| 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, VoIP, Security, Wireless and Education, 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/gov/contact/index.html. |
| TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK |
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FCC Favors Bells in DSL Vote—States cannot force regional telephone companies to sell high-speed Internet service as a stand-alone offering, according to an FCC ruling TOP COURT EXAMINES BROADBAND COMPETITION— In a case that could help determine the viability of the independent ISP business, the Supreme Court on Tuesday took a close look at whether cable companies could keep other service providers off their networks U.S. TELECOM FIRMS FACE BARRIERS TO FOREIGN MARKETS—In its annual review of the effectiveness of U.S. telecommunications trade agreements, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative found that despite some improved access to global markets, U.S. companies still face barriers to entry in more than a dozen nations |
| This Week@WASHINGTON, DC |
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FCC RULING LIMITS COMPETITION, ISP TELLS JUSTICES—A Bush administration lawyer urged the Supreme Court to accept a 2002 Federal Communications Commission ruling that gave cable companies the right to bar rival Internet service providers from their lines, as the justices heard oral arguments yesterday in a case that could determine what choices are available to broadband subscribers http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11429-2005Mar29.html?referrer=email MASSIVE FEDERAL WIRELESS PROJECT DELAYED—The federal government has advised prospective vendors that it has delayed its schedule and changed its requirements for a multibillion-dollar makeover of federal wireless voice and data communications. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/mobile-wireless/35400-1.html FEDS COMPLETE INTERNET TRAFFIC REPORT—Talk about turning in your homework late: The government just finished a report on Internet traffic that Congress requested seven years ago. Lawmakers had demanded the $1 million study, ultimately called "Signposts in Cyberspace,", under a 1998 law. Passed almost at the dawn of what became the Internet boom, the law required the Commerce Department to seek a study about Web addresses and trademarks by the National Research Council and wrap up the report within nine months VIEWPOINT: FEDERAL ACTION NEEDED TO ENSURE CONNECTED COMMUNITIES—“If ever there was a time for federal action, it is now. The Bush Administration must act swiftly and decisively. The Congress and the new chairman of the FCC must likewise follow suit to ensure that America has the infrastructure of the 21st century, and that our cities once again are allowed to retool so that all our citizens get connected” http://www.govtech.net/magazine/channel_story.php?channel=8&id=93490 |
| This Week@EMEA |
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EUROPE JUMPS ON THE BROADBAND BANDWAGON—While Western Europe as a whole trails North America in broadband adoption, countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland and Sweden recorded broadband penetration rates equal to or higher than the US at the end of 2004 http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?1003323 99 PER CENT BROADBAND ACCESS 'WITHIN WEEKS'—Virtually the whole of Britain will soon have access to broadband technology, the Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt said today as she outlined the Government's "digital strategy". TONY BLAIR LAUNCHES DIGITAL DIVIDE 'CHALLENGE'— Prime Minister Tony Blair has launched an election manifesto "action plan" aimed at bridging the United Kingdom's digital divide and providing universal broadband access for citizens. Education is a key plank of the plan, and the government says it will give all students the chance to access the Internet at home through a low-cost national laptop- and PC-leasing scheme http://news.com.com/Tony+Blair+launches+digital+divide+challenge/2100-1034_3-5650519.html?tag=st_lh JORDAN, ICT LIBERALISATION GROWS—ICT liberalisation is driving Jordan's telecommunications market, which could see returns of more than USD1bn a year, according to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission. Consumers will benefit from a greater choice of providers and service options, enhanced customer service, and further overall price reductions SAUDI ARABIA-MORE SAUDI PHONE LICENCES—Saudi Arabia will offer a land line telephone licence to public tender by Q4 2006, reported Gulf News. This is earlier than the 2008 set for liberalising the sector, citing the Kingdom's efforts to join the WTO, according to Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission Governor Mohammad Al Suwayel. An additional mobile phone service will also be offered next year AFRICA'S MOBILE SECTOR GROWING FAST—The number of mobile subscribers in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC) regions will grow to 55 million by 2009, says African ICT analyst firm BMI-TechKnowledge. There are currently around 30 million mobile users in the regions http://allafrica.com/stories/200503300660.html JOHANNESBURG TO HOST AFRICAN BROADBAND CONFERENCE—Stakeholders in the telecommunications industry in Africa and other parts of the Commonwealth and the world will gather in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 6-8 April 2005 to seek ways to overcome the strategic, technical and financial barriers to broadband deployment in Africa http://allafrica.com/stories/200503300852.html WOMEN IN KENYA ATTEND NEW YORK CONFERENCE ONLINE—Kenyan women who could not travel to New York for the ongoing Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) also known as the Beijing + 10 Conference are joining thousands of women and world leaders online to share their views as well as to get updated on what is going on at the UN conference http://allafrica.com/stories/200503250412.html NIGERIA: TELECOM CHIEF ROOTS FOR CHEAP INT'L CALLS—Proponents of unfettered access to technology have called on the regulatory authorities in Nigeria to declare Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) a basic right of everyone in the country http://allafrica.com/stories/200503300198.html ZAMBIA'S FIRST WIRELESS ISP OFFERS HIGH SPEED BROADBAND SOLUTION—Earlier this month AfriConnect announced the launch of its 'iConnect' wireless broadband internet service in Zambia, a service that they believe brings a whole new internet concept to the country by offering the first affordable, high-speed internet solution http://allafrica.com/stories/200503290148.html |
| This Week@Americas International |
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PERU-MOBILE PENETRATION TO HIT 28% BY 2009—Mobile penetration rates in Peru should reach 28% by 2009, compared to 14.1% at end-2004, now that the country has awarded its fourth mobile license. Peru's transport and telecommunications ministry MTC declared América Móvil the winner on Wednesday evening, with a US$21.1mn bid that beat the only rival offer, made by US mobile holding company NII Holdings. ID THEFT CANADIANS' BIGGEST ON-LINE WORRY—More than one-third of Canadians say identity theft is their top on-line concern and about one-fifth of those hit by phishing scams admitted to falling hook, line and sinker for the trick, a new survey suggested |
| This Week@Asia-Pacific/Japan |
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COMPETITION WATCHDOG STANDS FIRM ON CAPS—Australia's competition watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has recommended Telstra should cap local calls at 22 cents for the next three years AUSTRALIA—The Department of Information, Communication Technology and the Arts will commission a study of potential security risks associated with VoIP phone systems, through its IT Security Expert Advisory Group http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,12684770%5E15320%5E%5Enbv%5E15306,00.html AUSTRALIA-TELSTRA EXCEEDS FORECASTS FOR WIRELESS BROADBAND— Telstra has exceeded expectations of its wireless broadband forecasts with 7,000 customers signing up to the service since its launching in November 2004. Telstra mobile broadband uses 3G and offers access to the Internet or remote access to a company's network, via laptops and PDAs. By July this year, Telstra is set to introduce 3G multimedia content over its network http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=153600 MALAYSIA-INTERNET ACCESS FOR ALL SCHOOLS—Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wants all schools in the country to have access to the Internet and has directed the relevant ministries to work towards this end. http://thestaronline.com/news/story.asp?file=/2005/3/30/nation/10545983&sec=nation BANDWIDTH TARIFF CUT DEFERRED IN INDIA – The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has deferred implementing the reduced international bandwidth tariff by a month. The move comes after VSNL filed an appeal with the Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) challenging the TRAI decision to reduce tariffs http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=153859 INDIAN CARRIERS ORDERED TO ENSURE PHONES STAY ON USERS' PREMISES— The Indian government has ordered phone companies to ensure that fixed wireless service phones are confined to the subscribers' premises. The order came after the Department of Telecom took exception to people carrying fixed wireless handsets in cars and phone service companies advertising them as "unlimited cordless" and "Walky" services http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=153427 PHILIPPINE REGULATOR PUSHES 6-SECOND BILLING SCHEME— The Philippines' National Telecommunications Commission is requesting the government help resolve a 5-year-old legal impasse on a policy that would require mobile phone companies to bill customers on a six-second pulse cycle http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=153426 PHILIPPINE REGULATOR SET TO APPROVE VOIP CALLS— Rates of international voice calls are expected to go down substantially after the National Telecommunications Commission came out with a draft memorandum allowing ISPs and other entities to offer VoIP as a value-added service http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=153858 SOUTH KOREA CRACKS DOWN ON SPAMMERS— The Korean government has cracked down on unsolicited marketing activities via fixed-line telephones, mobile phones, SMS and facsimiles for the first time since it began efforts to stop the spread of spam.The Ministry of Information and Telecommunication said it slapped a total of 720 million won ($706,000) in fines for 35 spam-related cases this year http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=153857 |
| This Week@US States |
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STATE AND LOCAL IT SPENDING ON THE REBOUND—A growing demand for outsourced technical services will drive significant increases in state and local IT spending over the next five years, according to a forecast by the market research firm Input of Reston, Va. State and local spending is expected to grow by 45 percent over the next five years from $48 billion in fiscal 2005 to $70 billion by fiscal 2010, Input said at its “MarketView 2005 Conference” in Falls Church, Va. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/state-local/35387-1.html NY- STATE RULING HAS TAX IMPLICATIONS FOR TELECOMMUTERS—A telecommuter who lives out of state while working by computer for a New York employer must pay New York tax on his full income, the state's highest court ruled Tuesday in a case that could have wide implications in the growing practice NEW YORK CITY STUDENTS PROVIDE TECH ASSISTANCE TO JORDAN—Imagine schools saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in technology costs -- all because of students. That is exactly what has happened in New York City. Students there have been trained to run computer help desks at their schools as part of the MOUSE (Making Opportunities for Upgrading Schools & Education), program, consequently saving the NYC Department of Education more than $700,000 in technology support costs in the past four years PENNSYLVANIA JUSTICE NETWORK CONNECTS ALL 67 COUNTIES—Pennsylvania's Deputy Secretary for Information Technology, Art Stephens, recently announced that the Pennsylvania Justice Network (JNET) achieved its ultimate goal in connecting all 67 counties, enabling law enforcement and other officials to obtain critical information in just minutes rather than days |
| Other Tech News Of The Week |
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TELECOM OFFICIALS DEBATE HOW TO REGULATE THEIR INDUSTRY— Telecommunications officials on Thursday clashed over whether lawmakers should switch to regulating networks in functional "layers" instead of under the technology-focused approach of current telecom laws (subscription required) http://nationaljournal.com/pubs/techdaily/ HEWLETT-PACKARD PICKS NCR EXECUTIVE AS CEO—Hewlett-Packard Co. named Mark V. Hurd, the leader of the computer services company NCR Corp., on Tuesday to succeed Carly Fiorina, who was ousted last month as the head of the computer maker INTEL ACCEPTS JAPAN FAIR-TRADE ORDER, DISAGREES ON FACTS—Intel Corp. has accepted the punishment recommended by Japan's fair trade agency, agreeing to change some of its business practices that critics contend give the chip maker an unfair advantage in the personal computer market. But the world's largest semiconductor company said it still disagrees with the accusations and questions how Japan's Fair Trade Commission was applying the law http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/business/technology/11286448.htm MICROSOFT GOES AFTER 117 PHISHERS—The Federal Trade Commission, the National Consumers League, and Microsoft on Thursday told consumers that they have the power to stop online identity thieves. Hedging its bets, however, Microsoft also announced it had filed over 100 lawsuits against alleged phishers http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160400610&tid=13692 MAJOR INTERNET COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS JOIN ALLIANCE TO STOP INTERNET ATTACKS—A slew of major service providers and organizations have joined together to share detailed network attack profiles through an alliance announced recently by Arbor Networks. The Fingerprint Sharing Alliance marks the first time companies are able to share detailed attack information in real-time and block attacks closer to the source MCI TO REOPEN ACQUISITION TALKS WITH QWEST – MCI said Friday it would reopen talks with Qwest Communications International, which has raised its bid for the long-distance telephone company to $9 billion. MCI already has agreed to be acquired by Verizon Communications for $7.6 billion, but it got permission from Verizon to renew negotiations with Qwest. http://news.com.com/MCI+to+reopen+acquisition+talks+with+Qwest/2100-1037_3-5650221.html PHONE OPTIONS EXPAND DESPITE TELECOM MERGERS— As one giant telecom acquisition follows another, consumer groups are crying foul, but new technologies and players are giving people more ways to make phone calls http://news.com.com/Phone+options+expand+despite+telecom+mergers/2100-1037_3-5648897.html VONAGE MAY ROUTE 911 CALL TO CONGRESS, FCC – Net phone provider Vonage may ask Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to help it solve problems with SBC over subscriber access to the 911 emergency call network http://news.com.com/Vonage+may+route+911+call+to+Congress%2C+FCC/2100-7352_3-5647706.html |
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