Information Policy

US Consumer Bandwidth is Booming, Report Says

Contrary to popular opinion, consumer bandwidth in the US has boomed over the last eight years, reaching 717 terabits per second by the end of 2008 or a per-capita average of 2.4 megabits per second in 2008, up from 28 kilobits per second in the year 2000, according to a new report by Entropy Economics. “Bandwidth Boom: Measuring U.S. Communications Capacity from 2000 to 2008” said wireless data bandwidth is a major factor in this growth, growing from a nationwide total of 600 gigabits per second in 2000 to a staggering 325 terabits per second by the end of 2008.

“The idea that has been thrown around – mostly by groups that may want much heavier regulation of the whole communications media space -- that we live in some sort of digital dark age is not remotely true,” said Bret Swanson, who founded Entropy Economics in March and was previously executive editor of the Gilder Technology Report and a senior fellow at The Progress & Freedom Foundation. “We had fallen behind during the early part of the decade, during our telecom crash. But we have had this bandwidth boom – almost 100 times more communications capacity over the last eight years. We are on the right path.”

https://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/110/36210?7649

Broadband To Reach 640 Million Households By 2013

By W. David Gardner

InformationWeek

While the Asia-Pacific region will account for nearly half the global broadband market share, the U.S. will also see a boost from the Obama Administration's stimulus package.

Demand for high bandwidth broadband will drive the number of worldwide households with the high-speed technology to more than 640 million by 2013, according to a report released Tuesday by Parks Associates.

The analyst firm said that the number of broadband households worldwide grew by over 18% in 2008 to exceed 400 million.

The Asia-Pacific market will pace global broadband deployment, the market research firm said, adding that the region will account for more than 49% of the worldwide total market share by 2013. Currently, the Asia-Pacific region accounts for more than 160 million broadband subscribers.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/3G/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=QT0B5EPTIW41CQSNDLOSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=218400829

A Review of Broadband Over Power Lines (BPL) or Power Line Telecommunication (PLT)

By Ewan Sutherland

The OECD has published a detailed report, Broadband over Powerlines: Developments and Policy Issues, on what was once considered a potentially interesting and disruptive technology that might have rivaled DSL. It notes that having largely failed in that, it is instead being applied to "smart grid" applications.

Extracted from the report are the "Main Points" below:

At first glance Broadband Power Line (BPL) technology seems to have a high potential to provide ubiquitous broadband access to households and businesses across a country. The fact that electricity is provided on a nationwide basis seemingly gives BPL an advantage. The commercialisation of BPL could also be important from a competition perspective providing a second or third wire to the home in competition with digital subscriber line technology and cable modem technology. It also has the potential to be a shared technology, given its use in developing smart grids and monitoring consumption of electric power to share costs. BPL also has unique features such as the possibility of in-home access for broadband from any power socket in the room without the need for further in-house wiring.

Thus, while BPL has all the features of a promising technology, it has not, as yet, fulfilled earlier expectations. The extremely slow growth in the number of BPL service providers, and customer base, and the fact that a number of BPL service providers have been withdrawing from the market concentrating instead on developing smart-grid technology to monitor energy consumption, seems to indicate that service providers face problems.

There are a number of technological and, to a lesser extent, regulatory issues which need to beovercome in order to facilitate the take-off of BPL technology in the market. The electrical grid provides a harsh environment for data transmission, issues regarding radio frequency interference are both technological and regulatory, and international standardisation is incomplete. BPL requires investment, in particular where power grids are old, and BPL also requires investment to send data over long distances.

Furthermore as broadband over DSL migrates to fibre and cable modem speeds increase as a result of new technology, the competitive environment facing BPL becomes more difficult.

In short, while there may be a potential for BPL to further competition in the broadband market, there is little evidence to indicate that this will take place soon and that it can be counted on to provide a competitive alternative in the near term to xDSL (or fibre to the home) and cable modem technologies. Nevertheless, a technology neutral policy would argue in favour of regulators ensuring that no unnecessary barriers are in place for the eventual commercial diffusion of this technology as well as ensuring that interference with other licensed wireless services is minimised.

http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090707_review_of_broadband_over_power_lines_bpl/

Infocom Launches Fibre-Optic Link from Kampala to Mombasa

Altech Stream East Africa—a unit of Altech comprising Infocom Uganda, Kenya Data Networks and Altech Stream Rwanda—has announced that it has completed a fibre-optic line running from Mombasa (Kenya) via Nairobi to Kampala (Uganda). The New Vision newspaper reports that the operators have completed the 1,500-kilometre cable, which has a capacity of 10 Gbps (STM-64). The project also includes completion of a fibre-optic link from Kampala to Kigali (the Rwandan capital) within the next six to eight weeks. “The ambition for the region is to be able to connect Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania to the rest of the undersea cable network via a terrestrial cable from Mombasa through to Nairobi, Kampala, Bujumbura, Kigali and back to Dar-es-Salaam,” said Fred Sewe, the managing director of the project's contractors, Green Future, at a ceremony in Kampala.

Last year, South African conglomerate Altech acquired Kenya Data Networks (KDN), Infocom Uganda and Swift Global (an ISP in Kenya and Tanzania), and established Altech Stream Rwanda and Africa Digital Networks Ltd in the Democratic Republic of Congo. KDN had a 3,800-kilometre, long-haul, fibre-optic network in operation in Kenya by February 2009, including 950 kilometres of metropolitan area network in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret. KDN has also invested in both the SEACOM and TEAMS submarine cables that have now landed at Mombasa and will enter service shortly.

https://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/140/36165?7649

FTTH: Singapore will provide every home with 1 Gbps service

Singapore’s plan to deliver every home and business with a 1-Gbit/s fixed broadband connection is ahead of schedule, despite the economic downturn, according to the island state’s authorities.

Dr. Tan Geok Leng, CTO of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) , told the media at a special briefing here that the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN), which is part of the government’s iN2015 initiative, is still very much on track.

IDA representatives also provided an update on the technology deployment plans for the NBN, and revealed the initial wholesale tariffs for residential and business services.

The NBN is being developed by two separate entities, known as the NetCo and the OpCo: OpenNet (the NetCo), a consortium comprising Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (SingTel)Axia NetMedia Corp. (TSE: AXX), Singapore Press Holdings, and Singapore Power Telecoms, which will provide the passive infrastructure; and Nucleus Connect (the OpCo), a wholly owned subsidiary of StarHub Pte. Ltd. , which will provide wholesale connectivity to multiple retail service providers.

The companies are working on parallel rollouts that are required to deliver 100 percent coverage by January 1, 2013, and are actually ahead of schedule, with 95 percent coverage promised for June 2012 instead of the 80 percent required in their license conditions.

The wholesale rates have now been set for the initial 100-Mbit/s services that will run over the NBN: 15 Singapore dollars (US$10) per month for residential connectivity, and SG$50 (US$34) per month for non-residential connections, from the NetCo to any OpCo; and SG$21 (US$14) per month for residential services, and SG$75 (US$51) a month for non-residential services, from the OpCo to the retail service providers.

While OpenNet is the sole provider of passive infrastructure, Nucleus Connect could face competition from other providers. Any future wholesale rival, however, will not receive any of the SG$250 million ($172 million) government funding available to the initial OpCo.

Andrew Haire, deputy director-general of the IDA’s Telecoms and Post unit, noted at the briefing that, as there are currently 46 service providers in Singapore, it’s unlikely that Nucleus Connect will remain unchallenged as the only OpCo over time.

Nucleus Connect is deploying GPON equipment for residential access and a mix of GPON and point-to-point Ethernet to reach commercial buildings. Two speed options will be made available initially: Residential users can choose a 100-Mbit/s downlink and 50-Mbit/s uplink, or 1-Gbit/s downlink and 500-Mbit/s uplink; and non-residential customers will choose between symmetrical 1-Gbit/s or symmetrical 100-Mbit/s access lines. Four classes of service have been identified, ranging from A (real-time) to D (best-effort).

Dr. Tan explained that uplink speeds will become more and more important as applications such as video uploads to social networking sites become increasingy popular. “We want to be ahead. The infrastructure we are building is not just for today, it is ready for tomorrow,” he stated.

In addition to FTTH, the iN2015 initiative includes a national WiFi network that has been in operation for longer than 12 months and which now boasts more than 7,550 hotspots. These have been developed by three companies — iCell, QMax, and SingTel — and provide free, island-wide coverage in public areas.

To date, there are 1.28 million subscribers, of whom 480,000 are regular users, Khoong Huk Yun, assistant chief executive of Infrastructure and Service Development at the IDA, revealed. He added that about 40 percent of users access the network using mobile smartphone devices. That’s significantly higher than the 10 percent the IDA had predicted, and a trend that has caused users to request the introduction of username and password login capabilities, something Khoong said the IDA was “fixing,” though he didn’t provide any details.

Singapore’s authorities are hoping the iN2015 initiative will help the island become the Internet hub for the Asia/Pacific region in the coming years.

It is also providing the IDA with an opportunity to boost the reputation of Singapore and its indigenous IT and communications sector overseas through the work of its wholly owned subsidiary, IDA International, which is selling its services to other government organizations around the world.

Launched in February 2009, IDA International is now working with government bodies in China, the Middle East, and South America to plan their e-government and network strategies. These operations provide revenue and boost the export potential of the Singaporean companies involved in the iN2015 program.

http://textio.co.uk/communications/ftth-singapore-will-provide-every-home-with-1-gbps-service/

Beckstrom Selected As ICANN Chief

Former Homeland Security Department official Rod Beckstrom -- who headed the department's National Cybersecurity Center -- has been named the new president and chief executive officer of ICANN, a nonprofit group that oversees the Internet address system.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressdaily/techcentral/features/people/

300,000 .MX Domain Name Registrations As Registrations Grow Rapidly

NIC México has announced the .MX ccTLD reached 300,000 registered domain names recently, with the number of registrations today standing at 309,112. Of these, 58,000 domain names registered in 2009 alone showing a rapid growth for the ccTLD.

http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/06/30/300000-mx-domain-name-registrations-as-registrations-grow-rapidly/

Australia Invites Public Comment on National Broadband Network Project

The Australian government today called for public comment on how its planned national broadband network (NGN) should operate, including issues of access, ownership and control of the network Dow Jones reports. Submissions are due by 30 July. The Labour government in April scrapped a tender process to build the network and instead plans to back the A$43-billion (US$34 billion) high-speed fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network itself, with some investments from the private sector, as the global financial crisis dashed hopes of a single company completing the project. Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said it is important that, in laying the ground work for the single biggest national-building infrastructure in Australia's history, the government gets legislation governing the proposed national broadband network company right.

The government is planning to form a new company for the NGN roll out and operate the new company on a wholesale-only, open-access basis with oversight by competition watchdog the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. It is asking for comment on how to achieve its goals, including how to set price and non-price terms for services, which services to offer, the nature of any private-sector ownership restrictions, arrangements for the government to ultimately sell its stake, and the role the ACCC should play in regulating the network. Telstra, SingTel's Australian unit Optus, and Canada's Axia NetMedia have indicated they are interested in participating in the NGN project, potentially by selling existing assets into the network in exchange for equity in the new company to be formed for undertaking the project.

https://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/140/36138?7649

U.S.: Biden announces program to expand broadband Internet access for rural areas at Pa. stop

DAN NEPHIN, Associated Press Writer

WATTSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden outlined a $4.7 billion loan and grant program Wednesday to develop the infrastructure needed to deliver broadband, or high-speed, Internet access to areas that are underserved or without access.

America lags behind more than a dozen other countries in terms of Internet access and that has to change, Biden told about 200 people at Seneca High School, about 12 miles east of Erie.

"The bottom line is, you can't function — a nation can't compete in the 21st century — without an immediate, high-quality access for everything from streaming video to information overline," Biden said.

While Seneca has broadband Internet access, Biden said many students do not have access at home.

Providing the means for access would improve educational opportunities, he said. He also spoke of the power of the Internet to create jobs in rural America.

"We believe we are in the process of transforming rural America ... so it's integrated with the country, without losing it's character," he said. The program also covers inner-city areas without broadband access.

"Getting broadband to every American is a priority for this administration," Biden said.

The $4.7 billion is part of $7.2 billion included in the federal stimulus package to improve rural Internet access.

The Commerce and Agriculture Departments on Wednesday published the criteria they will use to judge funding applications. They will consider projects that provide wired or wireless access starting at low-end DSL speeds, but will give priority to ones promising higher speeds. They'll consider an area "underserved" by broadband, and thus eligible for grants, if half or fewer of the households can get wired broadband today, among other criteria.

Applicants can begin applying on July 14. The first round of funding will be awarded in September. Besides providing money to create the infrastructure, the funding can also go toward training people to use the Internet.

In 2007 and 2008, the Pew Internet and American Life Project asked households that lacked broadband why they haven't signed up. Lack of availability was ranked fourth, given by 14 percent. Most answered that they didn't need the Internet, that it was too expensive or too hard to use. Many people who don't use the Internet simply don't have computers.

About 95 percent of households can already get broadband, according to the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. But the industry hasn't been very forthcoming in saying exactly where it's available, and that's part of what the stimulus package wants to address — it has allocated $350 million to mapping U.S. broadband access.

Biden appeared with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski and U.S. Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, D-Pa., as part of a "rural America tour."

All spoke of the need for broadband access to create jobs and improve education and health care.

"Broadband is not just about being able to Google faster. It's not merely a luxury or an option for entertainment. It is an essential tool in today's world," Dahlkemper said.

On the Net:

Broadband USA: www.broadbandusa.gov

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-us-biden-stimulus-broadband,1,4779748.story

Nigeria: Etisalat to invest USD2 billion in infrastructure

Nigerian mobile operator Etisalat Nigeria will invest USD2 billion over the next three years in the deployment of network infrastructure, writes local newspaper This Day, citing the cellco’s CEO Steven Evans. Despite the economic downturn, Etisalat says it intends to galvanise competition and refresh the market by aggressively rolling out its products in all regions of the country. It hopes to achieve 45% population coverage by the end of this year and 80% coverage by the end of 2010. At present, the cellco has the capacity to accommodate four million wireless subscribers, but from September this year will be able to accommodate twelve million customers. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms database, Etisalat Nigeria is the latest entrant in the Nigerian mobile market, having launched commercial GSM services in seven cities in November 2008. In the last week, the cellco reached the milestone of one million mobile subscribers, around seven months after launching operations.

http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=29107