Hutchison 3G Ireland says that it has been awarded a licence by the local regulator, ComReg to trial broadcast TV services over mobile handsets based on DVB-H technology. The licence takes effect immediately and runs for one year.
Robert Finnegan, 3's Managing Director commented: "3 Italy was first in Europe to launch broadcast TV over mobile, so as a Group we are already leading the development of this new technology. Ireland has a high take-up of digital TV services compared to many EU countries with 42% of all households using digital TV services. DVB-H brings the benefits of Digital TV to mobile. Mobile TV is important to 3 and to the Irish market, as consumers demand more sophisticated mobile services."
3's sister company in Italy launched its DVB-H service called WalkTV earlier this year and is already broadcasting mobile TV to a large audience, with 140,000 customers signing up in just six weeks.
3's DVB-H tests in Ireland follow the success of a range of TV content available on 3 from Barclays Premiership highlights and the best of Father Ted, to 3's own music channel hosted by Tom Dunne.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Monday, May 29, 2006
PRESS: GlobeTel responsible for WiMAX failure
MOSCOW, May 26 (Prime-Tass) -- The shareholders of Russia's Internafta said that U.S. telecommunications equipment producer GlobeTel was responsible for the failure to implement a U.S $600 million project to build a WiMAX network in Russia, Vedomosti business daily reported.
The agreement between the two companies to build the network was signed on December 29, 2005, and was cancelled by GlobeTel on May 1.
Vadim Tataurov, who owned a 25% stake in Russia's Internafta - a company that was established specifically for the project - said that during the project?s negotiations, which took place in November 2005, GlobeTel's CEO Timothy Huff was in a rush to close the deal by the end of the year "to make (GlobeTel's) shareholders happy," the daily reported. Meanwhile, the Russian businessmen said during the talks that it would take about three months to prepare the contract.
As a result, Internafta failed to meet the deadline for its first payment under the contract, which was scheduled for January 16, as nobody took into account the Russian New Year holidays, which lasted from January 1 to January 9, Tataurov said
Internafta made the first payment but at a later date, Tataurov claimed, vedomsoto reported.
Tataurov and Sergei Zhukov, another Internafta shareholder with a 25% stake, claimed that GlobeTel lost interest in the project after the agreement was signed, Vedomosti reported.
They also said that GlobeTel's managers offered them to buy GlobeTel shares before signing the contract, Vedomosti reported.
A source in GlobeTel Wireless Europe denied all the accusations, the daily reported.
Following the cancellation of the agreement, GlobeTel's shareholders accused the company of faking the agreement. Lawyers at Sarraf Gentile, filed in early May a lawsuit on behalf of GlobeTel's shareholders against the U.S. company and some of its top managers with a court in the U.S. state of Florida.
Information about the deal with Internafta moved the U.S. company's shares up, while the announcement of the cancellation of the deal sent the shares into a downward spiral, Sarraf Gentile said then.
GlobeTel's capitalization rose to $410 million as of December 2005 from $210 million after the signing of the agreement and fell to $130 million after the cancellation of the agreement, as of Thursday, the daily reported.
Some Russian market observers speculated earlier that Internafta's owners might have set up the company to obtain a developed business plan from GlobeTel for the WiMAX project, without having any intention to cooperate with the U.S. company.
The agreement between the two companies to build the network was signed on December 29, 2005, and was cancelled by GlobeTel on May 1.
Vadim Tataurov, who owned a 25% stake in Russia's Internafta - a company that was established specifically for the project - said that during the project?s negotiations, which took place in November 2005, GlobeTel's CEO Timothy Huff was in a rush to close the deal by the end of the year "to make (GlobeTel's) shareholders happy," the daily reported. Meanwhile, the Russian businessmen said during the talks that it would take about three months to prepare the contract.
As a result, Internafta failed to meet the deadline for its first payment under the contract, which was scheduled for January 16, as nobody took into account the Russian New Year holidays, which lasted from January 1 to January 9, Tataurov said
Internafta made the first payment but at a later date, Tataurov claimed, vedomsoto reported.
Tataurov and Sergei Zhukov, another Internafta shareholder with a 25% stake, claimed that GlobeTel lost interest in the project after the agreement was signed, Vedomosti reported.
They also said that GlobeTel's managers offered them to buy GlobeTel shares before signing the contract, Vedomosti reported.
A source in GlobeTel Wireless Europe denied all the accusations, the daily reported.
Following the cancellation of the agreement, GlobeTel's shareholders accused the company of faking the agreement. Lawyers at Sarraf Gentile, filed in early May a lawsuit on behalf of GlobeTel's shareholders against the U.S. company and some of its top managers with a court in the U.S. state of Florida.
Information about the deal with Internafta moved the U.S. company's shares up, while the announcement of the cancellation of the deal sent the shares into a downward spiral, Sarraf Gentile said then.
GlobeTel's capitalization rose to $410 million as of December 2005 from $210 million after the signing of the agreement and fell to $130 million after the cancellation of the agreement, as of Thursday, the daily reported.
Some Russian market observers speculated earlier that Internafta's owners might have set up the company to obtain a developed business plan from GlobeTel for the WiMAX project, without having any intention to cooperate with the U.S. company.
Friday, May 26, 2006
No Radiation Problems at Australian University
Following a health scare, the Australian RMIT University has conducted radio emission tests on the roof and several floors of a building where a cluster of cancers had occured. However, the tests on floors 16 and 17 and the roof of RMIT University have shown no anomalies, according to independent environmental testing consultants. Tests were conducted by EMC Technologies, AMCOSH, Kilpatrick and Associates, and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), looking into a variety of potential risk areas including air and water contaminants, surfaces and microbiological compounds.
RMIT has welcomed the results. It has also commissioned radio frequency tests on other levels of the building, as well as epidemiological surveys.
Chris Jacka, Managing Director of Sustainable Risk Management Australia, which coordinated the testing program, said: "Measurements in Building 108 are consistent with those typically found in buildings in Melbourne. Tests identified no anomalies.
"Our tests measured outputs not just from the mobile phone base stations on the roof but from all those in the area. The results were well below national standards."
RMIT University's Vice-President Resources and Chief Operating Officer, Steve Somogyi, welcomed the results. "Staff and students have been understandably worried about the incidence of brain tumours among staff in Building 108. I hope these results will help ease those concerns.
"RMIT is committed to ensuring the health and safety of our staff and students. We shall now test radiofrequency on lower floors.
"We have engaged the services of an occupational physician, Dr John Gall of Southern Medical Services, who will continue to assess medical reports and investigate potential links between staff diagnosed with tumours."
RMIT has welcomed the results. It has also commissioned radio frequency tests on other levels of the building, as well as epidemiological surveys.
Chris Jacka, Managing Director of Sustainable Risk Management Australia, which coordinated the testing program, said: "Measurements in Building 108 are consistent with those typically found in buildings in Melbourne. Tests identified no anomalies.
"Our tests measured outputs not just from the mobile phone base stations on the roof but from all those in the area. The results were well below national standards."
RMIT University's Vice-President Resources and Chief Operating Officer, Steve Somogyi, welcomed the results. "Staff and students have been understandably worried about the incidence of brain tumours among staff in Building 108. I hope these results will help ease those concerns.
"RMIT is committed to ensuring the health and safety of our staff and students. We shall now test radiofrequency on lower floors.
"We have engaged the services of an occupational physician, Dr John Gall of Southern Medical Services, who will continue to assess medical reports and investigate potential links between staff diagnosed with tumours."
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Qualcomm Sues Nokia - Again
Qualcomm says that it has commenced patent infringement litigation in the UK against Nokia. The proceedings, issued in the Patents Court of the High Court of England and Wales, allege infringement of two patents by Nokia in the United Kingdom in relation to mobile devices which are capable of operating in accordance with the GPRS and/or EDGE standards but not having a capability to operate with CDMA technology.
The proceedings seek an injunction against Nokia, as well as damages in relation to phones already sold.
This litigation is a geographic extension of the patent infringement litigation filed by Qualcomm against Nokia in the United States on November 4, 2005. Both cases involve alleged infringement of Qualcomm's patents by Nokia's GSM/GPRS/EDGE products.
For its part, Nokia sasy that it is not surprised that Qualcomm has once again chosen to litigate. Nokia is yet to receive a copy of the complaint or analyze the details; therefore, Nokia cannot comment on the substantive aspects of the claims. Nokia does not believe that Qualcomm is entitled to an injunction.
Nokia says that it will analyze Qualcomm's claims when it obtains the complaint and will defend itself to ensure that its rights are fully protected.
Tal Liani, research analyst with Merrill Lynch said in a research note that he believes Qualcomm's law suit should be taken in the context of putting pressure on Nokia to renew the commercial licensing agreement which expires in April 2007.
"To bolster its bargaining power in this renewal process, Qualcomm mentioned at its recent analyst day gathering that it may pressure Nokia by leveraging certain GSM related patents that have so far not been enforced. There was even mention of dropping the enforcement of these patents altogether should Nokia extend the royalty agreement."
The proceedings seek an injunction against Nokia, as well as damages in relation to phones already sold.
This litigation is a geographic extension of the patent infringement litigation filed by Qualcomm against Nokia in the United States on November 4, 2005. Both cases involve alleged infringement of Qualcomm's patents by Nokia's GSM/GPRS/EDGE products.
For its part, Nokia sasy that it is not surprised that Qualcomm has once again chosen to litigate. Nokia is yet to receive a copy of the complaint or analyze the details; therefore, Nokia cannot comment on the substantive aspects of the claims. Nokia does not believe that Qualcomm is entitled to an injunction.
Nokia says that it will analyze Qualcomm's claims when it obtains the complaint and will defend itself to ensure that its rights are fully protected.
Tal Liani, research analyst with Merrill Lynch said in a research note that he believes Qualcomm's law suit should be taken in the context of putting pressure on Nokia to renew the commercial licensing agreement which expires in April 2007.
"To bolster its bargaining power in this renewal process, Qualcomm mentioned at its recent analyst day gathering that it may pressure Nokia by leveraging certain GSM related patents that have so far not been enforced. There was even mention of dropping the enforcement of these patents altogether should Nokia extend the royalty agreement."
Friday, April 28, 2006
Another Cellphone Health Issue Report
The effect of electromagnetic fields from digital mobile phones (DMP) on brain functioning is an area receiving increased attention. A study conducted by researchers at Swinburne's Brain Sciences Institute (BSI) in Australia compared the performance of 120 volunteers on 8 neuropsychological tests during real and sham exposure to mobile phone emissions equivalent to a 30 minute phonecall.
Results showed that participants' "simple" and "choice reaction times" showed strong evidence of impairment. However, performance on the "trail making task" improved, supporting the hypothesis that DMP radiofrequency emissions improve the speed of processing of information held in the brain's working memory.
Lead researcher and Director of BSI, Professor Con Stough, said that while the study raises the possibility that short-term exposure of mobile phone emissions affects brain activity, the effect is small.
"The study showed evidence of slower response times for participants undertaking simple reactions and more complex reactions, such as choosing a response when there is more than one alternative," Professor Stough said.
"This could equate to driving a car and being distracted by another car pulling out in front of you. The driver's reaction time to chose between braking, turning or sounding the horn, could be affected, albeit slightly.
"The study also found that radiation from mobile phones seems to improve working memory, used for example when remembering a phone number long enough to dial it."
But Professor Stough says this memory finding should be interpreted with caution because the underlying biological mechanism is not known. "We're still a long way from having a complete picture, and this study is another small step towards giving people scientific based information about the effect of mobile phones on their health.
"Further investigations such as functional magnetic resonance imaging are needed to confirm the neuropsychological changes associated with mobile phone emissions," he said.
The study was published in the April edition of the journal Neuropsycholgia.
Results showed that participants' "simple" and "choice reaction times" showed strong evidence of impairment. However, performance on the "trail making task" improved, supporting the hypothesis that DMP radiofrequency emissions improve the speed of processing of information held in the brain's working memory.
Lead researcher and Director of BSI, Professor Con Stough, said that while the study raises the possibility that short-term exposure of mobile phone emissions affects brain activity, the effect is small.
"The study showed evidence of slower response times for participants undertaking simple reactions and more complex reactions, such as choosing a response when there is more than one alternative," Professor Stough said.
"This could equate to driving a car and being distracted by another car pulling out in front of you. The driver's reaction time to chose between braking, turning or sounding the horn, could be affected, albeit slightly.
"The study also found that radiation from mobile phones seems to improve working memory, used for example when remembering a phone number long enough to dial it."
But Professor Stough says this memory finding should be interpreted with caution because the underlying biological mechanism is not known. "We're still a long way from having a complete picture, and this study is another small step towards giving people scientific based information about the effect of mobile phones on their health.
"Further investigations such as functional magnetic resonance imaging are needed to confirm the neuropsychological changes associated with mobile phone emissions," he said.
The study was published in the April edition of the journal Neuropsycholgia.
Lycos-Qumana Launches Blog Tool
The desktop blog tool from Lycos-Qumana works with Qumana Q-Ads integrated ad program to insert ads into blogs.
The Lycos-Qumana Desktop Blog Editor allows users to post entries to blogs on all major blog platforms, not just the Angelfire and Tripod blogs owned by Lycos. It has been made available as a free download for bloggers.
A visual approach to content editing lets users insert images, tags, and ads through various wizards. The blogger can set a keyword or keyphrase to use to help Qumana select from the contextual ads available through Q-Ads (formerly AdGenta) to place on the blog.
Lycos said in a statement that revenue from those ads would be shared with the bloggers. A Lycos spokesperson explained how the split works:
25% to Qumana; 25% to Lycos; 50% to Blogger. But what's unique is the low threshold for payout. For example, bloggers don't have to reach a certain revenue point to receive a check. If they earn $20.00, they immediately receive a check for $20.
The companies noted several benefits to using the new desktop blog tool. One-click posting to all blogs available to a blogger means being able to quickly cross-publish that post; we wonder how many legitimate bloggers actually need to do this regularly.
Each post can be designated as allowing comments and/or trackbacks, and that will propagate out to the blog hosting sites.
The Lycos-Qumana Desktop Blog Editor allows users to post entries to blogs on all major blog platforms, not just the Angelfire and Tripod blogs owned by Lycos. It has been made available as a free download for bloggers.
A visual approach to content editing lets users insert images, tags, and ads through various wizards. The blogger can set a keyword or keyphrase to use to help Qumana select from the contextual ads available through Q-Ads (formerly AdGenta) to place on the blog.
Lycos said in a statement that revenue from those ads would be shared with the bloggers. A Lycos spokesperson explained how the split works:
25% to Qumana; 25% to Lycos; 50% to Blogger. But what's unique is the low threshold for payout. For example, bloggers don't have to reach a certain revenue point to receive a check. If they earn $20.00, they immediately receive a check for $20.
The companies noted several benefits to using the new desktop blog tool. One-click posting to all blogs available to a blogger means being able to quickly cross-publish that post; we wonder how many legitimate bloggers actually need to do this regularly.
Each post can be designated as allowing comments and/or trackbacks, and that will propagate out to the blog hosting sites.
Net Neutrality Amendment Shot Down
Telecommunications giants scored a victory over Net Neutrality advocates in the U.S. legislature yesterday as the proposed "Markey Amendment," a provision to prevent Internet providers from creating access chokepoints was voted down in the House of Representatives.
The amendment's defeat has caused a firestorm of accusations against the telecom industry and the legislators siding with them in the debate. A diverse and growing opposition believes that Congress members like Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-ILL), who pushed for the amendment's defeat, are acting not in favor of their constituency but in favor of the big-money telecom industry.
Telecoms, like AT&T and Verizon, want to create a two-tiered Internet where customers and content providers can be charged for premium content delivery at higher speeds and quality than other content. The harshest critics believe that ability will give ISPs the ability to block, slow, or degrade content unfavorable to them, including access to websites and email.
The Markey Amendment, proposed for addition to the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act (COPE), was created to protect what proponents call "Network Neutrality," a philosophy that the Internet should remain free and open to encourage innovation, startup business, and free speech. Called the "Internet's First Amendment," this concept is supported by Internet and technology giants like Google and Microsoft.
The amendment expressly warned the telecom industry " not to block, impair, degrade, discriminate against, or interfere with the ability of any person to use a broadband connection to access, use, send, receive, or offer lawful content, applications, or services over the Internet." It was voted down by a vote of 34-22 in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The COPE Act will now move to the full House for a vote, and then to the Senate if passed. The Senate Commerce Committee is expected to propose its own Net Neutrality legislation in the coming weeks.
"The House vote today ignores a groundswell of popular support for Internet freedom," said Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press. "We hope that the full House will resist the big telecom companies and reject the bill. But we look to the Senate to restore meaningful protections for net neutrality and ensure that the Internet remains open to unlimited economic innovation, civic involvement and free speech."
Free Press recently spearheaded a campaign through the website SaveTheInternet.com, a nonpartisan initiative that attracted over 250,000 petition signatures and over 500 weblog authors in just a few days. While the initiative is not apolitical, it is diverse along party lines with membership ranging from libertarian Gun Owners of America, to the Consumers Union, to MoveOn.org.
SaveTheInternet.com doesn't view it as a total loss, however. The attention the coalition has generated seems to have made a large impact on the voting. Before the initiative launched, Net Neutrality provisions were shot down 23-8 in the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
"The telcos have spent hundreds of millions of dollars and many years lobbying for their position; we launched four days ago, and have closed a lot of ground," reads the website.
"The Commerce Committee is headed in the opposite direction of where the American public wants to go," said Columbia Law Professor Timothy Wu, a pro-market advocate and one of the intellectual architects of the Net Neutrality principle. "Most people favor an open and neutral Internet and don't want Internet gatekeepers taxing and tollboothing innovation."
Barton and Rush Under Scrutiny
Congressmen Barton and Rush have been put under the microscope by opponents lately for their financial relationships with the telecommunications industry. Both vocal opponents of Net Neutrality provisions in the Commerce Committee, Barton and Rush led the charge in defeating the Markey Amendment.
Many find it no small coincidence that out of Barton's top three campaign contributors, the second and third largest ones are SBC Communications (now AT&T) and Comcast Corporation. Tied for 12th among contributions is the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.
The Chicago Sun-Times points out that Bobby Rush, the only Democrat to sponsor the bill, recently "received a $1 million grant from the charitable arm of SBC/AT&T" for a community organization Rush is associated with called the Rebirth of Englewood Community Development Corporation.
The amendment's defeat has caused a firestorm of accusations against the telecom industry and the legislators siding with them in the debate. A diverse and growing opposition believes that Congress members like Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-ILL), who pushed for the amendment's defeat, are acting not in favor of their constituency but in favor of the big-money telecom industry.
Telecoms, like AT&T and Verizon, want to create a two-tiered Internet where customers and content providers can be charged for premium content delivery at higher speeds and quality than other content. The harshest critics believe that ability will give ISPs the ability to block, slow, or degrade content unfavorable to them, including access to websites and email.
The Markey Amendment, proposed for addition to the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act (COPE), was created to protect what proponents call "Network Neutrality," a philosophy that the Internet should remain free and open to encourage innovation, startup business, and free speech. Called the "Internet's First Amendment," this concept is supported by Internet and technology giants like Google and Microsoft.
The amendment expressly warned the telecom industry " not to block, impair, degrade, discriminate against, or interfere with the ability of any person to use a broadband connection to access, use, send, receive, or offer lawful content, applications, or services over the Internet." It was voted down by a vote of 34-22 in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The COPE Act will now move to the full House for a vote, and then to the Senate if passed. The Senate Commerce Committee is expected to propose its own Net Neutrality legislation in the coming weeks.
"The House vote today ignores a groundswell of popular support for Internet freedom," said Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press. "We hope that the full House will resist the big telecom companies and reject the bill. But we look to the Senate to restore meaningful protections for net neutrality and ensure that the Internet remains open to unlimited economic innovation, civic involvement and free speech."
Free Press recently spearheaded a campaign through the website SaveTheInternet.com, a nonpartisan initiative that attracted over 250,000 petition signatures and over 500 weblog authors in just a few days. While the initiative is not apolitical, it is diverse along party lines with membership ranging from libertarian Gun Owners of America, to the Consumers Union, to MoveOn.org.
SaveTheInternet.com doesn't view it as a total loss, however. The attention the coalition has generated seems to have made a large impact on the voting. Before the initiative launched, Net Neutrality provisions were shot down 23-8 in the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
"The telcos have spent hundreds of millions of dollars and many years lobbying for their position; we launched four days ago, and have closed a lot of ground," reads the website.
"The Commerce Committee is headed in the opposite direction of where the American public wants to go," said Columbia Law Professor Timothy Wu, a pro-market advocate and one of the intellectual architects of the Net Neutrality principle. "Most people favor an open and neutral Internet and don't want Internet gatekeepers taxing and tollboothing innovation."
Barton and Rush Under Scrutiny
Congressmen Barton and Rush have been put under the microscope by opponents lately for their financial relationships with the telecommunications industry. Both vocal opponents of Net Neutrality provisions in the Commerce Committee, Barton and Rush led the charge in defeating the Markey Amendment.
Many find it no small coincidence that out of Barton's top three campaign contributors, the second and third largest ones are SBC Communications (now AT&T) and Comcast Corporation. Tied for 12th among contributions is the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.
The Chicago Sun-Times points out that Bobby Rush, the only Democrat to sponsor the bill, recently "received a $1 million grant from the charitable arm of SBC/AT&T" for a community organization Rush is associated with called the Rebirth of Englewood Community Development Corporation.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Apple, Bloggers Fight In Court
A battle that could determine whether bloggers may enjoy conventional journalistic protection behind the First Amendment has a court date coming up on April 20th.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation noted the Apple v Does lawsuit heads to the courtroom on Thursday. Apple wants two fan sites, AppleInsider and PowerPage, to turnover sources that provided them with insider information on forthcoming Apple products.
Apple also wants PowerPage's email provider, Nfox.com, to hand over email so it can track down the source that gave up Apple's product information. Despite great consumer popularity, Apple has its detractors in the media who find the company's attitudes towards the press at best apathetic.
The media does have what Apple claims bloggers do not have, a privilege under the Constitution to maintain the confidentiality of a source. But bloggers feel otherwise, and will face Apple in court over the issue.
A November 2004 article published at AppleInsider about a new audio interface to the GarageBand audio application. Apple considered that a theft of trade secrets.
The Mercury News reported on the coming storm, noting a vast array of high tech companies and the former dean of Stanford Law School have aligned themselves against bloggers being protected by the First Amendment.
An EFF attorney responded to that in the article:
"The First Amendment wasn't designed to protect the organized press,'' said Kurt Opsahl, a lawyer with the Electronic Frontier Foundation who is representing (PowerPage's Jason) O'Grady in the case. "It was to protect the right of the lonely pamphleteer who put a pamphlet up on the walls. A blogger is much more akin to those lonely pamphleteers.''
A March 2005 court decision in favor of Apple discovering the source behind the leak did not address the issue of journalistic protection. The subsequent appeal hopes to receive a decision that treats the typical blogger like a journalist.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation noted the Apple v Does lawsuit heads to the courtroom on Thursday. Apple wants two fan sites, AppleInsider and PowerPage, to turnover sources that provided them with insider information on forthcoming Apple products.
Apple also wants PowerPage's email provider, Nfox.com, to hand over email so it can track down the source that gave up Apple's product information. Despite great consumer popularity, Apple has its detractors in the media who find the company's attitudes towards the press at best apathetic.
The media does have what Apple claims bloggers do not have, a privilege under the Constitution to maintain the confidentiality of a source. But bloggers feel otherwise, and will face Apple in court over the issue.
A November 2004 article published at AppleInsider about a new audio interface to the GarageBand audio application. Apple considered that a theft of trade secrets.
The Mercury News reported on the coming storm, noting a vast array of high tech companies and the former dean of Stanford Law School have aligned themselves against bloggers being protected by the First Amendment.
An EFF attorney responded to that in the article:
"The First Amendment wasn't designed to protect the organized press,'' said Kurt Opsahl, a lawyer with the Electronic Frontier Foundation who is representing (PowerPage's Jason) O'Grady in the case. "It was to protect the right of the lonely pamphleteer who put a pamphlet up on the walls. A blogger is much more akin to those lonely pamphleteers.''
A March 2005 court decision in favor of Apple discovering the source behind the leak did not address the issue of journalistic protection. The subsequent appeal hopes to receive a decision that treats the typical blogger like a journalist.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Ofcom Targets 3G Termination Rate Regulation
LONDON -(Dow Jones)- UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom Thursday proposed imposing new controls on prices cellphone companies charge each other for connecting calls between third-generation networks.
The fees levied on operators to connect between mobile networks - so-called termination rates - generate GBP2 billion in sales annually, making them a significant revenue source for the industry, Ofcom said.
Ofcom's predecessor, Oftel, started regulating termination rates for conventional second-generation networks in 2004 to protect consumers from excessive prices for calls made to mobile phones. 3G networks were exempted because they didn't carry a large amount of call traffic, and the technology was new and in development.
The controls were put in place until March 2007, but Ofcom said Thursday it will continue to regulate termination rates after that date where there is evidence of market dominance.
Ofcom said all five mobile network operators have significant market power in setting the fees. Ofcom added that it will need to ensure that regulation on 3G networks doesn't adversely affect prospects for investment.
Vodafone Group, Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile, France Telecom's Orange unit, Hutchison Whampoa's 3 UK and Telefonica's O2 have until May 25 to respond to the proposals. Ofcom aims to publish a final document in summer 2006 which will then cover regulation to 2011.
Chris Alliott, an analyst at Nomura Securities, said that the proposals are the "first step" in bringing 3G termination rates down to 2G levels.
"2G is a mature market but 3G is still developing. Therefore burdening it with regulation is not the way to allow that market to develop. However, this consultation seeks to ensure that price controls are used to ensure a fair deal for 3G users," he said.
Analysts said 3G network operator Hutchison Whampoa could suffer the biggest impact from the proposals because the company isn't currently subject to regulation of its termination rates.
Ofcom noted that "excessive revenue" generated by unregulated 3G termination rates may be used to compete with other operators in the retail market. The 3G termination rates could help subsidize low call prices, subscriptions or promotions, Ofcom said.
3 UK in January unveiled a promotion called WePay, which gives subscribers a cash credit when they receive calls.
"The wisdom of that move is debatable," said Alliott. "The WePay tariff does draw attention to the potential disparity between the termination rate and the underlying cost."
Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein analyst Robert Grindle said that while the regulation is negative for Hutchison's 3, it is in line with expectations.
Hutchison wasn't immediately available for comment.
Ofcom also said that Vodafone is the only U.K. operator which charges more to connect a call to its 3G network than the regulated 2G network. During the day, Vodafone charges 18.8 pence per minute to connect to its 3G network compared with 7.89 pence on 2G.
The regulator said that if regulation doesn't change, other operators could adopt the same approach.
Vodafone couldn't be reached for comment.
An O2 spokesman said that competition in the market should alleviate the need for regulation, but added the company is "pleased that it has been recognized that regulation should apply equally to all operators."
Orange declined to comment.
Fixed-line operator BT Group said in an e-mailed statement that it's "good" that Ofcom has recognized that 3G should receive the same treatment as 2G.
The fees levied on operators to connect between mobile networks - so-called termination rates - generate GBP2 billion in sales annually, making them a significant revenue source for the industry, Ofcom said.
Ofcom's predecessor, Oftel, started regulating termination rates for conventional second-generation networks in 2004 to protect consumers from excessive prices for calls made to mobile phones. 3G networks were exempted because they didn't carry a large amount of call traffic, and the technology was new and in development.
The controls were put in place until March 2007, but Ofcom said Thursday it will continue to regulate termination rates after that date where there is evidence of market dominance.
Ofcom said all five mobile network operators have significant market power in setting the fees. Ofcom added that it will need to ensure that regulation on 3G networks doesn't adversely affect prospects for investment.
Vodafone Group, Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile, France Telecom's Orange unit, Hutchison Whampoa's 3 UK and Telefonica's O2 have until May 25 to respond to the proposals. Ofcom aims to publish a final document in summer 2006 which will then cover regulation to 2011.
Chris Alliott, an analyst at Nomura Securities, said that the proposals are the "first step" in bringing 3G termination rates down to 2G levels.
"2G is a mature market but 3G is still developing. Therefore burdening it with regulation is not the way to allow that market to develop. However, this consultation seeks to ensure that price controls are used to ensure a fair deal for 3G users," he said.
Analysts said 3G network operator Hutchison Whampoa could suffer the biggest impact from the proposals because the company isn't currently subject to regulation of its termination rates.
Ofcom noted that "excessive revenue" generated by unregulated 3G termination rates may be used to compete with other operators in the retail market. The 3G termination rates could help subsidize low call prices, subscriptions or promotions, Ofcom said.
3 UK in January unveiled a promotion called WePay, which gives subscribers a cash credit when they receive calls.
"The wisdom of that move is debatable," said Alliott. "The WePay tariff does draw attention to the potential disparity between the termination rate and the underlying cost."
Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein analyst Robert Grindle said that while the regulation is negative for Hutchison's 3, it is in line with expectations.
Hutchison wasn't immediately available for comment.
Ofcom also said that Vodafone is the only U.K. operator which charges more to connect a call to its 3G network than the regulated 2G network. During the day, Vodafone charges 18.8 pence per minute to connect to its 3G network compared with 7.89 pence on 2G.
The regulator said that if regulation doesn't change, other operators could adopt the same approach.
Vodafone couldn't be reached for comment.
An O2 spokesman said that competition in the market should alleviate the need for regulation, but added the company is "pleased that it has been recognized that regulation should apply equally to all operators."
Orange declined to comment.
Fixed-line operator BT Group said in an e-mailed statement that it's "good" that Ofcom has recognized that 3G should receive the same treatment as 2G.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Broadcast TV to Mobile - A solution looking for a problem?
The latest frontier of convergence is the broadcasting of TV content to mobile phones. The media industry is becoming excited about the possibility of offering broadcast TV content to mobile handsets - but is there a robust business case for operators when their 3G spectrum remains under-utilized? In a new report, market analyst Datamonitor expresses concern about some of the astronomical forecasts currently in the market place with regards the growth prospects for broadcast TV to mobile services. With radio spectrum rights - a crucially significant factor - as yet still largely unresolved in many markets, the planned commercial launches could yet be delayed.
Adrian Drozd, Senior Media and Broadcasting analyst at Datamonitor comments "Today, consumers are able to download short video clips over 2.5G and 3G networks. In the next few years broadcast networks and next-generation handsets will be deployed enabling them to watch broadcast TV on their mobile phone screens. However growth of mobile TV may be limited by the problems over spectrum allocation, the high price of handsets, consumer unwillingness to pay an extra $10/month for mobile phone service and operators wanting to push 3G video services, not broadcast TV to mobile services. As such, Datamonitor takes as conservative outlook for broadcast TV."
Mobile video services already exist, but not efficient for TV
Mobile operators are already offering video download services to their customers on 2.5 and 3G networks, but these are not true broadcast TV services. The content is streamed to subscribers' phones when it is requested using the operators' 2.5/3G network infrastructure. There are fundamental differences in the nature of unicast/bi-directional mobile phone networks and one-way/multicast broadcast networks. It is an inefficient use of limited network capacity to use mobile phone network to transmit a multicast service.
World domination battle: DMB vs DVB-H vs MediaFLO
There are essentially three different technologies fighting it out to be the standard for mobile TV broadcast technology - DVB-H, DMB and MediaFLO - with a fourth, ISDB-T, unlikely to gain any traction outside of Japan. DMB is the only technology currently being used in commercial services (in South Korea). Commercial services from DVB-H and MediaFLO are expected to launch by the second half of 2006. Each technology has its own pros and cons, but in global market share terms Datamonitor expects DVB-H to be the long-term leader.
Substantial requirements placed on handsets
The technical challenges for the mobile operators' networks are massive, but they are not alone; the handset manufacturers are also under considerable pressure themselves. If the handsets do not aesthetically appeal to consumers the services will not succeed - think the slow take-up of 3G partly due to big, clunky phones. There are clearly serious issues to resolve between handset size and screen size, as well as battery life, and perhaps most importantly, cost.
Content security is critical to business models
Broadcast TV to mobile business models are currently being developed by mobile network operators and content owners. Most are based upon consumers paying circa $10 per month for the mobile TV service. But if they're unwilling to pay it on a regular basis then this new business opportunity will prove unprofitable. The hacker community is certain to focus some of its efforts on this new market, and software patches which enable free access or hacked SIM cards could become a significant problem. Robust security against such hacker activity will be critical.
Choice of content is key - and it's got to be shorter
The provision of content will be one of the key deciding factors as to whether consumers are going to appreciate the service, and ultimately pay for it. The underlying questions are whether the main TV channels are going to be available on mobile TV, special mobile TV channels will be developed or, probably more likely, it will be a mix of both, existing and new channels.
Early results have shown broadcast TV to mobile viewers typically watch a maximum of 25 minutes per day. Short movies, news, cartoons and sport highlights would therefore make excellent content for mobile TV. Full-length movies are less likely to be watched on mobile phones due to the relatively small screen size and the necessity to constantly hold the handset. In long car journeys larger screen devices such as portable DVD players will, like today, be more prevalent.
Driven by such factors, Datamonitor has created a conservative forecast for the take-up of these services and is expecting 69m global subscribers in 2009, generating revenues (although not necessarily any profits) of US$5.5 billion.
Adrian Drozd, Senior Media and Broadcasting analyst at Datamonitor comments "Today, consumers are able to download short video clips over 2.5G and 3G networks. In the next few years broadcast networks and next-generation handsets will be deployed enabling them to watch broadcast TV on their mobile phone screens. However growth of mobile TV may be limited by the problems over spectrum allocation, the high price of handsets, consumer unwillingness to pay an extra $10/month for mobile phone service and operators wanting to push 3G video services, not broadcast TV to mobile services. As such, Datamonitor takes as conservative outlook for broadcast TV."
Mobile video services already exist, but not efficient for TV
Mobile operators are already offering video download services to their customers on 2.5 and 3G networks, but these are not true broadcast TV services. The content is streamed to subscribers' phones when it is requested using the operators' 2.5/3G network infrastructure. There are fundamental differences in the nature of unicast/bi-directional mobile phone networks and one-way/multicast broadcast networks. It is an inefficient use of limited network capacity to use mobile phone network to transmit a multicast service.
World domination battle: DMB vs DVB-H vs MediaFLO
There are essentially three different technologies fighting it out to be the standard for mobile TV broadcast technology - DVB-H, DMB and MediaFLO - with a fourth, ISDB-T, unlikely to gain any traction outside of Japan. DMB is the only technology currently being used in commercial services (in South Korea). Commercial services from DVB-H and MediaFLO are expected to launch by the second half of 2006. Each technology has its own pros and cons, but in global market share terms Datamonitor expects DVB-H to be the long-term leader.
Substantial requirements placed on handsets
The technical challenges for the mobile operators' networks are massive, but they are not alone; the handset manufacturers are also under considerable pressure themselves. If the handsets do not aesthetically appeal to consumers the services will not succeed - think the slow take-up of 3G partly due to big, clunky phones. There are clearly serious issues to resolve between handset size and screen size, as well as battery life, and perhaps most importantly, cost.
Content security is critical to business models
Broadcast TV to mobile business models are currently being developed by mobile network operators and content owners. Most are based upon consumers paying circa $10 per month for the mobile TV service. But if they're unwilling to pay it on a regular basis then this new business opportunity will prove unprofitable. The hacker community is certain to focus some of its efforts on this new market, and software patches which enable free access or hacked SIM cards could become a significant problem. Robust security against such hacker activity will be critical.
Choice of content is key - and it's got to be shorter
The provision of content will be one of the key deciding factors as to whether consumers are going to appreciate the service, and ultimately pay for it. The underlying questions are whether the main TV channels are going to be available on mobile TV, special mobile TV channels will be developed or, probably more likely, it will be a mix of both, existing and new channels.
Early results have shown broadcast TV to mobile viewers typically watch a maximum of 25 minutes per day. Short movies, news, cartoons and sport highlights would therefore make excellent content for mobile TV. Full-length movies are less likely to be watched on mobile phones due to the relatively small screen size and the necessity to constantly hold the handset. In long car journeys larger screen devices such as portable DVD players will, like today, be more prevalent.
Driven by such factors, Datamonitor has created a conservative forecast for the take-up of these services and is expecting 69m global subscribers in 2009, generating revenues (although not necessarily any profits) of US$5.5 billion.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
EU Telecom Report Says Deregulation Is Working
BRUSSELS -(Dow Jones)- Eight years after deregulating Europe's telecom markets, a European Commission report published Monday offered a mixed message on competition.
The report finds competition is working to cut prices for customers and offer them new services, but that incumbents such as Deutsche Telekom retain too strong a grip on markets.
This control is particularly strong over fixed line and mobile markets, the report says and "stresses the need to cut the cost of using a mobile phone abroad."
The main problem case seems to be Germany, where the E.U. is concerned Deutsche Telekom retains too strong a grip over the market.
Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding said at a press conference she wrote Friday to the German government expressing concerns about a draft telecommunications law it plans to adopt in April.
In addition, she indicated concerns about Deutsche Telekom's proposed EUR3 billion network. The former German state-owned telephone company plans to roll out a high-speed optical fiber network that will transmit data up to 20 times faster than current offerings. The plan is to provide Germany's 50 largest cities high-speed broadband lines by 2007.
The German government originally agreed with Deutsche Telekom's argument that it could only make a decent profit from the network if it was entirely exempt from regulation and from any requirement to offer its lines to rivals. The Commission, however, called the arrangement unfair.
Although the two sides agreed in December the network would be regulated and competitors would be given access to the new network, the extent of the regulation hasn't been determined. In particular, there is still a question over whether the markets such as "triple-play" services for TV, internet and web-telephones would stay exempt from regulation.
Reding said discussions would continue with the German government.
"The German regulator is very aware of the problem," she added, saying the regulator realized that "Germany must not fall back to old times."
New data published by the Commission Monday showed Germany lagging in the key area of broadband connections. Only 11.5% of Germans have broadband connections compared with rates of up to 18% in Belgium, the Netherlands and Nordic countries such as Finland, Sweden and Denmark.
In related but separate criticisms, the Commission criticized continuing high roaming mobile phone prices. The Commission said it would propose regulation on the issue before the summer.
High prices for mobile phone calls to fixed lines, were also highlighted as a problem. On Monday, the Commission said the charges were eight-to-ten-times the level of calls between fixed lines.
High prices for mobile SMS messages, are a further point of concern. Reding said she may need to open a formal investigation.
"Some markets are not open enough to competition," Reding said, without naming which ones. She said some incumbents remain dominant and there was a need to open up more.
Despite all these damning criticisms, Commissioner Reding insisted the report painted an overall positive picture. An influx of new players has helped the price of traditional fixed-line voice calls to fall by 1.6% a year over the last eight years across E.U. countries.
At the same time, the averaged penetration of mobile phone services reached 92.8% in October, 2005, the Commission said. In addition, 24.5 million mobile customers had used an E.U.-imposed rule allowing them to keep their mobile numbers when they switch mobile phone operators.
"This report highlights that the opening up of the market after eight years of deregulation is a success story," Reding said. "It is a good example for energy and transport markets to follow."
The overall telecom market in the E.U. was growing by EUR7 billion a year she insisted. It was creating jobs, despite widespread press reports of incumbents conducting layoffs. In Germany, Redins noted 221,000 were employed in the telecom sector in 1998 - compared with 225,000 in 2005. "There is overall growth," she concluded.
The report finds competition is working to cut prices for customers and offer them new services, but that incumbents such as Deutsche Telekom retain too strong a grip on markets.
This control is particularly strong over fixed line and mobile markets, the report says and "stresses the need to cut the cost of using a mobile phone abroad."
The main problem case seems to be Germany, where the E.U. is concerned Deutsche Telekom retains too strong a grip over the market.
Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding said at a press conference she wrote Friday to the German government expressing concerns about a draft telecommunications law it plans to adopt in April.
In addition, she indicated concerns about Deutsche Telekom's proposed EUR3 billion network. The former German state-owned telephone company plans to roll out a high-speed optical fiber network that will transmit data up to 20 times faster than current offerings. The plan is to provide Germany's 50 largest cities high-speed broadband lines by 2007.
The German government originally agreed with Deutsche Telekom's argument that it could only make a decent profit from the network if it was entirely exempt from regulation and from any requirement to offer its lines to rivals. The Commission, however, called the arrangement unfair.
Although the two sides agreed in December the network would be regulated and competitors would be given access to the new network, the extent of the regulation hasn't been determined. In particular, there is still a question over whether the markets such as "triple-play" services for TV, internet and web-telephones would stay exempt from regulation.
Reding said discussions would continue with the German government.
"The German regulator is very aware of the problem," she added, saying the regulator realized that "Germany must not fall back to old times."
New data published by the Commission Monday showed Germany lagging in the key area of broadband connections. Only 11.5% of Germans have broadband connections compared with rates of up to 18% in Belgium, the Netherlands and Nordic countries such as Finland, Sweden and Denmark.
In related but separate criticisms, the Commission criticized continuing high roaming mobile phone prices. The Commission said it would propose regulation on the issue before the summer.
High prices for mobile phone calls to fixed lines, were also highlighted as a problem. On Monday, the Commission said the charges were eight-to-ten-times the level of calls between fixed lines.
High prices for mobile SMS messages, are a further point of concern. Reding said she may need to open a formal investigation.
"Some markets are not open enough to competition," Reding said, without naming which ones. She said some incumbents remain dominant and there was a need to open up more.
Despite all these damning criticisms, Commissioner Reding insisted the report painted an overall positive picture. An influx of new players has helped the price of traditional fixed-line voice calls to fall by 1.6% a year over the last eight years across E.U. countries.
At the same time, the averaged penetration of mobile phone services reached 92.8% in October, 2005, the Commission said. In addition, 24.5 million mobile customers had used an E.U.-imposed rule allowing them to keep their mobile numbers when they switch mobile phone operators.
"This report highlights that the opening up of the market after eight years of deregulation is a success story," Reding said. "It is a good example for energy and transport markets to follow."
The overall telecom market in the E.U. was growing by EUR7 billion a year she insisted. It was creating jobs, despite widespread press reports of incumbents conducting layoffs. In Germany, Redins noted 221,000 were employed in the telecom sector in 1998 - compared with 225,000 in 2005. "There is overall growth," she concluded.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
T-Mobile: Faster 3G Service Broadly Available In Summer 2006
BERLIN -(Dow Jones)- T-Mobile, Thursday said that its high-speed third-generation wireless services will become broadly available in Germany as of summer 2006.
The service uses HSDPA technology - which speeds-up third-generation networks to speeds above the average home fixed-line broadband Internet speed - and will become available in spring 2006 in some areas in Germany.
"High-speed (3G) will also be available from summer 2006 in areas where T-Mobile Germany already offers (3G) coverage," T-Mobile said in a statement. T-Mobile has almost countrywide 3G coverage.
The company also said that it is pressing ahead with the development of HSDPA-capable hardware. Together with computer-maker Fujitsu Siemens, partly owned by German engineering firm Siemens, T-Mobile said it expects to offer the first HSDPA-enabled laptop computer in the second quarter of 2006.
In a separate statement, T-Mobile said it will launch a cheaper flat-rate tariff for mobile data transmission that will cost EUR35 a month and EUR1 for each day of use.
Company Web site: http://www.t-mobile.de
The service uses HSDPA technology - which speeds-up third-generation networks to speeds above the average home fixed-line broadband Internet speed - and will become available in spring 2006 in some areas in Germany.
"High-speed (3G) will also be available from summer 2006 in areas where T-Mobile Germany already offers (3G) coverage," T-Mobile said in a statement. T-Mobile has almost countrywide 3G coverage.
The company also said that it is pressing ahead with the development of HSDPA-capable hardware. Together with computer-maker Fujitsu Siemens, partly owned by German engineering firm Siemens, T-Mobile said it expects to offer the first HSDPA-enabled laptop computer in the second quarter of 2006.
In a separate statement, T-Mobile said it will launch a cheaper flat-rate tariff for mobile data transmission that will cost EUR35 a month and EUR1 for each day of use.
Company Web site: http://www.t-mobile.de
Friday, January 06, 2006
Make 3G Videocalls from a Normal PC
Vodafone Portugal has launched a service, designed for computer users which will enable any Vodafone customer (whether or not they have a 3G phone) to associate their mobile phone number with their PC and to receive or make videocalls from their computer. As a result, Vodafone is able to offer 3G videocalling to all its 4 million plus customers.
The Vodafone Web Videocall service costs the same price as a videocall made from a 3G phone and it is possible to use the same Vodafone mobile number. The application enables users to manage their contacts (with photos and special ringtones and import of contacts from Outlook 2000), to access their call log easily and immediately, and to control picture quality and sound during the videocall.
Vodafone Web Videocall is an application developed to Vodafone Portugal's specifications by Nortel (in partnerships with Dilithium Networks).
The Vodafone Web Videocall service costs the same price as a videocall made from a 3G phone and it is possible to use the same Vodafone mobile number. The application enables users to manage their contacts (with photos and special ringtones and import of contacts from Outlook 2000), to access their call log easily and immediately, and to control picture quality and sound during the videocall.
Vodafone Web Videocall is an application developed to Vodafone Portugal's specifications by Nortel (in partnerships with Dilithium Networks).
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