Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Congress to ICANN: No You Can?t http://nationaljournal.com/tech/congress-to-icann-no-you-can-t-20110504 Who is wagging who? Same dog, new tale by Adrian Kinderis http://www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=752 Intellectual Property Interests Line Up to Crucify ICANN in Congress http://www.mindsandmachines.com/2011/05/intellectual-property-interests-line-up-to-crucify-icann-in-congress/ .at-report "economic value of the .at zone" http://www.nic.at/en/uebernic/current_issues/nicat_news/news_view/article/81/at-report-wertschoepfung-der-at-zone/ au: Piracy dispute panel proposed http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/piracy-dispute-panel-proposed/story-e6frgakx-1226048723392 Le premier .CITY d?Australie : .SYDNEY ou .MELBOURNE ? http://domainesinfo.fr/actualite/2339/.php China sets up office for Internet information management http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-05/04/c_13857911.htm .jobs takes ICANN to arbitration http://domainincite.com/breaking-jobs-takes-icann-to-arbitration/ Kenya Says It Will Block .XXX http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=14521 Here Come the Osama bin Laden Domain Names http://domainnamewire.com/2011/05/02/here-come-the-osama-bin-laden-domain-names/ Monte Cahn Sues Oversee.net Over $13 Million Incentive Plan [Updated] http://domainnamewire.com/2011/05/04/monte-cahn-sues-oversee-net-over-13-million-incentive-plan/ ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** CIRA Report Finds Internet Infrastructure, Digital Literacy and Economic Development Key to Canada?s Future The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) released a report on the findings from its national consultation on how the Internet is run. The report found that it was important for Canada to develop world class internet infrastructure and that the linkages between the development and deployment of the internet, along with economic development and digital literacy are major issues of public interest in Canada. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=14524 http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/05/05/cira-report-internet-infrastructure-digital-literacy-canadas-future/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/cira-report-finds-internet-infrastructure-digital-literacy-and-economic-development-key-to-canada-s-future.html CIRA releases report on the future of the Internet in Canada Today the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) released a report on the findings from its national consultation on how the Internet is run. http://www.cira.ca/news/news-releases/cira-releases-report-on-the-future-of-the-internet-in-canada/ ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Public Comment: Proposed ICANN Process for Handling Requests for Removal of Cross-Ownership Restrictions for Existing gTLDs On 21 April 2011, the ICANN Board resolved that ICANN develop a process for existing gTLD registry operators to transition to the new form of Registry Agreement or to request an amendment to their Registry Agreement to remove the cross-ownership restrictions. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-02may11-en.htm Public Comment: ICANN FY 12 Security, Stability & Resiliency Framework ICANN has previously published two Security, Stability and Resiliency (SSR) Plans, in 2009 and 2010. ICANN is today releasing the Fiscal Year 2012 version for public comment in 5 UN languages. This represents a new format for the FY 12 SSR Framework, which is being published to provide for community input prior to the ICANN 41 meeting in Singapore and publication of the FY 12 ICANN Operating Plan and Budget. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-02may11-en.htm Congress to ICANN: No You Can?t An effort to dramatically expand the number of Internet suffixes beyond those already in use?such as .com, .net, and .org?met with bipartisan resistance on Wednesday in a House Judiciary subcommittee. http://nationaljournal.com/tech/congress-to-icann-no-you-can-t-20110504 Who is wagging who? Same dog, new tale by Adrian Kinderis Today, my company AusRegistry International signed an open letter to the United States House Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet as a show of support for ICANN and its new TLD program. I?m disappointed by the nature of the oversight hearing the Subcommittee has called and I believe it will only be a distraction. http://www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=752 http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=14526 http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/05/05/who-is-wagging-who-same-dog-new-tale-by-adrian-kinderis/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/who-is-wagging-who-same-dog-new-tale-by-adrian-kinderis.html http://www.circleid.com/posts/20110504_who_is_wagging_who_same_dog_new_tale/ Senator Wyden Warns That Domain Seizures And COICA Undermine Internet Freedom Senator Wyden continues to be one of the few politicians actually concerned about the impact of the government's expansive view towards seizing domain names and stifling speech online. His latest is to point out that Homeland Security's strategy with these domain seizures appears to be completely in conflict with the State Department's position on internet freedom, as laid out by Hillary Clinton. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110504/12103214143/senator-wyden-warns-that-domain-seizures-coica-undermine-internet-freedom.shtml Questionable Impact for US Senate Hearing on New gTLDs by Elisa Cooper This morning, the US House Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet led by Representative Goodlatte (R - VA) conducted a hearing on New gTLDs. Kurt Pritz, Senior Vice President from ICANN did his best to alleviate concerns about the risks posed to intellectual property rights and consumers as the result of the New gTLD Program and reiterated that the process to launch new gTLDs has been underway for 7 years. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20110504_questionable_impact_for_us_senate_hearing_on_new_gtlds/ Domain industry blasts Congress TLD hearing Executives from over a dozen domain name companies have slammed a US Congressional subcommittee for its plan to hold a one-sided hearing on new TLDs. http://domainincite.com/domain-industry-blasts-congress-tld-hearing/ Intellectual Property Interests Line Up to Crucify ICANN in Congress ... Kurt Pritz from ICANN has been invited to testify. Arrayed against him are a parade of intellectual property interests, some reasonable, some pur et dur lobbyists for complete corporate hegemony over all aspects of the Internet. Not invited are any existing registries, any potential candidates, anyone representing free-speech concerns or civil society. Except for Kurt, it?s all intellectual property interests, all the time. http://www.mindsandmachines.com/2011/05/intellectual-property-interests-line-up-to-crucify-icann-in-congress/ Putting the Horse Before the Cart by Josh Bourne, CADNA Since ICANN set an updated timeline for the new gTLD program at the close of the public meeting in San Francisco, many in the Internet community have been caught up in the fervor of preparing for the imminent introduction of potentially hundreds of new domain name extensions. http://www.business2community.com/online-marketing/putting-the-horse-before-the-cart-026559 Cute infographic shows contents of the root This ICANN infographic is a nice way to easily visualize all of the currently live and approved TLDs on the internet. http://domainincite.com/cute-infographic-shows-contents-of-the-root/ Open letter to US House Subcommittee for Oversight Hearing on gTLDs by Krista Papac This is an open letter to the United States House Subcommittee on Intellectual Property and the Internet regarding the Oversight Hearing on new TLDs to be held on Wednesday 4 May. The intention of the open letter is to highlight the imbalance of intellectual property interests on the panel and to ensure the Subcommittee is presented with some balanced facts and benefits of the new TLD program. http://www.circleid.com/posts/open_letter_to_us_house_subcommittee_for_oversight_hearing_on_gtlds/ Rules for registry-registrar mergers proposed ICANN has revealed how it intends to enable incumbent domain name registries to also become registrars, ending a decade of cross-ownership restrictions. http://domainincite.com/rules-for-registry-registrar-mergers-proposed/ Congress to hear from new TLD opponents ICANN senior vice president Kurt Pritz is set to face a grilling at a Congressional hearing into new TLDs on Wednesday, judging from the just-published witness list. http://domainincite.com/congress-to-hear-from-new-tld-opponents/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** .at-report "economic value of the .at zone" The TLD .at makes a significant contribution to the Austrian economy - this is a clear conlcusion of nic.at's economic impact study conducted in 2010. Key findings from the survey include facts about the added value of .at domains, their effect on the labour market and the link between domain density and the gross regional product in Austria. http://www.nic.at/en/uebernic/current_issues/nicat_news/news_view/article/81/at-report-wertschoepfung-der-at-zone/ au: Piracy dispute panel proposed A prominent intellectual property law firm has moved to establish an extrajudicial scheme to resolve piracy disputes between internet firms and copyright holders. ... Law firm Maddocks is promoting a scheme to internet service providers and content owners modelled on the trademark and domain name dispute resolution system used by .au country code regulator, auDA. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/piracy-dispute-panel-proposed/story-e6frgakx-1226048723392 Le premier .CITY d?Australie : .SYDNEY ou .MELBOURNE ? ? l?instar de nombreuses villes dans le monde, Sydney et Melbourne envisagent de cr?er leur propre extension Internet. Mais les cit?s australiennes aspirent toutes deux ? devenir la premi?re ville d?Australie sur la toile et se livrent une v?ritable bataille. http://domainesinfo.fr/actualite/2339/.php nic.at and SBR win Bahrain domain name registry bid >From fall 2011 the Bahrain domain name extension .bh will be operated using the same technology that powers the Austrian domain registry. nic.at and SBR Juconomy Consulting AG prevailed in the international bidding process despite stiff competition from all over the world. http://www.nic.at/en/uebernic/current_issues/nicat_news/news_view/period/1304490935///article/81/nicat-und-sbr-juconomy-consulting-gewinnen-ausschreibung-fuer-bahrainische-domainvergabe-1/ bw/zm/gy: Three More Countries Select CoCCA?s Registry System The CoCCA Registry System has been selected by the Zambia Information Communications Technology Authority (?ZICTA?) and the Botswana Telecommunications Authority (?BTA?) to manage the .ZM and .BW TLDs. Meaning one in five sovereign states now use CoCCA?s Registry System. http://cocca.org.nz/index.php/component/content/article/193.html CoCCA Registry System Now Used By One in Seven ccTLDs The Council of Country Code Administrators (CoCCA) is rapidly picking up new clients with the announcement that .ZM (Zambia) and .BW (Botswana) have selected the CoCCA registry system for managing their ccTLDs. With the addition of the two ccTLDs and .GY (Guyana) recently completing a migration to the CoCCA NOC, meaning that close to one in seven ccTLDs now use CoCCA registry services. http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/05/03/cocca-registry-system-now-used-by-one-in-five-cctlds/ http://domainnews.com/en/one-in-five-cctlds-now-use-cocca-registry-system.html China sets up office for Internet information management The Chinese government announced Wednesday the setting up of an office to manage Internet information in a statement of the State Council General Office. ... It will oversee telecom service providers in their efforts to improve the management of registration of domain names, distribution of IP addresses, registration of websites and Internet access. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-05/04/c_13857911.htm China names chief officials for State Internet Information Office The State Council, or China's cabinet, has approved the appointment of four senior officials for the State Internet Information Office. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-05/04/c_13857910.htm China sets up office for Internet information management [IANS] The Chinese government announced Wednesday the setting up of a department to manage Internet information. ... It will oversee telecom service providers in their efforts to improve the management of registration of domain names, distribution of IP addresses, registration of websites and Internet access. http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=236477 http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2011/05/china-sets-up-state-internet-information-office/ Estonian domains to get umlaut letters in June Starting June 13, the .ee Estonian national domain will get to use umlaut letters ?, ?, ?, ?, ? and ?, thanks to which the whole Estonian vocabulary will thus be covered http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/Technology/?doc=40453 Registration of domain names containing letters with diacritical marks The Estonian Internet Foundation in cooperation with the Association of the Estonian Patent Attorneys have introduced a period for reservation of .ee domain names containing letters with diacritical marks before commencement of general registration of such domain names on June 13 2011. http://www.eestiinternet.ee/teavitus/en/ IEDR launches OPTIMISE ?100,000 E-Commerce Website Development Fund The IE Domain Registry (IEDR), the managed registry for Ireland?s official internet address .ie, today launched OPTIMISE, a new e-commerce website development fund for Irish SMEs worth ?100,000. The OPTIMISE fund is one of a number of initiatives to mark the tenth anniversary of the organisation which manages the .ie domain in the interests of the Irish internet community. http://www.iedr.ie/index.php/component/content/article/50-general/260-wednesday-4th-may-2011-iedr-launches-optimise-100000-e-commerce-website-development-fund IE Domain Registry launches ?100,000 e-commerce development fund The IE Domain Registry (IEDR) has today launched a new e-commerce website development fund aimed at Irish small and medium enterprises (SMEs) called OPTIMISE. The fund is worth ?100,000 in total and hopes to encourage Irish businesses to realise the potential of selling online. http://sociable.co/2011/05/04/ie-domain-registry-launches-e100000-e-commerce-development-fund/ Letter from Arif Ali, Crowell & Moring to Eric Enson, Jones Day Initiation of Arbitration after Notice of Breach to Employ Media http://icann.org/en/correspondence/ali-to-enson-03may11-en.pdf Yep, .Jobs Dispute is Now Going to Cost YOU Money On Tuesday I surmised that the .jobs dispute between Employ Media and ICANN was about to cost you ? the domain name owners that pay hefty fees to ICANN ? a lot of money. http://domainnamewire.com/2011/05/04/yep-jobs-dispute-is-now-going-to-cost-you-money/ .jobs takes ICANN to arbitration Employ Media, manager of the .jobs TLD, has become the first registry operator to take ICANN to arbitration to fight off a shut-down threat. http://domainincite.com/breaking-jobs-takes-icann-to-arbitration/ War of words over .jobs ?breach? claims Employ Media and ICANN have come to blows again over ICANN?s threat to shut down the .jobs registry for allegedly selling domain names in breach of its Charter. http://domainincite.com/war-of-words-over-jobs-breach-claims/ Fight Over .Jobs is About to Cost Domain Name Owners An argument between .jobs registry Employ Media and ICANN has already cost some legal dollars, and I have a feeling it?s about to get more expensive. http://domainnamewire.com/2011/05/03/fight-over-jobs-is-about-to-cost-domain-name-owners/ Employ Media Files Arbitration Request With ICANN Over .JOBS The ongoing dispute between the .JOBS registry and ICANN has taken a further twist with Employ Media filing a Request for Arbitration with the International Chamber of Commerce. http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/05/04/employ-media-files-arbitration-request-with-icann-over-jobs/ Kenya Says It Will Block .XXX The Kenyan government has announced it will block access to the recently approved .XXX TLD with the Communications Secretary Bitange Ndemo saying Kenya will block .XXX websites from being accessible in the country. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=14521 http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/05/04/kenya-says-it-will-block-xxx/ http://domainnews.com/en/kenya-says-it-will-block-.xxx.html Kenya Rejects .XXX Kenya's government announced today that it has rejected .XXX to operate in its country. http://newswire.xbiz.com/view.php?id=133586 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Bin Laden death "video" used as computer scam hook Computer hackers are exploiting the fascination with the death of Osama bin Laden to spread malicious software through scams that promise access to videos of the historic killing. ... "They always have something ready to go just in case," said Jeff Moss, chief security officer for ICANN. "There is always an earthquake or tsunami or hunger or something." http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/04/us-binladen-computer-virus-idUSTRE7437EM20110504 The Internet Interconnection ?ecosystem? - new report identifies top risks for resilient interconnection of IT networks [news release] A new report on the resilience of the Internet interconnection 'ecosystem? is launched by the EU?s ?cyber security? Agency ENISA (the European Network and Information Security Agency). The focus of this report is the complex ?ecosystem? of the interconnected network layers that make up the Internet. http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/the-internet-interconnection-2018ecosystem2019-new-report-identifies-top-risks-for-resilient-interconnection-of-it-networks New Zealand Parliament denies DDoS attack The New Zealand Government has denied reports of a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack against the New Zealand Parliament website over the weekend, despite cyber activist group Anonymous claiming responsibility for outages. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/385114/new_zealand_parliament_denies_ddos_attack/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** IPv6 penetration crosses 0.2% mark according to Google by Peter HJ van Eijk According to Google native IPv6 penetration has structurally crossed the 0.2% mark as a percentage of total traffic on the Internet in early 2011. This may not seem much, but it has doubled in a year, in an Internet that is still growing exponentially. http://www.petersgriddle.net/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Here Come the Osama bin Laden Domain Names Osama bin Laden domain namesWhenever there?s a major news event ? good or tragic ? domain name registrations follow. http://domainnamewire.com/2011/05/02/here-come-the-osama-bin-laden-domain-names/ ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Monte Cahn Sues Oversee.net Over $13 Million Incentive Plan [Updated] Moniker founder Monte Cahn has sued Oversee.net along with its current CEO Jeff Kupietzky and founder Lawrence Ng over a $13 million inventive plan. http://domainnamewire.com/2011/05/04/monte-cahn-sues-oversee-net-over-13-million-incentive-plan/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Bin Laden death sparks outburst of online activity Word of Osama bin Laden's death has spread rapidly online, with people across the world sharing their reactions to the news with Twitter messages, Facebook updates and YouTube video clips. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/02/3205749.htm Social Media Buzzes, Comes Into Its Own The Internet surged with conversation about the death of Osama bin Laden, cementing social-media sites' growing roles as disseminators of breaking news and as public squares where people discuss it. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703703304576299422548353478.html Internet creaks under tidal wave of bin Laden death news President Obama's late-night announcement of the death of Osama bin Laden by Navy SEALs triggered a massive amount of real-time comments, searches, social networking and video streaming. The traffic explosion bogged down news pages and for a while even crashed CNN's mobile news site. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9216328/Internet_creaks_under_tidal_wave_of_bin_Laden_death_news http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/385017/internet_creaks_under_tidal_wave_bin_laden_death_news/ UK general title digital book sales soar to ?16m in 2010 Sales of digital books are soaring in the UK, figures from the Publishers Association show. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13262842 UK ebook sales rise 20% to ?180m The growing popularity of digital readers such as Amazon's Kindle and ebook titles by authors including Stephen Fry and Stieg Larsson helped boost UK sales of digital book products by 20% to ?180m last year. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/may/03/ebook-sales-amazon-kindle Google Takes to TV to Promote Browser Google is once again taking up arms in the browser wars, in the belief that people who use its Chrome Web browser will be more likely to keep using Google search. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/technology/04chrome.html Internet addiction in teens and young adults: Is it actually a problem? Are America's teens and young adults addicted to the Internet? There's no good way to tell, according to a paper published online Monday in the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. That's in part because there's very little consistency among studies on the subject, so it's hard to pinpoint trends in the data accurately. http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/la-heb-internet-addiction-20110502,0,3357369.story nz: Average Facebook user has 124 friends, survey finds If you're checking your Facebook page today, have a look at how many friends you have - fewer than 124 and the average Facebook user in New Zealand is more popular than you. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/new-zealand/news/article.cfm?l_id=71&objectid=10722982 5,5 Millionen ?sterreicher sind online 78 Prozent der ?sterreicher ab 14 Jahren nutzen das Internet. In den letzten zehn Jahren hat vor allem die Verbreitung im l?ndlichen Raum stark zugenommen. http://futurezone.at/digitallife/2957-5-5-millionen-oesterreicher-sind-online.php ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Commission and European industry join forces to build the Internet of the Future [news release] The first phase of a ?600 million public-private partnership on the Internet of the Future (FI-PPP) was launched today by European Commission Vice-President Neelie Kroes. The partnership will support innovation in Europe and help businesses and governments to develop internet solutions that will be capable of managing the exponential increase in online data. Whilst so far we have experienced the Internet of connected computers, and connected people, the Internet is now going mobile and it will connect a whole range of machines and objects. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/525 Hollywood in turmoil as DVD sales drop and downloads steal the show It's been a huge source of Hollywood profit but the silvery, lucrative DVD could be consigned to the pages of a history book if plunging US sales continue for the rest of the year. Sales of new titles tumbled by nearly one fifth in the first three months of this year, a decline fuelled partly by a lack of hits and the timing of Easter ? but also by the start of what appears to be an irreversible change in consumer habits. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/may/03/film-industry-turmoil-as-dvd-sales-drop ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ European legislators consider net filter for Europe [IDG] European Union plans to "create a single secure cyberspace" have come under fire from civil liberties groups, with many saying that they only serve to highlight how far the bloc still has to go in understanding the modern online world. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/384993/european_legislators_consider_net_filter_europe/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/050211-european-legislators-consider-net-filter.html Facebook sued over social ads using minors as endorsers without permission [Bloomberg] Facebook, the world?s most popular social networking site, is being sued for not getting parents? permission before displaying that minors ?like? the products of its advertisers. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/facebook-sued-over-social-ads-using-minors-as-endorsers-without-permission-20110504-1e77e.html au: Principals need help with cyber bullies [AAP] Victorian school principals need more help to cope with the rising threat of cyberbullying, an Auditor-General's report has found. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/385237/principals_need_help_cyber_bullies/ au: School assaults on the rise THE number of cases of unwanted sexual behaviour in Victorian schools jumped by almost 50 per cent in three years, according to a new report that also found minor assaults jumped by almost two-thirds. ... Cyber bullying was identified as an ''emerging or increased risk'' by three-quarters of principals. http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/school-assaults-on-the-rise-20110504-1e8er.html nz: Internet filter proves its worth [news release] Child protection agency, ECPAT Child ALERT, says an Internet filter, operated by the Department of Internal Affairs is making a valuable contribution towards reducing access to illegal child sex abuse sites. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1105/S00099/internet-filter-proves-its-worth.htm us: Internet Safety Experts Speak at "Get Schooled, Kids and Cyber Security" Event [news release] On May 3, the U.S. State Department?s Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) hosted ?Get Schooled, Kids and Cyber Security,? an event to raise awareness about cyber security and children. Four internet safety experts spoke about important risks, mitigation strategies, and safety tips to help keep kids safe online. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/05/162498.htm Las Vegas classes teach kids ways to stave off bullying Despite the martial arts weapons, crash pads and variations of punching bags in the makeshift classroom, T.J. Quicksilver is trying to teach kids how to deal with bullies without resorting to violence. http://www.lvrj.com/view/las-vegas-classes-teach-kids-ways-to-stave-off-bullying-120211784.html Studie: Kinderpornografie meist aus Tauschb?rsen [dpa] Kinderpornografie wird einer aktuellen Studie zufolge vor allem ?ber Internet-Tauschb?rsen vertrieben. Die gr??te Rolle spielten kostenlose ?Peer-to-Peer-Netzwerke?, sagte der Direktor des Kriminalwissenschaftlichen Instituts der Leibniz Universit?t Hannover, Bernd-Dieter Meier. http://www.rnz.de/Headtitles_ComputerWeb/00_20110502171809_Studie_Kinderpornografie_meist_aus_Tauschboers.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Cinemas at war with studios over plan to screen films in homes Cinema chains could refuse to show major films in a showdown with two leading studios over home viewing. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/cinemas-at-war-with-studios-over-plan-to-screen-films-in-homes-2278043.html Ownership of TV Sets Falls in U.S. For the first time in 20 years, the number of homes in the United States with television sets has dropped. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/business/media/03television.html US TV ownership down for first time in 20 years [AFP] The number of US homes owning television sets is falling for the first time in two decades, the Nielsen Co. said on Tuesday. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/us-tv-ownership-down-for-first-time-in-20-years-20110504-1e728.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/us-tv-ownership-down-for-first-time-in-20-years-20110504-1e728.html Spotify aims to 'make iTunes redundant' Online music service Spotify is turning up the heat on Apple as it aims to create an alternative to iTunes. The company is extending many of its premium services, including an iPhone and iPod app, to non-paying members. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13273135 Spotify launches Apple iTunes 'rival' If you hate using Apple's iTunes to synchronise songs on your iPod or iPhone, the music streaming service Spotify would like your attention. It is rolling out a new version of its desktop and mobile application for all of its users, including the ad-supported "free" users, which will synchronise tracks from their computer to iPods, iPhones and Android phones. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/may/04/spotify-apple-itunes-mp3 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** IT Breaks Free: Technology is bursting out from the shackles of its desk-bound past. It has the power to disrupt business like never before You might expect a Nokia executive to tell us the mobile industry will change the world. But Rich Green, chief technology officer at Nokia, makes a compelling case. "If you can change Egypt with 140 characters written on a four inch screen," he says, "what can you do with a PC substitute in one out of every four hands?" The revolution in mobile technology is just one form of disruption that will change profoundly the way the world does business in the future. But in all its varying guises, disruption was the number one rated topic by the Tech Leader Group. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703712504576244800903733600.html Vodafone lets customers use their mobiles to London pay taxi fares You can navigate with it and do your shopping with it. But now you can add paying for a cab to the things you can do with your phone. Vodafone is introducing a scheme that allows customers of London black cabs who find themselves short of cash for the ride home to send a text with the vehicle's licence number to a central code and the amount owed is charged to their phone account. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/may/03/vodafonegroup-telecoms au: ACMA to plug gap in wireless spectrum Australians' love of smartphones and tablet devices has sparked a rapid increase in demand for downloading data on the run, but the spectrum needed to feed that desire is already in short supply and more will need to be found in the next 10 years, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/push-to-plug-the-gap-in-wireless-spectrum/story-e6frg8zx-1226049450443 au: Mobile broadband traffic to soar exponentially Mobile broadband traffic will be 1000 times higher by the end of this decade than in 2007, requiring more spectrum to be allocated to mobile companies, the communications regulator will warn today. http://www.smh.com.au/business/mobile-broadband-traffic-to-soar-20110503-1e6nd.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/team-ted-sings-precisely-to-the-election-tune-20110503-1e6w0.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/mobile-broadband-traffic-to-soar-exponentially-20110504-1e78l.html http://www.watoday.com.au/technology/technology-news/mobile-broadband-traffic-to-soar-exponentially-20110504-1e78l.html http://www.businessday.com.au/business/mobile-broadband-traffic-to-soar-20110503-1e6nd.html Towards 2020?Future spectrum requirements for mobile broadband [news release] The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released the first in a series of papers signalling its intention to develop a future spectrum management strategy to meet the longer term needs of the mobile broadband industry while ensuring that the needs of incumbent users are also taken into account. The paper seeks comment from stakeholders on a number of spectrum management issues http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_312514 uk: Mobile users being 'held hostage' by providers [PA] Mobile phone users risk being "held hostage" by their provider because of the cost of switching to other firms, according to a report today. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/mobile-users-being-held-hostage-by-providers-2278691.html Android dominance of worldwide smartphone sales goes on, says Canalys Android is the dominant smartphone platform worldwide for the second quarter in a row, in a market that has grown by 83% to 101m from 55.2m a year ago, according to new research from Canalys. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2011/may/04/android-smartphone-worldwide-dominates Android became clear smartphone leader in Q1 - Canalys Google's Android platform rose to a dominant position in the smartphone market in the first quarter, research firm Canalys said on Wednesday, increasing its lead over struggling Nokia. http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/05/04/idINIndia-56774920110504 Android increases smart phone market leadership with 35% share [news release] Canalys today released its worldwide country-level smart phone market data for Q1 2011, revealing that Android led the market for the second quarter running, and, with 35.7 million units shipped, increased its share to 35%. At the same time, Canalys confirmed that Asia Pacific (APAC) became the largest smart phone market region, with year-on-year growth of 98% to 37.3 million units, putting it ahead of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for the first time since Q3 2007. On a country basis, mainland China, South Korea and India delivered strong volumes and registered triple-digit growth. http://canalys.com/pr/2011/r2011051.html ********************** SPAM ********************** uk: Information Commissioner gets new powers to fine for spam emails Organisations that make unwanted marketing phone calls or send spam emails to consumers could face fines of up to ?500,000, the Government has warned. http://out-law.com/page-11893 ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Why poor countries lead the world in piracy The developing world has plenty of problems, but few are as important as piracy. Or rather, "piracy", by which I mean: "Trade reps from rich countries complaining loudly about copyright infringement and demanding that poor countries re-organise their domestic priorities around preventing unauthorised copying at any expense, threatening trade sanctions and worse for the recalcitrant." http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/may/03/why-poor-countries-lead-world-piracy Europol says internet main tool for organised crime [AFP] The Internet has become a major tool in European organised crime, which uses it for drugs and human trafficking and money laundering as well as cybercrime, Europol's top official said Wednesday. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/europol-says-internet-main-tool-for-organised-crime-20110504-1e8a7.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/europol-says-internet-main-tool-for-organised-crime-20110504-1e8a7.html http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110504/tc_afp/eucrimeeuropolreport Bin Laden death is magnet for scammers on Facebook, Google The death of Osama bin Laden has been an unusual magnet for online scammers and spammers, with malicious links profferring pictures of a deceased Bin Laden popping up to fool Facebook and Google users. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/05/bin-laden-death-scam-virus-facebook-google.html Malicious Software Features Usama bin Laden Links to Ensnare Unsuspecting Computer Users [news release] The FBI today warns computer users to exercise caution when they receive e-mails that purport to show photos or videos of Usama bin Laden?s recent death. This content could be a virus that could damage your computer. This malicious software, or ?malware,? can embed itself in computers and spread to users? contact lists, thereby infecting the systems of associates, friends, and family members. These viruses are often programmed to steal your personally identifiable information. http://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/malicious-software-features-usama-bin-laden-links-to-ensnare-unsuspecting-computer-users Bin Laden death "video" used as computer scam hook Computer hackers are exploiting the fascination with the death of Osama bin Laden to spread malicious software through scams that promise access to videos of the historic killing. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/04/us-binladen-computer-virus-idUSTRE7437EM20110504 Osama scams: FBI sounds alarm The FBI is warning computer users against unsolicited emails and social network posts purporting to show photos or videos of the killing of Osama bin Laden. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/osama-scams-fbi-sounds-alarm-20110504-1e7cw.html Online scammers use bin Laden news as bait [AFP] Computer security experts are warning that online scammers have already started to exploit the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to spread malware. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/03/3206571.htm Fake AV makers, scammers exploit Bin Laden news Malware makers and scammers have quickly latched onto the news that U.S. military forces killed Osama Bin Laden, security researchers said today. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9216330/Fake_AV_makers_scammers_exploit_Bin_Laden_news http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/385025/fake_av_makers_scammers_exploit_bin_laden_news/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/050211-fake-av-makers-scammers-exploit.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/226842/.html Malware creators capitalizing on Osama bin Laden news Creators of malware are using the death of Osama bin Laden to fool unsuspecting users to click on malware. http://venturebeat.com/2011/05/02/malware-creators-capitalizing-on-osama-bin-laden-news/ Scammers Use Osama Bin Laden's Death To Spread Malware On Facebook, Google With the news of Osama Bin Laden's death commanding the Web today, it's no surprise that spammers have been exploiting the news for hours. It's pretty much the standard scheme these days; scammers latch onto any big news events in order to get unsuspecting victims to fall for scams. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/02/osama-bin-laden-death-malware-on-facebook-google_n_856422.html FBI warns that fake bin Laden video is a virus The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation warned computer users Tuesday that messages claiming to include photos and videos of Osama bin Laden's death actually contain a virus that could steal personal information. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9216389/FBI_warns_that_fake_bin_Laden_video_is_a_virus http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/385224/fbi_warns_fake_bin_laden_video_virus/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/050411-fbi-warns-that-fake-bin.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/227039/.html Osama Bin Laden news spurs wave of scams, malware [CSO] Malware creators are already using the news of Osama Bin Laden's death as a opportunity to try and dupe people into clicking on malicious links. According to cloud-security firm Zscaler, researchers were already seeing malicious sites emerge to capitalize on the news within hours of the announcement. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/050211-osama-bin-laden-news-spurs.html us: After botched child porn raid, judge sees the light on IP addresses Several recent government raids on computer users suspected of sharing child porn online hit the wrong targets. Instead of getting the perpetrators, some of the raids nabbed a neighbor with an open WiFi network instead. One obvious takeaway: letting total strangers use your Internet connection for any purpose comes with some risk. But there's another lesson: IP addresses simply don't identify the people behind the computers. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/05/after-botched-child-porn-raid-judge-sees-the-light-on-ip-addresses.ars Popular Australian e-commerce fraud suburbs revealed New data collated from about two million Australian credit and debit cards reveals the popular suburbs in which e-commerce fraud has been attempted using internet-connected computers. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/popular-australian-ecommerce-fraud-suburbs-revealed-20110504-1e71e.html Internet fraud hits Sydney's western suburbs hardest Fairfield is the state's e-commerce fraud capital, according to data released to the Herald by the computer security firm RSA. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/internet-fraud-hits-western-suburbs-hardest-20110504-1e8ji.html Bank card numbers stolen in Sony cyberattack [AFP] Sony says that cyber assaults on its online videogame network were broader than first thought, with intruders getting away with credit and debit card data. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/03/3206568.htm New York Attorney General Subpoenas Sony New York?s attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, issued a subpoena to Sony on Tuesday requesting information about how it protects customers? personal information. The company?s servers were breached by unknown hackers last month. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/new-york-attorney-general-subpoenas-sony/ Sony warns of almost 25 million extra user detail theft Sony has warned that almost 25 million extra gaming users may have had their personal details taken in a hacker attack. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13256817 Sony suffers second data breach with theft of 25m more user details The crisis at Sony deepened on Tuesday as it admitted that an extra 25 million customers who played games on its Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) PC games network have had their personal details stolen ? and that they were taken before the theft of 77 million peoples' details on the PlayStation Network (PSN). http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2011/may/03/sony-data-breach-online-entertainment Hackers Breach Second Sony Service Sony Corp. said computer hackers breached security for a second online service, gaining access to personal information for 24.6 million customer accounts as part of a broader attack on the company that has compromised data for more than 100 million accounts. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704436004576299491191920416.html Sony says 25 mln more users at risk in second data hack Sony's Internet security crisis deepened on Monday with the company revealing hackers had stolen data of another 25 million users of its PC games system in a second massive breach for the consumer electronics giant. http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/05/03/idINIndia-56723820110503 http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/05/03/uk-sony-idUKTRE73T0N520110503 Sony says 25 million more accounts hacked [AP] Sony said that hackers may have taken personal information from an additional 24.6 million user accounts after a review of the recent PlayStation Network breach found an intrusion at a division that makes multiplayer online games. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/sony-says-25-million-more-accounts-hacked/story-e6frgakx-1226049061880 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10723130 Sony hires detectives after gamers lose personal data Sony has hired investigators after a breach of security, in which the personal data of more than 100 million online game users was compromised. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13276490 au: Breach sparks security alert: call for laws to protect against Playstation-style attacks Australia should fast-track laws protecting consumers following the hacking of 77 million gamers' accounts of Sony PlayStation Network users, says a leading international security company. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/breach-sparks-security-alert-call-for-laws-to-protect-against-playstation-style-attacks/story-e6frgakx-1226048705602 Enforcing Copyrights Online, for a Profit When Brian Hill, a 20-year-old blogger from North Carolina, posted on his Web site last December a photograph of an airport security officer conducting a pat-down, a legal battle was the last thing he imagined. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/business/media/03righthaven.html us: Prosecuting Internet Bad Acts Using Nuisance Law A myriad of internet-related violations of both criminal and civil statutes are not prosecuted because their novelty requires excessive effort by the moving party. When cases of internet bad acts are brought to court, the prosecution tends to be unsuccessful, as evidenced by the cases associated with internet-related obscenity. Despite the intensification of internet criminal and civil statute violations, there has been little innovation with respect to the prosecution of internet bad actors. http://www.law.com/jsp/lawtechnologynews/PubArticleLTN.jsp?id=1202492726680 au: SA Police turn to distributed review system to handle cyber crime An uptick in cyber crime in South Australia has forced the state?s police service move to adopt a distributed review system to help its investigators work on more electronic crime cases more quickly. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/385097/sa_police_turn_distributed_review_system_handle_cyber_crime/ New Zealand Parliament denies DDoS attack The New Zealand Government has denied reports of a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack against the New Zealand Parliament website over the weekend, despite cyber activist group Anonymous claiming responsibility for outages. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/385114/new_zealand_parliament_denies_ddos_attack/ ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Europe Leads in Pushing for Privacy of User Data As pressure grows for technology companies like Apple and Google to adjust how their phones and devices gather data, Europe seems to be where the new rules are being determined. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/technology/04iht-privacy04.html Web Dating Going Mobile Bucks Privacy Concern Over Apple, Google Apple Inc. and Google Inc. are trying to reassure iPhone and Android handset users they aren?t tracking their locations. Online dating companies are betting their bottom lines on doing just that. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-03/web-dating-going-mobile-bucks-privacy-concern-over-apple-google.html Google Calls Location Data 'Valuable' Google Inc.'s collection of location information from millions of mobile devices and personal computers is "extremely valuable" to the company's future business, according to an email written by a Google product manager last year. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703703304576297450030517830.html Google's Seoul office raided over data collection claims Google's Seoul office was raided on Tuesday on suspicion its mobile advertising unit AdMob had illegally collected location data without consent, South Korean police said ? the latest setback to the internet search firm's Korean operations. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/may/03/google-seoul-office-raided-data Google's South Korean Offices Raided Over Data Collection Google Inc's Seoul office was raided on Tuesday on suspicion the Internet search firm's mobile advertising unit AdMob had illegally collected data, South Korean police said, the latest setback to Google's Korean operations. http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/05/03/idINIndia-56725720110503 http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/05/03/oukin-uk-google-korea-idUKTRE74210J20110503 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/technology/04google.html South Korean police raid Google offices [AFP] South Korean police on Tuesday raided Google's local office to investigate whether the global search company used its mobile phone advertising platform to illegally collect private location data. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/04/3206980.htm South Korea raids Google over illegal mobile data collection [IDG] Police in South Korea said they had raided Google's Korea head office in Seoul on Tuesday on suspicion that the subsidiary of the search engine company had illegally collected location data from application subscribers. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/385128/south_korea_raids_google_over_illegal_mobile_data_collection/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/050311-south-korea-raids-google-over.html Google faces it: privacy on smartphone in focus For Google privacy director Alma Whitten, facial recognition on a smartphone is a step too far. "I don't want to leave the office and have somebody I don't know take my picture on the street and then use that to find out who I am," she says. "That is really creepy. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/telecommunications/google-faces-it-privacy-on-smartphone-in-focus/story-fn4iyzsr-1226048607268 au: Move to tighten privacy rules The federal government will introduce laws forcing companies to disclose privacy breaches after Sony revealed that more than 1.5 million Australian user accounts were compromised in the recent attack on its PlayStation Network. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/security/move-to-tighten-privacy-rules-20110502-1e4xs.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/privacy-laws-to-be-beefed-up-following-sony-attack-20110502-1e578.html EFA, APF call for greater access to personal information Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) and the Australian Privacy Foundation (APF) have highlighted the need to strengthen the Privacy Act 1988 and make information held by a company available to end users. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/385223/efa_apf_call_greater_access_personal_information/ ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** China Creates New Agency for Patrolling the Internet A powerful arm of China?s government said Wednesday that it had created a new central agency to regulate every corner of the nation?s vast Internet community, a move that appeared to complement a continuing crackdown on political dissidents and other social critics. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/world/asia/05china.html China sets up office for Internet information management The Chinese government announced Wednesday the setting up of an office to manage Internet information in a statement of the State Council General Office. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-05/04/c_13857911.htm http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/7370533.html China names chief officials for State Internet Information Office The State Council, or China's cabinet, has approved the appointment of four senior officials for the State Internet Information Office. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-05/04/c_13857910.htm China sets up agency to tighten grip on Internet China announced a new State Internet Information Office on Wednesday to unify the squabbling agencies that oversee the Chinese Internet, which Beijing views as both a potential gold mine and a political threat. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/04/china-internet-idUSL3E7G43NQ20110504 http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/05/3208132.htm China Makes Internet Censorship More Efficient China formed a new State Internet Information Office on Wednesday, consolidating its disparate offices that oversee the Internet into a single agency. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2384921,00.asp http://news.yahoo.com/s/zd/20110504/tc_zd/264048 China's new IT authority could raise censorship [IDG] China announced on Wednesday it had established a new department to oversee information on the Internet, in a move that could lead to more effective Web censorship. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/385300/china_new_it_authority_could_raise_censorship/ au: Piracy dispute panel proposed A prominent intellectual property law firm has moved to establish an extrajudicial scheme to resolve piracy disputes between internet firms and copyright holders. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/piracy-dispute-panel-proposed/story-e6frgakx-1226048723392 How Google Australia escapes the taxman with a little help from Ireland Google Australia paid tax of $1 million last year on its market-dominating Australian online search advertising business, which is estimated to reap more than $700 million in revenue annually. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/biz-tech/how-google-australia-escapes-the-taxman-with-a-little-help-from-ireland-20110502-1e3os.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/biz-tech/how-google-australia-escapes-the-taxman-with-a-little-help-from-ireland-20110502-1e3os.html nz: Leaked US cables show lobbying on Copyright Bill Cables released by Wikileaks over the weekend purport to show the US Embassy offered to get help from the US to redraft New Zealand?s copyright legislation following the withdrawal of the controversial Section 92A ? concerning procedures to police and punish illegal downloading of copyright works. Government withdrew the section for redrafting in the face of public protest. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/leaked-us-cables-show-lobbying-on-copyright-bill WikiLeaks: US offered to bankroll New Zealand piracy crackdown Making your country's views known is a principal function of foreign embassies, but the US goes much further. According to cables released by WikiLeaks, the US embassy in New Zealand urged Uncle Sam to fork over about half a million New Zealand dollars back in 2005 to bankroll a private intellectual property enforcement unit run by major rightsholders in the region. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/05/wikileaks-us-offered-to-bankroll-new-zealand-piracy-crackdown.ars nz: Copyright protestors say Parliament event sidetracked A demonstration in Parliament grounds on May 1 was supposed to highlight objections to the amended Copyright Act and its provisions to combat illegal online file-sharing. In the event this proved a minor feature of the proceedings, with much of the time taken up by organiser and entrepreneur Christopher Wingate, advocating broader attention to government and judicial accountability. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/copyright-protestors-say-parliament-event-sidetracked nz: Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill passed into law The controversial Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill passed its third reading today (14 April 2011) with the majority of its provisions to come into effect on 1 September 2011. http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=a07f151e-b8a9-41f1-8576-bd1875d8fbcb nz: Internet users face flood of warnings Internet users are likely to be hit with hundreds of thousands of infringement notices each year after controversial changes to copyright law take effect in September, an Economic Development Ministry consultation document suggests. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4953021/Internet-users-face-flood-of-warnings http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/internet-users-face-flood-warnings-4152848 http://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-newspapers/west-coast-6013/news-6662/4953021/Internet-users-face-flood-of-warnings http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/news/latest-news/4953021/Internet-users-face-flood-of-warnings http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/national-news/4953021/Internet-users-face-flood-of-warnings http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/4952993/Internet-users-face-flood-of-warnings http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/national-news/4953021/Internet-users-face-flood-of-warnings http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4953021/Internet-users-face-flood-of-warnings ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** France Telecom Scours Africa as Deutsche Telekom Keeps Plans in Europe Deutsche Telekom AG and France Telecom SA are split over where and how to offset their declining phone businesses in Europe, even as they deepen cooperation on equipment purchasing, networks and technology. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-02/france-telecom-scours-africa-as-deutsche-telekom-keeps-to-europe.html nz: Telecom regulatory financial statements unreliable: ComCom Access network is overvalued by $1 billion, Telecomms Commissioner says; Telecom says it abided by ComCom requirements for filing the statements http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/telecom-regulatory-financial-statements-unreliable-comcom nz: ComCom releases MTAS decision The Commerce Commission has released its decision on mobile termination rates, the charges telcos levy on one another for transferring calls between their networks. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/comcom-releases-mtas-decisions NZ Government moves to cut mobile rates New Zealand?s Commerce Commission has cut wholesale mobile termination rates in an effort to open up the country?s telecommunications market amid fears that current rates are hampering competition. http://www.techworld.com.au/article/385409/nz_government_moves_cut_mobile_rates/ http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/385409/nz_government_moves_cut_mobile_rates/ nz: Commerce Commission cuts mobile termination rates The Commerce Commission today released its decision on mobile termination rates ? the cost of carrying a text or call on another network. There will be significant reductions in the wholesale termination rates for mobile calls and text messages. As a result of competitive pressure, the Commission anticipates that these reductions in the wholesale rates will flow through to the prices paid by the 4.7 million mobile subscribers in New Zealand in the coming year. http://www.comcom.govt.nz/media-releases/detail/2011/commerce-commission-cuts-mobile-termination-rates Vodafone slams mobile termination decision, 2degrees welcomes it, Telecom neutral Vodafone has labelled the Commerce Commission?s decision on mobile termination rates ?extreme? and may seek a review of the wholesale prices set today. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/vodafone-slams-mobile-termination-decision-2degrees-welcomes-it-telecom-neutral Ofcom poised on BT access Regulators are poised to intervene to set the price at which BT, the UK telecoms company, would provide access to its infrastructure so that rivals could build high-speed broadband internet networks. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a36d6970-75e5-11e0-82c6-00144feabdc0.html au: Telecommunications complaints soar again The federal government is under renewed pressure to tighten regulation on the telecommunications sector after another big rise in customer complaints. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/telecommunications-complaints-soar-again-20110504-1e8j8.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2011 ------ David Goldstein email: david§goldsteinreport.com web: http://goldsteinreport.com/ http://davidgoldstein.tel/ phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim FlanneryReceived on Thu May 05 2011 - 01:28:10 UTC
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