and shared. As a result, we are witnessing a new era where data is being linked in an open and altogether more usable way. EU-funded researchers have developed much-needed tools and an 'ecosystem approach' to harness the internet's evolution towards the 'semantic web' concept. This involves a move away from web pages to the semi-automated use of business and software services spanning a diverse range of applications, from football to real-estate. The project results, including a web-based management platform and a range of development tools, are feeding into various new industry applications.
AT&T Wins Approval For Spectrum Deal
category: Latest news | posted on 27/12/2011
Just days after AT&T withdrew its $39 billion bid for Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA unit, the US telecommunications group has won regulatory approval for its $1.93 billion purchase of wireless spectrum from Qualcomm, the US mobile phone chipmaker. AT&T plans to use the spectrum to support its roll-out of a new 4G network based on LTE technology.
Digital Agenda Progress Report for 2011 Released
category: Latest news | posted on 23/12/2011
The annual Digital Agenda Progress Report provides an overview of progress on the actions of the Digital Agenda for Europe, updating the list of completed actions since the Digital Agenda Scoreboard in May 2011, and outlining the work ahead. The document is part of the efforts of the European Commission on the implementation and governance of the Digital Agenda. The overall aim of the Digital Agenda is to deliver sustainable economic and social benefits from a digital single market based on fast and ultra fast internet and interoperable applications. The Digital Agenda is a key component of the Europe 2020 strategy to provide growth and jobs in a sustainable and inclusive manner.
To read the Digital Agenda Annual Progress Report 2011, go to: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/digital-agenda/documents/dae_annual_report_2011.pdf
U.S. Regulator Clears Path for "Super Wi-Fi"
category: Latest news | posted on 23/12/2011
U.S. consumers will have access to a new range of "super Wi-Fi" wireless services next year after the Federal Communications Commission removed the final obstacle to the commercial use of the so-called "white spaces" of unused spectrum between broadcast TV channels. "With today's approval of the first TV white spaces database and device, we are taking an important step towards enabling a new wave of wireless innovation," said Julius Genachowski, the FCC chairman, in a statement. "Unleashing white spaces spectrum has the potential to exceed even the many billions of dollars in economic benefit from Wi-Fi, the last significant release of unlicensed spectrum, and drive private investment and job creation."
Mobile Internet Increasingly Available, but EU Still Missing Out on Growth-Creating Potential of High Speed Broadband
category: Latest news | posted on 22/12/2011
Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for
the Digital Agenda, welcomed figures just released which show a solid
increase in the availability of both mobile internet and basic quality
fixed broadband lines. At the same time the Commissioner warned that
Europe risked missing out on badly needed economic growth if it does not
step up a gear and increase the capacity of its broadband networks.
Studies show that a 10 percentage point increase in broadband take-up
boosts annual GDP growth by 1 to 1.5%.
Survey on Helping Public Authorities Procure ICT Based On Standards Now Open
category: Policy news | posted on 22/12/2011
Action 23 of the Digital Agenda for Europe aims at providing guidance on
ICT standardisation and public procurement. Draft guidelines are now
ready, advising public authorities how to make the best use of available
standards when commissioning hardware, software and IT services from
external suppliers. The advice is illustrated with best practices found
all over Europe.
The European Commission is seeking views on how useful these guidelines
might be, as well as views on practical implementation measures.
A short survey has been launched and will be open until 14 February
2012.
Alcatel-Lucent's Chief Technology Officer Discusses ICT and the Future
category: Latest news | posted on 22/12/2011
In a BBC interview, Alcatel-Lucent's Chief Technology Officer, Marcus Weldon, discusses the benefits and drawbacks of the modern technology and telecommunications reality as well as its future. He believes that communication networks "must come together." Among other topics Mr. Weldon discusses are cloud computing and IP networks.
To read the interview with Mr. Weldon, go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16227594
To read the interview with Mr. Weldon, go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16227594
First Meeting of the Network of Excellence in Internet Science
category: Upcoming events | posted on 21/12/2011
The first ever Network of Excellence in Internet Science will be held on December 21-22 in Brussels. All 33 partners will be represented in an open dialogue between all the disciplines which study the Internet under any technological or humanistic perspective. This multidisciplinary bridging of the different disciplines may also be seen as the starting point for a new Internet Science, the theoretical and empirical foundation for an holistic understanding of the complex techno-social interactions related to the Internet.
For more information, go to: http://www.internet-science.eu/
Commissioner Kroes Speaks About ICT in 2011 and Beyond
category: Latest news | posted on 21/12/2011
In a YouTube video posted on December 20th, Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission for the Digital Agenda, shares her thoughts on 2011 and her hope for improving ICT in Europe in the future. Ms. Kroes discusses three main points: 1) the EU is full of innovative people; 2) New ways of applying technology can make our lives better; and, 3) ICT can give people around the world the tools to make their lives better. She says that technology can help people, businesses, and countries succeed and grow. Finally, she calls for a more effective digital single market in Europe for 2012, for example, unifying and reducing Member States' roaming costs.
LightSquared Turns Tables on GPS Device Makers
category: Latest news | posted on 21/12/2011
With its bid for regulatory approval to set up a new U.S. wireless broadband network facing scrutiny over potential interference with GPS systems, LightSquared has shifted its stance, arguing that GPS device makers have been infringing on its licences. The company, backed by Philip Falcone's Harbinger Capital, has filed a petition with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission seeking a "declaratory ruling" confirming its right to use the spectrum it has licensed to launch a wholesale 4G network using LTE technology next year.
Should Search Engines and Other Internet Intermediaries Be Liable for Facilitating Access to Pirated Content?
category: Latest news | posted on 20/12/2011
Attempts to stop online piracy have largely failed. Lawsuits have shut down some file-sharing services, but others have taken their place. Many users of such sites claim they are swapping, not stealing, material. America's Congress is now considering the Stop Online Privacy Act which would let copyright-holders take action against the intermediaries--such as payment services, search engines, and internet service providers (ISPs)--that supply money and traffic to pirated sites. If the intermediaries do not cut these sites off, they will face lawsuits. Content companies argue they need more effective legal remedies against piracy. Cast your vote here at the economist.com and view the results and discussion.
Superconductors Finally Moving Beyond Scientific and Medical Uses and Into Power Grids
category: Latest news | posted on 20/12/2011
A Century after their discovery, superconductors are finally moving beyond scientific and medical uses and into power grids. The way high-temperature superconductors (HTSs) work still remains a mystery, but, on paper, HTSs offer many advantages over conventional copper wires. They can carry 5 to 20 times more current in the same unit area while reducing the amount of energy lost as heat by 75-97%. The increase in efficiency and effectiveness that HTSs bring could radically alter the technology and telecommunications industries.
Groups' Efforts to Meet Data Rules Criticised
category: Latest news | posted on 19/12/2011
Europe's data protection body has slapped down efforts by internet advertising companies such as Google, Yahoo and WPP to meet tough new privacy rules. The Internet Advertising Bureau Europe has made its YourOnlineChoices.eu website a key plank of its members' attempts to comply with the European Union's e-privacy directive, which requires websites to gain consent for the collection of users' data through cookies, which can then be used to target advertising based on browsing behaviour. The Article 29 working party, a group of data protection officials from EU member states that advises the European Commission on online privacy, said on Wednesday that YourOnlineChoices "does not result in compliance with the current e-privacy directive" and misleads consumers.
DIY FIbre Broadband
category: Latest news | posted on 19/12/2011
In rural Britain there is a growing impatience about the wait for superfast broadband. The Countryside Alliance voiced that last week with its revelations that work had yet to start on the government's fast broadband pilots. But some people aren't sitting back and waiting--they're doing it themselves. An initiative by B4RN campaigners, mostly local farmers, has begun in one of the more remote parts of the countryside, where people are joining together to give themselves the kind of broadband connections that would look respectable in South Korea.
Almost a Quarter of Persons Aged 16-74 in the EU27 Have Never Used the Internet
category: Latest news | posted on 14/12/2011
For many people today it seems difficult to live without the internet, however, a decreasing, but still large part of the EU population has never used it. In the 27 EU Member States, almost three quarters of households had access to the Internet in the first quarter of 2011, compared with almost half in the first quarter of 2006. The share of households with broadband Internet connections more than doubled between 2006 and 2011, to reach 68% in 2011 compared with 30% in 2006. During the same period, the share of individuals aged 16-74 in the EU 27 who had never used the Internet decreased from 42% to 24%.
Industry Calls for True Single Market in Recommendations on European Cloud Strategy
category: Latest news | posted on 14/12/2011
Industry leaders are asking the European Commission to provide for a coherent legal framework for Cloud Computing services, to help EU businesses participate in a global market forecast to reach 70 billion euros annually in 2015. The request forms part of 10 recommendations from industry regarding the future European Cloud Computing Strategy to be presented in 2012.
EU Telecoms Council Decision on Radio Spectrum Opens the Way for Growth in the Sector
category: Latest news | posted on 14/12/2011
The Telecoms ministers agreed on a Radio Spectrum Policy Programme (RSPP). The Decision on RSPP will create a comprehensive EU spectrum policy programme until 2015, will help complete the Single Market, and is in line with the Europe 2020 initiative and the Digital Agenda for Europe.
O.E.C.D. Calls on Members to Defend Internet Freedoms
category: Latest news | posted on 14/12/2011
As a rising tide of digital dissent raises alarms in many capitals around the world, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on Tuesday called on member countries to "promote and protect the global free flow of information" online. The O.E.C.D., a group of 34 developed countries, urged policy makers to support investment in digital networks and to take a light touch on regulation, saying this was essential for promoting economic growth via the Internet.
UK Lags on Fast Broadband but Loves to Shop
category: Latest news | posted on 14/12/2011
Only 4% of homes in the UK are taking advantage of superfast broadband, according to a report from Ofcom. Despite this, UK surfers remain very connected, shopping more online than any of their European counterparts. Britons also get a good deal on their net and phone services, with only France offering cheaper prices, according to Ofcom. But the UK remains in danger of falling behind when it comes to next-generation mobile services. Superfast services defined by the regulator of speeds above 24 Mbps (megabits per second) remain more popular outside Europe.
Pressure for EU Net Neutrality Rules
category: Latest news | posted on 13/12/2011
The European Council of Ministers has called for the principle of net neutrality to become law, adding to pressure on the European Commission to act. The Council called on Member States to ensure "an open and neutral net". Proponents of net neutrality want to see all internet traffic treated equally, regardless of its type. The European Parliament has made similar calls, while some countries are drawing up national guidelines. Internet service providers (ISPs) argue that they need to discriminate because unchecked traffic from some applications, such as games or file-sharing programs, can slow down entire networks for all customers. In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has backed the principle of net neutrality.
Commission Launches Campaign for Open Data
category: Policy news | posted on 13/12/2011
On December 12th, the European Commission proposed to open up the access and the re-use of public documents in the EU in order to make information held by public administrations more readily available and to spur economic growth. By softening rules and procedures for the re-use of public data, the Commission hopes to generate a yearly €40 billion windfall for the European economy through the spread of innovative applications. Some sectors such as location-based services, car navigation systems or weather forecasters are expected to considerably gain from easier access to public documents and more flexible rules on how to use them for commercial aims.
In 2011, Almost Half of All Enterprises in EU Member States Accessed Internet Via Mobile Broadband
category: Latest news | posted on 13/12/2011
Enterprises use the internet for a variety of purposes: to present information on a website, to offer online shopping facilities to customers and to interact with public authorities. In the 27 EU Member States, 95% of enterprises had access to the internet in January 2011. The share of enterprises having a fixed broadband connection to access the internet grew slightly from 84% in 2010 to 87% in 2011. On the other hand, the use of mobile broadband connections increased significantly in the same period, from 27% to 47%.
Commission Consults on Review of Current Regime for Technology Transfer Agreements
category: Policy news | posted on 12/12/2011
The European Commission is inviting comments on the application of EU antitrust rules for the assessment of technology transfer agreements, i.e. patent, know-how and software licensing. The current regime consists of a block exemption regulation ("TTBER") that creates a safe harbour for certain non-problematic agreements, and guidelines on the application of the TTBER as well as on the assessment of agreements that fall outside the TTBER. The current TTBER will expire in April 2014. The new stakeholder submissions will be considered for the Commission's new proposal on how to assess technology transfer agreements after the April 2014 expiry.
Commissioner Kroes: Data is the New Gold
category: Latest news | posted on 12/12/2011
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda spoke about "data as the new gold" in her opening remarks at the Conference on Open Data Strategy on 12 December in Brussels. Ms. Kroes' promoted the Open Data package which would open up more public data to European citizens. But her main message was for the public authorities not to wait for the package to become law. She called on them to give their data away now, generating revenue and jobs and saving money from the better information and decisions that will come as a result. She also called on private businesses to pen their data in order to generate new services.
Expected Decision on Radio Spectrum to Open the Way for Growth
category: Policy news | posted on 11/12/2011
Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, will welcome the formal endorsement of legislation needed to make radio spectrum available for wireless broadband by 2013, at the EU's Council of Telecoms Ministers meeting in Brussels on 13 December. In addition, Ms. Kroes will present to the the Council the Connecting Europe Facility and an Open Data Strategy for Europe due to be adopted next week. The ministers will also discuss the concept of universal service, ensuring that the EU-wide rules play their proper part in bringing the benefits of the digital economy to the people of Europe.
European Commission Harmonises Conditions for SRDs in the Internal Market
category: Policy news | posted on 09/12/2011
On 8 December the European Commission updated spectrum harmonisation conditions for short-range devices (SRD) in the internal market. SRDs play an important role in the daily life of citizens. Numerous applications such as alarms, door openers, medical devices, but also local communications equipment such as Wi-Fi routers, rely on these low power radio transmitters. The newly harmonised license-exempt frequency bands can be sued by intelligent transport systems, vehicle radars and for non-specified purposes. Additionally, the technical conditions for a number of devices, such as RFID and inductive devices, are made less restrictive.
China Aims for High-Tech Primacy
category: Latest news | posted on 09/12/2011
China already has almost twice the number of Internet users as in the United States, and Dr. Wu Jianping, a computer scientist and director of the Chinese Educational and Research Network, points out that his nation is moving more quickly than any other in the world to deploy the new Internet protocol, IPv6, which offers advanced security and privacy options, but more importantly, many more I.P. addresses whose supply on the present Internet (IPv4) is almost exhausted. If the future of the Internet is already in China, is the future of computing there as well?
Rural Broadband Progress "Stalls"
category: Latest news | posted on 09/12/2011
The UK's Countryside Alliance says plans to bring fast broadband to rural areas have stalled. The UK government named four pilot areas last year, but local councils have admitted that they have not yet started work on their broadband projects. The councils' revealed that none had received any money from the Treasury, chosen a company to build their networks, or started work on them. The Countryside Alliance says that unless the whole process is simplified, the digital divide will keep growing and the money pledged will be all but worthless. A government spokesman said all four pilot projects were making good progress, and ministers remained confident that Britain would have Europe's best broadband network by 2015.
The Digital World's Revolution in "Self-Organisation"
category: Latest news | posted on 08/12/2011
The digital world is undergoing a revolution in "self-organisation", thanks to social media, that offers individuals, companies and governments opportunities to transform society in innovative ways, according to leading Internet expert Don Tapscott, the digital strategist who inspired US President Barack Obama to focus on Internet group organisation during his 2008 election campaign. It also threatens to unleash civil unrest on a scale never before witnessed, he warns, citing the Arab Spring. Tapscott told delegates at a Brussels innovation convention that "vertically integrated industrial business is becoming obsolete".
Journalists and Media Figures to Make Proposals on Effects of Digital Revolution
category: Latest news | posted on 08/12/2011
EU Commissioner and Vice-President for the Digital Agenda for Europe, Neelie Kroes, has formed and will open on 8 December a new forum of leading media figures to debate what the EU can do to help media fully transition to the digital era without losing its essence.
President Barroso Launches the First Innovation Convention
category: Latest news | posted on 06/12/2011
The first ever Innovation Convention, convened by European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, was officially opened on December 5th by European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso. Both of them, along with Vice President Antonio Tajani, presented the first EU Women Innovators Prize. Also, Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn and EIB President Maystadt signed an agreement on the Risk Sharing Finance Facility, a joint initiative of the European Commission and the EIB to support higher risk and reward investment in research and innovation. Finally, President Barroso used this occasion to announce the name of the European Commission's first Chief Scientific Advisor. The convention closed on December 6th.
Business Groups Worry About 4G Mobile Broadband
category: Latest news | posted on 06/12/2011
Plans to replace the current 3G mobile network with new 4G technology have been criticized by UK business groups. The Federation of Small Businesses and the National Farmers Union (NFU) say the rollout is taking too long and won't cover enough of the UK. They are worried hundreds of thousands of people, mainly in rural areas, could be left behind. Ofcom says the project is moving as quickly as possible and that no final decision has been made about coverage.
EU Eyes Big Fines For Privacy Breaches
category: Policy news | posted on 05/12/2011
Businesses breaching European Union privacy rules will face fines of up to 5% of their global turnover under sweeping proposals to be unveiled next month. In the first significant update of data protection legislation since 1995, companies found to have mishandled any personal data they hold--be it of their customers, suppliers or their own employees--will face the highest levels of fines, which could extend to billions of euros for large multinationals. The legislative process is likely to take at least two years, with another two before the measures come into effect.
Internet Firms Warn About EU's Data Privacy Proposals
category: Latest news | posted on 05/12/2011
The European Commission's intentions to force Internet social networks to seek consent from users every time they log on to websites will damage e-business and set Europe's digital innovation strategy back, says the largest consortium of on-line industry in Europe. The reaction came following a speech last week by the Commissioner for justice and fundamental rights, Viviane Reding, about online privacy.
With Verizon's $3.6 Billion Spectrum Deal, Cable and Wireless Come Closer
category: Latest news | posted on 03/12/2011
In a deal that could remake the boundaries of the cable and wireless industries, Verizon Wireless said on Friday that it had agreed to acquire wireless spectrum from three cable companies at a cost of $3.6 billion. The spectrum transfer, if approved by the U.S. government, will allow Verizon to further expand its wireless data networks. But perhaps just as important, a separate agreement announced Friday will enable the cable companies — Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks — to market Verizon services and vice versa, foreshadowing the possibility of cable television, broadband, home phone and cellphone service someday appearing on a single monthly bill.
Working Paper on Spectrum Policy and Post-Roaming Europe Now Online
category: Academic papers | posted on 23/11/2011
Findings of the CEPS Digital Forum Working Group on Spectrum Policy and Post-Roaming Europe are included in this final report (WP2) now online. You can download the report below. Comments are more than welcome in the online forum. Please log in to post. Contact us if you have trouble logging in.
Final Report of Working Paper on Building a Sustainable Internet Model is Now Online
category: Academic papers | posted on 24/11/2011
The final report of the CEPS Digital Forum Working Group (WP1) on Building a Sustainable Internet Model is now available online. You can download the report below. Comments are more than welcome in the online forum. Please log in to post. Contact us if you have trouble logging in.
Is Cloud Computing a Threat to Older Tech Companies?
category: Latest news | posted on 02/12/2011
The International Data Corporation, whose technology analysis and predictions influence a lot of corporate purchases, foresees the creation of a new high-technology industry in the convergence of mobile devices, social networking, and cloud-based computing and data storage. As a result, the company says in a new study that many industry giants will scramble to sustain relevance, and some upstarts will achieve leadership positions or be purchased. Spending on the new technologies will reach nearly $700 billion, or about 20 percent of the $3.5 trillion in hardware, software, and services spent on information technology worldwide, IDC said. Frank Gens, IDC’s chief analyst, who led the study, said, “The incumbents are facing a huge transition.”
Legal Uncertainties and Data Privacy Conflict Hampering Move to Cloud Computing
category: Latest news | posted on 02/12/2011
While financial services and banking firms are increasingly looking to cloud computing services to enhance their businesses, actual take-up is being hampered by legal uncertainties and conflict between the EU and the US over data privacy. Banking and other financial services firms had been expected by industry observers to be among the most likely to use cloud computing. Advocates of the cloud say it can allow these companies to reduce overhead costs, make IT costs more flexible and enable new business models. However, some argue that several issues pose obstacles to the pick-up of cloud computing, most importantly regulatory obstacles.
Commission Proposes €80 Billion Investment in Research and Innovation to Boost Growth and Jobs
category: Latest news | posted on 01/12/2011
The European Commission on Wednesday presented a package of measures to boost research, innovation and competitiveness in Europe. Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn announced "Horizon 2020", an €80 billion programme for investment in research and innovation. Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou put forward a Strategic Innovation Agenda for the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), which will receive €2.8 billion of funding under Horizon 2020. In parallel, Vice-President Antonio Tajani announced a complementary new programme to boost competitiveness and innovation in SMEs, with an additional budget of €2.5 billion. The funding programmes run from 2014 to 2020.
The Cloud: Good or Bad for IT Jobs?
category: Latest news | posted on 01/12/2011
Commission VP Proposes EU-Wide Data Protection Rules
category: Policy news | posted on 30/11/2011
The European Commission will propose next year that companies must abide by the data protection rules of their country of establishment within the EU instead of applying different national laws of the states where they operate, as is the case now. Speaking to representatives of the digital industry, Commission Vice President Viviane Reding announced that in the data protection directive review, to be published by the end of January 2012, the Commission will propose a "one-stop-shop"--one law and one single data protection authority for each business. The current fragmentation of the data protection rule is estimated to cost EU businesses €2.3 billion in extra administrative burdens.
Commissioner Kroes: Creating an Open, Competitive Telecoms Market
category: Latest news | posted on 30/11/2011
On 28 November, Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda, gave the keynote address to the ECTA conference in Brussels. She spoke about incentives to invest in the future, focusing on creating an open, competitive telecoms market. Kroes emphasized that: public authorities need to provide public goods, such as spectrum; in some areas the EU can regulate to ensure a minimum service, thus not putting all the cost on the telecoms sector; and the EU can provide some level of public funding, for example to invest in broadband. In summary, Ms. Kroes said "that the crisis underlines all the more the need to transform our economy, and establish the basis for future growth."
Opening Up Europe's Cultural Treasures to the Online World
category: Latest news | posted on 30/11/2011
European Commission Vice-President responsible for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, spoke to the Education, Youth and Culture Council in Brussels on 29 November about investing in the future by digitizing Europe's cultural heritage. Ms. Kroes made three main recommendations: first, to increase digitization and improve planning; second, to get the private sector involved in digitizing cultural material; and, third, to make all digitized information available through "Europeana" to make Europe's digital library widely available to the public.
UK Announces More Funding for Broadband
category: Latest news | posted on 29/11/2011
Better broadband networks in 10 cities across the UK are being promised by the government. Chancellor George Osborne announced that £100 million will be spent on boosting broadband coverage in London, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardif. A further six cities will be identified later. "It means creating new superfast digital networks for companies across our country. These do not exist today. See what countries like China or Brazil are building, and you'll also see why we risk falling behind the rest of the world," he said.
Digital Cloud Providers Face EU Privacy Audits
category: Latest news | posted on 28/11/2011
The European Commission believes it is only "logical" that companies providing cloud services over the Internet face audits on whether they are keeping their promises on personal data security. The Commission would like to increase cloud providers' accountability to their users in an upcoming EU "Cloud Strategy", due out next year. Audits and liability clauses are just two ways the EU is considering to harmonise the 27 national legal regimes hampering cloud adoption, say Commission sources. Many businesses in Europe cite security concerns as one of the biggest obstacles to cloud adoption. And EU officials now acknowledge that safe harbour is not enough to assuage these concerns.
China Smartphone Market Overtakes US
category: Latest news | posted on 28/11/2011
China has overtaken the US as the world's biggest smartphone market by volume in the third quarter, says Reuters. According to research company Strategy Analytics, smartphone shipments grew 58% to reach 23.9 million units in China during the quarter, while US shipments fell 7% from the second quarter to reach 23.3 million devices.
Commission Begins Infringement Proceedings Against 16 Member States in Breach of Implementing New EU Telecoms Rules
category: Latest news | posted on 25/11/2011
The European Commission has written to sixteen Member States which have failed to fully implement new EU telecoms rules into national law, six months after the deadline to do so (25 May 2011). Partial implementation of the EU Telecoms rules limit consumers' rights in these 16 Member States. The new rules give EU customers new rights regarding fixed telephony, mobile services and Internet access. Examples are the right to switch telecoms operators one day without changing phone numbers and the right to clarify about data traffic management practices employed by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The rules also attempt to better protect privacy and personal data online.
European Court of Justice Rejects Web Privacy Filter
category: Latest news | posted on 25/11/2011
The European Court of Justice has ruled that content owners cannot ask ISPs to filter out illegal content. The ruling could have implications for the creative industries as they attempt to crack down on piracy. The court said that while content providers can ask ISPs to block specific sites, wider filtering was in breach of the E-Commerce Directive. A Belgian court had previously ruled that a local rights holder could force an ISP to filter content.
Mobile Phone Firms Offer Better Service, Ofcom Finds
category: Latest news | posted on 25/11/2011
Consumers are more satisfied with their mobile phone provider than they are with landline or broadband suppliers, research has indicated. Communications regulator Ofcom has conducted the latest of its regular samples of customer satisfaction. Seven in ten customers were happy with the service from their mobile provider - often after calling about their package or service. However, for broadband and landline, about six in ten were happy.
Commission Indicates No Fundamental Change to Universal Service
category: Latest news | posted on 24/11/2011
The European Commission announced on 23 November that there is currently no need to change the basic concept, principles or scope of EU rules on Universal Service to include mobile telecommunications services and broadband connections at the EU level. The Commission has come to this conclusion on the basis of a public consultation and its third periodic review of the scope of this service.
To read the Commission's press release, go to: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/1400&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
What the 4G Future Can Be
category: Latest news | posted on 24/11/2011
Rory Cellan-Jones, a BBC Technology correspondent, explores the benefits of 4G and finds that the 4G revolution promises to make a big difference. When it finally arrives, that is. Amid infighting amongst the various mobile operators, the 4G spectrum auction has been delayed until the end of next year. The networks say that's not a problem because the analogue TV spectrum which will be a key part of the sale won't be free until 2013 in any case. But as other countries from Sweden, to Germany to the United States, move ahead more rapidly with rolling out the new technology, there's mounting concern that the UK could be left behind.
Building a Smarter Internet
category: Latest news | posted on 23/11/2011
The proliferation of smart phones, smart TVs and smart cars could lead to 50 billion internet-connected devices by 2020. The internet of things--cars, devices, and sensors connecting everyday objects--is already far larger than the internet of people and linked pages. By 2008, the number of things connected to the internet had already exceeded the number of people on Earth. Future Internet technologies are a major focus of the EU's research agenda. Funding is in place to test new technologies that could enable the network to evolve and adapt over time. Future Internet initiatives are intended to ensure that society's ICT backbone, connectivity, does not break under the strain of constantly rising demands.
Commissioner Kroes: We Must Support Innovation and Investment in ICT
category: Latest news | posted on 23/11/2011
In a speech to the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) in Brussels on 22 November, European Commissioner and Vice-President for the Digital Agenda for Europe, Neelie Kroes, discussed the importance of the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme, the future Roaming Regulation, the ENISA, the EU Open Data Strategy, and the Connecting Europe Facility. Overall, Ms. Kroes empahsized the need for increased spending and improvements in European ICT: "one of the few [sectors] that is providing much needed growth."
European Commission Officials Visit Member States to Present the Digital Agenda for Europe
category: Upcoming events | posted on 22/11/2011
European Commission officials will participate in events organised from November 21-25 in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain and from November 29-December 1 in Belgium and Spain in order to present to stakeholders and the public the Digital Agenda for Europe. The events will focus on issues like broadband, the digital single market, digital inclusion, public services, research and innovation, low carbon economy, eSkills, Green ICT, rural broadband, digital growth, smart cities, Internet security, and eInclusion. The visits are part of the Going Local exercise, run by the European Commission for the second year in a row, in order to foster a public dialogue on the Digital Agenda's goals.
Commissioner Kroes Speaks About Giving More ICT Tools to Artists
category: Latest news | posted on 22/11/2011
European Commissioner and Vice-President for the Digital Agenda for Europe, Neelie Kroes, spoke in Avignon on November 19th about giving artists the necessary ICT tools to economically compete in the present and future world. She emphasized that "legally, we want a well-understood and enforceable framework. Morally, we want dignity, recognition and a stimulating environment for creators. Economically, we want financial reward so that artists can benefit from their hard work and be incentivised to create more."
Parliament Pushes for Keeping Internet Open
category: Latest news | posted on 18/11/2011
On November 17th, the European Parliament adopted a clear-cut resolution on net neutrality, giving the priority to maintaining an open internet for all rather than increasing its use for commercial purposes. The resolution, passed by MEPs in Strasbourg, calls on the European Commission to ensure that "Internet service providers do not block, discriminate against or impair the ability of any person to use or offer any service, content or application of their choice irrespective of source or target." In their resolution, MEPs did recognise the need for a "reasonable" management of data traffic to ensure that the Internet continues to run smoothly. However, the Parliament also clearly underlined that anti-competitive practices should not be allowed.
Commissioner Kroes Speaks about the Road Towards Borderless eGovernment
category: Latest news | posted on 17/11/2011
On November 17th, European Commissioner and Vice-President responsible for the Digital Agenda for Europe, Neelie Kroes, spoke about the importance of creating a single, borderless digital market, in which the user is in control and at the center. With borderless eGovernments, according to Ms. Kroes, "governments can
make the most out of their investment; our people can connect to more opportunity, our economies can benefit."
The Digital Agenda Showcases Five New Cross-Border Online Public Services
category: Latest news | posted on 17/11/2011
The European Commission is
showcasing a family of five new online public services at the "Borderless eGovernment Services for Europeans" conference of the Polish Presidency
in Poznan this week. The five projects have already demonstrated
concrete benefits for citizens, businesses and governments during their
pilot phases.
The Commission emphasized that eGovernment must not stop at national borders, and these five projects prove that it
does not have to, making the lives of citizens and businesses easier,
while being more efficient and cost effective than existing
public services
.
Report Reveals Big Drop in Speed Between Peak and Off-Peak Surfing
category: Latest news | posted on 16/11/2011
UK broadband speeds drop
by an average of 35% from their off-peak highs when most people are
online in the evening, according to a report. The research, conducted by the comparison site Uswitch, was based on two million broadband speed tests. The peak surfing times between 7pm and 9pm were the slowest to be online, the report said. There were also huge regional variations between evening and early morning surfing times. The report suggested the best time to be online was between 2am and 3am. Other studies have shown similar results in other EU and non-EU countries.
02 Begins 4G LTE Mobile Data Trial in London
category: Latest news | posted on 15/11/2011
The mobile network 02 has started testing a next-generation mobile data service in London. The nine month trial will involve hundreds of consumers and businesses using a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network across parts of the city.O2 says its LTE downloads will be many times faster than those over 3G. The news comes a fortnight after MPs urged O2 and other operators to stop fighting over how 4G airwaves should be shared out. Ofcom plans to hold an auction for the LTE radio spectrum towards the end of 2012. However, because the spectrum will not become free until 2013 it will be some time after that before the services can be offered on a commercial basis. That puts the UK behind other countries including Sweden, South Korea, Germany, and the US which have already begun their rollouts.
Internet Architects Warn of Risks in Ultrafast Networks
category: Latest news | posted on 14/11/2011
The founders of Arista Networks, David Cheriton, a computer science professor at Stanford known for his skills in software design, and Andreas Bechtolsheim, one of the founders of Sun Microsystems, say that the promise of having access to mammoth amounts of data instantly, anywhere, is matched by the threat of catastrophe. People are creating more data and moving it ever faster on computer networks. The fast networks allow people to pour much more of civilization online, including not just Facebook posts and every book ever written, but all music, live video calls, and most of the information technology behind modern business, into a worldwide “cloud” of data centers. The networks are designed so it will always be available, via phone, tablet, personal computer or an increasing array of connected devices. Statistics dictate that the vastly greater number of transactions among computers in a world 100 times faster than today will lead to a greater number of unpredictable accidents, with less time in between them.
UK Faces Superfast Digital Divide
category: Latest news | posted on 11/11/2011
Broadband firms have warned that a new digital divide is emerging in the UK. BT said that EU targets for all citizens to have speeds of at least 30Mbps (megabits per second) by 2020 were "impossible to achieve". Government funds set aside to address so-called notspots were insufficient, they said.Speakers at the Westminster eForum said that around 10% of the UK will not be able to get superfast broadband in the next decade.
Schmidt says Governments (not Google) Should Help Ease Bandwidth Squeeze
category: Latest news | posted on 10/11/2011
Google Executive Chairman, Eric Schmidt, addressed a Taiwanese audience on Wednesday, emphasizing one looming problem: the rising cost of building more advanced telecommunications networks. This has become a global issue because the spread of smartphones and the rise of mobile computing has meant a surge in demand for data delivered over telecom networks, to the extent that it is threatening to exceed operators' capacity to do so at high speeds. Schmidt argued that one solution was for governments around the world to do more to help network operators roll out faster and better networks.
F.C.C. and Cable Companies Push to Close Digital Divide
category: Latest news | posted on 10/11/2011
To sign up some of the estimated 100 million Americans who are not online, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and private providers are trying to make broadband Internet access both less expensive and more valuable. On Wednesday, the F.C.C. will announce commitments from most of the big cable companies in the United States to supply access for $9.99 a month to a subset of low-income households. The low introductory price is meant to appeal to new customers who have not had broadband in the past. The F.C.C. is billing the initiative as the biggest effort ever to help close the digital divide. Because no federal funds are being invested, the initiative relies in large part on the cooperation of private companies.
OECD Publishes Guidelines for Privacy and Data Protection
category: Latest news | posted on 09/11/2011
The OECD's Working Party on Information Security and Privacy (WPISP) published its Terms of Reference for the Review of the OECD guidelines governing the protection of privacy and transborder data flows of personal data. The WPISP acknowledges a number of elements that can already be identified as key to improving the effectiveness of privacy protection. More specifically, the group sees the need for globally interoperable privacy frameworks that ensure effective privacy protection and support the free flow of personal information around the world. The WPISP underlines the need to recognise the dynamic nature of innovative business models through privacy regimes, which are characterised by technology-neutrality and context-sensitivity.
Permanent Halt on Development of Greek Optical Fibre Network
category: Latest news | posted on 09/11/2011
According to reports by the Greek media this week, the financial crisis has put a permanent halt to plans relating to the development of Fiber To The Home (FTTH) network. The network worth EUR2 billion, which was to be developed via state aid amounting to EUR700 million, has been put on hold permanently as both the country and the market do not have the resources needed to fund such an ambitious plan. Therefore, according to coverage, OTE and EETT are to develop an optical fiber network to reach primary cross connection points.
FICORA Speaks on Data Transmission Speed in Broadband
category: Latest news | posted on 09/11/2011
Finnish regulatory authority FICORA stated that the data transmission speed of a broadband service must be determined in more detail in the future. It gave the minimum requirements of how the speed of a broadband service must be expressed in consumer contracts. The aim of FICORA's statement is to make it easier for consumers to compare the broadband services in the market. The data transmission speed promised for consumers must be accurately included in contracts to ensure the legal protection of consumers in fault situations.
New Ofcom Report Details Communications Coverage in the UK
category: Latest news | posted on 09/11/2011
Last week, Ofcom launched digital communications coverage maps, including
outdoor mobile coverage and mobile broadband availability, using data
supplied by communications providers. The maps, available at http://maps.ofcom.org.uk,
are part of Ofcom’s first report on the UK’s communications
infrastructure. Ofcom’s report
also refers to the coverage and capacity of the UK’s landline network,
digital radio and TV.
UK MPs Tell Mobile Operators to Stop Fighting over Auction
category: Latest news | posted on 07/11/2011
A committee of UK MPs has criticized mobile operators for fighting over how to share out the airwaves that will deliver next-generation services. The UK is currently on track to be one of the last European countries to hold its 4G auction. Regulator Ofcom hopes to hold the sale mid-2012. The radio spectrum auction will provide more bandwidth for operators.The Commons Culture, Media and Sport select committee urged operators to stop delaying the process.
Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales on Internet Censorship and its Future
category: Latest news | posted on 04/11/2011
Censorship is the biggest threat to the development of the internet according to Wikipedia's founder Jimmy Wales. Governments have become "more sophisticated" in the ways they suppress criticism. But what really excites Wales is the idea of many people in the developing world using the internet for the first time. Telecoms infrastructure is reaching further afield, he said, and laptops and smartphones are becoming ever more affordable.
EU and US Conduct First Cybersecurity Test
category: Latest news | posted on 04/11/2011
The European Union and US conducted their first ever joint cybersecurity exercise, in a show of strength aimed at criminals and foreign nations who try to hack into critical computer systems. More than 100 IT security experts from the 27 EU member states and their counterparts from the US Department of Homeland Security convened in Brussels to simulate crisis scenarios, including attempted cyber espionage and an attack on power grid infrastructure.
EU Research and Innovation: What Role for Regions and Cities After 2013?
category: Upcoming events | posted on 03/11/2011
By December 2011, the European Commission will have adopted its legal proposals for the future EU funding of research and innovation, namely through the structural funds and Horizon 2020. On December 13th, the Committee of the Regions invites local, regional and national administrations, institutions, universities, and development agencies to discuss the consequences these proposals will have for facilitating better coordination of research and innovation support at the local level post-2013.
Elites Disagree on International Internet Conduct
category: Latest news | posted on 03/11/2011
The two-day London Cyberspace Conference, and invite-only event for world political and technology leaders, concluded Thursday resounding lack-of-unity. Initially billed as a major step forward to produce a treaty to govern international internet conduct, the conference reduced its goals and then failed to meet even those. UK Foreign Minister William Hague, who convened the conference, dropped talk of a treaty and, instead, focused on acceptance of universal norms.
Why Government Should Not Touch the Internet
category: Latest news | posted on 02/11/2011
The London Cyberspace Conference aptly demonstrated why government intervention in the internet should be limited. Almost every presentation by an internet company was a thinly veiled plea to "please leave us alone." Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, said that "the greatest threat to the internet was misguided and over-reaching government policy."
Commissioner Kroes calls for "Digital Champions"
category: Latest news | posted on 02/11/2011
Neelie Kroes, the European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, has called on EU states to appoint digital champions similar to the UK's Martha Lane Fox. Talking to the BBC, Ms. Kroes said it was vital to deal with the 30% of Europeans currently not online. She said EU states needed ministers with specific digital portfolios. She emphasized the social benefits of being online: "It connects communities, friends and families, as I know when I Skype my grandchildren thousands of miles away."
Re-Inventing the Web
category: Latest news | posted on 31/10/2011
With today’s broadband connections to the internet, websites can offer a far richer experience—including music, graphics, video and animation—and still comply with the "eight-second rule" that requires content to be loaded swiftly before impatient visitors wander away. But to do so, the browsers people use nowadays have to be packed with plug-ins, protocols and codecs to decode all the wizardry on today's web pages. That is where HTML 5 comes in. This is not just a new version of the venerable mark-up language, but over a dozen web standards rolled into one. As such, it is destined, eventually, to replace Flash and other make-shift solutions. But it all depends on whether the engineers who volunteer their time to the HTML 5 project can pull it off.
British Telecom to Speed Up "Super Fast" Broadband Rollout
category: Latest news | posted on 31/10/2011
Telecoms provider BT is accelerating its fibre broadband rollout. It now plans to offer "super-fast" internet speeds to two-thirds of UK premises by the end of 2014. The target is a year ahead of its original plan. The firm says its main product will offer maximum download speeds about 10 times faster than at present, at 70-100Mbps on average. BT says it is employing an additional 520 engineers and bringing forward £300m of investment to achieve the goal.
UK Culture Minister Calls for Single Digital Market
category: Latest news | posted on 28/10/2011
UK Culture Minister Ed Vaizey has called for new rules to be drawn up, breaking
down the barriers to online trade in the European Union. He said the EU should aim to roll out broadband and help its citizens get
online, as well as implement a regulatory package that “allows consumers
and business to trade online with certainty and with adequate protections”
and a “rights management system fit for the digital age”.
F.C.C. Expands Broadband By Overhauling Telephone Subsidy
category: Latest news | posted on 28/10/2011
In an effort to expand broadband Internet service, the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved an overhaul of its fund that subsidizes rural
telephone service, turning it into one meant to offer broadband service
to the millions of Americans who lack high-speed connections. The new plan is part of the Connect America Fund, which will rely on competitive bidding to
distribute money to build and operate broadband service. The program
also contains a component known as the Mobility Fund, which will
separately promote the growth of wireless broadband, particularly in
currently unserved areas.
IT Experts: Cloud Security Should Be A Priority
category: Latest news | posted on 28/10/2011
As more and more executives and employees around the world put greater demands on using their own preferred devices, providing watertight security has never before been such a vast undertaking, says Mark Darvill, Chief Technology Officer of AEP Networks. AEP specialises in providing high-end IT security for companies and organisations dealing with extremely sensitive and confidential data.
"What Broadband For All?" Conference Concludes with Calls to Action
category: Latest news | posted on 06/10/2011
The "What Broadband for All?" conference at the Centre for European Policy Studies, Brussels, organized by the CEPS Digital Forum together with the International Telecommunications Society, was held on October 25th. Various academics and industry experts called for the EU to make Europe's digital communications networks more efficient and effective. To read play-by-play highlights of the conference's speakers and their debates and discussions, go to @CEPSdigfor on Twitter.
Policy for Growth Needed to Bridge Digital Divide
category: Latest news | posted on 26/10/2011
New data show that Europe's crisis-ridden southern countries are suffering from a deficit of internet connectedness. David Dean, a senior partner of Boston Consulting Group, says in an interview that there is no easy solution but that governments need to encourage better infrastructure and engagement. Without a more accessible, faster digital world, growth will not come easily.
To read the interview with David Dean, go to: http://www.euractiv.com/specialreport-small-business-driving-eu-growth/boston-group-head-bridge-gap-internet-economy-policy-
To read a related article on the digital divide between Europe's North and South, go to: http://www.euractiv.com/specialreport-small-business-driving-eu-growth/internet-divide-grips-europes-crisis-riven-south-repo
To read the interview with David Dean, go to: http://www.euractiv.com/specialreport-small-business-driving-eu-growth/boston-group-head-bridge-gap-internet-economy-policy-
To read a related article on the digital divide between Europe's North and South, go to: http://www.euractiv.com/specialreport-small-business-driving-eu-growth/internet-divide-grips-europes-crisis-riven-south-repo
Super-Fast Wireless Broadband...but is there a Market for it?
category: Latest news | posted on 25/10/2011
This October, mobile operators are building 174 Long Term Evolution networks in 64 countries, according to the GSA Association, an industry group of network equipment makers based in Zurich. With its faster speed and greater capacity to handle the explosive growth in mobile data traffic, operators are wagering that LTE will be critical to future profitability. It is a big wager — and one largely made on speculation. Much of this initial investment is being made before the release of a single LTE-capable cellphone, the first of which are not supposed to reach consumers in bulk until next year
Verizon CEO: Wireless Spectrum Should Be Reallocated
category: Latest news | posted on 24/10/2011
Lowell C. McAdam, CEO of Verizon Communications, says in a recent op-ed piece in the New York Times that government action is needed to reallocate precious spectrum for wireless communication purpose, otherwise, "the lifeblood of this innovative sector of the economy is at risk of being choked off."
Is Storing Corporate Information in the Cloud a Good Idea?
category: Latest news | posted on 24/10/2011
Some corporations (and consumers) are abandoning hard-drives and, instead, choosing to store data in online repositories run by third-parties (i.e., the cloud). But others are steering clear. As highlighted by the recent Blackberry outage, there are risks involved with entrusting data management and communications to others. But corporate servers sometimes fail just as easily. Is storing corporate information in the cloud a good idea?
Vote, see the results, and join the discussion: http://www.economist.com/economist-asks/storing-corporate-information-cloud-good-idea
Vote, see the results, and join the discussion: http://www.economist.com/economist-asks/storing-corporate-information-cloud-good-idea
New EU Broadband Funds Receive Cautious Welcome by Some
category: Latest news | posted on 21/10/2011
In spite of the European Commission's announcement of investing €9.2 bn in future projects for the deployment of fibre optic cables to deliver faster internet, more jobs and more revenues, some lobbyists argue that the Commission's plan jars with telecommunications companies' battle to get private sector investment into fibre. Other telco lobbies gave the funds a cautious welcome, emphasisng that
they should go to low-populated areas where companies are afraid they
will not turn a profit.
Commission Announces New Plan to Spend €9.2bn on Boosting Broadband
category: Latest news | posted on 17/10/2011
The European Commission has proposed to spend almost €9.2 billion from 2014 to 2020 on pan-European projects to give EU citizens and businesses access to high-speed broadband networks and the services that run on them. The funding, part of the proposed Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), would take the form of both equity and debt instruments and grants. It would complement private investment and public money at local, regional and national level and EU structural or cohesion funds. At least €7 billion would be available for investment in high-speed broadband infrastructure.
EDPS Raises Concerns about Net-Neutrality and Privacy
category: Latest news | posted on 21/10/2011
Experts admit that net-neutrality for users involves some traffic management which privacy watchdogs warn could become invasive. In an opinion issued October 7th, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) warns against “certain inspection techniques used by ISPs which may be highly privacy-intrusive, especially when they reveal the content of individuals’ internet communications, including emails sent or received, websites visited and files downloaded.”
Commissioner Kroes Speaks on Importance of Connecting Europe Facility
category: Latest news | posted on 20/10/2011
Commissioner Neelie Kroes, in charge of the Digital Agenda for Europe, spoke on October 19th in Warsaw about new EU funds for improving broadband and digital infrastructure. Ms. Kroes described the Connecting Europe Facility as a "new digital infrastructure investment
programme to build the Trans-European Networks of the future. Helping
get every European digital, boost our innovation economy, and invest in
jobs for the future."
Commissioner Kroes Stresses Crucial Role of BEREC for EU
category: Latest news | posted on 19/10/2011
On October 14th, Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner in charge of the Digital Agenda for Europe, underlined the key roles of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) at the inaugural speech for the Opening Ceremony of BEREC's Riga office. Ms. Kroes emphasized that BEREC "should improve the consistency and transparency of
regulatory action and the dissemination of best practices across Member
States." She welcomed BEREC's role and input on policy challenges such as roaming, net neutrality, and delivering super fast broadband.
Competition Commissioner Almunia Speaks on Building Europe's Future Payments Market
category: Latest news | posted on 19/10/2011
EU Commissioner for Competition, Joaquin Almunia, gave the keynote speech on "Building Europe's Future Payments Market," on October 12th, at the Next Generation Cards and Payments conference in Brussels. He spoke about the contribution of competition policy to the progress of the payments
industry, and in particular to the completion of a Single Payments Area
in the EU. Mr. Almunia said that the Commission will publish a Green Paper on December 7th, focused on the state of card, Internet, and mobile transactions.
Commission Pushes for Effective Deployment of Pan-European Mobile Satellite Services
category: Policy news | posted on 19/10/2011
The European Commission, on October 10th, adopted a decision
which would allow it to coordinate the efforts of EU Member States to
accelerate the commercial deployment of pan-European Mobile Satellite
Services (MSS) and, if need be, to adopt appropriate enforcement
measures.
IMCO and National Parliaments Joint Meeting on the Single Market
category: Latest news | posted on 19/10/2011
On October 10-11, national parliaments and the European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) held a joint meeting on "Re-launching the Single Market: State of Play and Challenges Ahead." President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, and the Commissioner of the Internal Market, Michel Barnier, both emphasized the importance of the Single Market, also underlining the importance of the Digital Single Market. The Commission is currently working on a number of digital market-related initiatives including e-signature, e-identification, and roaming.
Will Personal Technology and the Cloud Kill Large Corporate IT Departments?
category: Latest news | posted on 18/10/2011
Employees would increasingly like to ditch stodgy employer-provided machines, preferring instead to work using their own mobile gadgets, both at home and in the office. Should this trend continue, IT departments will need to change in order to accommodate it. Some envisage a future where every worker is responsible for his device and IT staff is whittled down to a bare minimum needed to ensure that they are properly connected to a cloud server, itself run by a third party. Cast your vote, join the discussion, and see the overall results at the economist.com: http://www.economist.com/economist-asks/will-personal-technology-and-cloud-kill-large-corporate-it-departments
Special Report: The Future Impact of Mobile Digital Gadgets
category: Latest news | posted on 18/10/2011
Morgan Stanley, an investment bank, believes that in 2011 combined shipments of smartphones and tablets will overtake those of personal computers. This marks a turning-point in the world of personal technology. For around 30 years PCs in various forms have been people’s main computing devices. Now the rise of smartphones and tablet computers threatens to erode the PC’s dominance, prompting talk that a “post-PC” era is finally dawning.
Mobile Devices Now Account for 7% of Global Internet Traffic
category: Latest news | posted on 13/10/2011
Mobile devices, which includes smartphones and tablets, now account for 7% of worldwide internet traffic according to a report released this past Tuesday by ComScore, which monitors online trends. Although this is the first such study done, it is widely believed that mobile device usage as a percentage of internet traffic is increasing.
Expanding Rural Broadband Using FM Spectrum
category: Latest news | posted on 14/10/2011
In the UK, Ofcom believes that so-called white spaces devices, which are currently being trialled for use in the spectrum gaps freed up by the digital TV switchover, would work equally well in the FM spectrum. Although there is no set date for the switchover from FM to digital radio, the government is keen for it to happen in 2015.
Commissioner Kroes Speaks about Digital Agenda as Key Driver of Growth and Innovation
category: Latest news | posted on 12/10/2011
EU Commissioner and Vice-President, Neelie Kroes, responsible for the Digital Agenda, spoke at the 2011 Digital Agenda Summit on October 4th, outlining the most important economic, functional, and social implications of the Digital Agenda for Europe. She explained why action is crucial and emphasized that the Commission wants to ensure broadband for all. Kroes promoted measures that would stimulate broadband investment and digital public services.
Commissioner Kroes Discusses the Importance of Fast Broadband for All
category: Latest news | posted on 12/10/2011
Neelie Kroes, EU Commission Vice-President in charge of the Digital Agenda spoke at the Digital Inclusion Conference at Gdansk on October 5th about shifting Europe into "top gear" by stressing the importance of improving Europe's digital landscape in the 21st century. Kroes emphasized that in a time of "economic crisis, rising unemployment, demographic change, and even tougher competition in the global marketplace" we need to "reinvent ourselves," largely by improving the EU's digital infrastructure.
What Impact has the 2009 EU Telecoms Reform Package had on an Open Internet and Net Neutrality in Europe?
category: Policy news | posted on 12/10/2011
On October 6th, the European Parliament's Industry, Research, and Energy Committee (ITRE) unanimously adopted a question for oral answer to the Council of the EU. The question demonstrates the opinion by the EP that the open internet and net neutrality are important priorities for the successful conclusion of the 2009 EU Telecoms Package. The question asks the Council's opinion about the impact of the the package on ensuring an open internet and net neutrality in Europe. A resolution on the same issue is tabled for adoption by the ITRE on October 20th.
BEREC Launches Public Consultation on Draft Guidelines for Net Neutrality and Transparency
category: Latest news | posted on 12/10/2011
The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) launched a public consultation on October 3rd on draft Guidelines for "Net Neutrality and Transparency: Best practices and recommended approaches." The net neutrality guide furthers BEREC's effort to harmonise regulatory approaches of national regulatory bodies across EU Member States, covering the scope of the service, general limitations, and specific limitations. The deadline for submission is 2 November 2011.
The Erosion of Online Privacy and The Free Flow of Information
category: Latest news | posted on 11/10/2011
OfCom Delays 4G Mobile Auctions
category: Latest news | posted on 10/10/2011
Telecoms watchdog Ofcom is to delay auctions that would sell chunks of
radio spectrum to support future fourth-generation mobile services. They were originally scheduled to hold the auctions in early 2012; now, OfCom says that late 2012 is more realistic due to the strength of consultations that took place in 2011, persuading them to delay.
Europe Approves Microsoft Purchase of Skype
category: Latest news | posted on 10/10/2011
Last Friday, the European Commission approved Microsoft's $8.5 U.S. purchase of Skype, saying it had no objectives to a deal that would link the world's largest software maker with the leading Internet communications service. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission had already approved the transaction in June.
The Digital Agenda: Can the EU Connect Us All?
category: Policy news | posted on 11/10/2011
The Digital Agenda aims to deliver benefits to consumers and businesses based on ultra-fast Internet connections and interoperable applications. The European Commission's blueprint, unveiled in May 2010, aims to provide broadband Internet access for all citizens by 2013, with access to much higher Internet speeds for all by 2020.
Cloud Computing: A Legal Maze or Economic Boon?
category: Latest news | posted on 11/10/2011
'Cloud computing', describing a whole range of infrastructure,
software, data or applications residing in the 'cloud' – that is to say,
off your own premises and accessed via the Internet - is not necessarily the next clear-cut, no-brainer technological saviour. In many ways it makes sense for businesses and consumers, but data protection and copyrights cannot cannot always be easily managed. The Commission is consulting with industry and data protection
authorities this year before releasing its cloud computing strategy in
2012.
EC Communication on the open Internet and net neutrality in the EU
category: Policy news | posted on 20/05/2011
On 19 April 2011, the European Commission published the "Communication on the open Internet and net neutrality in Europe." As its contents are of great relevance for the object and the scope of at least one of the working groups within the CEPS Digital Forum, the document was uploaded and it is now available to all the users.
Economides and Tag on network neutrality and network management regulation
category: Academic papers | posted on 03/05/2011
Under the research lens of Economides and Tag there are now quality of service, price discrimination and exclusive contracts. Let's read more and download the full paper.
Think Quarterly by Google
category: Latest news | posted on 25/03/2011
Google just delivered "Google Quarterly", a brand new editorial initiative. Matt Brittin, Google UK Chief executive, addressed it as a "breathing space in a busy world". What's up at Google?
Digital Forum announcement on "Communications & Strategies" (no. 81 - 1st Quarter 2011)
category: Latest news | posted on 22/03/2011
The announcement and some details about the Digital Forum initiative have been just published in the Special Issue of Communications & Strategies (number 81 - 1st Quarter, 2011). Of course, this will help the CEPS initiative to reach a broader international audience of scholars and practitioners.
Regulating the Medium: Reactions to Network Neutrality in the European Union and Canada
category: Academic papers | posted on 17/03/2011
As a member of the ESRC Centre for Competition Policy and lecturer at the University of East Anglia, Daithi Mac Sithigh just published his last work on net neutrality (Journal of Internet Law, 14(8), 3-14, 2011). Abstract and full paper available.
Sky News plans pay model for iPad app
category: Latest news | posted on 17/03/2011
Sky News has unveiled its much anticipated app for the iPad, but non-Sky customers will only be able to access the news service for a limited period.
First issue of the Journal of Information Policy
category: Academic papers | posted on 16/03/2011
The inaugural issue of the Journal of Information Policy contains a special issue on the US "broadband act of 2011". All papers are freely available online here
Economics of Cybersecurity:
category: Latest news | posted on 14/03/2011
The IDATE Journal "Communications & Strategies. DigiWorld Economic Journal" dedicates a Special Issue to the Economics of Cybersecurity. The Issue, which is edited by Loretta Anania, Johannes M. Bauer and Michel van Eeten, will be published in its number 81 - 1st Quarter 2011.
The Information Society Portal:
category: Latest news | posted on 21/02/2011
More people across the EU now have access to public services online, according to Europe's 9th e-Government Benchmark Report released today. The average availability of online public services in the EU went up from 69% to 82% from 2009 to 2010. Putting more Government services online helps cut costs for public administrations and also reduces red tape for businesses and citizens. The report reveals the best and worst performers in the EU, focusing on two essential public services: 'finding a job' and 'starting a company'.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/itemlongdetail.cfm?item_id=6537
New U.S. Research Will Aim at Flood of Digital Data
category: Latest news | posted on 29/03/2012
The Obama administration is set to announce on Thursday a major intitiative regarding big data computing--too help organize the ever-increasing flood of digital data--which will involve several government agencies and departments, with commitments totaling $200 million.
Single eComms Market? No such thing...
category: Academic papers | posted on 04/02/2011
Notwithstanding the undeniable success of telecoms liberalisation in terms of price reduction, new services and technologies as well as consumer satisfaction, EU telecoms policy is at least a half failure...
New Study by BCG for Liberty Global on ‘The new rules of openness’
category: Latest news | posted on 09/02/2011
A study prepared for Liberty Global by Boston Consulting Group was presented at a seminar on January 25th in Brussels. The study identified three strategic battles around openness.
Cloud computing: the business perspective
category: Academic papers | posted on 07/02/2011
Do you think cloud-computing is solely a matter of technology? If you aren't aware of business challenges and hidden opportunities, let's read this 2011 paper. It will guide through the hottest topics for practitioners, researchers and governmental agencies.
Broadband coverage up to 98% for all Americans by 2015, Obama said
category: Latest news | posted on 26/01/2011
After the FCC announcing the urgency of adopting a nationwide interoperable public safety broadband wireless network (explicitly mentioning the LTE technology), President Obama called for expanding the wireless broadband coverage up to 98% of the American by 2015.
EC opens formal investigation on co-operation between Telefonica and Portugal Telecom
category: Policy news | posted on 24/01/2011
The European Commission has opened a formal investigation to ascertain whether the Spanish and Portuguese telecoms incumbents Telefónica S.A. and Portugal Telecom SGPS S.A. have breached EU rules by agreeing not to compete with each other in their respective home markets.
Italy will have the best FttH in Europe, FttHCouncilEurope illustrates why
category: Latest news | posted on 16/01/2011
Italy will have the best FttH in Europe. This is the main argument developed in a brief communication by FttH Council Europe to announce the upcoming annual conference in Milan (8-10 February 2011).
In fact, according to FttH Council Europe, upcoming initiatives aimed to deploying fiber networks in urban areas will increase the number of FttH subscribers dramatically. Some of these initiatives deserve to be mentioned. "Fibre for Italy" led by Fastweb, Vodafone and Wind will bring FttH up to 20 million people by 2015 connecting Italian 15 largest cities. Telecom Italia will implement soon another project with the scope of connecting 138 cities with FttH/B by 2018. Finally, several operators have recently announced that they will develop a national open access FttH infrastructure in areas where no other initiative has already been planned.
FCC places net neutrality on the shield
category: Policy news | posted on 15/01/2011
On December 21, FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has released a policy document aiming to preserve Internet freedom and openness. In fact, as enabler of competition and investments, freedom and openness of the Internet need to be preserved by any kind of restriction that broadband providers might be willing to put in act. As a major step to achieve this goal, FCC set three rules on "transparency", "no blocking" and "no unreasonable discrimination".
Also, the document explicitly argues about the necessity to carefully monitor the expansion of mobile broadband. In particular, it is considered of extreme importance to "take measured steps at this time to protect the openness of the Internet when accessed through mobile broadband".
Finally, a special mention is dedicated to "specialized services", which , "differ from broadband Internet access service and may drive additional private investment in broadband networks and provide consumers valued services, supplementing the benefits of the open Internet". However, the FCC affirms that "specialized services may raise concerns regarding bypassing open Internet protections, supplanting the open Internet, and enabling anticompetitive conduct". It imposes a close monitoring of robustness and affordability of broadband Internet access services as well as any possible negative impact specialized services might have in terms of constricting capacity available for broadband Internet access service.
Ofcom in 2011: Effective competition in pay-TV and spectrum clearance
category: Latest news | posted on 12/01/2011
Ofcom's moves are towards promoting effective competition in Pay-TV services, selling the spectrum created through the Digital Dividend and supporting the rollout of next generation fibre infrastructure.
Digitisation of Europe's cultural heritage: delivered today to Neelie Kroes the report of the Comité des Sages
category: Latest news | posted on 10/01/2011
The report of the Comité des Sages (high-level reflection group) on Digitisation of Europe's cultural heritage was delivered today to Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, and Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner responsible for Education and Culture.
Innovation Union: Commission launches consultation on active & healthy ageing
category: Policy news | posted on 04/01/2011
The European Commission is seeking the views of public and private organisations, companies and individual citizens on how Europe could scale up innovation to meet the challenges of the ageing population in Europe, and in particular on a pilot European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on active and healthy ageing, as set out in the Innovation Union Flagship Initiative, presented on 6 October by Maire Geoghegan Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science and Antonio Tajani, Vice-President for Industry and Entrepreneurship.
CEPS Digital Forum to launch four ad hoc Working Groups
category: Latest news | posted on 27/10/2010
The CEPS Digital Forum will launch four new Working Groups from January 2011. The topics will be: (i) "Building a sustainable Internet model"; (ii) "Spectrum policy, the European wireless broadband space and the future of broadcasting"; (iii) "Critical Infrastructure Protection"; and (iv) "The economics of Cloud Computing". The groups will work during the first half of 2011 and are expected to produce policy recomendations to be taken as input to the implementation of the EU Digital Agenda.
AT Kearney releases study on the future of the Internet
category: Latest news | posted on 03/01/2011
A.T. Kearney has released a report this week on “A Viable Future Model for the Internet”, which explores the technical and commercial sustainability of the current explosive growth in traffic and services, especially video.
FCC releases new net neutrality rules
category: Policy news | posted on 03/01/2011
Washington, D.C., 23 December 2010 – The Federal Communications Commission today acted to preserve the Internet as an open network enabling consumer choice, freedom of expression, user control, competition and the freedom to innovate.
Digital Agenda: consultation reveals near consensus on importance of preserving open internet
category: Policy news | posted on 17/11/2010
There is a near consensus on the importance of preserving the openness of the internet, according to the results of a public consultation launched on 30th June by the European Commission on the open internet and net neutrality (see IP/10/860).
from the blog
AT Kearney study: building a viable internet model for the future
category: The future of broadband policy | posted on 04/01/2011 08:43:36
A.T. Kearney has released a report this week on "A Viable Future Model for the Internet", which explores the technical and commercial sustainability of the current explosive growth in traffic and services, especially video.
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Neutrality and diversity in the Internet ecosystem
category: The future of broadband policy | posted on 02/11/2010 09:08:47
The public policy approach...
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