Tag Archive for ‘USD’ at LIRNEasia

Tag Archive for 'USD'

Call for Papers: Infrastructure Regulation: What works, Why, and How do we know?
Deadline: 05 December 2008.

No porn please, we’re American

on December 2, 2008

In the remaining weeks of his tenure, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin will push for a free, no-porn wireless Internet network across the nation, according to the agency.

Martin is expected to put his proposal for the free Internet network on the agency’s Dec. 18 meeting agenda despite criticism by wireless operators like T-Mobile, who say using the spectrum could interfere with their new high-speed data network. T-Mobile, a unit of Germany’s Deutsche Telecom, spent $4 billion for nearby spectrum and has disputed a report by the FCC that rejected the firm’s concerns of interference.

For Martin, however, the plan could dispel criticism he’s taken over the country’s fall in international broadband Internet rankings during his tenure and leave him with a legacy of potentially…

Comment
Tags: AT&T, AT&T Corp., Broadband, broadband Internet rankings, Deutsche Telecom, Deutsche Telekom AG, Federal Communications Commission, free Internet network, Germany, high-speed data network, Kevin J. Martin, no-porn wireless Internet network, Sprint Nextel, Sprint Nextel Corporation, T-Mobile, T-Mobile Austria, The Washington Post Company, USD, Verizon Wireless, Verizon Wireless Inc, Washington Post, wireless industry, wireless operators, wireless phone market.

What do we know about Sri Lanka’s Telecentres?

Chanuka Wattegama

on November 20, 2008

Here are the summarised results from the telecenter operator survey done by LIRNEasia at the weCan workshop in October 2008. Sample was not representative, but large enough to get a general idea about the telecenter operations in Sri Lanka.

Out of a total of 147 operators surveyed, the bulk, 101 were from Nenasalas, the 500 odd telecenter network created under the World Bank funded e-Sri Lanka programme. 10 were from Sarvodaya multi-purpose telecenters and 6 from others (eg. public libraries) 30 have not specified the type of the telecenter.

Do telecenters in Sri Lanka make money? Yes. They report an average monthly income of Rs. 22,119. (=USD 201) This is associated with a relatively large standard deviation of Rs. 21,714 (= USD 197) indicating a variation within…

4 Comments
Tags: Broadband, Colombo, electricity, ICT Agency, ICTA, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Internet charges, Internet services, Nenasala, odd telecenter network, print services, printing series, Rs, Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka, survey, telecenter, telecenter network, telecentre, USD, VOIP, weCAN, World Bank, World Bank The.

IBM to bring broadband over power line to rural America

Chanuka Wattegama

on November 13, 2008

IBM has been hired to help rural Americans get broadband access using power lines.

On Wednesday, Big Blue announced it has signed a $9.6 million contract with International Broadband Electric Communications to bring the technology to rural America where it hopes to deliver high-speed broadband connectivity to millions of people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get it. IBM and IBEC, which will build and manage the networks, are working with over a dozen electricity cooperatives in seven states, The Wall Street Journal reported.

For years, people have hoped broadband-over-power line technology, or BPL, would allow power companies to become the third alternative in the broadband market, competing against cable operators and telephone companies. But technical limitations and interference issues with local emergency radios and short-wave ham…

1 Comment
Tags: America, Big Blue, BPL technology, Broadband, broadband access, broadband-over-power line technology, dozen electricity cooperatives, DSL, HIGH-speed Internet access, I.B.M., International Broadband Electric Communications, International Business Machines Corporation, Partnership, telephone, The Wall Street Journal, USD.

What is the cheapest remittance mechanism of them all?

Chanuka Wattegama

on November 3, 2008

Last year as many as 190m migrant workers sent cash home, according to the World Bank. These remittances amounted to US$337 billion, of which US$251 billion went to developing countries. But the cost of sending hard-earned cash depends on both the source and destination. On average, sending US$500 from Spain to Brazil will incur a modest charge of US$7.68, or a 1.5% fee. Sending the same sum from the Netherlands to Indonesia costs a whopping US$86.41, a 17.3% charge. The Netherlands, Germany and Japan tend to be the priciest places to send money from. Costs are generally lowest in Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Singapore, America and Britain. (economist.com)

With hard times at our doorsteps, all we can say is a remittance mechanism that employs mobile communications…

Comment
Tags: America, Brazil, Britain, Germany, Indonesia, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Japan, mobile communications, remittance mechanism, remittances, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, The Netherlands, USD.

Three days with Telecenter Family (and Four Lessons learnt)

Chanuka Wattegama

on October 29, 2008

“I came more to learn from you; than to teach” was the message I passed before my two presentations with Sujata. Thanks Fusion/Telecentre.org for the opportunity. The three days spent with 200+ telecenter operators from eight provinces in Sri Lanka was a worthy investment. One does not interact with so many ground level ICT4D practitioners every day. It was a learning experience, for them; and for us.

From what I saw (and heard from others) the workshop, ‘weCAN: Social Enterprise with a Triple Bottom Line’ the second in the series of capacity building workshops of the Telecenter family of Sri Lanka was a grand success. Organized by Fusion/Telecentre.org (and funded by IDRC), we met at MIMT (MAS Institute of Management and Technology), Thulhiriya for four days…

6 Comments
Tags: food, Internet connectivity, Internet facilities, LKR, MAS Institute of Management and Technology, Noel Tharmarathnam, open-source software, operator/technology transition, pirated software, Sri Lanka, SRI LANKA RUN PIRATED PROPRIETARY SOFTWARE, telecenter operator, USD.

Cloud Computing vs. Cloud Services (Which one RMS calls stupid?)

Chanuka Wattegama

on October 22, 2008

Thanks Steve for pointing it. We stand corrected. LIRNEasia does NOT use ‘Cloud Computing’, but is only a user of ‘Cloud Services’. Though both appears to be synonymous to a layman - and Wikipedia is yet to recognize the differentiation (type ‘Cloud Services’ and you will be directed to former) – we are told there still is a difference.

Cloud Computing = you put your applications to ‘cloud’. If you want a more detailed definition refer to IDC which says ‘Cloud Computing’ is an emerging IT development, deployment, and delivery model, enabling real-time delivery of products, services, and solutions over the Internet. In Simple terms, this is like a firm shifting their ERP package to cloud. That is NOT what LIRNEasia does. Our Finance Department has…

Comment
Tags: cloud computing, Cloud Service, course Internet, IDC, real-time delivery, Richard M. Stallman, RMS, United States, USD.

Can Telecoms escape Financial Crisis?

Chanuka Wattegama

on October 21, 2008

When the economy goes rock bottom, it makes little sense asking what it would mean to one component. But what exactly the impact of the present financial crisis on telecoms? This is what Spencer E. Ante thinks:

The $1 trillion telecommunications industry has long been one of the most resilient parts of the economy. But as the financial crisis has intensified, it has recently become clear that telecom can’t escape the fallout of the credit crunch.

Although most analysts believe the damage won’t be nearly as bad as the last telecom bust—when hundreds of firms went bankrupt, including giant Worldcom—there is growing evidence that the financial crisis is going to depress the debt-heavy telecom industry. To start with, rising capital costs are likely to take a…

2 Comments
Tags: AT&T, cell phones, Craig Moffett, Internet connections, Sanford Bernstein, Spencer E. Ante, Sprint Nextel, technology sector, telecom services, telecommunications industry, terrestrial networks, USD, Verizon Communications, Wall Street, Worldcom.

India: Bharti Airtel gives US$ 40 million to promote telecom innovations

Chanuka Wattegama

on September 12, 2008

Telecom major Bharti Airtel on Thursday launched a Rs 200-crore (about US$ 40 million) innovation fund for promoting entrepreneurship in the telecom sector.

The objective of the fund is to provide opportunities to the entrepreneurs to undertake innovation in the field of telecom with regard to content, software and technologies, Bharti Airtel Joint MD and CEO Manoj Kohli told reporters.

This is the first ever telecom innovation fund in the country, he said.

Source: The Economics Times

Comment
Tags: Bharti Airtel, Manoj Kohli, Rs, USD.

Define Canada’s Telecom Future and win a $ 1,500 scholarship

Chanuka Wattegama

on September 10, 2008

Launched this year, the Future Telecom Leaders Contest asks students to address an important question: “How can Canada become a recognized global leader in telecom in the next 10 years?” Students are invited to submit their ideas in a variety of formats: audio-visual files (like YouTube); audio only (podcasts or MP3 form); or print. Ten winners will be selected from across Canada and invited to attend the 2008 Telecom Laureate Awards Gala and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in Ottawa/Gatineau on October 29, 2008, and have exclusive introductions to Canadian telecom senior executives. The top two winners will receive $1,500 scholarships.

“The Future Telecom Leaders contest is a novel and exciting way to engage young minds on the question of Canada’s telecommunications future,” says Lorne Abugov,…

1 Comment
Tags: Canada, Canada's Telecommunications Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, Lorne Abugov, MP3, Ottawa, telecommunications, USD, YouTube.

India begins process to auction 3G airwaves

Chanuka Wattegama

on September 9, 2008

New Delhi: The Indian government is set to begin here Monday the process to e-auction radio frequencies for telecom operators to start third-generation (3G) mobile services across the country and fetch the exchequer over Rs 40000 crore ($10 billion).

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will hold a pre-bid conference here with all the potential consultants - one of whom would oversee the process to e-auction spectrum for next generation mobile applications, officials said.

Read the full story in ’sify.com’ here.

Comment
Tags: 3G, Department of Telecommunications, e-auction, Indian government, mobile applications, New Delhi, Rs, USD.

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…

Comment
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.

Over 500m new mobile subs in Asia’s emerging economies-report

Ayesha Zainudeen

on August 26, 2008

Aug 26, 2008, telecomasia.net

Asia’s emerging markets, comprising eight nations, are expected to see mobile subscriber net gains of 573 million by end-2012, breaching the one billion mark to close the year at an estimated 1.06 billion subscribers, a report from research firm Frost & Sullivan said.

In 2007, these emerging markets were home to some 487 million mobile users, accounting for 37.1% of Asia-Pacific’s total mobile subscriber base, the report said.

The report also said the mobile services sector in eight emerging Asia-Pac countries (excluding China) earned revenues of $33.27 billion in 2007. This is predicted to reach $61.35 billion by end-2013, at a CAGR of 10.7% (2007-2013).

Growing at a CAGR of 15.1% (2007-2013), the mobile subscriber base is expected to hit 1.13 billion by end-2013 to…

Comment
Tags: Americas, Asia, Asia-Pacific, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Europe, Frost & Sullivan, India, Indonesia, Jeff Teh, Laos, Pakistan, prepaid services, Sri Lanka, USD, Vietnam.

LIRNEasia’s rapid response kindles quality in Bangladesh broadband

Chanuka Wattegama

on August 8, 2008

LIRNEasia’s ‘Rapid Response Program’ is exactly what the name suggests. We react to immediate information needs of telecom regulators, at short notice. The response might not be lengthy and as comprehensive as we would like it to be, but nevertheless helpful, as Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) have realised.

LIRNEasia saw BTRC’s move to issue three new Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) licenses a positive development, as Bangladesh is certainly not a country that can boast of quality and affordable broadband.

This is what we learnt from our research:

Exceptionally high cost of broadband remains a key barrier that prevents the development of the BPO industry in Bangladesh. This is apparent when the prices are compared with similar packages offered by the operators in neighbouring countries. The annual cost…

Comment
Tags: access devices, Bangladesh, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, Broadband, broadband services, broadband wireless access, DHAKA, European Union, Grameen Cybernet Ltd, India, Quality of Service, radio systems, Sri Lanka, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Sri Lanka, USD, wireless access.

California judge rules early cell phone termination fees illegal

Chanuka Wattegama

on August 1, 2008

In one of the most significant legal rulings in the tech industry this year, a Superior Court judge in California has ruled that the practice of charging consumers a fee for ending their cell phone contract early is illegal and violates state law.

The preliminary, tentative judgment orders Sprint Nextel to pay customers $18.2 million in reimbursements and, more importantly, orders Sprint to stop trying to collect another $54.7 million from California customers (some 2 million customers total) who have canceled their contracts but refused or failed to pay the termination fee.

While an appeal is inevitable, the ruling could have massive fallout throughout the industry. Without the threat of levying early termination fees, the cellular carriers lose the power that’s enabled them to lock customers into…

Comment
Tags: 3G, AT&T, California, cell phone hardware, cellular telephone, state law, Superior Court, USD, Yahoo!.

Indonesian Mobile Phone Providers Found Guilty of Price Fixing

Chanuka Wattegama

on June 24, 2008

Indonesia’ competition watchdog found six mobile phone providers guilty of price fixing, which may have cost consumers more than $300 million in additional rates. The Business Competition Supervisory Commission says the companies formed a cartel to keep tariffs for text messaging artificially high.

The companies include Telkomsel, Telkom and Smart Telecom. They were given fines totaling more than eight million dollars.

Source: Voice of America

1 Comment
Tags: America, Business Competition Supervisory Commission, cellular telephone, Indonesia, Smart Telecom, Telkom, Telkomsel, USD.

LIRNEasia