| 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.
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| TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK |
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TECH LEADERS LAUD BUSH'S CHOICE FOR SEC CHIEF – High-technology business leaders cheered President Bush's nomination of a conservative Southern California Republican, Rep. Christopher Cox, to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, hoping that his record of opposing new accounting rules for stock options and taxes on Internet commerce bodes well for them. |
| This Week@WASHINGTON, DC |
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RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT—The major initiatives at federal agencies that use or propose to use the technology include physical access control and tracking assets, documents, or materials. For example, the Department of Homeland Security is using it to track and identify assets, weapons, and baggage on flights. DIGITAL BROADCAST TELEVISION TRANSITION—Several administrative options could be used to provide a government subsidy to help households obtain DTV equipment, including a refundable tax credit, government distribution of equipment, a voucher program, and a rebate program. PASSPORT RFIDS ARE SECURE, STATE OFFICIAL SAYS— The nation’s new passports with radio-frequency identification tags will be well-protected from identity theft by a combination of a physical barrier, protections on the equipment used to read the tags and possibly encryption and other security measures, according to Frank Moss, deputy assistant secretary for passport services at the State Department. http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/1_1/daily_news/26286-1.html FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT CRACKS DOWN ON P2P PIRACY NETWORK— Federal officials announced the first criminal enforcement action targeting individuals committing copyright infringement on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks using cutting edge file-sharing technology known as BitTorrent. http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=94129 DHS ANNOUNCES COMMERCIAL EQUIPMENT DIRECT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AWARDS— The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently announced the first round of awards under the new Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP). The awards provide equipment for communications interoperability, information sharing, chemical detection, sensor devices, and personal protective equipment to 214 jurisdictions throughout the nation. Equipment awarded totals $2,044,680. http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=94131 AIDES DIFFER ON OVERHAUL OF 1996 LAW— The advance of Internet technology is driving lawmakers to consider rewriting the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Capitol Hill aides agreed Wednesday, but voiced differences about the proper scope of new legislation. http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-BQWG1117658795944.html REP. COX IS BUSH'S CHOICE TO HEAD SEC — President Bush chose California Rep. Christopher Cox on Thursday to run the Securities and Exchange Commission, assigning him the delicate regulatory dance of protecting investors' rights while not stifling business. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/06/03/ap/business/mainD8AG5NU00.shtml FEC TREADS INTO STICKY WEB OF POLITICAL BLOGS –Web loggers, who pride themselves on freewheeling political activism, might face new federal rules on candidate endorsements, online fundraising and political ads, though bloggers who don't take money from political groups would not be affected. |
| This Week@EMEA |
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EU ENDORSES PUBLIC FUNDING TO BRIDGE WELSH BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS GAP—The measure by the Welsh Assembly Government, which will be co-financed by EU funds, will bring first generation broadband to currently underserved regions of Wales allowing citizens to exploit the benefits of broadband technologies. http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=3001 BUSINESSLINK.GOV.UK WEBSITE ATTRACTS 8 MILLION USER VISITS IN FIRST YEAR— In its first year of operation, businesslink.gov.uk, the cross-government website that provides business related information and support, has attracted over 8 million visits from an audience of over 600,000 small business users each month - a figure that rises month on month. http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=3000 HIGH-SPEED INTERNET CONNECTIONS GROWING FAST, SAY EU FIGURES— here are now 40 million broadband lines in the EU, an increase of 70% on last year. This represents 45 000 new broadband lines on average per day, up from 29 000 per day in 2003. The surge in broadband take-up, driven by competition among market players to provide consumers with faster, lower-priced internet access, bodes well for the “i2010” strategy, tabled yesterday, to boost jobs and growth in the digital economy. http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2998 EU LAUNCHES FIVE-YEAR I2010 STRATEGY TO BOOST THE DIGITAL ECONOMY— i2010 is a comprehensive strategy for modernising and deploying all EU policy instruments to encourage the development of the digital economy: regulatory instruments, research and partnerships with industry. http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2996 COMMISSION APPROVES PUBLIC FUNDING TO BRIDGE BROADBAND ACCESS GAP IN WALES – The measure by the Welsh Assembly Government, which will be co-financed by EU funds, is to bring first generation broadband to currently underserved regions of Wales. http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=8222 BT NAMES LAVERY AS DIRECTOR OF ITS LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT BUSINESS UNIT— BT has announced the appointment of Kevin Lavery as director of its local and regional government business unit covering all local public bodies in the UK, including local authorities. http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2995 OFCOM COMMENTS ON DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TELEVISION COVERAGE PLANS FOR SWITCHOVER— Ofcom set out coverage plans for Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) transmission following digital switchover. COUNCIL PARTNERSHIPS CREATE 'VIRTUAL WASTE AUTHORITIES' WITH ONLINE ADVICE— Groups of councils are working together to create ‘virtual waste authorities’ and have just launched new web pages with advice and good practice on the IDeA’s Knowledge website. http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2994 DES MOINES TO DUBAI -- ARMSTRONG SPEAKS AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE— The conference was held at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai on May 23 and 24, 2005. Delegates and presenters represented the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Switzerland, France, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. http://www.govtech.net/magazine/channel_story.php/94159 ABSENT VOICES, MISSED OPPORTUNITIES: THE MEDIA'S SILENCE ON ICT POLICY 40M BROADBAND LINES IN THE EU – COMMISSION— Take-up of high-speed broadband internet connections is growing fast, according to figures from the European Commission. There are now 40m broadband lines in the EU, an increase of 70 per cent on last year. This represents 45,000 new broadband lines on average per day, up from 29,000 per day in 2003. http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=8183 BROADBAND OVERTAKES DIAL-UP IN THE UK, SAYS BT— The number of high-speed broadband Internet connections in the UK has surpassed dial-up subscriptions, BT said. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=163690 VIETNAMESE USERS OPT FOR CAMBODIAN, CHINESE SERVICES— Subscribers say Vietnamese phone networks are not only more expensive, but offer weaker coverage. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=163692 TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS, MOBILE, INTERNET AND BROADBAND ACROSS EUROPE CENTRAL 2005— This report covers the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia -- all of which are small countries by European standards, yet leaders in technology use. Trends and developments in telecommunications, mobile, Internet and broadband. http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050603/lnf015.html?.v=6 |
| This Week@Americas International |
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VOIP REGULATIONS REVIVE FOREIGN INVESTMENT— Carriers at the Canadian Telecom Summit say niche players will flood the market without putting real stakes here. Others wonder: Will ease of entry translate into market acceptance? http://www.itbusiness.ca/index.asp?theaction=61&sid=59119 Q&A: HELEN MCDONALD, CIO, GOVERNMENT OF CANADA – Helen McDonald, the Canadian CIO gives eGov monitor her views and insight into programmes and policies that have made Canada the leader in eGovernment globally. LULA OPTIMISTIC ABOUT BRAZIL'S ECONOMY— Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said he remains "optimistic" about Brazil's economy despite this week's negative indicators. http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20050601-084243-9017r.htm PERUVIAN PRESIDENT: INVESTMENT WELCOMED—Peru warmly welcomes Chinese investment and is ready to serve as a platform for Chinese products to integrate. http://article.wn.com/link/WNATF1530DB0DC7953E37F7CBD540C3611FC? MOVILES TO INVEST 908 MLN EUR IN MEXICO BY 2008— Telefonica Moviles SA's Mexican arm plans to invest around 908 mln eur in the next three years to consolidate its position in that market, Expansion reported, citing comments by Moviles' communications director Juan Jose Berganza. http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/afx/2005/06/03/afx2073297.html CANADIAN NANOENGINEERS CREATE TINY TRANSISTOR— Canadian engineers yesterday unveiled the creation of the world's smallest transistor in which electricity flows through a molecule. http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/afx/2005/06/03/afx2073270.html |
| This Week@Asia-Pacific/Japan |
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IT SALARIES-INDIA CHEAP, VIETNAM EVEN CHEAPER— A new survey by neoIT has found that the Southeast Asian country of Vietnam has the cheapest IT labor among all offshore destinations including India. http://www.siliconindia.com/shownewsdata.asp?newsno=28325&newscat=Technology AUCTIONING SPECTRUM WILL HIT GROWTH— Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman Pradip Baijal has said that auctioning spectrum especially for 3G services will choke the growth in the telecom sector. http://www.siliconindia.com/shownewsdata.asp?newsno=28320&newscat=Technology INDIA, RUSSIA VOW TO COUNTERWEIGHT U.S.— Foreign ministers of India, Russia and China met here today and decided to synchronize policies on security and economic issues with the unstated aim of creating a counterweight to U.S. influence in Asia. http://www.siliconindia.com/shownewsdata.asp?newsno=28328&newscat=Top IT-ITES export revenues up 34.5% at $ 17.2 B— Indian software and services exports clocked revenues of $ 17.2 billion, registering a growth of 34.5 percent during 2004-2005. http://www.siliconindia.com/shownewsdata.asp?newsno=28321&newscat=Technology NTT COM, BHARTI TAKE HONORS IN 2005 TELECOM ASIA AWARDS— India’s Bharti Tele-Ventures and NTT Communications of Japan have taken the top honors in the 2005 Telecom Asia Awards, winning five categories in the region’s premiere telecommunications awards. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=162147 4 MORE FIRMS GET NOD TO MANUFACTURE PHONES IN CHINA— China's State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC) has approved the applications of four firms to manufacture mobile phone in the mainland. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=163795 OFFSHORE SALARIES: VIETNAM IS CHEAPEST, BUT INDIA IS STILL A BARGAIN— IT professionals are scarce in Vietnam, a report says, while India continues to meet growing demands for competent IT labor. http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid= INDIAN REGULATOR HIKES LEASED LINE TARIFF—The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has announced higher tariffs for managed leased line networks (MLLNs) used by business subscribers. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=164321 ASIA/PACIFIC WIRELESS LAN (WLAN) SALES SHOW MIXED RESULTS IN FIRST QUARTER 2005— According to Synergy Research Group's latest report, Q1 2005 Wireless LANs (WLAN) APAC Market Shares, the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) market in Asia/Pacific grew four percent sequentially and was up nearly 20 percent year-over-year. http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/050603/088019.htmlJAPAN OPENS MOBILE PHONE MARKET TO NEW COMPANIES— Japan will allocate two new frequencies for mobile phone services, allowing up to three more companies into a market now dominated by NTT DoCoMo Inc. and KDDI Corp. The move paves the way for competition in the market for the first time in 12 years. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10001063&sid=aTPEJLpyhPaY&refer=movers_by_index ANALYSIS: THE NGN BROADBAND CREDO: VIDEO, FIBER AND SIMPLICITY – If the Broadband World Forum Asia event is anything to go by, the future of broadband hinges on three essential elements: video, fiber, and – most importantly – reducing the whole broadband experience down to plug-and-play simplicity. |
| This Week@US States |
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VIRGINIA GOV. ANNOUNCES NEW ONLINE TOOLKIT TO HELP BUSINESSES PREPARE FOR DISASTERS— Governor Mark R. Warner announced a new, online resource designed to help Virginia businesses prepare for and recover from disasters. The Virginia Business Emergency Survival Toolkit (www.vaemergency.com/business) features information and resources to help businesses prevent and reduce disaster-related losses. http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=94155 CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT IT TRANSFORMATION UNDER REVIEW – Governor Schwarzenegger's government Reorganization Plan to create a Department of Technology Services is before the Little Hoover Commission -- which must review any proposed reorganization. The Commission will issue its recommendations to the Legislature which will then have 30 days to act on it. http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=93988 HEAD OF STATE – Delaware CIO and NASCIO president Tom Jarrett talks to GovernmentVAR about how to help states work with the feds. CONNECTING FOR HEALTH ANNOUNCES PROTOTYPE FOR A NATIONWIDE HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE— Connecting for Health, a public-private collaborative of more than 100 diverse organizations, announced yesterday that it is launching the first-ever prototype of an electronic national health information exchange or "health information-sharing environment," based on common, open standards. This effort is a step in enabling patients and authorized physicians in all 50 states and DC to share important personal health information on a completely voluntary basis in a secure and private manner. http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=94158 COOK COUNTY, ILL., CHOOSES BOTH OPTICAL SCAN AND TOUCH-SCREEN TECHNOLOGY FOR VOTING— Suburban Cook County voters will cast ballots in future elections by marking their choices with a pencil or pen instead of punching out chads with a stylus, Cook County Clerk David Orr announced Thursday. http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=94130 TEXAS LEGISLATURE PASSES IT REORGANIZATION BILL— The Texas legislature passed HB 1516 today which improves management of major information projects, consolidates information technology services shared by state entities, and enables the Department of Information Resources to consolidate purchasing by buying in bulk.http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/db2www/tlo/billhist/Hmatrix.d2w/report?LEG=79&SESS= CONNECTICUT'S CONTRACT PORTAL CONTINUES TO GROW— Connecticut Governor Rell announced that all of Connecticut's state agencies, along with 77 municipalities, 27 non-profit agencies, and 34 public schools and Boards of Education have enrolled to post bid information on the state's Internet site for public contracts. http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=93872 FEDERAL, STATE CIOS EXAMINE BUSINESS IMPACT OF IT DECISIONS— Government IT leaders are facing many of the same issues as their counterparts in private industry. Yet there are some significant differences, too. http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid= |
| Other Tech News Of The Week |
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THE RIGHT TIME FOR VOIP— Internet phone technology, or VoIP to the tech savvy, may finally be ready for prime time. http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/02/technology/techinvestor/lamonica/index.htm NEXT CALL FOR NET PHONING: REGULATION – As phone calling over the Internet takes off around the world and as the services become richer and more complex, regulators are beginning to give it a harder look. BROADBAND ADOPTION CHUGGING ALONG – Eighty-eight million American households will be Internet-connected by the year 2010, and 78 percent of those households will have broadband access, a new report says. CUTTING THE PHONE CORD ISN'T AS POPULAR AS ONCE PREDICTED— While the number of wireless-only households is increasing -- close to 6% of all U.S. homes at the end of last year, according to Forrester Research Inc. -- the trend isn't accelerating as quickly as many experts predicted. And some consumers are reconsidering their decision to go wireless and are reconnecting to a landline. http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111766944518948757,00.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace STUDY: FACTORS RETARD DIGITAL TEACHING— What's holding back the digital curriculum? A lot of things: too few classroom computers, poorly conceived professional development, and a lack of time to research and plan--to name three big factors, according to a new report from the nonprofit Education Development Center (EDC). http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=5706 BEYOND KIWANIS: INTERNET BUILDS NEW COMMUNITIES— Five years after sociologist Robert Putnam documented the decline of community involvement in his book Bowling Alone, a new spirit of civic engagement is flourishing, largely because of 21st-century technology. Cellphones, e-mails, instant text messaging and BlackBerries are helping mobile, busy Americans link up with neighbors on their commutes to work, in the middle of the night and on business trips. http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050602/1a_cover02.art.htm |
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