Global Policy and Government Affairs (GPGA)

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OP-ED – “UNITED STATES OF BROADBAND” - Broadband access is essential to an expanding Internet-based information economy. Creating a policy environment that speeds the deployment of broadband throughout the U.S. is my highest priority as the new chairman of the FCC.” By FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112070076371879188,00.html (Paid subscription required.)

CISCO NAMES NEW CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER - Cisco Systems Inc., the biggest maker of equipment that directs data over the Internet, said on Thursday it promoted company veteran Charles Giancarlo to chief development officer. http://today.reuters.com/investing/FinanceArticle.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2005-07-07T233652Z_01_N07346317_RTRIDST_0_BUSINESS-TECH-CISCO-DC.XML

U.S. BROADBAND USE UP 34 PERCENT, FCC SAYS— High-speed Internet connections in the U.S. increased 34 percent to a total of 38 million lines by the end of 2004, according to a Federal Communications Commission report released Thursday. The FCC findings were based on the required semi-annual report that facilities-based broadband providers with at least 250 high-speed lines (or wireless service channels) in a state submit to the agency as well as voluntary reports submitted by smaller providers. http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=165700855

FCC REPORT – “Characteristics of the U.S. Broadband Market” http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-259812A1.doc

FCC APPROVES SECOND UWB CHIP SET— Technology developer General Atomics said Friday (July 8) that its spectral keying ultrawideband (UWB) radio technology has been certified by the Federal Communications Commission. San Diego-based General Atomics said the FCC approval means its customers will be able to integrate its UWB chip set into wireless radio systems. http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=
ELOTF0EJNUBQKQSNDBCSKH0CJUMEKJVN?articleID=165700822

NEW TAX FOR BROADBAND CUSTOMERS?— Many broadband customers will pay new universal service taxes akin to those on their telephone bills if Congress bows to suggestions from rural legislators. The suggestions came as lawmakers started debating changes to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which created the framework for the Universal Service Fund, overseen by the Federal Communications Commission. http://news.com.com/New+tax+for+broadband+customers/2100-1036_3-5772124.html?tag=cd.hed

FBI ANNOUNCES OPERATIONAL STATUS OF ITS NATIONAL INFORMATION SHARING SYSTEM—FBI announced further implementation of the National Information Sharing Strategy (NISS). Within the NISS framework, the first Regional Data Exchange, or R-DEx, became operational in St. Louis during the last week of February, 2005. http://www.govtech.net/magazine/channel_story.php/94551

ADMINISTRATION GETS BEHIND IPV6, SETS 2008 TARGET— In light of recent studies that say the government is not moving aggressively enough toward adoption of Internet Protocol Version 6, the Office of Management and Budget is preparing a policy to guide agencies’ transition to the new standard. Among other things, the guidance will set a deadline of June 2008 for all government agencies to transition their network backbones to IPv6. http://www.gcn.com/26_17/mobile-wireless/36293-1.html

DOD GOAL: BOOST DISN BANDWIDTH UP TO 10 GBPS— The Defense Department has issued a request for proposals for technologies that would boost bandwidth for the Defense Information Systems Network. The RFP is for the DISN Access Transport Services contract, estimated at roughly $500 million. http://www.gcn.com/26_17/mobile-wireless/36286-1.html

NEW BILL WOULD AID MUNICIPAL BROADBAND NETS— Congress has been duking it out over the issue of municipal public networks with two bills, each designed to cancel out the other. One bill is designed to promote public telecom or networking services offered by local governments such as municipally sponsored WiFi programs; the other seeks to prohibit such services http://www.gcn.com/26_17/mobile-wireless/36283-1.html

SPEECH - Viviane Reding - Member of the European Commission responsible for Information Society and Media – “Reinforcing the links between the EU and Japan in the ICT and media business EU-Japan Business Dialogue Round Table” - http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=
SPEECH/05/427&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN

NEW CENTRAL GOVERNMENT I.T. INITIATIVES IN WESTERN EUROPE TO GROW 22% – REPORT— Government executives are to grow information services (IS) budget, but with some caution compared to the first years of the e-government hype, and local government executives are more optimistic regarding their IS budgets than their central government counterparts. http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=8942

TELEKOM AUSTRIA ADSL SUBSCRIPTIONS REACH 500,000— The number of telco Telekom Austria’s broadband subscribers reached half a million in July. The number of customers has increased since the end of 2004 by 30 percent, or almost one third, from 383,600 ADSL customers (including wholesale access lines) at the end of 2004 to 500,000 at the beginning of July 2005. http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=8949

BTC MUST OPEN ADSL NETWORK TO RIVALS—The Bulgarian competition authorities have directed the incumbent telco, BTC, to open its ADSL network to rivals. The Commission for the Protection of Competition found that the telco benefited from a monopoly position in the market for bit stream access, leading to its dominant position in the provision of ADSL services. http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=8921

COURT CONVICTS SASSER CREATOR— The teenager who created the Sasser computer worm that snarled tens of thousands of computers last year was convicted Friday on charges including computer sabotage and given a suspended sentence.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=165700774

MOBILE NETWORKS UNDER STRAIN FOLLOWING BOMB BLASTS— Wireless networks throughout the U.K. were under severe pressure Thursday (July 7) following a series of coordinated bomb blasts, but network operators said service is nearly back to normal. http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=
DLPFC0QRVL31IQSNDBCCKH0CJUMEKJVN?articleID=165700525

TELIA TO EXPAND MOBILE NETWORK COVERAGE IN SWEDEN TO 90%-- Nordic telco Teliasonera is to increase the coverage of its mobile network in Sweden from 70 percent to 90 percent of the country over the next few years. http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=8947

GOVT TO CONSTITUTE NEW ICT BODY— As part of its wide information technology reforms, the government is soon set to replace the Rwanda Information Technology Authority (RITA) with the National Information Communication Technology (NICT) as the overseer in the execution of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) plan from 2006 to 2010. http://allafrica.com/stories/200507060608.html

NATION DOUBLES ITS COFFEE TAKE IN INTERNET AUCTION— Ethiopia took to the internet to sell coffee and as a result Africa's biggest grower fetched twice the usual price, the auction's sponsor said yesterday. Coffee offered in the first Web auction by Ethiopia sold for an average 3.22 USD per pound, the sponsor said. http://allafrica.com/stories/200507050315.html

ON THE WAY TO GETTING WIRED— In1961, there was just one to be had. By 1985, that figure had increased to 1,800 -- and at the beginning of last year, it stood at about 520,000, according to government figures. There's no disputing that computer ownership in Kenya is on the increase. http://allafrica.com/stories/200507010749.html

CANADA COMBATS "CYBERHATE"— Canada became the first non-European country to sign up to combat ``cyberhate,'' the online dissemination of xenophobic propaganda. Canada signed an additional protocol to the international cybercrime convention, drafted in 2001 by the Council of Europe. http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=
DLPFC0QRVL31IQSNDBCCKH0CJUMEKJVN?articleID=165700869

ARGENTINA-SECOM GIVES CNC 45 DAYS TO DETERMINE SPECTRUM RETURN—Argentine telecoms ministry SeCom has given telecoms regulator CNC 45 days to draw up the calendar under which mobile operator Movistar Argentina will return 40MHz of spectrum to authorities, newspaper El Cronista reported. The return of the band is one of the conditions set by the Argentine government in order to approve the combined operation of Movicom and Unifón, the two local units of Spain's Telefónica Móviles (NYSE: TEM), now operating as Movistar. http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?idioma=I&sector=2&noticia=322732

MEXICO- TELECOMS/IT SALES TO TOP US$26BN IN 2005 —Sales of telecommunications and IT equipment in Mexico could reach US$26bn this year, up 12.5% from 2004. Telecoms sales will increase some 15% and those of IT by 8.5%. The Mexican software market will see sales of US$800mn this year, up 10% from 2004. Security solutions will see the fastest growth, rising some 27%, according to a report by Select. http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?idioma=I&sector=1&noticia=322783

BRAZIL-TELECOM ITALIA TEMPTED TO EXIT BRASIL TELECOM –Telecom Italia (NYSE: TI) may sell its stake in fixed line operator Brasil Telecom (NYSE: BTM), Brazilian daily Folha de S. Paulo reported. Telecom Italia has endured a long running ownership dispute with other Brasil Telecom (BrT) shareholders, particularly local investment bank Opportunity http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?idioma=I&sector=2&noticia=322638

AUSTRALIA READIES $50M FOR RURAL BROADBAND PROGRAM— The Australian federal government has committed a further $50 million to help connect broadband in regional Australia, Communications Minister Helen Coonan said. The money brought federal funding for the “Higher Bandwidth Incentive Scheme” program to about $160 million, Coonan said. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=169581

CHINA'S NET POPULATION TOPS 100 MILLION— The number of people in China using the Internet regularly has surpassed 100 million, the Chinese government said. China now has the world's second-largest population of people on-line after the United States (135 million). http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050707/TWBRIEFS07-3/TPTechnology/

JAPAN- SPYWARE CRIMINAL HITS JAPAN BANK ACCOUNTS— Several Japanese banks have reported that a spyware thief tapped compromised accounts more or less simultaneously, and spirited away hundreds of thousands of yen. According to published reports in the Asahi Shimbun, one of Japan's largest dailies, a trio of banks--eBank, Mizuho Bank, and Japan Net Bank-- said that illegal transfers were made to the same receiving account, making it likely the work of just one thief. http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=165700637

PHILIPPINE TELCOS WARNED ON UNUSED LICENSES— Telephone companies licensed to operate mobile phone services but fail to do so may be sanctioned by the National Telecommunications Commission. NTC Commissioner Ronald Solis warned that the frequencies of these firms could be cancelled. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=169057

TRAI RELAXES FIXED-LINE QUALITY BENCHMARKS— The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has relaxed quality benchmarks across various parameters, including fault incidence and call completion rate, for fixed line operators. Companies were expected to meet quality norms by end of 2004, but the market regulator has extended the deadline till 2007 with “relaxed” quality benchmarks. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=169058

INDIAN ELECTRONICS GROWTH TO OUTPACE CHINA'S, SAYS IN-STAT— India's electronics market, valued at $11.50 billion in 2004, will be the fastest-growing electronics market the next few years, according to market research firm In-Stat (Scottsdale, Arizona). The firm projects the Indian market to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 23 percent to reach $40 billion in value by 2010. India's electronics market still lags far behind China, valued at $271 billion in 2004, but bears watching. http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=165700652

INDIA TO TIGHTEN DATA PROTECTION LAWS— Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked for changes in the country's cybersecurity laws to protect the data in foreign work handled by Indian companies. http://news.com.com/India+to+tighten+data+protection+laws/2100-1029_3-5768412.html?tag=cd.hed

PAKISTAN'S NET MISERY MAY CONTINUE THROUGH JULY— Pakistan's Internet problems may continue through July, media reports from the country said, with no end in sight to the repair of the undersea fiber optic cable linking it with the rest of the world's Web. Although the cable has been pulled from the shallow seabed in the Indian Ocean south of Karachi and is undergoing repairs, it's possible other flaws might be discovered during testing, adding to the 10-days-and-counting that Pakistan has been virtually isolated. http://www.techweb.com/wire/networking/165700164

THAILAND STARTS SIM REGISTRATION— New users of prepaid SIM cards in Thailand have started registering with authorities in a bid to prevent mobile-detonated bomb attacks in the countries' deep south. Buyers are required to show their identity cards or passports to get prepaid mobile phone cards, according to a memorandum signed by the Information and Communication Technology Ministry and nine mobile phone service providers in the country. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=168803

FLORIDA MAN CHARGED WITH STEALING WI-FI SIGNAL— Police have arrested a man for using someone else's wireless Internet network in one of the first criminal cases involving this fairly common practice. http://www.networkingpipeline.com/165700409

SAN ANTONIO HIRES CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER— City Manager J. Rolando Bono has chosen Michael Armstrong as San Antonio's first Chief Information Officer (CIO). Armstrong will also serve as an Assistant City Manager on the City's Management Team. http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=94586

SACRAMENTO AWARDS $1.2 MILLION CONTRACT FOR NEW ENTERPRISE E-GOVERNMENT SOLUTION— By upgrading, the city will take advantage of a Web-based, enterprise solution that is flexible enough to meet the needs of everyone in the agency. http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=94568

THE CITY OF COLLEYVILLE, TEXAS DEPLOYS A MESH WIRELESS BROADBAND NETWORK—The city of Colleyville will establish a Wi-Fi area wide pilot network. The city of Colleyville will use the area network primarily to establish a wireless link between the city's two fire stations and the Public Works service center to the city network. http://www.govtech.net/magazine/channel_story.php/94564

CALIFORNIA WILL REVISIT RFID RESTRICTIONS— The California Assembly at press time was set to consider a partial ban on radio frequency identification that would allow the technology to be used for certain types of identification cards, but only if shield devices and other privacy protections are employed. The legislation is an amended version of a bill approved May 16 that would bar all California public agencies from issuing ID cards containing RFID tags. http://www.gcn.com/24_17/state-local/36279-1.html

REGULATORS FINE QWEST MILLIONS FOR PLAYING FAVORITES— State regulators have ordered Qwest to pay $3.5 million for violating federal law by cutting “secret” deals with some companies that provide local phone service. The Public Regulation Commission voted 4-1 to order Qwest to pay $2 million in fines that will go into the state's General Fund. Another $1.5 million will be divided among four companies that claim the deals harmed them http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=168799

BROADBAND SPEED WAR EMERGES— In the past two months, cable operators have begun increasing download speeds on their broadband networks. It's little coincidence that these higher speeds are being rolled out in regions of the country where Verizon has begun offering its Fios service, which runs over a fiber network that reaches directly into people's homes http://news.com.com/Broadband+speed+war+emerges/2100-1034_3-5772136.html?tag=cd.hed

GOOGLE INVESTS IN BROADBAND-OVER-POWER LINE PROVIDER— Google is among the latest investors in Current Communications Group LLC, a broadband-over-power line service provider, based in Germantown, Md. Current said Thursday that other strategic investments have come from investment banker Goldman, Sachs & Co. and media company The Hearst Corp. http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=165700633

AIRLINE TESTS BIOMETRIC TICKETS— The German airline Lufthansa has started testing tickets encoded with passengers' thumbprint data in hopes of speeding up check-ins without compromising security. The 14-day trial started Monday with Lufthansa employees trying out the system, spokesman Thomas Jachnow said. If all goes well, the airline wants to roll it out in 2006. http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=165700495

SPRINT ROLLS OUT WIRELESS INTERNET PLAN— Sprint announced its arrival onto the wireless broadband scene yesterday, more than a year and a half after one of its top rivals, Verizon Wireless, started offering broadband Internet service. Sprint plans to provide mobile broadband service to about 150 million people by early next year. http://www.technewsworld.com/story/44480.html

NEW WIRELESS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY TOUTED— Some analysts were skeptical of the technology. Nevertheless, xMax is being viewed as a potential key to reaching rural and other remote customers with wireless, broadband service http://www.technewsworld.com/story/44400.html

MOBILE CONTENT MARKET WILL TRIPLE BY NEXT YEAR: SURVEY— The mobile communications content market is poised to triple over the next year, according to a new survey by London-based LogicaCMG. Moreover, the firm forecasts that the worldwide market for mobile content will reach $9 billion (7.6 Euros) by next year http://www.networkingpipeline.com/news/165700445

FIRMS ‘OVERHYPING’ VIRUS DANGERS, CLAIMS GARTNER— Gartner Group claims that anti-virus firms have been over-hyping the dangers faced by mobile devices to sell their products while in reality the conditions needed to actually spread such threats are still two years away. http://www.itp.net/news/details.php?id=16531&category=

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