Tag Archive for ‘Japan’ at LIRNEasia

Tag Archive for 'Japan'

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Canada’s broadband quality below threshold?

on September 16, 2008

Canada is woefully positioned for future internet usage and the quality of current broadband networks is barely enough to cope with current traffic because of a lack of investment by providers, according to a new study.

The survey, conducted by the Oxford Said Business School in London and the Universidad de Oviedo in Spain and released Friday, found that Canada is below the global broadband quality threshold, which measures the proliferation of high-speed internet in a country, as well as the speeds available and the reliability of connections.

While Japan was the only country to meet the study’s standards for future readiness, broadband networks in countries such as Latvia, Romania and Bulgaria scored better than Canada, which ranked 27th out of the 42 nations covered. The United…

1 Comment
Tags: Broadband, broadband network, broadband networks, Bulgaria, Canada, high-speed Internet, Internet traffic, Internet usage, Japan, Latvia, London, Oxford Said Business School, Romania, Spain, United States, Universidad de Oviedo in Spain.

Japan, Netherlands, Sweden Lead in Broadband Quality, reveals study

Chanuka Wattegama

on September 15, 2008

A recently released survey indicates Japan has the best quality broadband Internet services, with Sweden and the Netherlands completing the top three. Researchers used download/upload speeds, and internet latency when compiling numbers from eight million tests completed in May 2008.

Sweden and the Netherlands were able to be the top European broadband nations because of their efforts in “increasing investments in fiber and cable network upgrades, coupled with competition diversity, and supported by strong government vision and policy.”

Even though it’s difficult to define quality internet, regardless of how questions were reworded, Oxford University Said Business School researchers found Japan remained on top of 41 other nations in the “Broadband Quality Score.” Latvia, Korea, Switzerland, Lithuania, Denmark, Germany and Slovenia are the nations that round out the…

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Tags: Broadband, broadband Internet services, Cisco Systems, consumer internet prices, Denmark, Germany, internet latency, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Oviedo University, Oxford University, Oxford University Said Business School, quality internet, Slovenia, Speedtest.net, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands.

Asia-Pacific region leads high-speed Broadband connectivity, but wide divide prevails, says ITU

Chanuka Wattegama

on September 3, 2008

While some Asia-Pacific economies are world leaders in information and communication technologies (ICT) where broadband access is ultra-high speed, affordable and close to ubiquitous, in most of the region’s poorer countries Internet access remains limited and predominantly low-speed.

This is what ITU’s Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Report for the Asia-Pacific region 2008 says. It was released at ITU TELECOM ASIA 2008, Bangkok, Thailand yesterday (Sept 2, 2008).

The Report finds evidence that ICTs and broadband uptake foster growth and development, but the question remains as to the optimal speed that should be targeted in view of limited resources.

The area in which the region really stands out is the uptake of advanced Internet technologies, especially broadband Internet access. The Asia-Pacific region is the world’s largest broadband market with a 39…

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Tags: 3G, Asia-Pacific, Bangkok, Bangladesh, Broadband, broadband access, broadband and triple-play services, broadband Internet access, broadband Internet subscribers, broadband technologies, Cambodia, China, communication services, communication technologies, continuous high-speed Internet access, desirable and valuable online services, Distance Learning, fibre optic, Fixed and mobile broadband technologies, HIGH-speed Internet access, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Internet technologies, Internet Telephony, IP telephony, ITU TELECOM, Japan, Laos, Maldives, mobile phones, Myanmar, poorer countries Internet access remains, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Philippines, Tonga, ubiquitous Internet access plan combining, ultra-high speed Internet applications, USD, Wi-Fi.

Google extends from search business to pipe

Rohan Samarajiva

on February 27, 2008

TelecomTV - TelecomTV One - News

Google will combine with SingTel, Bharti, Globe Transit and Pacnet to build the mooted Unity cable, connecting Japan to the United States.The $US300 million system was revealed by SingTel and Pacnet this morning. The 7.68 terabit cable is expected to be ready for service in 1Q 2010.

NEC and Tyco will build the cable while Pacnet will be the largest investor with two of the five fiber pairs. Pacnet appears to have effectively rolled its EAC Pacific plan into the project.

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Tags: Google, Japan, search, Tyco, United States.

Another use of the Aladdin’s Lamp

Rohan Samarajiva

on January 20, 2008

Thumbs Race as Japan’s Best Sellers Go Cellular - New York Times

Until recently, cellphone novels — composed on phone keypads by young women wielding dexterous thumbs and read by fans on their tiny screens — had been dismissed in Japan as a subgenre unworthy of the country that gave the world its first novel, “The Tale of Genji,” a millennium ago. Then last month, the year-end best-seller tally showed that cellphone novels, republished in book form, have not only infiltrated the mainstream but have come to dominate it. Rin, 21, tapped out a novel on her cellphone that sold 400,000 copies in hardcover.

Of last year’s 10 best-selling novels, five were originally cellphone novels, mostly love stories written in the short sentences characteristic of text messaging…

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Tags: Best Sellers Go Cellular - New York Times, Japan, news media.

The coming issue is broadband

Rohan Samarajiva

on January 18, 2008

Broadband | Open up those highways | Economist.com

As Taylor Reynolds, an OECD analyst, puts it, innovation usually comes in steps: newcomers first rent space on an existing network, to build up customers and income. Then they create new and better infrastructure, as and when they need it.

In France, for example, the regulator forced France Télécom to rent out its lines. One small start-up firm benefited from this opportunity and then installed technology that was much faster than any of its rivals’. It won so many customers that other operators had to follow suit. In Canada, too, the regulator mandated line-sharing, and provinces subsidised trunk lines from which smaller operators could lease capacity to provide service.

In South Korea, where half the population lives in flats, each…

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Tags: Broadband, Canada, communications ministry, France, installed technology, Japan, NTT, OECD, South Korea, Taylor Reynolds, then installed technology.

Asian countries slide e-government rankings

Abu Saeed Khan

on January 14, 2008

A United Nations survey of global e-government readiness has found that many Asian countries are sliding down the rankings. Just one Asian country—South Korea—made the top ten coming in at sixth, with Japan next on 11th.

The next highest was Singapore at a surprisingly low 23rd, and Malaysia at 34th. The top 35 countries are otherwise dominated by Europe, Australasia and North America.

The biggest revelation was that most Asian countries are sliding down the rankings.
Singapore was the most prominent to fall from grace, falling to 22nd from seventh position in 2005. China fell to 65 from 57, India from 87 to 113, Thailand from 46 to 62, the Philippines from 41 to 66 and Indonesia from 96 to 106.

Other countries to slide included Maldives,…

32 Comments
Tags: Australasia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Denmark, e-government, Europe, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, North America, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, the Philippines, United Nations, United States, Vietnam.

German report on tsunami warning status in Indonesia

Rohan Samarajiva

on December 21, 2007

Status quo of the tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean

The fastest warning is useless as long as the gap to the so called “last mile to the beach” is not closed. The population in the threatened area needs to be informed in time, but they also need to be trained how to react properly. The people need to be informed about evacuation plans and how to behave in the case of emergency. Japan carries out this kind of training in schools, plants and companies on a regular basis. The establishment of such an education programme in the areas bordering the Indian Ocean has only just started.

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Tags: Indian Ocean, Indonesia, Japan.

Japanese push fiber over profit

Tahani Iqbal

on October 3, 2007

New York Times

TOKYO — The United States may be the world’s largest economy, but when it comes to Internet connections at home, many Americans still live in the slow lane. By contrast, Japan is a broadband paradise with the fastest and cheapest Internet connections in the world.

Nearly eight million Japanese have a fiber optic line at home that is as much as 30 times speedier than a typical DSL line.

But while that speed is a boon for Japanese users, industry analysts and some companies question whether the push to install fiber is worth the effort, given the high cost of installation, affordable alternatives and lack of services that take advantage of the fast connections.

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Tags: Broadband, cheapest Internet connections, DSL, fiber optic, Internet connections, Japan, New York Times, Tokyo, United States.

Shaving seconds off disaster warning in Japan

Rohan Samarajiva

on August 28, 2007

Japan planning world’s first nationwide earthquake warning system - International Herald Tribune

It’s still beyond the reach of science to predict exactly when an earthquake will strike, but Japan will soon get the next-best thing — televised warnings that come before the shaking starts.

In an ambitious attempt at protecting large populations from seismic disaster, Japan’s Meteorological Agency and national broadcaster are teaming up to alert the public of earthquakes as much as 30 seconds before they hit, or at least before they can bring their full force down on populated areas.

The system — the first of its kind in the world — cannot actually predict quakes, but officials say it can give people enough time to get away from windows that could shatter, or turn off…

3 Comments
Tags: earthquake, International Herald Tribune, Japan, Japan\'s Meteorological Agency.

Fourteen countries have more mobile phone subscribers than people

Chanuka Wattegama

on July 25, 2007

Mobile phone subscribers per 100 people

THE number of mobile-phone subscribers in the 30 countries of the OECD reached nearly 933m in 2005, equivalent to around 80 for every 100 people. Tiny Luxembourg has the highest penetration rate, with 157.3 subscribers for every 100 people. Indeed, it is one of 14 countries in which there are more subscribers than people. This is partly because users increasingly have several SIM cards for use with the same phone. The rapid growth in pre-pay accounts—from 4% of total subscriptions in 1997 to 42% in 2005—is also a factor, as such accounts often lie inactive. South Korea and Japan are the only countries with more third-generation (3G) phone subscribers than 2G ones.

Source: http://www.economist.com/daily/chartgallery/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9537136

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Tags: 3G, cellular telephone, Japan, Luxembourg, OECD, South Korea.

Emerging markets: a basic services bonanza?

Abu Saeed Khan

on May 10, 2007

Data and 3G may not be a priority in Asia: discuss. No, we’re not referring to Japan, Korea or Hong Kong. Not even China. This time we’re looking at the area’s so-called emerging markets - markets like Indonesia where the market-leading operator Telkomsel and third-ranked player Excelcom launched 3G services in early September. Or the Philippines, where rival operators Globe and Smartcom have been offering 3G for a slightly longer period. The question is: has anyone noticed?

1 Comment
Tags: 3G, 3G services, Asia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Telkomsel, the Philippines.

South Asia slipping in e-readiness? Pakistan as the exception

Rohan Samarajiva

on April 27, 2007

The e-readiness rankings are relatively well regarded and do not contain absurdities such as Zimbabwe being ahead of India. The latest rankings are out and show India and the Philippines tied for 54th place (a one-place drop for India); Sri Lanka at 61 (dropping two places); and Pakistan at 63 (up four places and likely to catch up with Sri Lanka soon). Indonesia, another country of focus for LIRNEasia, has slipped 5 places to 67.

Zimbabwe, the country that leads all of South Asia according to the ITU, is not in the top- 70 that is provided. Nigeria, on the other hand, is just behind Sri Lanka, at 62. Unless some action is taken, next year, both Nigeria and Pakistan will be ahead of Sri Lanka.

PRESS…

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Tags: Asia, Broadband, broadband and other advanced infrastructure, e-readiness, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Intelligence Unit, Japan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, the Philippines, United States, Zimbabwe.

Regulatory burden to be reduced on new international operator in Indonesia

Divakar Goswami

on March 16, 2007

The Indonesian government imposed unreasonable burdens on the new entrant for international service in a recently issued White Paper 140. LIRNEasia highlighted the unfairness of burdening new entrants with obligations that the two existing incumbents (Telkom & Indosat) were not subjected too in comments it submitted to DGPOSTEL (one of the two regulatory bodies):
4.4 The Indonesian policymakers may have misunderstood the concept of asymmetric regulation. Asymmetric rules place additional burdens on dominant group of providers that other operators are not subjected to. In the current White Paper, many additional burdens are imposed on the new entrant that are not imposed on the two incumbents, PT Telkom & PT Indosat. Requirements for building FO from Indonesia to TIER-1 IP backbone, building domestic FO to Internet Exchange, building…

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Tags: Australia, Basuki Yusuf Iskandar, Europe, fixed-line telephone, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Indonesian government, Indosat, Internet exchange, Internet hubs, Jakarta, Japan, Johnny Swandi Sjam, Malaysia, PT Excelcomindo Pratama Tbk, telecommunications, Telematika Indonesia, telephony services, Telkom, Yusuf Iskandar.

Internet out in Jaffna, according to Free Media Movement

Rohan Samarajiva

on January 30, 2007

Free media Movement – Sri Lanka
Press Release

30 January 2007

Internet facilities and 8,000 telephones cut off in Jaffna Peninsula

The Free Media Movement (FMM) is deeply disturbed to learn that basic communications facilities to the Jaffna Peninsula have been blocked from 28th January 2007. Internet facilities and around 8,000 landline telephones of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) are dysfunctional to date. SLT, jointly owned by the Sri Lankan Government and Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corporation (NTT) of Japan, is the sole Internet provider in Jaffna Peninsula with a population of around 600,000 according to official statistics.

The FMM was told that there is no official decision by the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority to block communications in this manner in the Peninsula.

However, a number of citizens in Jaffna and journalists confirm…

11 Comments
Tags: basic communications facilities, basic telephony, Colombo, Free Media Movement, Internet, Internet access, Internet facilities, Jaffna, Jaffna peninsula, Japan, mobile phones, Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corporation, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Telecom, Sri Lankan government, Sunanda Deshapriya, Sunil Jayasekara, Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, United Nations, www.freemediasrilanka.org.

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