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Telecommunications & Equipment
Feature Reports
Technology Overview: Media Moves Online
MIT Technology Review, January/February 2010
Technology has torn down the walls between different communications media. Magazines produce video clips, while television news stations post written articles online. The technologies that are driving this media convergence are network connections, powerful mobile devices, clever interfaces, and easy-to-use software.
Internet, Broadband, and Cell Phone Statistics
Pew Internet & American Life Project, January 5, 2010
In a national survey between November 30 and December 27, 2009, Pew finds:
74% of American adults (ages 18 and older) use the internet -- a slight drop from our survey in April 2009, which did not include Spanish interviews. At that time we found that 79% of English-speaking adults use the internet. 60% of American adults use broadband connections at home – a drop that is within the margin of error from 63% in April 2009. 55% of American adults connect to the internet wirelessly, either through a WiFi or WiMax connection via their laptops or through their handheld device like a smart phone. This figure did not change in a statistically significant way during 2009.
Experts Break Mobile Phone Security
MIT Technology Review, December 29, 2009
A researcher has shown that attacks on a long-standing mobile phone standard are possible.
Smartphone Software Gets Smarter, More Interactive
BusinessWeek, December 7, 2009
Context-aware computing draws on vast amounts of data to help consumers buy from vendors that know more about them, too.
Squeezing Web Sites Onto Cellphones
Available with free subscription
The Wall Street Journal, December 2, 2009
Businesses Try to Shift Online Communities, Consumer Forums to Places Tailored for Wireless Users.
Teens and Distracted Driving
Pew Internet & American Life Project, November 16, 2009
One in four (26%) of American teens of driving age say they have texted while driving, and half (48%) of all teens ages 12 to 17 say they’ve been a passenger while a driver has texted behind the wheel. These findings form the centerpiece of a new report from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project that looks at teens, mobile phones and distracted driving. The report is based on a telephone survey of 800 teens ages 12-17 and a parent or guardian as well as 9 focus groups with middle and high school students.
Apple's IPhone Helps Augmented Reality Go Mainstream
BusinessWeek, November 3, 2009
Technology that places virtual information atop onscreen images of the real world is changing the way consumers use mobile phones. This special report from Business has seven articles detailing new augmented reality applications created for mobile devices.
The Innovation Blueprint
TelephonyOnline, November 1, 2009
To succeed in the future, telecom service providers need to reconnect the dots and drastically change how they do business, innovating on services, business models and corporate structure like never before. Are they up to the challenge? There is no shortage of ideas, brainstorms and potential new business models poised to remake the telecom industry.
M-Commerce's Big Moment
BusinessWeek, October 11, 2009
Mobile commerce is gaining momentum as consumers get comfortable with ordering all sorts of products by cell phone and companies such as Papa John's watch sales climb.
Next Generation Connectivity: A Review of Broadband Internet Transitions and Policy from Around the World
The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, October 2009
High capacity networks are seen as strategic infrastructure, intended to contribute to high and sustainable economic growth and to core aspects of human development. In the pursuit of this goal, various countries have, over the past decade and a half, deployed different strategies, and enjoyed different results. This study reviews the current plans and practices pursued by other countries in the transition to the next generation of connectivity, as well as their past experience. By observing the experiences of a range of market-oriented democracies that pursued a similar goal over a similar time period, we hope to learn from the successes and failures of others about what practices and policies best promote that goal.
Mobile Marvels
The Economist, September 24, 2009
In places with bad roads, unreliable postal services, few trains and parlous landlines, mobile phones can substitute for travel, allow quicker and easier access to information on prices, enable traders to reach wider markets, boost entrepreneurship and generally make it easier to do business. A study by the World Resources Institute found that as developing-world incomes rise, household spending on mobile phones grows faster than spending on energy, water or indeed anything else.
What Consumers Want From Mobile Communications in the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, and Japan
The Brookings Institution, September 16, 2009
Consumer sentiments are crucial for telecommunications. The way in which cell phone users see their devices affects how they employ them and what future possibilities they are willing to entertain. Specifically, we look at what people like and don’t like regarding their current communications experiences. We present data on how many people use smart phones and download applications to their mobile devices, what applications they see as important, what frustrations they feel regarding telecommunications access, and what changes they would like to see in the future.
Major Carriers Shun Broadband Stimulus
Washington Post, August 14, 2009
The Obama administration made a national priority of spreading high-speed Internet access to every American home and offered stimulus money to help companies pay for it, but the biggest network operators are staying away from the program.
Telecom Companies Scramble for Funding
BusinessWeek, August 3, 2009
In all, the economic stimulus legislation known as the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 set aside $7.2 billion in grants and loans to encourage the installation of broadband networks in areas with little or no access to it, from hard-to-reach hinterlands to low-income inner-city neighborhoods. The Obama Administration considers access to high-speed Internet connections a critical way of bridging socioeconomic gaps, creating jobs, and spurring economic growth.
The program isn't without its critics. Some say it doesn't go far enough in bringing Web access to the most remote areas, while others fret the government hasn't left itself a big enough window for disbursing so large a sum. Applicants, meantime, are racing to meet the Aug. 14 deadline, though some say the government wants more detail than they can readily provide.
Accurately Locating Where Wireless Respondents Live Requires More Than A Phone Number
Pew Research Center, July 9, 2009
As the number of adults reachable only by cell phone continues to grow, more telephone surveys are including cell phone samples to ensure that their results are representative of the U.S. population. One issue of particular concern in surveys that include cell phones is the accuracy of geographic information that is derived from cell phone numbers; this information that accompanies the sample is used by many surveyors for geographic sampling and analysis. Being able to identify the location of respondents with precision is important for accurately sampling people in particular areas and for analyzing local and regional differences in respondents' attitudes and behaviors. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that the wireless-only are more geographically mobile than those with landline phones.
Wanted: Telecom Technicians with Extensive IP Background
TelephonyOnline, June 2009
With all the discussion of next-generation networks, there has been relatively little public discourse about next-generation jobs. In fact, when Telephony tried to talk to major telecom service providers about the challenges of finding new talent and skills for the IP-centric world, some of them declined to provide any insight. But many within the industry admit that in a world where voice revenues are shrinking, data revenues are growing and the technology shift to an all-IP infrastructure puts a premium on skills in software, applications and quality of service, telecom service providers have been challenged to find new talent and retrain existing workers.
Asian Tiger
Total Telecom, June 25, 2009
Asian vendors are already firmly challenging their western counterparts, and now Asian operators are also starting to mount a serious challenge to Europe’s big hitters in the enterprise services market.
Competitive US wireless market? New FCC may give new answer
ars technica, June 18, 2009
It has been a big week for mobile phone regulation, or at least discussion about it. On Monday a quartet of United States Senators sent the Federal Communications Commission a letter asking the agency to probe whether exclusivity deals between wireless handset makers and mobile services limit consumer choice. On Tuesday AT&T and Verizon defended the cost of text messaging, insisting that most consumers opt for affordable bulk texting plans.
Brand Building
Total Telecom, June 1, 2009
Maintaining a strong brand will be critical to telecoms companies in financially tough markets, with operators and vendors competing for limited consumer and business spend. This exclusive new ranking, compiled by Brand Finance, shows you which companies are leading the way in the downturn.
A Guide to India's Telecom Market
Light Reading, April 19, 2009
In the last 12 months the Indian market has moved on considerably. Last year's report noted that, at the end of 2007, the country's mobile operators had a total of 233.6 million connections mong them. A year later, as 2008 ended, India's mobile service providers boasted nearly 347 million connections, a year-on-year increase of nearly 50 percent. And there's plenty of wireless growth still to come: In the first two months of 2009 alone, the mobile operators activated more than 28 million additional connections.
Carriers to Feds: Show Me the Money on Massive Telecom Deal
Network World, April 17, 2009
Two years ago, the U.S. General Services Administration awarded a 10-year, $20 billion program called Networx that was touted as the world's largest-ever telecom deal.
But with federal agencies spending only a fraction of the projected dollars on Networx so far, carriers are asking: Where's the money?
The Mobile Difference
Pew Internet & American Life Project, March 25, 2009
Some 39% of Americans have positive and improving attitudes about their mobile communication devices, which in turn draws them further into engagement with digital resources – on both wireless and wireline platforms. Mobile connectivity is now a powerful differentiator among technology users. Those who plug into the information and communications world while on-the-go are notably more active in many facets of digital life than those who use wires to jack into the internet and the 14% of Americans who are off the grid entirely.
Prepaid Wireless Takes Off
BusinessWeek, March 20, 2009
Consumers are abandoning traditional subscription plans, which may curb growth for AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobi
Can Microsoft Catch Up in Mobile?
BusinessWeek, February 10, 2009
Going well beyond its current Windows Mobile software, Microsoft will try to extend its desktop dominance with a "Windows phone." Is it too late?
Telecoms Say Web Funding For Unserved Falls Short
Wall Street Journal, January 30, 2009
The funding that Congress is likely to set aside for build-outs of high-speed Internet in its economic-stimulus package falls short of what service providers say is required to reach rural and unserved areas, based on initial cost estimates by several companies.
Stimulating Broadband: If Obama Builds It, Will They Log On?
Pew Internet & American Life Project, January 21, 2009
Investment in broadband has become part of the broader discussion about President Obama's economic stimulus package. How easy will it be to increase the pool of broadband subscribers or to encourage existing ones to upgrade their connection speeds?
Broadband Bill Disappoints Nearly Everyone
BusinessWeek Online, January 17, 2009
The initial stab by the U.S. government to promote high-speed Internet access has something to disappoint nearly everyone. Most communications companies and consumer advocacy groups say the $6 billion in broadband stimulus measures contained in the House Democrats' $825 billion economic recovery package are a good first step. But they warn that the money won't be nearly sufficient to meet incoming President Barack Obama's objective of providing affordable high-speed Internet access to all U.S. households.
High-Speed Services for Internet Access: Status as of December 31, 2007
Federal Communications Commission, January 2009
We summarize here information from the seventeenth semi-annual data collection, thereby presenting a snapshot of subscribership as of December 31, 2007.3 High-speed lines connecting homes and businesses to the Internet increased by 20% during the second half of 2007, from 101.0 million to 121.2 million lines in service, following a 22% increase, from 82.8 million to 101.0 million lines, during the first half of 2007. For the full twelve-month period ending December 31, 2007, high-speed lines increased by 46% (or 38.4 million lines).
In a Stampede toward PC TV, 'Programmable Broadband' Emerges
EETimes, January 19, 2009
When a generation of young people is more inclined to watch only what they want to watch over the Internet at any time and any place of their choosing, integrating in a portable gadget a broadcast TV receiver seems almost superfluous. And yet, upon the survival of mobile TV chip vendors hinges on this application. After searching many years for the yet-to-blossom mobile TV handset market, vendors are increasingly shifting their focus to the PC-TV market.
Tuned into the Phone: Mobile Video Use in the U.S. and Abroad
nielsen, January, 2008,
In this paper, Nielsen provides an overview of the U.S. mobile video market as consumed over mobile phones, as well as corresponding mobile video usage rates around the world. They outline who uses mobile video, how it is used and what users want from the medium going forward. The keys to mobile video’s future growth are also considered.
Analysis: the FCC and its impact on the enterprise in 2009
ars technica, December 28, 2008
What do you think of when you see the phrase "enterprise computing"? A typical free association request will probably produce glossary terms like database, processor, network, and scalability before anything like "telecom policy" or "the Federal Communications Commission" comes up. But, in fact, enterprise computing and the FCC have a lot in common, especially when it comes to the servers that maintain broadband-powered business networks.
Coming to Tiny Screens All Over the Place
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The Wall Street Journal, December 8, 2008
With almost an entire country able to watch video just about anywhere it wants, South Korea's experience can provide valuable lessons for companies in countries still on the threshold of the mobile-video revolution. Among those lessons: what kinds of programs bring in the most viewers, how advertising has had to adapt -- and how difficult it is to make money from the new services.
CED's Broadband 50: The Biggest Deals In Cable
Communications, Engineering, & Development, December 1, 2008
An exhaustive list of candidates is compiled by CED’s seasoned scribes. We share that list with our panel of consulting engineers – about as eminent a group as you could wish to find in the cable industry – and with their input we pare down the list and rank those who make the cut.
Networked Families
Pew Internet & American Life Project, October 19, 2008
The internet and cell phones have become central components of modern family life. Among all household types, the traditional nuclear family has the highest rate of technology usage and ownership. A national survey has found that households with a married couple and minor children are more likely than other household types -- such as single adults, homes with unrelated adults, or couples without children to have cell phones and use the internet. The survey shows that these high rates of technology ownership affect family life. In particular, cell phones allow family members to stay more regularly in touch even when they are not physically together. Moreover, many members of married-with-children households view material online together.
Telecom Switches Emphasis: Preliminary Analysis of the 2007 Telecom Industry Survey
IBM Institute for Business Value, October 8, 2008
Business model transformation is emerging as one of the key drivers of future value for telecommunications providers. This is a change from 2006, when telecom executives in the IBM CEO Study 2006 placed less emphasis on business model innovation, concentrating instead on products and services innovation. Business model transformation will demand new, very significant distinctive capabilities. Therein lies perhaps the industry’s greatest challenge: 2007 Telecom Industry Survey respondents still point to traditional sources of competitive advantage rather than some of the newer dimensions that will determine success in the markets they are now entering.
The Meek Shall Inherit the Web
The Economist, September 4, 2008
Computing: In future, most new internet users will be in developing countries and will use mobile phones. Expect a wave of innovation.
What The Telecom Industry Will Do about DPI
TelephonyOnline, August 1, 2008
Based on public perception, Deep Packet Inspection would seem to be a technology either headed for the scrap heap or doomed to very limited applications.
The Untapped Promise of Wireless Spectrum
Brookings Institution, July 2008
The public “airwaves,” or the radio spectrum, are a tremendously valuable asset that remains partially untapped by entrepreneurs and users. Over the past twenty-five years, the explosion of the cellular industry and wireless technology more generally has placed a premium on access to spectrum. Nonetheless, our spectrum policy has failed to facilitate an optimal and efficient use of this important resource—meaning that spectrum is often left unused at the same time that there is a great demand for access to it. This paper sets forth a new direction for spectrum policy reform.
iPhone 3G
Analyst Views, July 17, 2008
It has been just about a week since Apple’s newest iPhone went on sale. The new phone, dubbed iPhone 3G, boasts download speeds substantially faster than the earlier model (at least in areas supporting 3G). But that is not all that has changed. Apple has also opened up the iPhone API allowing third parties to create applications for its App Store, available through iTunes in the Apple Apps Store. The iPhone now also supports Microsoft Exchange, making the phone more acceptable for use by the business community.
How the iPhone 3G is Changing the Wireless Game
Fortune, July 9, 2008
The iPhone’s magic isn’t in the features – not the 2-megapixel camera, or the Safari web browser, or even the music and video capabilities. It’s in Apple’s knack for making all those features easier to locate and use. What’s more, as the iPhone 3G debuts this week, Apple’s trademark simple approach is doing more than setting consumers’ tongues wagging – it’s changing the game in wireless, from phone sales to software development.
Approaching the Zettabyte Era
Cisco, June 16, 2008
This report is part of the Cisco Visual Networking Index, an ongoing initiative to track and forecast the impact of visual networking applications. This paper presents some of the key findings of Cisco's global IP traffic forecast and explores the implications of IP traffic growth for service providers.
Cisco Visual Networking Index – Forecast and Methodology, 2007–2012
Cisco, June 16, 2008
This forecast is part of the Cisco Visual Networking Index, an ongoing initiative to track and forecast the impact of visual networking applications. The purpose of this paper is to lay out the details of Cisco’s global IP traffic forecast and the methodology behind it.
Charging by the Byte to Curb Internet Traffic
New York Times, June 15, 2008
Internet metering is a throwback to the days of dial-up service, but at a time when video and interactive games are becoming popular, the experiments could have huge implications for the future of the Web. Critics of the bandwidth limits say that metering and capping network use could hold back the inevitable convergence of television, computers and the Internet.
Sweden's Open Network Pioneer
BusinessWeek, June 9, 2008
U.S. telephone companies Verizon Communications and AT&T have convinced regulators that closed networks are not only acceptable but essential. The telecom giants want to build quick new fiber systems to deliver high-speed Internet and entertainment services into U.S. homes. But the only way to justify the billions in cost, they argue, is if rivals are prevented from having equal access to the network and offering competing media services over the same pipes.
If that is the case, asks Internet entrepreneur Jonas Birgersson, why is it Swedish carriers can offer consumers much higher speeds than those available in the U.S., for similar or lower prices—even though multiple operators share the same fiber network?
Global Dreams for a Wireless Web
New York Times, May 25, 2008
Three years ago, aiming to create a global wireless network, Martin Varsavsky founded FON, a company based in Madrid that wants to unlock the potential power of the social Internet. FON’s gamble is that Internet users will share a portion of their wireless connection with strangers in exchange for access to wireless hotspots controlled by others. The swaps, in theory, would allow “Foneros” to have ubiquitous, global wireless access while traveling for business or pleasure. But despite $55.2 million in backing from such corporate heavyweights as Google and BT, the former British Telecom, as well as newer enterprises like Skype and a handful of venture capital firms, FON and Mr. Varsavsky are still missing a crucial ingredient: scale.
Telecom's Last Great Growth Markets
BusinessWeek, May 22, 2008
Large swaths of rural territory, along with billions of people, still remain out of reach of mobile networks. And the Internet has only just begun to penetrate the developing world. Since PCs remain unaffordable for many people, or simply impractical because of a lack of electric power, mobile handsets will provide the likely entry to the Web for most of Africa and rural Asia. "Like a lot of people who made their first call on a mobile, they will have their first experience with the Internet on a mobile," says Carolina Milanesi, research director, mobile devices, at market-watcher Gartner.
Wireless Technology for Social Change: Trends in Mobile Use by NGOs
United Nations Foundations & Vodafone Group Foundation
In this second publication in our Access to Communications Publication Series, the authors
examine real-life examples of and trends in wireless technology solutions being used to
drive change in the areas of health, humanitarian assistance, and environmental conservation.
The compelling stories portrayed in this report demonstrate that telecommunications
can be a powerful tool for positive change in our world.
The Need for Internet Speed: Broadband Penetration Increased More than 300% Since 2002
Scarborough Research, April 15, 2008
Broadband penetration* increased more than 300 percent since 2002, according to a new analysis from consumer and media research firm Scarborough Research. In 2002, 12 percent of U.S. adults had a broadband connection in their household. Now, almost half (49 percent) have broadband – an increase of more than 300 percent, bringing broadband penetration to a mainstream level.The
data in this analysis is from Scarborough’s USA+ database, which is a nationally syndicated consumer study covering a sample of more than 220,000 adults ages 18 and older.
The Battle for the North American Couch Potato: New Challenges & Opportunities in the Content Market
The Convergence Consulting Group, April 2008
Broadcast and Cable Networks aim to grow online advertising revenue without negatively impacting their traditional TV advertising and programming revenue. There is no current economic rationale for Broadcasters & Cable Networks to abandon traditional TV or attempt to accelerate a transition to a total online model. To do so would put $66 billion in traditional TV advertising revenue and $30 billion in cable, satellite, telco TV provider programming fees at risk.
Competing for Talent: A Survey of Talent Trends in Technology and Telecommunications
Deloitte, March 2008
The Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) industry practice, in conjunction with the Talent practice, surveyed more than 150 technology and telecommunications companies in North America to understand their most significant talent issues and what they are doing to address them. The survey found that the majority of technology and telecommunications companies continue to rely on financial incentives and other traditional approaches for attracting and retaining talent. These techniques are outmoded and will not address long-term problems. The survey also concludes that companies in the industry are starting to take steps in the right direction, but most have a long way to go to meet the diverse needs of employees today.
High-Speed Services for Internet Access: Status as of June 30, 2007
Federal Communications Commission, March 2008
High-speed lines connecting
homes and businesses to the Internet increased by 22% during the first half of 2007, from 82.8 million to 100.9 million lines in service, following a 27% increase, from 65.3 million to 82.8 million lines, during the second half of 2006. For the full twelve-month period ending June 30, 2007, high-speed lines increased by 55% (or 35.7 million lines). The presence of high-speed service subscribers was reported in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and in over 99% of the Zip Codes in the United States.
8 EU Member States ahead of the U.S. in Broadband Deployment Says Commission’s Telecoms Report
Europa, March 19, 2008
Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden are world leaders in broadband deployment with penetration rates over 30% at the end of 2007, says the European Commission’s 13th Progress Report on the Single Telecoms Market issued today. These EU countries, together with the United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg and France, all had broadband penetration rates higher than the US (22.1%) in July 2007. 19 million broadband lines were added in the EU in 2007, the equivalent of more than 50,000 households every day. The broadband sector generated estimated revenues of € 62 billion and Europe’s overall penetration reached 20%.
players.
Progress Report on the Single European Electronic Communications Market 2007
Commission of the European Communities
This Communication reports on developments in the electronic communications sector during 2007. The EU regulatory framework is designed to benefit users and consumers by ensuring that competition and an increasingly integrated European market drive investment in innovative, attractive and affordable services. Its ultimate aim is to phase out ex ante economic regulation, provided that competition is sufficiently developed.
iPhone Hype Holds Up
M:Metrics, March 18, 2008
Six months after the iPhone’s U.S. launch, has the device changed the mobile landscape? According to M:Metrics, the mobile media authority, the answer is yes. Today, the measurement firm reports that the iPhone is already the most popular device for accessing news and information on the mobile Web, with 85 percent of iPhone users accessing news and information in the month of January.
Deployment of Broadband to Rural America: An Evaluation of Current Broadband Services to Rural Americans and the Impact of Internet Public Policy on Broadband Deployment
U.S. Internet Industry Association, March 4, 2008
In reality, the adoption of broadband and Internet technologies by the American consuming public has been the most rapid in the nation's history. With overall home broadband penetration breaking 50% in a September 2007 survey, Pew Internet found that broadband was adopted by a majority of consumers faster than other technologies. Broadband took 10 years to break 50% adoption, followed by the CD Player at 10.5 years, the VCR at 14 years, cell phones took 15 years, color TVs took 18 years, as did the personal computer.
FCC Has Made Some Progress in the Management of Its Enforcement Program but Faces Limitations, and Additional Actions Are Needed
Government Accountability Office, February 2008
According to GAO’s analysis of FCC data, between 2003 and 2006, the number of complaints received by FCC totaled about 454,000 and grew, from almost 86,000 in 2003, to a high of about 132,000 in 2005. The largest number of complaints alleged violations of the do-not-call list request and telemarketing during prohibited hours. FCC processed about 95 percent of the complaints it received. FCC also opened about 46,000 investigations and closed about 39,000; almost 9 percent of these investigations were closed with an enforcement action, and about 83 percent were closed with no enforcement action.
The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally
Connected Nation, February 2008
This report details the potential state-by-state impact of legislation to accelerate broadband access and use. The report’s findings suggest that the U.S. could realize an economic impact of $134 billion annually by accelerating broadband availability and use across all states. The map above shows the potential for broadband that exists in every U.S. state. Please take the time to review the report and the potential for broadband in the U.S.
Comcast Facing Backlash after Hearing
Boston Globe, February 29, 2008
After a hearing into Comcast Corp.'s Internet policies this week, the company faces a backlash of bad publicity and increasing skepticism about the way the telecommunications giant runs its high-speed Internet service. Critics have denounced Comcast for paying people to occupy seats in the cramped Harvard Law School lecture hall where the Federal Communications Commission hearing was held, preventing many critics from gaining admittance. Comcast officials said they were merely trying to save enough seats for company executives.
U.S. Telecom Growth Seen Slower Than Global Industry
Reuters, February 22, 2008
The U.S. telecommunications industry will grow at a slower rate than the global industry in the coming years as the wireless and wired markets mature, the Telecommunications Industry Association said on Friday. According to a study commissioned by the TIA, the U.S. telecom industry will grow at an average annual rate of 7.2 percent in the period 2008-2011, reaching $1.3 trillion in 2011, compared with an average rate of 10 percent, reaching $3.6 trillion, for the rest of the world.
Bandwidth on Demand: An Academic Internet Provides Clues about Ways to Improve the Commercial Internet"
MIT Technology Review, February 14, 2008
Internet2, a nonprofit advanced networking consortium in the United States, is designing a new network intended to open up large amounts of dedicated bandwidth as needed. For example, a researcher wanting to test telesurgery technologies--for which a smooth, reliable Internet connection is essential--might use the network to temporarily create a dedicated path for the experiment.
Broadband in America
Analyst Views, February 14, 2008
Last month the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released its annual study of broadband in the U.S., it is one of many on the topic to have been published in the past two months. The number of reports does not lead to consensus as to the success, or failure, of broadband initiatives in this country. One thing that is agreed upon is the importance of bringing broadband to the masses.
Nokia and Google Vie for Mobile Web Role
BusinessWeek Online, February 11, 2008
The battle for Internet turf is no longer just a figure of speech. Nokia (NOK) on Feb. 11 announced a quartet of new handsets designed to more closely link global positioning systems with the mobile Internet, bringing the Finnish company into more direct competition with Google Maps and staking a bigger claim to the emerging market for so-called location-based services. The announcement came on the same day that Google encroached on Nokia territory by demonstrating a prototype of its Android operating system for mobile phones.
Affordable Broadband: Empowering Communities Across the Digital Divide
Alliance for Equal Access, January 23, 2008
By opening the door to economic and educational opportunity, better health care, personal enrichment and political power, broadband Internet access has become a transforming technology that can help narrow the gap between society’s rich and poor.
With a broadband connection, children in the most isolated inner-city neighborhoods and rural regions can tap into the same universe of knowledge as children in the most affluent suburbs.
The Exabyte Era
Cisco, January 14, 2008
The Internet is not collapsing under the weight of streaming video. In the near term, the most formidable challenge that online video poses for the Internet will be flash crowds rather than the overall volume of traffic. In terms of absolute volume, much of the impact of video will be in the form of peer-to-peer (P2P) file exchange. As high-definition video content makes its way onto P2P networks, P2P traffic will grow at about 33 percent per year, decreasing only slightly to 30 percent per year in 2011.
Global IP Traffic Forecast and Methodology, 2006–2011
Cisco, January 14, 2008
After a brief mid-decade slowdown, IP traffic will nearly double every two years through 2011. Total IP traffic will nearly quadruple in the four-year period from 2007 to 2011. Driven by high-definition video and high-speed broadband penetration, consumer IP traffic will bolster the overall IP growth rate so that it sustains a fairly steady growth rate through 2011, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46 percent and nearly quadrupling the monthly traffic run rate from 2007 to 2011.
Networked Nation: Broadband in America 2007
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, January 2008
The last several years have witnessed substantial growth in the broadband marketplace punctuated by increases in capital investment, innovation, and market entry. Relative to other countries, the United States has experienced superior productivity over the past several years. Americans today enjoy an increasing array of broadband services, available from a growing number of service providers, using a variety of technologies. Penetration continues to grow, and prices continue to fall.
The Connectivity Scorecard
Nokia Siemens Networks and London Business School, January 18, 2008
The Connectivity Scorecard is a pioneering global information and communications technology (ICT) index that measures the extent to which governments, businesses and consumers make use of connectivity technologies to enhance social and economic prosperity. Unlike other research available, the Connectivity Scorecard measures usage and skills such as literacy, the use of enterprise software and the accessibility of women to ICT. It also articulates the benefits of connectivity explicitly in terms of economic and social contributions taking into account varying needs in different countries.
A Blueprint for Big Broadband
EDUCAUSE, January 2008
While other nations are preparing for the future, the United States is not. Most developed nations are deploying “big broadband” networks (100 Mbps) that provide faster connections at cheaper prices than those available in the United States. Japan has already announced a national commitment to build fiber networks to every home and business, and countries that have smaller economies and more rural territory than the United States (e.g., Finland, Sweden, and Canada) have better broadband services available.
Framing a National Broadband Policy
Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, January 2008
It is difficult to pick up a business or technology magazine without reading that the United States is falling behind other nations in broadband telecommunications. The real question is not whether the United States is falling behind—it is, as will be demonstrated—but whether the country should have a national broadband policy in response and, if so, what it should look like.
The answer to this question is not obvious.
The State of Connectivity: Building Innovation Through Broadband
California Broadband Task Force, January 2008
As a result of Executive Order S-23-06, the California Broadband Task Force has spent the last year identifying opportunities
for—and challenges to—broadband deployment and adoption. The enclosed report represents the culmination of that work,
including maps of current broadband availability and speed, recommendations to achieve ubiquitous access and increased use,
and a timeframe in which to meet these critical goals.
The Untold Story: How the iPhone Blew Up the Wireless Industry
Wired, January 9, 2008
But as important as the iPhone has been to the fortunes of Apple and AT&T, its real impact is on the structure of the $11 billion-a-year US mobile phone industry. For decades, wireless carriers have treated manufacturers like serfs, using access to their networks as leverage to dictate what phones will get made, how much they will cost, and what features will be available on them. Handsets were viewed largely as cheap, disposable lures, massively subsidized to snare subscribers and lock them into using the carriers' proprietary services. But the iPhone upsets that balance of power.
Broadband and ICT Access and Use by Households and Individuals
Working Party on the Information Economy, December 21, 2007
The Internet, and its most recent expression, broadband, is now part of everyday life for a billion
people, but billions are still excluded from this major technological advance. This paper focuses on how
ICTs, the Internet and broadband diffusion and use among households and individuals are sources of
significant change and how these technologies have, and will continue to have, major economic and social
impacts. The indicators and discussion presented in this paper shed light on selected areas of household
and individual use. Other areas such as consumer-to-consumer electronic commerce, e-government, the
blurring frontier between private and work life due to ICT, and associated impacts on production,
organisation and productivity, are not the focus of this analysis.
Verizon Opens Its Network
Analyst Views, November 29, 2007
On Tuesday, Verizon Wireless, the nation's second largest wireless carrier, announced that by the end of 2008 it would open its network to "any apps, any device." This means customers will be able to use any phone, device, software, or application on Verizon's network. (So long as the device meets the minimum technical standard.) The company's reason for making this move, along with details regarding pricing and quality of service guarantees, are still unknown.
Why We Don’t Know Enough About Broadband in the U.S.
Pew Internet & American Life Project, November 14, 2007
Half of all Americans now have broadband at home, according to the Pew Internet Project's September 2007 survey, marking the first time that as many as 50% of respondents say they have high-speed internet connections at home.1 This milestone in broadband adoption occurs at a time of close scrutiny of the data gathered by government agencies on broadband deployment. This backgrounder puts the rate of home broadband adoption in historical context before discussing in detail the issues surrounding broadband data collection and current legislation that seeks to make improvements.
Broadband Services: Economic and Environmental Benefits
American Consumer Institute, October 31, 2008
This study adds to the discussion of how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by documenting the reductions that can be realized by the widespread delivery of broadband services in the U.S. Current carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. hover around 7.9 billion tons and are growing.3 This study finds that wide adoption and use of broadband applications can achieve a net reduction of 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas over 10 years, which, if converted into energy saved, would constitute 11% of annual U.S. oil imports.
High-Speed Services for Internet Access: Status as of December 31, 2006
Federal Communications Commission, October 31, 2007
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today released new data on high-speed connections to the Internet in the United States. Twice a year, all facilities-based broadband providers are required to report to the Commission basic information about their service offerings and types of customers pursuant to the FCC’s local telephone competition and broadband data gathering program (FCC Form 477). Statistics released today reflect data as of December 31, 2006.
FCC Should Take Steps to Ensure Equal Access to Rulemaking Information
United States Government Accountability Office, September 1, 2007
FCC generally followed its rulemaking process in the four case studies of completed rulemakings we reviewed, but we found that some stakeholders had access to nonpublic information that could give them an advantage in the rulemaking process. Specifically, each of the four rulemakings included items that are required by law and FCC regulations and provided opportunities for public participation. Within our case studies, we found that most—but not all—ex parte filings complied with FCC’s ex parte rules, and there was no evidence that FCC violated its rule prohibiting outside contact about items scheduled for a vote after the agenda for a public meeting was released.
NTCA 2007 Broadband/Internet Availability Survey Report
National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, September 1, 2007
For the last nine years, the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA) has conducted its annual Broadband/Internet Availability Survey to gauge the deployment rates of advanced services by its member companies.1 In the late spring and early summer of 2007, NTCA sent an electronic survey form to each of the companies in NTCA’s membership database; 175 members (31%) responded. Ninety-nine percent of the 2007 survey respondents offer broadband to some part of their customer base, approximately equal to the 2006 rate and a dramatic increase from the 58% of the 2000 survey respondents who offered broadband.
Bi-Annual Online Video Study: First-Half 2007 vs. Second-Half 2006
Advertising.com & Optigence Research, August 28, 2007
The consumer survey assessed perceptions and usage of streaming content using a series of questions related to when, what and why consumers view video online. The survey, hosted by online market research company InsightExpress, gathered data from a sample of 500 consumers over the age of 18 from June 21 through June 22, 2007. When it comes to video advertising, consumers accept them as part of the video experience – preferring ads to subscription fees. However, shorter ads would make the experience more pleasurable, and, according to data from the Advertising.com network, perform better for advertisers in terms of percentage of ad played.
Overcoming the Broadband Divide
Analyst Views Weekly, August 23, 2007
A month after the Pew Internet & American Life Project released its Report on Home Broadband Adoption, it released a memo entitled, U.S. Lags Behind: Why It Will Be Hard to Close the Broadband Divide. Jim Horrigan, the report's author cuts through the politicking and points out that despite the efforts of those with much invested in the effort to sell broadband, time may be the best salesman.
The Effects of Broadband Deployment on Output and Employment: A Cross-sectional Analysis of U.S. Data
Brookings Institution, July 6, 2007
This study provides new estimates of the effects of broadband penetration on both output and
employment, in the aggregate and by sector, using
state level data. We estimate these benefits by
using FCC data on broadband penetration for the
lower 48 states over the 2003-05 period, controlling
for a variety of other factors that also could
account for the growth in output and employment
during this time.
'Shooting the Messenger' Myth vs. Reality: U.S. Broadband Policy and International Rankings
Free Press, July 2007
On April 23, 2007, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released their latest semi-annual broadband penetration rankings, which revealed that the United States had fallen to 15th place among the 30-member nations, down from 12th place just six months earlier. This slide continued a downward trend for America, dropping from a high of fourth place in 2001.
The OECD data showed other problems for America: Annual U.S. penetration growth ranked 20th, and semi-annual growth was 24th out of 30 countries.
Google's Wireless Bid
Analyst Views Weekly, July 26, 2007
Last week Google announced that it would enter the FCC's upcoming wireless auction to the tune of $4.6 billion. There is a catch however; the FCC led by Chairman Kevin Martin, must abide by four conditions set forth by Google. These conditions, or as some may see them demands, revolve around the idea of open access to the wireless spectrum. The amount Google has said it will spend is large, it heading for a walk in the park. By entering the auction, if they indeed do so, Google will be directly challenging major telecom companies that it is assumed will also be heavy bidders. Furthermore, Google dollars may allow it to buy up virtually any company it wants the FCC may not be quite as acquiescent; there is a proposal on its table which takes into account some of Google's stipulations, but falls short of a full backing.
A Report on U.S. Broadband Adoption
Analyst Views, July 19, 2007
Earlier this month, the Pew Internet & American Life Project released the report, Home Broadband Adoption 2007; the study is based on "a survey of 2,200 adult Americans conducted in February and March of 2007. While indicating an increase in across-the-board adoption rates, the report shows some sectors fairing better than others. Also, though rates are increasing overall, they are doing so at the slowest rate in years. Highlights of the findings include a five percent increase in the number of American adults with broadband access at home, but show rural broadband adoption not only lags adoption in more urban areas but also trails the national average.
OECD Communications Outlook 2007
Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development, July 1, 2007
Published every other year, the OECD Communications Outlook provides an extensive range of indicators on the development of different communications networks and compares performance indicators such as revenue, investment, employment and prices for services throughout the OECD area. These indicators are essential for industry participants and for regulators who use benchmarking to evaluate policy performance. This book is based on the data from the OECD Telecommunications Database 2007, which provides time series of telecommunications and economic indicators--such as network dimension, revenues, investment and employment--for OECD countries from 1980 to 2005.
700MHz: The Wireless Beachfront
Analyst Views Weekly, April 26, 2007
When the age of analog television draws to a close, in February of 2009, the 700 MHz band of spectrum which channels 52-69 have used to broadcast will become free, or at least available. As to be expected with any piece of prime real estate everyone wants a piece. In this case the battle is all-the-more heated as it may be the last time that such a piece goes up for sale. Michael Calabrese, director of the wireless future program at the Washington think tank New America Foundation says, "This is the last large auction of prime spectrum in the foreseeable future."
OECD Broadband Statistics to December 2006
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, April 23, 2007
Over the past year, the number of broadband subscribers in the OECD increased 26% from 157 million in December 2005 to 197 million in December 2006. This growth increased broadband penetration rates in the OECD from 13.5 in December 2005 to 16.9 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants one year later. The United States has the largest total number of broadband subscribers in the OECD at 58.1 million. US broadband subscribers now represent 29% of all broadband connections in the OECD.
VoIP: Vonage, Incumbents & Pure Plays
Analyst Views Weekly, April 12, 2007
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), the technology which allows the transmission of voice over the Internet, was pushed into the spotlight last month when Vonage, one of the industry's big names, lost a patent violation case to Verizon. By justifying court actions, the finding against Vonage opened the door for other companies which may have been considering litigation, many are planning on taking this route. The verdict reveals the somewhat volatile state of the industry. This is still a relatively nascent market and the turf is just now being divided. VoIP, if not the future, will at least be a big part of it. Numbers from In-Stat corroborate; almost eight percent of U.S. households, more than nine million, now have at least one voice over IP (VOIP) user. ABI Research sees something in VoIP as well; "Residential VoIP subscriptions will balloon from a base of 38 million users worldwide to more than 267 million in 2012."
High-Speed Services for Internet Access: Status as of June 30, 2006
Federal Communications Commission, January 31, 2007
We summarize here information from the fourteenth semi-annual data collection, thereby
presenting a snapshot of subscribership as of June 30, 2006.3 High-speed lines connecting homes and businesses to the Internet increased by 26% during the first half of 2006, from 51.2 million to 64.6 million lines in service, compared to a 21% increase, from 42.4 million to 51.2 million lines, during the second half of 2005. For the full twelve month period ending June 30, 2006, high-speed lines increased by 52% (or 22.2 million lines). The presence of high-speed service subscribers was reported in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and in 99% of the Zip Codes in the United States.
iPhone iLegal
Analyst Views, January 18, 2007
Apple's announcement of the iPhone may have topped the list of tech news stories last week but the fact that they were immediately sued by Cisco has followed close behind. On January 10th , the day after Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the iPhone by name, Cisco filed suit in U.S. District Court, and asked for an injunction that would prevent Apple from using the name iPhone in connection with its latest product. Cisco's case is based on the fact that the name 'iPhone' has been trademarked since 1996, and not by Apple. Though outcomes are hard to predict, the most likely one is a settlement, Cisco will get a little something, and Apple will get what they already have, a phone with lots of buzz.
High-Speed: Spread Too Thin?
Analyst Views Weekly, January 11, 2007
As true as it is that a reliable method of determining actual connection speeds needs to be dealt with, some argue that there is a larger issue to be discussed. Those faced with broadband options may be the lucky ones; many in the U.S. have no options and in some cases no access. Just as the language of broadband carriers confuses the issue of speed of access, the numbers reported on broadband penetration confuse the issue of how many Americans actually have high-speed access to the Internet at all. It might be surprising to find out that according to the International Telecommunications Union the U.S. ranks 15th. This Analyst Views Weekly looks at the state of broadband in the U.S. and includes links to relevant articles and research.
Web Resources
News Sites & Portals
Dark Reading
FierceTelecom
Light Reading
phonemag
TotalTelecom
xchange
Associations & Organizations
The Columbia Institute for Tele-Information
The Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) is a university-based research center focusing on strategy, management, and policy issues in telecommunications, computing, and electronic mass media.
http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/citi/
Federal Communications Commission
http://www.fcc.gov
FCC: Industry Analysis and Technology Division
The IATD offers a comprehensive series of economic, financial, and statistical analyses of the common carrier telecommunications industry. These analyses are used by industry, the financial investment community, and by federal and state regulators for a variety of purposes.
http://www.fcc.gov/wcb/iatd/
Telecommunications Industry Association
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is the leading trade association representing the global information and communications technology (ICT) industries through standards development, government affairs, business opportunities, market intelligence, certification and world-wide environmental regulatory compliance. With support from its 600 members, TIA enhances the business environment for companies involved in telecommunications, broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite, unified communications, emergency communications and the greening of technology. TIA is accredited by ANSI.
http://www.tiaonline.org/
The Wireless Association
The Wireless Association®, is an international nonprofit membership organization founded in 1984, representing all sectors of wireless communications – cellular, personal communication services and enhanced specialized mobile radio.
http://www.ctia.org/
