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| This Week@Cisco in Government Affairs |
| Cisco's E-Update keeps you up to date on the major policy news of the week. Focusing on broadband, education and e-government areas, but covering high-tech and telecom in general, the E-Update is a great source of information for policymakers. Click EUpdate to become a subscriber. If you have high-tech public policy news or announcements that you think other e-update subscribers would be interested in, please send them to john.earnhardt@cisco.com. There are over 1300 subscribers to Cisco Government Affairs' eUpdate. CISCO GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS WEBSITE - Please visit www.cisco.com/gov to view our worldwide government affairs website. You can reach any member of the team at: http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/779/govtaffairs/contact/. Also see Q&A with Laura Ipsen, Vice President of Worldwide Government Affairs, as she reviews the issues that Cisco is focusing on: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/media_info/public_policy_overview.html |
| This Week@WASHINGTON, DC |
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GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE ON US BROADBAND ADOPTION – A recent report by the FCC declares that the goal of providing broadband Internet access to all US consumers is being realized in a "reasonable and timely basis," but a closer look reveals that this goal may be insufficient in making broadband the backbone of the modern economy. ELECTION PLEDGE: BROADBAND ACCESS FOR ALL – For months, President Bush and his Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry, have been one-upping each other about the necessity for ubiquitous broadband and how to achieve it. But for all the rhetoric, the two candidates aren't far apart and both duck a central issue: Should a nationwide broadband rollout be subsidized by the government? http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB109511228446416664,00.html?mod=todays_us_page_one HOUSE MAY ACT ON CYBERSECURITY LIABILITY PROTECTION – Industry officials who favor cybersecurity liability protection may see action on their recommendations in the next legislative session. TECH COMPANIES UNVEIL LESS COSTLY OPTIONS EXPENSING PLAN – A group of giant U.S. technology companies renewed pressure on accounting rule makers to drop a stock-options expensing rule, unveiling an alternative that they say is easier and less expensive to adopt. DISA SHIFTS COMMUNICATIONS TO IP – Defense Information Systems Agency officials have completed a study that recommends shifting a large portion of Defense Department communications, including phone calls, to a converged network based on IP. SEMPER WI-FI – The Marines and Navy medical staff of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, based in Camp Salerno, Afghanistan, built a private, wireless, satellite-based network to support personal e-mail service and Internet-based phone calls to family and friends back home. RESPONDERS URGE DEADLINE FOR WIRELESS SHIFT – Congress must set a deadline for making a critical wireless spectrum available to public safety officials, otherwise they may need decades to build useful and interoperable systems, officials told the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. USAF TO DOLE OUT $9 BILLION ON BEEFED UP NETWORK – The U.S. Air Force has announced contractors selected for its massive $9 billion IT Network Centric Solutions program. DHS ISSUES $80M IN GRANTS – About $49 million goes for port security, $21 million for highways, and $9.9 million for bus security. FED SPENDING MAY GO ON HOLD – That is, if Congress lives down to expectations and fails to pass fiscal 2005 spending bills on time, an expert says. SENATE PASSES SECURITY BUDGET, AS DISASTER-AID PACT IS REACHED – The Senate easily approved a more than $36 billion Homeland Security budget after the Republican leadership gave ground in a fight over disaster aid for Florida and Great Plains farm states, two political battlegrounds this election year. |
| This Week@EMEA |
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ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR EUROPEAN NETWORK AND INFORMATION SECURITY AGENCY – The European Network Information and Security Agency (ENISA), now has its Executive Director, internal rules of procedure are in place, and a drive to recruit technical experts has just begun. OFFSHORE OUTSOURCING UPTAKE LAGS IN WESTERN EUROPE, SAYS SURVEY – A recent survey of 500 medium and large organizations in Western Europe undertaken by IDC suggests that although the offshore outsourcing model has captured the imagination, it has not yet managed to be translated into the wholesale transformation of the IT industry that has been predicted in public commentary. EU COMMISSION LAUNCHES E-PROCUREMENT CONSULTATION – Public procurement is a key sector of the EU economy, accounting for about 16 per cent of GDP. Modernising and opening up procurement markets across borders including through the expansion of electronic procurement - is a crucial goal of the Union. UK’S KELLY GETS E-GOVERNMENT – The UK has a new minister in charge of the e-government brief. Ruth Kelly, one of the new ministers in the Cabinet Office following last week's government reshuffle, is to be in charge of the UK's e-government programme. UK’s NHS SAYS IT IS KEY FOR CHILDREN'S STRATEGY – NHS, social care and education authorities are to be encouraged to share information under the government's latest children's policy framework. The Department of Health (DoH) has announced a new information sharing initiative to support the overhaul of childcare in the UK. http://www.kablenet.com/kd.nsf/Frontpage/8831AE0D5D4202EA80256F100051D0D7?OpenDocument BROADBAND HAS POSITIVE IMPACT ON EDUCATION IN UK SAYS RESEARCH – Broadband is having a marked impact on children’s education in the UK – a study has shown. OK, so the research was commissioned by BT, but its findings seem intuitive and sensible. NEW E-MINISTER URGED TO INTERVENE IN BROADBAND – The new part-time ecommerce minister who replaced Stephen Timms in last week's mini Government reshuffle - has a tough job on his hands. He will be responsible for 'e-commerce', which basically means the computing industry, including broadband. NORTHERN IRELAND TO POOL PUBLIC SECTOR BROADBAND DEMAND – The Northern Ireland Executive is hoping to harness their combined buying power to encourage suppliers to invest in high-speed internet infrastructure in areas that are poorly served. UPC INTRODUCES VOIP TO NETHERLANDS – Cable company UPC Nederland is to introduce Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services to its 2.4m cable subscribers in Netherlands. SPAIN - TELEFONICA TO INVEST 20BN IN BROADBAND, 3G – Spain’s Telefonica has announced a €20bn budget—for broadband and 3G—that is to be split equally for its operations in Spain and Latin America. FRANCE TELECOM TO EXPAND BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT FOR BUSINESSES – French telco France Telecom is to attract large and small businesses with many high-speed services and lower costs as part of its “Broadband for Everyone” plan. CROATIA EUROPEAN LEADER IN M-PAYMENT SECTOR – Global m-payment transaction revenues will increase from €2.6bn in 2003 to €9.6bn in 2005 and €30.3bn in 2008, according to a new report from Arthur D. Little, with Croatia among the leading markets in Central and Eastern Europe and more advanced than even many Western European markets. IN ESTONIA, E-BANKING, E-COMMERCE, E-GOVERNMENT – The government promotes this Baltic nation as E-stonia, and it has a point. There is e-banking: Nearly half of all bank customers in Estonia avoid trips to the teller by managing their money online. There is e-government: Cabinet meetings are almost paperless, with each minister following the agenda on a flat-screen monitor. And there is e-commerce: Ordinary citizens can use mobile phones to pay for parking or a bouquet of flowers, or to transfer money to a friend. SAUDI PLANS FOR GOVT PORTAL NEAR FRUITION – According to a government official plans for an e-government portal in Saudi Arabia are advanced, and an announcement will be made shortly. JORDAN STRIVES TO BECOME TECH LEADER – Jordan has gone from providing one computer for every 82 students to one for every 17 in its drive to become a leader in information technology, the minister in charge of the campaign told a conference. KUWAIT LOOKS TO LEVERAGE SINGAPOREAN E-GOVT BEST PRACTICE – Dr Lee Boon Yang, Singapore's Minister for Information, Communications & the Arts, has agreed a deal to assist Kuwait overhaul its government administrative systems. BRUNEI AIMS FOR PAPERLESS GOVT BY END OF 2005 – The administration of Brunei Darussalam is looking to go paperless in 116 e-government projects next year |
| This Week@Asia-Pacific/Japan |
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TELECOM GIANTS UNITE TO LOBBY FOR OPENING MARKETS IN ASIA – Several global telecommunications companies, upset about regulatory hurdles they say are impeding competition in fast-growing Asian telecom markets, are forming a new industry group to push for more liberalization of the region's telecom sector, according to people involved in the plan. AUSTRALIA’S IT RULES NEARING COMPLETION – Standards Australia is hoping to be first in the world with a series of national IT governance standards to be released in the next two months. LUNDY LAUNCHES E-AUSTRALIA – Labor will broaden industry development policy to improve the tech sector’s export performance and encourage investment, ICT spokeswoman Kate Lundy said at the launch of the party's IT policy in Brisbane. AUSTRALIAN CUSTOMS SEEKING TECH REVAMP – The Australian Customs Service and CSIRO have separately announced plans to redraw major parts of their IT procurement strategies. COMMENTARY: AUSTRALIA’S BROADBAND SHAME – South Korea is a remarkable country. Two generations ago the entire Korean peninsula was one of the poorest places on earth, today the south at least, is one of the richest countries. And on one measure, internet connectivity, it is streets ahead of anywhere else. AUSTRALIA’S GOLD COAST COUNCIL PUSH FOR BETTER BROADBAND – Plauged by widespread broadband access problems, the Gold Coast City council has launched a community-based program aimed at encouraging new investment in infrastructure. WIRELESS NETWORKS TO RIDE CHINA'S BOOM – China's WLAN market will experience a 33% increase in revenues from 2004 to 2008, according to In-Stat/MDR. CHINA UNICOM TO OPEN 3000 INTERNET CAFES – China Unicom will open 150 to 200 internet cafes and operate another 2,500 to 2,800 by franchise. SINGAPORE ADDS ONLINE ACCESS CHANNEL FOR E-GOVT PASSWORD – Singaporean residents can now request or reset their unique SingPass password online. The password provides authentication for 136 e-government services. INDIA LOOKS TO PUSH UP BROADBAND – The Communications and IT Minister, Mr Dayanidhi Maran, met the Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, to seek fiscal incentive for broadband usage. The meeting assumes significance because the Finance Ministry had earlier rejected all the tax incentives and relaxation in duties suggested by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to push up broadband usage. ANDHRA TO LAUNCH BROADBAND PROJECT – The Andhra Pradesh will soon launch a Rs.7-billion (Rs.700 crore) project to provide broadband connectivity to its villages, an official said Monday. |
| This Week@Americas International |
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BRAZIL IS WORLD 'HACKING CAPITAL' – Brazil has become the global capital for computer hacking and internet fraud, according to experts meeting in the country's capital, Brasilia. VENEZUELA SETS UP STATE TELECOM COMPANY – President Hugo Chavez created a state telecommunications company to challenge the domination of Venezuela's local market by foreign-controlled companies. CITY OF TORONTO CREATES GOVERNANCE FOR ECITY PROJECTS – The City of Toronto’s IT department has made a lot of headlines during the MFP inquiry, but the city’s executive director of IT hopes to generate some positive press for the city’s planned 311 initiative. SHOWCASE ONTARIO NEWS: ONTARIO URGES PUBLIC SECTOR TO FORM INTRANET PEER GROUPS GOVERNMENT CIOS DISCUSS CO-OPERATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS - The final event at Showcase Ontario every year is the CIO panel, where a group of CIOs and department heads field Ontario IT workers’ most burning questions. GOVERNMENT OF ONTARIO TASK FORCE TO STUDY I&IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT – The Ontario government is appointing a special task force to seek ways to improve the management of large-scale government I&IT projects, Management Board Chair Gerry Phillips announced. |
| This Week@US States |
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TOP FIVE STATE GOVERNMENT WEB SITES ANNOUNCED – Maine, Indiana, Virginia, Delaware, and Arizona have the best state government Web sites in America, according to the Center for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute on information technology in state and local government. REGULATORS DEBATE BROADBAND BY POWER LINES – Members of three state (NY, NJ & MI) public utility commissions promised a light regulatory touch on broadband over power line (BPL) service as electric companies begin to experiment with the alternative to traditional high-speed Internet service. KENTUCKY HOMELAND SECURITY GRANTS TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS – Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher has announced that the majority of the FY2004 $35 million in Homeland Security grants that the state has received will be put towards improving communications for first responders and will bring Kentucky closer to having a statewide voice and date interoperable network. COMMENTARY: FREE AND EASY IN ARIZONA – The Arizona's Legislature is taking steps to provide free Wi-Fi access in the state Capitol building. Seems like a no-brainer: A wide variety of people visit the Capitol to sit in on committee meetings, testify before legislators or simply go on field trips. Why not make downtime more productive for them by making a Wi-Fi connection available? TOP WIRED CITIES – San Diego, Phoenix, Detroit, New York and Sacramento represent the top five wired local markets connected via broadband access with penetration rates of 65 percent or higher, according to Nielsen//NetRatings, which tracked 35 local markets in the U.S. THE MODEL CITY OF THE FUTURE – The "Model City of the Future" will incorporate full, secure, reliable and trusted integration of the telecommunications infrastructure, physical security-protection capabilities and automated command and control of homeland-security protection. TAKING THE REINS – In the past, local jurisdictions were forced to rely on private industry's willingness to invest in infrastructure expansion to spur broadband deployment in their communities. If private industry didn't see a business case to justify the investment, no infrastructure was built to support broadband, and consumers played the waiting game. CHICAGO MAYOR ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR UNIFIED CAMERA NETWORK – Mayor Richard M. Daley and city department heads today announced plans to expand the city's camera network and surveillance capacity with 250 additional specialized cameras. |
| Other Tech News Of The Week |
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BROADBAND GROWTH STILL BREAKING RECORDS – The number of broadband lines worldwide increased by almost 55 percent to over 123 million in the 12 months to 30 June 2004. INTERNET USE PICKS UP, BROADBAND ACCESS SKYROCKETS – The latest Harris Poll indicates that broadband subscription rates have doubled in the past two years - not surprising. What is surprising some analysts say is that Internet use in general is up sharply for the past six months, after leveling out for a while. GETTING UNDER YOUR SKIN – Concerns about use and misuse of RFID devices are widespread. Wal-Mart's mandate that vendors use RFID to improve supply chain efficiency has spurred protests from privacy advocates, who fear tiny tags embedded in everything from lipsticks to shoes will help companies track consumers wherever they go. FOURTH ANNUAL GLOBAL E-GOVERNMENT STUDY: TAIWAN, SINGAPORE LEAD U.S. AND CANADA IN ONLINE GOVERNMENT – A study of digital government finds that the 198 nations around the world are making steady progress at putting services and information online, but movement forward has been slowed because of budget, bureaucratic, and institutional factors. |
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| Positions in articles and papers from outside sources are in no way endorsed by Cisco Systems' Office of Worldwide Government Affairs. We offer articles on topics of interest to our audience to further the debate on the issues that are important to high-tech. To view our positions on the policy matters that we care about, please visit our Government Affairs homepage. – http://www.cisco.com/gov |
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