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Monthly Archives: February, 2008


Applications now open for LIRNEasia Young Scholar Tutorials, hosted by NUS, Singapore. Click here for info on how to apply.

Liberalisation key for next billion Internet users: OECD

An OECD report, Global Opportunities for Internet Access Developments, says that the next billion Internet users will be very different from the first billion and governments in developing countries, where these users will come from, must adapt strategic regulatory and investment policies to lower access costs.  
“The characteristics of these new Internet users will be [...]

Pakistan mobile second slowest growth in two years

The latest figures from the Pakistani telecoms regulator show that the mobile market in Pakistan grew to 78.74m customers at the end of January. The figure for monthly net additions of 1.86m was 17% down on the January 2007 total, and also represented the second lowest figure for two years, the lowest being the 1.52m [...]

Mobile investment boom in India foretold

Telecom sector to see funds bonanza, tariff cuts – Business News – News – MSN India – News
India’s booming mobile services market will see investments of over Rs 100,000 crore (around $24 billion) by 2010, the fastest investment ramp-up seen in any telecom market globally even as analysts predict a bruising battle that [...]

US bemoans falling behind in broadband (and lacking data to measure the extent of the fall)

Broadband Access Data Mischief — SSRC
There is clear consensus that our nation’s ability to compete in the high speed broadband world is essential to our economic future. Unfortunately, the Administration and the Federal Communications Commission continue to rely upon inadequate, highly-flawed data to assess the marketplace for high-speed Internet access. The Administration’s “mission [...]

Colloquium: Harsha de Silva’s presentation for the Agriculture Workshop

The main theme of the presentation was that traceability increases the value of the produce. This makes the product more marketable. Farmers dealing with the EU market have to deal with increasingly more stringent levels but this has also allowed those engaged in the traceability process to use it as a tool to market their [...]

Maldives considering a third undersea cable?

Miadhu Online
Managing Director of Focus Infocom Sobah Rasheed speaking to Miadhu Daily said in order to prevent future interruptions to the internet service in Maldives work to establish a third route is underway.
“Due to the incident we are now providing the service via two routes, our current preparations are such that we can [...]

Mobile phone and Niger’s grain markets

A new research study published by the Center for Global Development has looked at the impact of mobile phones on the prices of farm produce in the African country of Niger – which faced serious food shortages in 2005. In theory, the increasing use of mobile phones should have improved distribution efficiency and hence lower [...]

Executive Director chairs session at Ministerial program at 2008 Mobile World Congress

Rohan Samarajiva chaired the panel discussion on ‘Convergence in Regulation – Designing Regulation for Convergence’ at the GSMA Third Annual Government Mobile Forum on 12 February 2008. The Forum was a part of the 2008 Mobile World Congress, taking place from 11-14 February 2008 in Barcelona 2008.
The panellists included:
Maria Del Rosario Guerra, Minister for Communications, [...]

Executive Director at Aspen Institute India Joint Roundtable on Communications Policy

Rohan Samarajiva participated in the Third Annual ‘Joint Roundtable on Communications Policy – The Future of Indian Mobile’ in Kovalam, India from 7-9 February. The Round table was organized by the Aspen Institute India in collaboration with the Aspen Institute, USA.
The objective of the conference was to convene Indian and American business leaders, government policy-makers, [...]

More momentum for mobile: Microsoft throws its shoulder and its cash

Microsoft to Buy a Maker of Consumer Smartphones – New York Times
Microsoft said on Monday it would acquire Danger, a maker of consumer smartphones, an indication that the software giant is quickly moving to expand its mobile strategy.
The acquisition came after an on-again, off-again series of talks with Danger, based in Palo Alto, [...]

Blocking SMS when it is needed most

Many of us have our own stories how SMS helped in an emergency. Here is mine.
I was at the National Book Exhibition at BMICH on September 12, 2007 evening when a tsunami alert was broadcast.  It created instant chaos. I did not have access to a TV or a radio. By then the mobile voice [...]

Interview with LIRNEasia researcher featured on New Digital South

The New Digital South website, under its New School of Thought series, features an interview with LIRNEasia’s Director, Strategic Development, Helani Galpaya. Helani talks about the challenges of e-Gov in developing countries. See full interview here.

Colloquium: Harsha Liyanage talks on telecentre sustainability

Please find the concept note added : sustainability-first-concept-note-for-research-version-1.pdf 
Please note that this Colloquium is being Skypecast at https://skypecasts.skype.com/skypecasts/skypecast/search.html?search=lirneasia
The Colloquium started out with basic introductions of Dr. Harsha Liyanage and the LIRNEasia crew.
He then went on to explain that he was interested in Telecenters and the Sarvodaya Fusion movement. He went on to tackle the issue of [...]

A Year in Review: LIRNEasia Annual Report 2006-2007

LIRNEasia’s annual report for the year ending 31 March 2007 is now available for download here.

Location based mobile ads trialed

In CBS Test, Mobile Ads Find Users – New York Times
Pssst, hey you! There’s a cheap latte waiting at the coffee shop on the corner!
CBS plans to announce on Wednesday that it is trying one of the first serious experiments with cellphone advertising that is customized for a person’s location. Its CBS Mobile [...]

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