Global Policy and Government Affairs (GPGA)

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ARMY TUNES IN TO ULTRA WIDEBAND WIRELESS— The U.S. Army Research Lab has awarded an engineering team at the University of Texas at Austin a $909,000 grant to develop a model for a wireless Ultra Wideband (UWB) device that could transmit libraries of information each second over short distances. http://www.newsfactor.com/news/Army-Tunes-In-to-Ultra-Wideband/story.xhtml?story_id=0010001JZK8D

ENERGY DEPARTMENT USING WEB TO COLLECT PRICE GOUGING DATA— The Energy Department is collecting information on possible price gouging at the gas pump through its Web site—and the public is responding in droves. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/e_gov/36881-1.html

E-LEARNING: A PROGRESS REPORT—EXPERTS IDENTIFY THE PECULIARITIES AND PITFALLS OF ONLINE TRAINING— The federal government is in a financial jam, and it's banking on e-learning to reduce the costs of technology training.Although e-learning is making a difference, the government won't maximize its investment until managers and employees take advantage of more e-learning programs. http://www.fcw.com/article90465-08-29-05-Print

WESTERN EUROPEAN IPTV MARKET TO REACH €2BN IN 2009 – REPORT— Telecoms operators across Western Europe are launching IPTV services in an effort to increase revenues and improve customer satisfaction for their broadband services. http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=9961

IRISH IT MARKET, DESPITE GROWTH, FACES PRESSURE TO KEEP COSTS DOWN – REPORT— After a rebound in 2004, the Irish IT market is set to continue growing in 2005, but IT departments in many organisations are facing pressure to cut IT spending, according to a report from market advisory firm IDC. http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=9899

ROMANIAN IT SERVICES MARKET TO REACH €297M IN 2009 – REPORT— The Romanian market for IT services grew a healthy 28.3 per cent to €136.5m in 2004, according to a report from market advisory firm IDC. http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=9901

NUMBER OF ADSL CONNECTIONS IN SWITZERLAND REACHES 1M— The number of ADSL connections in Switzerland has broken through the 1m barrier. With investments in Swiss telco Swisscom's infrastructure, ADSL is available practically all over Switzerland. http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=9912

MARCONI IMPLEMENTS GERMAN HIGHWAY COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK— UK telecoms supplier Marconi has implemented a German highway communications network alongside the Autobahn in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=9933

DEUTSCHE TELEKOM COMMITS $3.7B IN FIBER-OPTIC UPGRADE—Deutsche Telekom plans to upgrade its network in Germany and will invest $3.7 billion in the rollout of a fiber-optic network as part of the upgrade effort. The telco said the network upgrade will allow it to increase network speed to up to 50 Mbps, thus creating the basis for providing its customers with high-level, triple-play services. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=178350

FRANCE TELECOM PLANS TO SELL MORE SHARES—France Telecom said it would sell 3 billion euros ($3.7 billion) of new shares to finance its acquisition of Spanish wireless operator Amena. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=178094

HUTCHISON UNIT WIDENS INDIA NETWORK—Hong Kong's Hutchison Telecommunications International has announced plans to invest HK$4bn ($500m) in India over the next three years to fully cover all 23 service areas in the country. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=177878

UAE TOPS ANTI-PIRACY LEAGUE— The UAE has remained the leading anti-piracy champion in the Arab world for the nine year in a row, and ranks 16th out of the 20 lowest-piracy countries internationally, according to the International Data Corporation. But the latest IDC study still pointed to losses of $1.2bn due to piracy in the Middle East, up from $900m a year ago. http://www.ameinfo.com/66615.html

MIDDLE EAST- MASSIVE MARKET GROWTH ATTRACTS VENDORS TO SHOW— According to the latest figures from research firm IDC, IT spending in the GCC states alone is expected to total almost US$5 billion in 2005, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE accounting for 46.8% and 30.4% respectively. http://www.itp.net/news/details.php?id=17499&category=

JORDAN GETS HOME-GROWN CONSUMER VOIP SERVICE— Jordan Telecom has become the first national telco in the region to offer end users a full, commercial voice over IP (VoIP) service. http://www.itp.net/news/details.php?id=17550&category=

BOSTWANA- BTC INTRODUCES CITIZEN SKEWED PROCUREMENT POLICY— The Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) revealed last week that it has put in a new procurement policy that is skewed towards local companies. Modipe Nkwe, head of public and marketing communications at BTC explained that the move is in pursuit of the promotion of Citizen Economic Empowerment. "A new procurement policy is intended to give citizen and majority held companies more favouritism when awarding tenders in future," Nkwe said. http://allafrica.com/stories/200508290905.html

TELEFONICA MOVILES LAUNCHES WIRELESS HIGH-SPEED, BROADBAND SERVICES IN GUATEMALA WITH NORTEL EV-DO SOLUTIONS— Telefonica Moviles has launched its 3G mobile broadband services in Guatemala using CDMA2000 1xEV-DO technology from Nortel. http://www.stockhouse.com/news/news.asp?tick=NT&newsid=2900512

GARTNER: LATAM IT MARKET WORTH US$134BN IN 2005 — Latin America's IT market will be worth US$134bn in 2005, up from US$123bn last year, making it the second fastest growing technology region in the world, according to US IT consultancy Gartner http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?idioma=I&sector=1&noticia=328682

COLOMBIA-TELECOM POSTPONES TELMEX AGREEMENT - State-run telco Colombia Telecomunicaciones has decided to postpone the confirmation of the memorandum of understanding under which Mexico's Telmex would purchase 50% plus one share of Telecom, local press reported. http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?idioma=I&sector=2&noticia=328573

COLOMBIA-MINISTRY SETS LD LIBERALIZATION FOR AUGUST 2007—Colombia's ministry of communications has signed a decree authorizing new long distance operators to seek licenses from August 1, 2007, the ministry said in a statement. The date marks 10 years since the three incumbent operators - Telecom, Orbitel and ETB - obtained their licenses for US$150mn each http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?idioma=I&sector=2&noticia=328397

VENEZUELA-GOVT APPROVES US$115MN BUDGET FOR MINISTRY IT SYSTEMS— Venezuela's government has approved a 292bn-bolívar (US$115mn) budget for the interior and justice ministry (MIJ) to upgrade its IT systems, the ministry said in a statement. The upgrade is part of a plan to help the national registry office reduce the number of false passports by creating an autonomous ID and immigration service. http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?idioma=I&sector=1&noticia=328270

NZ TELECOM GOES AHEAD WITH $220M VOIP PLAN—New Zealand Telecom has announced a $220 million project to switch every telephone line in the country to an Internet protocol platform within seven years. Telecom and Alcatel announced a joint venture program to build the VoIP network. Telecom said the new voice technology would revolutionize New Zealand's telecommunications infrastructure and is the culmination of five years of planning. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=178351

CHINA SIGNS AGREEMENT TO INVEST $20B IN INDONESIA—China signed agreements to invest $20 billion in Indonesia to build scores of electricity, telecommunications and other infrastructure projects over the next 20 years, a news report said. Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla also said the rupiah's recent depreciation which saw the currency fall to a four-year low against the dollar, earlier this week, offered the Chinese an opportunity to get more for their money. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=178347

CHINA RFID SALES DOUBLE IN SECOND QUARTER— Rapid growth in China's radio frequency identification market continues with a Beijing firm saying second-quarter 2005 sales of US$27.9 million were twice those in Q2 2004. http://www.technewsworld.com/story/45859.html

PCCW EXTENDS BROADBAND REACH ON THE MAINLAND— Hong Kong's dominant fixed-line carrier PCCW said it is moving into China's lucrative broadband market by buying a significant stake in a major Chinese broadband firm. PCCW said that it would pay about 318 million yuan ($39.2 million) for a 50% stake in China Netcom Broadband as it moved to boost its access to China's fast-growing market. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=177383

REGISTRANTS FOR INDIA'S .IN DOMAIN REACH 130,000— More than 130,000 registrants have taken up the .in domain name registration, under a plan by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of India to overcome the lack of a national domain registration name. http://www.networkingpipeline.com/news/170102606

US URGES THAILAND TO OPEN SATELLITE MARKET TO FOREIGN FIRMS—The US wants foreign companies to be allowed to operate satellite relay services in Thailand under a prospective free-trade agreement, The Nation reports. Representatives of Thailand's National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the US trade representative will discuss the issue in technical working group meetings next month in Washington. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=178348

THAI REGULATOR APPROVES WIMAX TESTING—Thailand's National Telecommunications Commission has approved in principle a plan to permit firms to test provision of Internet connections via the broadband wireless technology WiMAX. http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=177881

LOUISIANA GOV. BLASTS FAULTY WIRELESS NETWORKS— Struggling to cope with widespread chaos in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco blasted telecommunications providers for the apparent collapse of the state's wireless network. "The communications network is completely gone," Blanco said Thursday (Sept. 1) as the situation in New Orleans grew more chaotic by the hour. Blanco said wireless networks throughout the state remained down, and that state officials were unable to use hand-held communications devices like Blackberrys. http://www.networkingpipeline.com/news/170700221

WIRELESS BROADBAND ARRIVES IN NORTH CAROLINA— Raleigh/Durham Region to Receive Verizon Wireless' BroadbandAccess Wireless Internet Service and V Cast Consumer Multimedia Service. http://www.stockhouse.com/news/news.asp?tick=VZ&newsid=2902298

ARIZONA HEARS THE CALL OF IP TELEPHONY— For Arizona’s 114 state agencies, moving from antiquated phone systems to a converged voice over IP network wasn’t merely a good idea, it was the law. In 2003, the Arizona State Legislature approved a bill mandating that state agencies replace their aging telecommunications infrastructure with modern IP-based networks. So far, nine state agencies, employing some 5,000 users, have made the switch to IP telephony. http://www.gcn.com/24_25/tech-infrastructure/36789-1.html

LEGISLATOR PUSHES FOR RFID BAN IN CALIFORNIA— The sponsor of controversial legislation that would ban most uses of radio frequency identification in California is making a final push for passage of his bill before the Assembly adjourns Sept. 9. State Sen. Joe Simitian (D) is ramping up his efforts to persuade the state legislature to approve his Identity Information Protection Act of 2005, SB628. The measure would prohibit use of RFID for three years for driver’s licenses and student identification, library and health insurance cards. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/technology-policy/36844-1.html

ALASKA GOV. MURKOWSKI SIGNS INTERNET SECURITY BILL— Alaska Governor Frank H. Murkowski signed into law Senate Bill 140, an Internet security bill cracking down on online sexual predators and unfair or deceptive practices that include some types of Internet spyware. "By signing this bill, I am sending a strong message that we will not tolerate those who would use the Internet to dupe vulnerable Alaskans," Murkowski said. http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=96514

SOUTH CAROLINA SIGNS $85 MILLION CONTRACT FOR ADVANCED NETWORK SERVICES— The State of South Carolina signed a contract to replace its statewide data network with a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Network. The $85-million dollar contract, which will enable the State to provide greater network efficiencies and advanced Internet Protocol (IP) services, has been awarded to Spirit Telecom. http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=96494

HOW TO MAKE CALLS WITHOUT A TELEPHONE - internet telephone service is well on its way into the mainstream. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/01/technology/circuits/01basics.html (free subscription required)

VERIZON GETS AGGRESSIVE ON MOBILE BROADBAND— Verizon Wireless is turning up the heat on the nascent wireless broadband market as it expands into new cities and slashes prices 25 percent. http://news.com.com/Verizon+gets+aggressive+on+mobile+broadband/2100-1034_3-5844193.html

BROADBAND TAKES A FEW STEPS FORWARD— TechNet argues that as a nation we are falling behind other developed countries in terms of building out the infrastructure required to support advances in everything from entertainment to product marketing and delivery. http://www.newsfactor.com/news/Broadband-Takes-a-Few-Steps-Forward/story.xhtml?story_id=133004A1XYL9

BROADBAND HARDWARE SALES WILL HIT $5.4 BILLION BY 2008— Sales of broadband modems, routers and gateways were up in the second quarter of this year, and are likely to continue along the growth curve for the next few years, according to a new report from Infonetics Research. http://www.networkingpipeline.com/news/170102525;jsessionid=
525COE1WXW4ZSQSNDBGCKH0CJUMEKJVN

BROADBAND NETWORKED HOUSEHOLDS PRESENT SIZEABLE, LUCRATIVE TARGET FOR DIGITAL ELECTRONICS VENDORS— A new study from The Diffusion Group, the leading strategic research consultancy focused on the digital home and connected consumer, finds that US households that have both a broadband connection and a home network are much more likely to either own or be inclined to purchase new digital electronic platforms. http://206.190.35.122/s/prweb/20050901/bs_prweb/prweb279752

POWERLINE BROADBAND ON THE UP-AND-UP— Broadband over powerline (BPL) is hardly a new approach to bringing high speed access to inaccessible parts, whether these are villages or corners of the home or office. But it has suffered from low vendor interest and various technical hitches, until now, when it is finally taking its place alongside wireless technologies as a way to expand broadband access cost effectively. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/08/30/powerline_broadband/

NETWORK SECURITY APPLIANCE MARKET TO HIT $6.4 BILLION BY 2008— The network security appliance market continues to expand, according to a new report from Infonetics Research, which found that revenues from security appliances and applications rose 4% in the second quarter of 2005. http://www.networkingpipeline.com/news/170102085

MICROSOFT ACQUIRES VOIP STARTUP— Microsoft Corp. said Tuesday it had acquired Teleo Inc., a small San Francisco startup whose software lets people make calls from computers to traditional telephones. http://www.networkingpipeline.com/news/170102077

CORDLESS VIDEOPHONE FOR BROADBAND— Philips is to launch a cordless home videophone designed for making live video and Voice over IP calls via broadband Internet. The Philips VP5500 cordless videophone, announced at the Consumer Electronics Show IFA in Berlin, will be available in the fourth quarter of 2005. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/02/philips_videophone/

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