Berners Lee, Future of Web, US House of Reps

Tim Berners Lee- Testimony on the Future of the Web to Hearing of US House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Telecoms and the Internet, 1 March 2007:

• "The special care we extend to the World Wide Web comes from a long tradition that democracies have of protecting their vital communications channels. (...) We nurture and protect our information networks because they stand at the core of our economies, our democracies, and our cultural and personal lives. Of course, the imperative to assure the free flow of information has only grown given the global nature of the Internet and Web."

• "...the Web is just one of the many applications that run on top of the Internet. As with other Internet applications such as email, instant messaging, and voice over IP, the Web would have been impossible to create without the Internet itself operating as an open platform."

• "Open infrastructures become general purpose infrastructure on top of which large scale social systems are built. The Web takes this openness one step further and enables a continually evolving set of new services that combine information at a global scale previously not possible."

* Copy of Berners Lee testimony available here:
CSAIL Decentralized Information Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
* also a copy with blog editorial comment here

* See also official government record here:
HEARING | "Digital Future of the United States: Part I -- The Future of the World Wide Web"
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet | Thursday, March 1, 2007
* and copy with editorial comment here


---

Further:

* Tim Berners Lee

* Google blog | Vint Cerf speaks out on net neutrality | 11/08/2005 01:21:00 PM | Posted by Alan Davidson, Washington Policy Counsel, DC office

(...)

Vinton Cerf
Chief Internet Evangelist
Google Inc.

(...) The remarkable social impact and economic success of the Internet is in many ways directly attributable to the architectural characteristics that were part of its design. The Internet was designed with no gatekeepers over new content or services. The Internet is based on a layered, end-to-end model that allows people at each level of the network to innovate free of any central control. By placing intelligence at the edges rather than control in the middle of the network, the Internet has created a platform for innovation. This has led to an explosion of offerings – from VOIP to 802.11x wi-fi to blogging – that might never have evolved had central control of the network been required by design.

My fear is that, as written, this bill would do great damage to the Internet as we know it. Enshrining a rule that broadly permits network operators to discriminate in favor of certain kinds of services and to potentially interfere with others would place broadband operators in control of online activity. Allowing broadband providers to segment their IP offerings and reserve huge amounts of bandwidth for their own services will not give consumers the broadband Internet our country and economy need. Many people will have little or no choice among broadband operators for the foreseeable future, implying that such operators will have the power to exercise a great deal of control over any applications placed on the network.

As we move to a broadband environment and eliminate century-old non-discrimination requirements, a lightweight but enforceable neutrality rule is needed to ensure that the Internet continues to thrive. Telephone companies cannot tell consumers who they can call; network operators should not dictate what people can do online.

I am confident that we can build a broadband system that allows users to decide what websites they want to see and what applications they want to use – and that also guarantees high quality service and network security. That network model has and can continue to provide economic benefits to innovators and consumers -- and to the broadband operators who will reap the rewards for providing access to such a valued network.

We appreciate the efforts in your current draft to create at least a starting point for net neutrality principles. Google looks forward to working with you and your staff to draft a bill that will maintain the revolutionary potential of the broadband Internet.

* google blog |Standing on the shoulders of this giant | 11/04/2005 01:55:00 PM (...)

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award given in the United States, and our own Vint Cerf has been recognized with this honor. He and Robert Kahn will be recognized in a White House ceremony next Wednesday.

Together, Vint and Bob designed the architecture and protocols 30+ years ago that are used today to implement and operate the Internet. The White House statement puts it succinctly: "Dr. Cerf and Dr. Kahn have been at the forefront of a digital revolution that has transformed global commerce, communication, and entertainment."

Vint and Bob join an impressive list of winners, including Alan Greenspan, Muhammad Ali, Aretha Franklin, Frank Robinson and Paul Rusesabagina. The official release is here.

We couldn't be more pleased for this recognition Vint is receiving on behalf of the vast Internet community that has realized the aspirations that he and Bob had so long ago.


* savetheinternet.com | House Ignores Public, Sells Out the Internet

Last night’s House vote against an amendment that would make Net Neutrality enforceable is the result of swarming lobbyists and a multi-million-dollar media campaign by telephone companies that want Congress to hand them control of the Internet (...).

* savetheinternet.com | Net Neutrality Saved in AT&T Merger

SavetheInternet.com Coalition looks to new Congress to Make Net Neutrality the Law

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28, 2006 — The Federal Communications Commission today approved the $85 billion merger of AT&T and BellSouth. In a victory for advocates of Internet freedom, the terms of the deal include strict protections for Network Neutrality and concessions that will lower the cost of Internet access.

(...) "This merger agreement is a milestone that may one day be remembered as an important moment in Internet history," said Tim Wu a professor at Columbia University Law School and charter member of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition. "Most notable is the agreement's striking inclusion of the first strong Network Neutrality language yet seen in any broadband regulations."

"AT&T capitulated to supporters of an open and neutral Internet," added Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press, which coordinates the SavetheInternet.com Coalition. "The agreement once and for all puts to rest the bogus argument that no one can define Net Neutrality. The FCC just did it, and the sky hasn't fallen. The conditions placed on this merger will show irrefutably that Net Neutrality and phone company profits are not mutually exclusive."

Late Thursday night, AT&T filed a "letter of commitment" with the FCC in which it agreed to strict Net Neutrality requirements for at least 24 months. According to the letter, AT&T "commits that it will maintain a neutral network and neutral routing in its wireline broadband Internet access service" and pledges "not to provide or to sell to Internet content, application, or service providers, including those affiliated with AT&T/BellSouth, any service that privileges, degrades or prioritizes any packet transmitted over AT&T/BellSouth's wireline broadband Internet access service based on its source, ownership or destination."

"This means AT&T can't sell Yahoo or CNN priority access to its customers over its broadband networks," Wu explained, "or favor those content sources over unaffiliated blogs or search engines."

Professor Wu's detailed analysis of the merger condition is available at www.savetheinternet.com/=wu

AT&T's concessions followed heated negotiations with FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein. Their firm stance in placing conditions on the deal was backed by tens of thousands of letters from citizens who demanded that the FCC block any merger without Net Neutrality.

"AT&T showed no interest in allowing Net Neutrality to be included in this deal," said Mark Cooper, director of research for the Consumer Federation of America. "But their feet were held to the fire and, in the end, they had no choice but to accept terms that will protect the Internet and keep a bad merger from being much, much worse."

The deal also requires AT&T to guarantee low-cost DSL access for 30 months.

"This merger endangers long-term competition," said Gene Kimmelman, vice president of Consumers Union. "But by making AT&T's high-speed Internet service available to consumers for less than $20 a month, the FCC opens the door for consumers to connect low-cost Internet telephone service to broadband and thereby pressure the market to keep delivering lower prices for all telecom services. And those consumers who cannot afford DSL today, or who cannot afford to pay AT&T's high package fees for combined Internet and phone service, can now get fast connections to the Internet at a reasonable price."

"Today's decision makes the best of a bad situation by minimizing potential harm to the public interest," added Andrew Jay Schwartzman of the Media Access Project. "There will be more competition and more innovation than would have been the case without the conditions imposed today by the FCC. In addition, this agreement requires AT&T to divest a large swath of wireless spectrum. While the future of this WiMax technology remains unclear, it has the potential to offer wireless broadband competition over the next few years."

The Net Neutrality provisions will last for at least 24 months — or until Congress passes meaningful, enforceable Net Neutrality under the law. Internet freedom advocates at the SavetheInternet.com Coalition pledged to push the new Congress for legislation when it convenes next week.

"Today's merger agreement sets the bar for the entire industry," Scott said. "We are no longer having a debate about whether Net Neutrality should be the law of the land. We are having a debate about how and when."

Savethe internet.com | FAQ net neutrality

(...)

What is this about?

This is about Internet freedom. "Network Neutrality" -- the First Amendment of the Internet -- ensures that the public can view the smallest blog just as easily as the largest corporate Web site by preventing Internet companies like AT&T from rigging the playing field for only the highest-paying sites.

But Internet providers like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast are spending millions of dollars lobbying Congress to gut Net Neutrality. If Congress doesn't take action now to implement meaningful Net Neutrality provisions, the future of the Internet is at risk.

To learn more, read Network Neutrality: Fact vs. Fiction

What is Network Neutrality?

Network Neutrality — or "Net Neutrality" for short — is the guiding principle that preserves the free and open Internet.

Net Neutrality ensures that all users can access the content or run the applications and devices of their choice. With Net Neutrality, the network's only job is to move data — not choose which data to privilege with higher quality service. Net Neutrality prevents the companies that control the wires from discriminating against content based on its source or ownership.

Net Neutrality is the reason why the Internet has driven economic innovation, democratic participation, and free speech online. It's why the Internet has become an unrivaled environment for open communications, civic involvement and free speech.

Learn more in Net Neutrality 101.

Who wants to get rid of Net Neutrality?

The nation's largest telephone and cable companies — including AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner — want to be Internet gatekeepers, deciding which Web sites go fast or slow and which won't load at all.

They want to tax content providers to guarantee speedy delivery of their data. They want to discriminate in favor of their own search engines, Internet phone services, and streaming video — while slowing down or blocking their competitors.

These companies have a new vision for the Internet. Instead of an even playing field, they want to reserve express lanes for their own content and services — or those from big corporations that can afford the steep tolls — and leave the rest of us on a winding dirt road.

What's at stake?

Decisions being made now will shape the future of the Internet for a generation. Before long, all media — TV, phone and the Web — will come to your home via the same broadband connection. The dispute over Net Neutrality is about who'll control access to new and emerging technologies.

On the Internet, consumers are in ultimate control — deciding between content, applications and services available anywhere, no matter who owns the network. There's no middleman. But without Net Neutrality, the Internet will look more like cable TV. Network owners will decide which channels, content and applications are available; consumers will have to choose from their menu.

The Internet has always been driven by innovation. Web sites and services succeeded or failed on their own merit. Without Net Neutrality, decisions now made collectively by millions of users will be made in corporate boardrooms. The choice we face now is whether we can choose the content and services we want, or whether the broadband barons will choose for us.

(...)

* savetheinternet.com |House Leaders Tell FCC to Support Net Neutrality March 15th, 2007 by tkarr

Members of the House on Wednesday pressed FCC Chairman Kevin Martin to take a stronger position in support of Net Neutrality, calling it “indispensable policy for the future of the Internet.”

Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) promised that this would be just one among many hearings focused on the Net Neutrality issue.

Markey, who authored a pro-Net Neutrality bill in 2006, has pledged to protect Net Neutrality in the 110th Congress.

Over the course of Wednesday’s often contentious hearing, representatives grilled the FCC chairman on a range of issues – from caps on cable ownership to an overhaul of the Universal Service Fund – but they frequently returned to the issue of Net Neutrality as fundamentally important to the progress of the Internet. (...)

* savetheinternet.com |

Web Inventor Tells Congress: Net Neutrality a Priority

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web told U.S. House members Thursday that protecting Net Neutrality should be one of their top priorities.

Testifying today before the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, Sir Tim called upon Congress to ensure that the explosion of innovations happening on the Web not be slowed by limits imposed by Internet gatekeepers.

His prescription for the Web’s continued success includes the preservation of Net Neutrality and the thwarting of new royalty systems that would “constrain what people can read or publish online.”

Net Neutrality an ‘Obvious Requirement’

Rep. Greg Walden (R-Oregon) asked Berners-Lee to prioritize the one or two policy priorities that Congress should solve in the short term.

“I hope that the Net Neutrality thing is a short-term thing,” Sir Tim replied. “In most of the world people regard Net Neutrality as such an obvious requirement that I hope [the solution] will be short term.”

“The Web took off in all its glory because it was a royalty-free infrastructure,” Sir Tim said, reiterating his earlier warnings against threats by phone and cable companies to impose new tolls on Web traffic.

Freeing Up the Connection

“Non-discriminatory Internet provision is very important for a society based on the World Wide Web. I think that is very important,” Sir Tim said in response to Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-California), who asked for an explanation of how an absence of non-discrimination rules would impact the development of the Web.

“The communication medium is so important to society we have to give it a special treatment … I will always be in favor of erring on the side of keeping the medium to be the blank sheet — of allowing me, if I connect to the Internet, to connect to everyone else.”

In June 2006, Sir Lee said that he was concerned about threats by phone and cable companies to constrain access to Web sites that don’t pay their extortionate fees:

“When I invented the Web, I didn’t have to ask anyone’s permission,” he said. “Now, hundreds of millions of people are using it freely. I am worried that that is going end in the USA.”

During his testimony today Sir Lee, who is now based in the US as a senior researcher at MIT, expanded upon these concerns from the perspective of a Web-based business:

“If we had a situation in which the U.S. had serious flaws in its Net Neutrality … and [a country in] Europe did have Net Neutrality and I were trying to start a company, then I would be very tempted to move.”

The Human Web

Subcommittee chair Ed Markey (D-Mass.) asked Sir Lee to elaborate on his concerns about royalty-free proposals for the Web and how such royalties might have affected his work had they been a part of his original design for the Web.

Lee replied:

“Chairman Markey let me assure you that if I had charged from the word go, per click, the World Wide Web would not have taken off at all. We would not be here talking about it.

“Had there been a fee there would have been no investment. The investment people made in the Web was made by volunteers in their garages late at night. … I myself was allowed by my boss to do it in spare time. People did it in their ten percent time. And if there had been any pay-per-click, if there had been any form of fee, they would not have gone anywhere near it.”

Net Neutrality in the UK | Final programme

Net Neutrality in the UK

Guests of Honour: Claire Hobson, Head of UK Telecoms Policy, DTI; and Dougal Scott, Director of Policy Development, Ofcom

Timing: Morning, 20th March 2007 |Venue: Lewis Media Centre Millbank Tower London SW1P 4RS

Sponsor: AT&T

As the debate around net neutrality in the US continues, this meeting will bring together key stakeholders to discuss the possible implications for the UK, and the future of the Internet.

Its purpose is to provide a timely opportunity to consider some of the major issues that affect UK business and consumers, including unhindered access to the Internet as a civil right, what the Internet of the future may look like, and the international scope of the net neutrality debate.

We are delighted that Claire Hobson, Head of UK Telecoms Policy, DTI, and Dougal Scott, Director of Policy Development, Ofcom, will be giving keynote addresses at this event.

Other confirmed speakers so far include: Richard Allan, Head of Government Affairs, Cisco Systems UK and Ireland; Dorothy Attwood, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Planning and Policy, AT&T; Professor William Dutton, Director, and Professor of Internet Studies, Oxford Internet Institute; David Harrington, Leader, Regulatory Affairs, Communications Management Association; Andy May, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Cable & Wireless; Graeme Maguire, Partner, Bird & Bird; Andrew Murray, Senior Lecturer in Law, London School of Economics; Stefano Nicoletti, Principal Analyst, Ovum; Andrew Orlowski, Editor at Large, The Register; Chip Shooshan, Principal Consultant, Analysys Consulting; John Wilson, Internet advocate; and Christopher Wolf, Partner, Proskauer Rose.

Charles Hendry MP, Shadow Minister for Trade and Industry, and Rt Hon Alun Michael MP, former Minister for Trade and Industry, will be chairing this seminar.

Supported by AT&T, this important meeting is organised on the basis of strict impartiality by the Westminster eForum.

To view a full Live Agenda for this event click here.

http://westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/eforum/nn.pdf

Westminster eForum Keynote Seminar: Net Neutrality in the UK
Venue: Lewis Media Centre, Millbank Tower, Millbank, SW1P 4RS
Timing: morning, Tuesday 20th March 2007
Draft agenda subject to change

8.45 – 9.00 Registration
9.00 – 9.05 Chairman’s opening remarks
Charles Hendry MP, Shadow Minister for Trade and Industry

9.05 – 9.35 Net Neutrality in the UK: the view from DTI
Theme: An overview of the UK position on net neutrality. Where do we stand, and what is the likely future response to these emerging issues?
Claire Hobson, Head of UK Telecoms Policy, DTI
Questions and comments from the floor

9.35 – 10.20 Net neutrality: an overview
Theme: What does the term “net neutrality” actually mean? In whose interests is net neutrality, and in whose interests is a tiered internet system? Is
unhindered access to content on the internet a basic civil right, or is the prioritisation of content the only way to administer a limited resource?
Dorothy Attwood, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Planning and Policy, AT&T
Rhys Williams, Partner, Bird &Bird
Chip Shooshan, Principal Consultant, Analysys Consulting
John Wilson, Internet advocate
Andrew Orlowski, Editor at Large, The Register
Questions and comments from the floor

10.20 – 11.05 The future of the Internet: what does a net-neutral (or not) future look like?
Theme: How would net neutrality or lack thereof, affect business and consumers in the UK? How might the Internet evolve, and what does a net
neutral (or not) future look like?
Richard Allan, Head of Government Affairs, Cisco Systems UK and Ireland
Christopher Wolf, Partner, Proskauer Rose, and Co-Chair, Hands Off The Internet
Paul Myers, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Wippit
Philip Virgo, Secretary General, EURIM
Professor William Dutton, Director, and Professor of Internet Studies, Oxford Internet Institute
Questions and comments from the floor

11.05 – 11.10 Chairman’s closing remarks
Charles Hendry MP, Shadow Minister for Trade and Industry
11.10 – 11.30 Coffee

11.30 – 11.35 Chairman’s opening remarks
Rt Hon Alun Michael MP, former Minister for Trade and Industry

11.35 – 12.00 Regulating the Internet
Theme: Ofcom’s view on net neutrality.
Dougal Scott, Director of Policy Development, Ofcom
Questions and comments from the floor

12.00 – 12.45 Regulating the Internet: Are current regulatory systems appropriate to deal with net neutrality?
Theme: Is the current regulatory system adequate and appropriate to tackle net neutrality issues? If not, what should be done to fix it?
Andy May, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Cable & Wireless
David Harrington, Leader, Regulatory Affairs, Communications Management Association
Andrew Murray, Senior Lecturer, Department of Law, London School of Economics
Stefano Nicoletti, Principal Analyst, Ovum
Questions and comments from the floor

12.45 – 12.55 Closing thoughts from DTI
Theme: A response to the morning from DTI.
Claire Hobson, Head of UK Telecoms Policy, DTI

12.55 – 13.00 Chairman’s and WeF closing remarks
Rt Hon Alun Michael MP, former Minister for Trade and Industry
Peter van Gelder, Director, Westminster eForum

Digital Dividend Review _ Westminster e-forum

Digital Dividend Review

Guest of Honour: Philip Rutnam, Partner for Spectrum Policy, Ofcom

Timing: all day, 28th February 2007

Venue: The Brit Oval, Kennington, London SE11 5SS

With digital switchover on track for 2012, Ofcom are looking at options for the spectrum previously used for analogue broadcasting. This seminar will give key stakeholders an opportunity to discuss the many factors that Ofcom will have to consider when auctioning and allocated the spectrum, possible uses for this additional spectrum, and how it can be allocated for the public good.

We are delighted that Philip Rutnam, Partner for Spectrum Policy, Ofcom will be giving a keynote address at this seminar.

Other confirmed speakers so far include: Bob Brace, Board Director, Mobile Data Association; Martin Cave, Director, Centre for Management under Regulation, University of Warwick; Barry Flynn, Associate Editor, New Media Markets; Paul Gill, Managing Director, JFMG; Clare Healy, Chief Operating Officer, Teachers' TV Matthew Horsman, Joint Managing Director, Mediatique; Richard Lindsay-Davies, Director General, Digital TV Group;Michael Marcus, Open Spectrum UK; Simon Mason, Head of New Product Development, Arqiva; Lars Mouritzen, Head of Media, Strategic and Commercial Intelligence, KPMG Transaction Services; Adrian Northover-Smith, Head of Products and Services Development, Sony; Dave Rushton, Director, Institute of Local Television & Public Interest Fellow, University of Strathclyde; Paul Senior, Vice President of Marketing and Product Management, Airspan Networks; Dr Damian Tambini, Senior Lecturer, London School of Economics; Simon Terrington, Founding Director, Human Capital; Peter Wickson, Head of Engineering, Police IT Organisation (PITO); and a senior representative from Voice of the Listener and Viewer.

Don Foster MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lord Gordon of Strathblane, and John Whittingdale MP, Chairman, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, will be chairing part of this seminar.

[Programme]

See google cache version here

(...)

Auction vs. assignment: how can the digital dividend be best divided
Theme: is an auction the best way to allocate spectrum, or should more uses be given preferred access?
* Richard Lindsay-Davies, Director General, Digital TV Group
* Michael Marcus, Director, Marcus Spectrum Solutions on behalf of Open Spectrum UK
(...)

Net Neutrality in the UK

[1] Westminster e-forum

Net Neutrality in the UK

Guests of Honour: Claire Hobson, Head of UK Telecoms Policy, DTI; and Dougal Scott, Director of Policy Development, Ofcom

Timing: Morning, 20th March 2007

Venue: Westminster SW1

Sponsor: AT&T

As the debate around net neutrality in the US continues, this meeting will bring together key stakeholders to discuss the possible implications for the UK, and the future of the Internet.

Its purpose is to provide a timely opportunity to consider some of the major issues that affect UK business and consumers, including unhindered access to the Internet as a fundamental right, what the Internet of the future may look like, and the international scope of the net neutrality debate.

We are delighted that Claire Hobson, Head of UK Telecoms Policy, DTI, and Dougal Scott, Director of Policy Development, Ofcom, will be giving keynote addresses at this event.

Other confirmed speakers so far include: Richard Allan, Head of Government Affairs, Cisco Systems UK and Ireland; Dorothy Attwood, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Planning and Policy, AT&T; Professor William Dutton, Director, and Professor of Internet Studies, Oxford Internet Institute; Andy May, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Cable & Wireless; Graeme Maguire, Partner, Bird & Bird; Andrew Murray, Senior Lecturer in Law, London School of Economics; Stefano Nicoletti, Principal Analyst, Ovum; Chip Shooshan, Principal Consultant, Analysys Consulting; Bill Thompson, Technology journalist; and Christopher Wolf, Partner, Proskauer Rose. Further senior speakers have been approached, and we are awaiting confirmation of availability.

Charles Hendry MP, Shadow Minister for Trade and Industry, and Rt Hon Alun Michael MP will be chairing this seminar.

[2]

The Cambridge-MIT Institute:

11/12/06

A CRN Workshop: Net Neutrality - Battle for a New World Order or Much Ado About Nothing?

Related events:

01/03/07 Is it time to re-invent the Internet?

28/02/07 The end-to-end argument in today's world: Do we have to destroy the principle to save it?

Gmail now available to everyone

Gmail now available to everyone

Google's web-based e-mail service Gmail - or Google Mail in the UK - has been made available across Europe.

Gmail's unique selling point when it was launched in 2004 was masses of free storage space, currently 2.8 gigabytes.

Its trial service in the UK and elsewhere has run for more than two years, allowing rivals Hotmail and Yahoo to catch up.

Google now also offers downloadable software for mobiles, which makes it easy to read emails on the go.

Known as Gmail in most countries, it had to change its name to Google Mail in the UK and Germany due to trademark disputes.

A by-product of moving from the invitation only system should bring to an end a current spate of people making money by selling Gmail addresses.

Gmail was already freely available in US and a few other countries.

Users can now freely sign up to Gmail in across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as well as in Brazil, Australia, Russia and Japan.

Applications to use Gmail on mobile phones are now available in the UK, Germany and the United States.

Google charges for web programs

Google charges for web programs

Google has introduced a paid-for version of its web applications it hopes will be popular with small firms.

The paid version adds more storage, phone help and guarantees of availability to the Gmail, calendar, word processing and messaging package.

Industry analysts suggest the move is aimed squarely at Microsoft and its Office suite of programs.

At the same time BT and Microsoft signed a deal to create a marketplace of web-based programs for small firms.

'Brutal timing'

Google's new service costs $50 (£27 or 40 euros) for every account and for this customers get phone support, a guarantee that the online applications will work 99.9% of the time and 10 gigabytes of storage for each e-mail address.

The package of programs available includes e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, calendar and Google Talk.

By paying, users also get the option to turn off the adverts that usually populate the free versions.

The free version of this package was introduced in August 2006 and Google said that more than 100,000 businesses had signed up.

Google hopes that the chance to collaborate on key documents via the web will prove popular to small firms who are more used to e-mailing copies back and forth.

Analysts said the announcement was intended to give people an alternative to Microsoft's Office 2007.

"The timing is just brutal for Microsoft," said Rebecca Wettemann, vice president of research at Nucleus Research. "It's definitely a shot across their bow."

In related news Microsoft has revealed details of a partnership with telecoms firm BT to create a marketplace for a series of business programs designed for small businesses.

The subscription-based marketplace will host all the programs itself and allow small businesses to use the different applications as a service.

As well as generic applications such as payroll programs the marketplace will also host niche applications designed for particular types of small businesses such as dentists and estate agents.

A spokesman for BT said it would be signing up software firms to make the programs soon and that it was aiming to launch by the summer.

Broadband Britain 'speeding up'

Broadband Britain 'speeding up'

Broadband is getting faster in the UK but some customers are not reaching the speeds that service providers have advertised, shows a survey.

The average UK broadband download speed is now 2Mbps, up from 512Kbps three years ago, says thinkbroadband.com.

The figures are based on more than a third of a million speed tests carried out by the website's users.

But many people who have been sold "up to 8Mbps" services are still getting substantially slower connections.

(...)

802.11n draft

By Wi-Fi Planet Staff

January 19, 2007

A major milestone for Wi-Fi land: 802.11n has a new draft. Version 2.0 1.10 (according to Atheros CTO Bill McFarland) was approved by the IEEE 802.11 Working Group in London this week, on a vote of 100 to 0 (5 abstentions). Unanimity easily clears the 75% super-majority needed, obviously. Now comes the letter ballot process for 15 days, which should raise some comments, but probably not the 12,000 the last draft got (3,000 of the comments were technical in nature). If that goes well, 1.10 becomes draft 2.0. Apparently things didn't change much from 1.0 to 1.10/2.0 -- just protection mechanisms for legacy devices during the operation of 40 MHz in the 2.4 band according to Atheros -- so maybe we'll get some firmware upgrades for existing products after all.

Ofcom- Draft Annual Plan 2007-08

Ofcom- Draft Annual Plan 2007-08 - public consultation meeting, Cardiff, 19 Jan 2007

Ofcom- Three year strategic framework






Wales- an area of outstandingly bad mobile reception




[1]

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/annual_plan2007/annual_plan200708/invite

Draft Annual Plan 2007/08

Foreword

1.1 Ofcom has now been up and running for three years and during that time the communications sector has changed considerably. Convergence – the reason Ofcom was created – is becoming a reality.

1.2 For consumers, convergence is leading to greater choice. Communications services are now available on many different platforms. A good example of this is radio: listeners can hear programmes on traditional platforms, such as FM and AM, as well as on new platforms, such as DAB digital radio, digital terrestrial TV, and broadband, either streamed live or downloaded for later. Consumers can also choose bundles of services on the same platform, or obtain services on a range of platforms. For example, TV, radio, internet access and voice calls can all be supplied using a broadband connection, or can be supplied separately.

1.3 As convergence occurs, consumers are seeking increased control. They want to personalise the services they use, downloading programmes on demand, filtering content unsuitable for children, and using personal video recorders to create their own viewing schedules.

1.4 Consumers also value increased mobility and flexibility. Mobile phones and PDAs are central to many people’s lives. Wireless home networks are increasingly popular. New services, such as mobile TV, offer the prospect of even more freedom.

1.5 Another feature of the new communications landscape is increasing participation. People are producing their own video clips and sharing them online. They are writing blogs and bypassing traditional media. They are forming communities, interacting and engaging online.

1.6 This era of convergence will also be characterised by disruption. Traditional business models are under threat – commercial broadcasters must compete for viewers and advertising in a world where there are dozens of channels, and fixed line phone services are being challenged by mobile and VoIP.

1.7 This disruption challenges the traditional ways of achieving public outcomes, by which we mean the provision of those services which are important to all of us as citizens of the UK. For example, in the future we may not be able to rely so much on BT to provide universal access to the telephone, and we will have to reformulate how we deliver public service broadcasting in a digital, internet age.

1.8 The changes which are under way can also cause anxiety. Lots of parents worry about how to protect their children in the online world, and many people are anxious about the switch to digital TV. Others may fear being excluded because of where they live, their level of income or their lack of technological know-how.

1.9 Convergence will bring significant benefits for consumers and citizens. They will be able to choose from an increased range of services that offer more flexibility and the chance to participate in society in new ways. Although these benefits will be provided by markets, Ofcom has a role in influencing the speed of convergence and how widely the benefits are enjoyed. We believe that the interests of citizens and consumers are served by regulating for convergence, which means promoting the competition and innovation that drives converging markets.

1.10 Regulating for convergence will also involve acting resolutely to protect people and ensuring that they have the knowledge and skills to use communications services effectively. As services become more complicated and markets become more competitive, Ofcom will have a crucial role in ensuring that people are confident and capable of benefiting from convergence.

1.11 In Ofcom’s first three years, we completed strategic reviews of telecoms, public service broadcasting and the radio spectrum. In order to meet the challenges of convergence, it is now important for us to look forward and provide a clear sense of how we will respond to the changes which are happening in the communications sector. Our Draft Annual Plan for 2007/8 therefore sets out a three-year strategic policy framework, which describes our key areas of focus for the next three years. The Draft Annual Plan also describes our proposed policy priorities for 2007/8, which are a mixture of new and ongoing work.

1.12 Equally important is the range of services which we deliver to stakeholders. These services include responding to calls and emails from the public, licensing access to the radio spectrum, keeping the spectrum free from interference, and allocating phone numbers to service providers. Our Draft Annual Plan describes these services in more detail and explains what we will be doing to improve them.

1.13 We are keen to share and test our ideas and look forward to receiving your comments and opinions. We invite your written responses by 20 February 2007, which is the closing date of the consultation. There will also be a series of public events throughout the UK where you will be able to put forward your views. You can find details on our website: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/annual_plan2007/annual_plan200708/invite.

David Currie, Chairman

Ed Richards, Chief Executive

• Print Versions
• Draft Annual Plan 2007/08 Invite form

[2]

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/annual_plan2007/annual_plan200708/invite

Draft Annual Plan 2007/08 Invite form

Ofcom is holding a series of public meetings across the UK to hear people's views on its draft Annual Plan for 2007/8.

The meetings will provide an opportunity for everyone with an interest in the regulation of the communications industries to discuss Ofcom's approach to television, radio, telecoms and wireless communications services. Each meeting will begin with a brief presentation, after which there will be an opportunity to comment and ask questions.

Subjects may include:

• Convergence
• Broadband
• Public Service Broadcasting
• Spectrum management, release and licensing
• Telecoms complaints
• Programme standards
• Media literacy
• Digital switchover
• Next Generation Networks
• Access to communications services
• European and international issues

All meetings, which include a panel of Ofcom experts, are open and free of charge. If you would like to attend an event, please register using the form below. Please note it is essential to pre-register.

NATION	DATE	PLACE	TIME	VENUE
Wales	Friday 19 January	Cardiff	1030-1230	St. David’s Hotel Havannah Street Cardiff Bay Cardiff CF10 5SD (simultaneous translation available)
	Tuesday 30 January	Caernarfon	1030-1230	Galeri Doc Victoria Caernarfon Gwynedd LL33 1SQ (simultaneous translation available)
Northern Ireland	Tuesday 23 January	Belfast	1000-1200	Holiday Inn, Ormeau Avenue Belfast BT2 8HS
Scotland	Wednesday 31 January	Glasgow	1000-1200	Thistle Hotel, 36 Cambridge Street Glasgow G2 3HN
England	Monday 5 February	Newcastle	1400-1600	Copthorne Hotel The Close Quayside Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 3RT
	Wednesday 7 February	Bristol	1400-1600	Watershed 3 Watershed Media Centre 1 Canon’s Road Harbourside Bristol BS1 5TX
	Tuesday 23 January	London	0900-1030	Riverside House 2a Southwark Bridge Road London SE1 9HA
	Tuesday 23 January	London	1400-1600	Riverside House 2a Southwark Bridge Road London SE1 9HA

[3]

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39285131,00.htm

Ofcom reveals its New Year's resolutions

Tim Ferguson silicon.com

Published: 13 Dec 2006 09:58 GMT

Providing more spectrum for wireless gadgets and increasing competition in the converging fixed line, broadband and TV market will be the top priorities for Ofcom over the next couple of years.

These objectives are part of the regulatory body's draft annual plan for 2007/08 which has been released for consultation.

Ofcom wants to release more radio spectrum for various wireless and mobile technologies to use next year. It also wants to promote the trading of spectrum licences to allow operators to make the best use of the spectrum available.

Promoting competition in the converging market of fixed line and mobile telecoms along with broadband, television and radio is another priority. Encouraging competition and investment with next generation comms networks is also an objective.

It also wants to provide methods for UK consumers to benefit from convergence of services. It plans to do this by promoting content regulation and providing such things as their recently proposed price comparison accreditation scheme.

Industry compliance is another area that will receive attention. This may include the compulsory supply of MAC codes by operators to customers wanting to change broadband supplier, allowing people to switch service easily.

There is also the objective reviewing how to implement the requirement of 2003's Communications Act to provide a more consistent legal and economic framework for UK comms industries.

The proposals will be open for consultation until 20 February, 2007.

[4]

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2007/01/nr_20070119

19|01|07

Ofcom appoints six new members to its Advisory Committee for Wales

Ofcom today announced the appointment of six new members to its Advisory Committee for Wales.

Under Section 20 of the Communications Act 2003, the Committee was established to provide advice to Ofcom about the interests and opinions of people living in Wales on all communications matters.

The new members are:

Julie Barton (three year term) is a media consultant living near Pontypridd. She worked for BBC Wales for more than 20 years, and spent the last six as Editor, BBC Radio Wales. She trains students and media staff across Wales in all aspects of radio. She represents the National Union of Journalists on the Broadcast Journalism Training Council, and is also a Trustee of the Welsh Refugee Council. Julie is also learning Welsh.

Charlie Bass (four year term) lives in Flintshire and runs an e-commerce and website consultancy providing business process and technology based advice to organisations across Wales , the UK and Europe. Previously he worked as a communications and avionics engineer in the Royal Navy Fleet Arm before joining AT&T to set up its Microelectronics division in the UK and Private Networks Division in the Middle East and Africa. He is a former Chairman of the Wales Broadband Stakeholders Group.

John Davies (four year term) is a telecommunications consultant and communications company director. The former Director of BT Wales and Chief Operations Officer of BT Wholesale, John has an MBA from London Business School. He lives in Cardiff and is a Council Member of the Prince’s Trust Cymru.

Mark Elliott (three year term) works for Ceredigion County Council as Assistant Director of Corporate Performance where his responsibilities include performance management, public relations, e-Government, community safety, community planning, civil contingencies and corporate health and safety. He is a Trustee and Deputy Chair of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

Glyn Mathias (four year term) lives in Brecon and is the Electoral Commission’s member for Wales. He has over 30 years’ experience as a broadcast journalist for ITN and BBC and is a former public affairs consultant. Glyn is a former Welsh adviser for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and a published author. He is currently a Trustee of Autism Cymru and Director of Brecon Action, an economic regeneration group.

Gary Partridge (four year term) is a Chartered Accountant and became a Corporate Finance Partner with PKF (UK) LLP in 2004. He has previously worked for Finance Wales as a Venture Capital Director and for BT executing global mergers and acquisitions transactions for the Group. Prior to that he was Assistant Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers ( London and Budapest ). He is currently the Vice President of the South Wales Society of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and will serve a one-year term as President in 2008/9.

Additionally, Nick Bennett has been re-appointed to the Committee for a further three year term. Originally from Anglesey, Nick is Chief Executive of Community Housing Cymru as well as a non-executive Director of Bute Communications. A former director of Newidiem economic development consultancy, between 1996 and 1999 he was Regional Policy Adviser at the Wales European Centre in Brussels before being appointed Cabinet Special Adviser to the Deputy First Minister in the first partnership coalition of the Welsh Assembly Government. Nick is a fluent Welsh speaker.

Ian Clarke will remain as a member of the committee as will the Committee’s Chair, Professor Tony Davies, until 2008.

Rhodri Williams, Director Wales, Ofcom said: “The Advisory Committee will play an important role in advising Ofcom on communications matters that effect Wales.

“The communications landscape is undergoing huge change in Wales with digital switchover beginning in 2009 and next generation networks being piloted in South Wales.

“The Committee will continue to provide Ofcom with advice on key issues for Welsh consumers and citizens”

Ends.

NOTES FOR EDITORS AND CSEs

The new Members will begin their work on 1 March 2007 for a three or four year term.

Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services.

Apple in the post-desktop world

Apple in the post-desktop world
By David Chisnall | 11 Jan 2007

(...) The next challenge for the computing industry is going to be adapting to the post-desktop era. The recent keynote shows that Apple seems to be aware of this.

(...)

Ofcom to discuss its priorities for Wales

pingwales.co.uk
Ofcom to discuss its priorities for Wales at public meeting
By Staff Writer | 17 Jan 2007

Rhodri Williams, director of Ofcom Wales, will hold a public meeting on Ofcom’s plans for Wales in 2007 and beyond at St David’s Hotel in Cardiff Bay on Friday 19 January 2007, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.

Ofcom’s priorities for Wales include a review of public service broadcasting and the next steps towards a public service publisher, overlap viewing, radio licensing and extending digital audio broadcasting availability, as well as the digital dividend review and a new approach to managing radio spectrum.

The event forms part of a series of public meetings across the UK to hear people's views on Ofcom’s draft Annual Plan for 2007/8.

The meetings, which include a panel of Ofcom experts, will provide an opportunity for anyone with an interest in the regulation of the communications industries to discuss Ofcom's approach to television, radio, telecoms and wireless communications services.

The draft plan sets out Ofcom’s policy framework for the next three years and lists specific priorities for 2007/8 under each policy. The draft plan is subject to ten weeks’ public consultation, which will close on 20 February 2007. Ofcom will publish its final statement in early April.

According to this plan, Ofcom will continue to examine the scope for removing regulation and reducing administrative burdens on its stakeholders in the coming three years.

Ofcom’s policy work for 2007-2010 will mainly focus on accelerating the development of a market-based approach to spectrum; promoting competition and innovation in converging markets; enabling services that are important to UK citizens as platforms and services converge; improving industry compliance and empowering consumers; and moving towards more consistent legal and economic frameworks.

Apple Reveals new Airport, Apple TV, and iPhone

Wi-Fi Product Watch
By Wi-Fi Planet Staff

January 9, 2007

Today at the Macworld Expo, Apple, Inc. — not Apple Computer anymore — CEO Steve Jobs officially showed what is now called Apple TV, a box for streaming video from your PC or Mac — including items purchased on the iTunes Store — to your TV. It has USB 2.0, Ethernet and HDMI connectors, plus integrated Draft-N Wi-Fi running in 2.4GHz (compatible with 802.11b/g). A 40GB drive inside with an Intel processor power the unit. It can synch with at least one computer in your home. Look for it in February for $299.

The Draft-N support goes part and parcel with Apple's new AirPort Extreme Base Station. It supports 802.11n in both 2.4 and 5GHz spectrums for full backward compability with 802.11a/b/g -- they claim 11n is found on most shipping Mac computers "when upated with 802.11n Enabler software" which will come with the new AirPort. The unit has three 10/100 Ethernet ports (no Gigabit) and one USB port. It supports WPA2, no word on if it supports the new Wi-Fi Protected Setup spec. Available in February for $179.

Apple also unveiled the long awaited iPhone. It will support GSM+EDGE for Cingular, the initial carrier, but also embedded Wi-Fi. No word on if it'll do UMA switch over yet. And it runs on... MacOS X. Apple apparently will sign a deal with Cisco to use the iPhone name... so Linksys and Apple may both use the title on products. Apple's, of course, is the cool one with no buttons (and no stylus), a 2 megapixel camera, support for Google Talk, Google Maps, and Yahoo's IMAP-based "pushed" email....just about everything a geek could want in a phone. Cost? $500 with a two-year contract and 4GB of flash memory. $600 for 8GB. Look for more info on iPhone's impact at InternetNews

UK: "Digital Dividend" consultants oppose license-free use

UK: "Digital Dividend" consultants oppose license-free use; Ofcom invites other views

Yesterday, UK telecom regulator Ofcom issued a Consultation paper on future uses of the "Digital Dividend" - the frequencies to be released when TV broadcasters migrate from analog to digital transmission.

At the same time, they released a related set of "preparatory reports" by several teams of consultants.

There is a significant difference of opinion between Ofcom and the consultants on the question of whether to reserve "Digital Dividend" frequencies for license exempt applications.

This difference leads Ofcom to encourage the public to use the just-launched consultation to provide better arguments and new proposals for worthwhile license exempt applications in the UHF band.

(...)

Yet Ofcom is willing to give license exempt use the benefit of the doubt - at least at this stage of the Review:

"...we propose to make available channel 69 for wireless microphones and similar low power devices such as in-ear monitors; we also propose to deregulate access to most or all of this spectrum, by making access free, on demand, to users, without the need for a licence;

"...we are keen to investigate other potential innovative uses of the spectrum, but so far we have received few specific proposals. We are seeking to gather more evidence through this consultation, so we can make a more informed judgement next year on whether additional spectrum should be set aside for possible low power uses. We are also undertaking a wider review of how to facilitate more licence-exempt use of spectrum...

"[We] are also inviting views on the case for holding back a small amount of spectrum - cleared or interleaved - as an 'innovation reserve'. This would be against the possibility of major technological developments - such as new low power uses - that could find it difficult to access the rest of the spectrum..."

Thus, the 8th question posed in the consultation document deals with these issues:

"Do you consider that additional spectrum from the digital dividend should be reserved for low power applications? If so, please provide as much evidence as possible about the nature of the application and its potential value to society."

The public consultation period began 19 December and runs to 20 March 2007. Details about how to submit comments can be found on the Digital Dividend Review home page.

BT plans to build Wi-Fi networks in cities

[December 1, 2006] BT plans multi-city Wi-Fi in U.K

Hotspot Hits
By Wi-Fi Planet Staff

December 1, 2006

BT plans to build Wi-Fi networks in cities across the United Kingdom. And to get started, it has picked at least one major partner. Motorola will “design, deploy and manage city-wide Wi-Fi networks” — specifically, mesh networks — built under the BT Openzone brand. The companies will begin with six out of 12 planned cities, including Birmingham and Newcastle. The six other cities, including Westminster, will expand use of Cisco equipment already has in place, but BT has yet to reveals who it will work with. Of course, not everyone is happy about BT’s plans. For once it’s not people who think Wi-Fi makes them sick, the other growing wireless trend in the U.K. This time, it’s just good old-fashioned vendor rivalry. System integrator React Technologies told TechWorld it’s upset that these very public-oriented projects were not put out to the market for bids. React works with mesh equipment from Strix Systems. BT says it didn’t want to delay things, but may do a formal public tender for services in the future. Other providers, such as CitySpace (which will unwire 3 square kilometers of Bristol and expand the “Technology Mile” section of Islington), attack the BT deployments for not being free. The Cloud accuses BT of lacking openness by limiting the applications users can run on the networks. Overall, the BT expansion will help them further push a fixed/mobile convergence (F/MC) service called Fusion.

First customers go live on BT's 21st century network

Press Release | 28 November, 2006

BT made communications history today with the transfer of the first customer lines to its 21st Century Network (21CN), the world’s most advanced next generation network. As planned, BT has started to move customers in the village of Wick, near Cardiff, to the next generation infrastructure. The upgrade, which took place without the need for an engineer visit, new telephone, or a new telephone number, is part of the first phase of the national roll-out of 21CN.

21CN will bring a range of benefits to businesses and consumers over years to come. New voice, data, broadband and multimedia services will be delivered quicker and cheaper than before, including faster broadband. 21CN will also give customers more control over the way they use their services.

The migration of the first customers to 21CN is a landmark event in BT’s next generation network programme. To reach this important milestone BT has re-built around ten per cent of the UK’s core national communications infrastructure, installed 21CN equipment at over 100 sites across the UK, and laid more than 2,300 kilometres of new fibre optic cable in South Wales. BT has also invested more than 1,500 man years in developing new IT systems to support the new network.

Reaching this major milestone has also been the result of pan-industry collaboration through Consult21, a forum which provides a regular open platform for all communications providers to understand and influence BT’s plans for 21CN. This includes the details of the roll-out programme, as it affects hundreds of communications providers across the UK.

Paul Reynolds, chief executive of BT Wholesale and BT board sponsor for the 21CN programme said, “Today marks a symbolic and momentous occasion for BT, the communications industry and for the UK as 21CN, over three years in the making, starts to become real for customers. Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call 130 years ago – we are also making history with the first live UK customer calls using a carrier class, all IP network. Years of research and development, network build and design, rigorous trials and testing, together with open collaboration with the communications industry have culminated in this historic moment. A network transformation on this scale has not been attempted anywhere else in the world – it’s happening now in South Wales, and the rest of the UK will follow over the next few years.”

Following the first phase of customer migrations in Wick, customers in Cardiff, Bridgend and the Pontypridd area will be the next to have their voice and broadband services transferred to 21CN. By the end of summer 2007, around 350,000 customer lines in South Wales are expected to have been migrated to the new infrastructure.

When complete, 21CN will deliver existing and new converged communications services to homes and businesses nationwide. BT believes that the underlying network and the new services it will create, including the first nationwide wholesale broadband service offering planned speeds of up to 24 Mbit/s, will make converged communications faster, more efficient and more cost effective than ever before.

BT connects first customers to all-IP network

BT connects first customers to all-IP network
BT's next-gen telecom network goes live in ambitious move to offer consumers 'triple play' services

By John Blau, IDG News Service
November 28, 2006

More than 100 consumers in the U.K. village of Wick are among the first customers to be connected to BT Group's next-generation telecommunications network, which went live Tuesday.

The BT 21st Century Network, dubbed 21CN, is one of the most ambitious network overhauls of its kind in the world. Instead of using traditional circuit-switched systems to transport phone calls, the U.K. operator is switching its entire networking infrastructure to IP (Internet Protocol) technology.

The move to an all-IP network will allow BT to offer consumers and businesses "triple-play" voice, data and video services over a single ADSL2+ (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) broadband connection, at speeds up to 24Mbps. Among the new services supported by the network are VOIP (voice over IP) and IPTV.

At the same time, the move will allow the operator to lower operating costs. It expects to save around £1 billion ($1.9 billion) per year as a result of the network overhaul. Total cost of the overhaul is estimated at £10 billion.

By mid-2007, BT plans to have switched more than 350,000 lines to its next-generation network, according BT spokeswoman Anna Easton. "We aim to use the first phase as a learning period," she said.

The operator aims to have "the bulk" of the country's 30 million lines converted to IP by the end the decade, Easton said.

As part of its carrier wholesale operations, BT will resell capacity over its new network to around 400 telecommunications service providers in the country.

21CN is an advanced IP broadband network system based on intelligent systems, such as SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), which allows the service provider to control the communications activity to meet a customer's requirements, and MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching), which enables the efficient designation and routing of IP traffic flows.

BT launched its 21CN project around three years ago, according to Easton.

Jump-Starting the New Economy with Fiber

By Masha Zager
Oct 23, 2006, 12:26

Once a country of coal mines and steel mills, Wales is now a high-tech hub. Fiber optic connectivity is key to the country’s transformation.

Two generations ago, Wales was famous for its coal mines and its steel mills – an economy dominated by heavy industry and a history of labor unrest. Today, this region of the United Kingdom is a high-tech hub, with companies in the vanguard of software design, digital media, opto-electronics, telematics, automotive design, bioscience and many other advanced technologies.

How did the country make the transition from the old economy to the new one? By leveraging assets left from the old economy, creating new ones, and bringing them all together in new ways. Fiber optic networks are an important piece of the puzzle.

Old Assets, New Purposes

One legacy of the old heavy-industry economy – because steel mills use a lot of energy – was a high-capacity electrical grid in South Wales. The abundant supply of electricity made the area attractive for large data centers, which also have enormous requirements for electricity. The existence of data centers then became a driver for further investment.

Another legacy was the fiber optic infrastructure that had been built by the British military. Much of this fiber infrastructure was eventually decommissioned by the military, and the dark fiber became available for civilian use.

A final important asset was the educational system. Wales is home to a major national university and a number of smaller educational institutions, some of which have outstanding scientific research facilities. Currently about a quarter of the students graduate in high-tech disciplines.

A digital media industry sprang up around Cardiff, the Welsh capital, in part because the area’s low rents were attractive to startup companies and in part because the Welsh-language television station located there had trained a pool of workers skilled at developing content that could be easily dubbed, like animation. (English-language television stations have never had to worry about exporting their content.) Web designers and facilities companies followed on the heels of the film and television producers.


Promoting Business Investment

The Welsh government has successully courted foreign investment with grants and other incentives, along with information about the country’s fiber optic lines, data centers, skilled workers and university research facilities. More than 200 North American companies, including Ford, General Electric and Dow Corning now operate in Wales.

image1
But the government also focuses on developing homegrown high-tech companies. The 18 Centres of Excellence, or university-industry partnerships, have benefited local companies as well as multinationals, leading to breakthroughs in fields ranging from machine communications to radio wireless communications to bio-informatics.

Yet another strategy has been the creation of high-tech incubators where startups share access to advanced computing equipment, research facilities, high-speed networks and other infrastructure. The Technium incubator – the result of a partnership between the Welsh government, the University of Wales, the European Union, and private-sector companies – began with a single installation in 2001 and now includes nine facilities throughout Wales, with a dozen more planned. Each Technium focuses on a different sector – sustainable technologies or performance engineering, for example.

Early-stage digital media companies that aren't ready for the Technium environment benefit from the @Wales Digital Media Initiative, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the European Regional Development Fund. Entrepreneurs can set up shop in an @Wales facility with nothing except their entrepreneurial vision. They rent space, services and equipment – everything down to a desktop computer – at commercial discount rates, sometimes by piggybacking on government contracts. Specialists are available to give them advice about financing, marketing and other aspects of starting up a business.


Bringing Broadband to Business

To supply these high-tech companies with broadband, @Wales’ Intelligent Cities program bought up fiber connectivity that the military was decommissioning, aggregated it and made it available to companies in Southeast Wales at affordable prices.

“Media industry use is very peaky,” explains Evan Jones, the head of digital and incubation for @Wales. A film company might upload a huge video file for a news segment, and then not make any significant demands on the network for the next 24 hours. Because the companies aren't all using the network at the same time, they can share 100 Mbps of bandwidth without interfering with each other’s use.

image1
One typical Intelligent Cities client is an animation company that sends successive drafts of animated videos to clients for review. Another client is Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, an arena for soccer games that is blanketed with wireless access, particularly in the press area. Press photographers and cameramen can send photos and video footage to their news organizations during and after soccer games, using the Intelligent Cities fiber for backhaul. “The amount of bandwidth needed is awesomely large,” Jones says. “Then the next day it’s near zero.”

Though the digital media industry uses by far the largest share of Intelligent Cities bandwidth, there are other clients that have similar needs for “bursty bandwidth” – for example, a radiologist who works remotely for a hospital in the United States, an arts organization that streams live performances to widely dispersed audiences and a plastics manufacturer that has to send and receive large CAD files.

To keep costs down, Intelligent Cities configured its fiber network with a central media server, as if it were an office LAN. With this setup, sending a file between two users of the network doesn’t require actually moving the file, only changing the permissions associated with it. This enables local users to “download” huge files instantaneously.

The success of Intelligent Cities led to a new project that began this year – FibreSpeed Wales. Because no private operators would bring broadband to industrial parks in less-populated North Wales, the Welsh government started the project itself, with partial funding from the European Union.

FibreSpeed Wales follows the public-private model that many U.S. municipalities have used successfully. Based on an RFP issued this spring, a vendor was selected to design and build high-speed fiber optic networks at North Wales’ 14 business parks. The government will then select a company to administer the networks on an open-access model, allowing any provider to offer Internet service with 10 Mbps symmetrical speeds or higher. The Welsh government is hoping that FibreSpeed Wales will provide the same economic benefits in the north of the country that the Intelligent Cities program has provided in the south.

British Wi-Fi is sickening

[November 27, 2006] British Wi-Fi is sickening
Hotspot Hits
By Wi-Fi Planet Staff

November 27, 2006

Just as many schools start to enjoy the benefits of Wi-Fi access, at least a few in England are afraid of it. Or, rather, the parents of the pupils are, according to the Times of London report from last week. Parents lobbied the headteacher at the Prebendal School in Chichester, West Sussex, to get rid of the Wi-Fi equipment, citing concerns for the health of children. The school did it, saying there were no studies to prove it was safe. Never mind that no studies show it unsafe, either. (They also said it didn’t work very well, anyway.) The same thing happened at Ysgol Pantycelyn, in Carmarthenshire. At Stowe School in Buckinghamshire west of London a teacher got sick after the network was installed in his classroom, prompting its removal. At least one woman in Stoke Newington told thisislondon.co.uk that she can tell whenever Wi-Fi is around her by how it makes her feel “exhausted, nauseous and sleepless.” The blow-back on blaming Wi-Fi for sniffles, migraines, and more in the country is so bad that the council in Norfolk is openly defending its £1.1 million Norfolk Open Link project meant to deliver free broadband to the masses against such attacks. Wi-Fi already blankets the city center, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, and the Norwich Science Park via 200 access points on lamp posts.
(...)

Ofcom- Technology Research and Development- Spectrum Access

Press Release

NEW SPECTRUM TECHNOLOGIES TO CONTRIBUTE £6.5BN TO UK ECONOMY

14 November 2006

Ofcom today published its second annual Technology Research and Development
Report which provides an overview of emerging technologies that have the
potential to make more efficient use of the radio spectrum.

Spectrum is a finite natural resource that underpins the operation of all forms
of broadcasting, fixed and wireless telecommunications as well as essential
services such as defence, transport, the emergency services and healthcare. New
and innovative technologies that make more efficient use of this valuable
resource benefit both consumers - with the introduction of new services - and
the economy.

Ofcom's Technology Research and Development programme is funded though the
Spectrum Efficiency Scheme via the Treasury. Ofcom estimates that emerging
technologies explored as a result of the research programme could generate up to
£6.5bn in revenues for the UK economy over the next 20 years.

DYNAMIC SPECTRUM ACCESS

One new technology that is highlighted in today's report is Dynamic Spectrum
Access, or DSA.

DSA would allow intelligent communication devices, such as mobile phones,
laptops or PDAs, to roam onto any available wireless network at any point in
time, rather than restricting service provision to just one network provider.

With a variety of different networks and providers to choose from, a
communications device could intelligently select the cheapest service for the
customer. DSA could also automatically select the network with the appropriate
service quality and bandwidth to match the service the customer wants to use,
whether it is a voice call, SMS messaging, browsing the internet or video
calling.

DSA technology would make efficient use of the spectrum by linking the supply of
spectrum with demand though an open and competitive marketplace for real time
access to spectrum.

DSA is underpinned by a technology that would allow network operators to
transmit pricing and service quality information to communication devices such
as mobile phones. Ofcom is leading the research into DSA and will conduct
further work on the technology and economic issues in the coming year. Based on
the initial research, Ofcom believes that the technology could be ready to
deploy in five to ten years' time.

Peter Ingram, Ofcom's Chief technology Officer, said: "Ofcom has a critical role
to play, backed by Treasury funding, to research and encourage innovation in the
next generation of wireless technology. New technologies that make efficient use
of the spectrum benefit both consumers and the UK economy as a whole."

For a full copy of the Technology Research and Development Report, go to:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/technology/overview/techrandd0506/

===

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/technology/overview/techrandd0506/


Technology Research Programme 2005/06
Executive Summary
Introduction

This report provides an overview of the technology research and development programme at Ofcom during 2005/06. It presents key findings and outlines the conclusions and implications that Ofcom has drawn from this work.

This is the second annual Technology Research Report. Ofcom publishes an overview of technology research and development on an annual basis to inform stakeholders of findings and to solicit feedback on both the results and the future direction of the programme.
Context

While Ofcom is the regulator for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services, however this research programme is deliberately biased towards radio spectrum. This is because Ofcom has a unique role in managing the radio spectrum, which underpins the operation of broadcasting and wireless telecommunications systems. Most visions of the future foresee dramatic increases in the amount of information sent wirelessly; only by making better use of the radio spectrum can these visions be realised. By understanding potential future developments, Ofcom can determine how technologies and services might develop and shape regulatory policy accordingly.
Key findings

It is typical in many areas of technology, including wireless, for only a few developing technologies to succeed. Our key findings this year are consistent with this, suggesting that of the many new technologies that are currently the subject of research and development in industry and academia, we expect only a few to have a significant impact on the use of the spectrum in the next decade. The technologies which we have considered which could have a significant impact on the use of new spectrum are mesh networks and dynamic spectrum access. Those technologies we do not expect to have an impact in the short to medium term include cognitive radio and software defined radio.

In addition, we have studied a number of potential issues with liberalisation and found that they do not pose a significant problem. We have also highlighted mechanisms for improved spectrum efficiency in areas of the spectrum where liberalisation is not expected to apply in the near future.
New Technologies and Concepts

Ofcom has undertaken research into a number of new and emerging concepts and technologies in order to understand their potential, gauge whether regulatory change is needed and further their development where appropriate. From this work we have concluded that these are broadly split into two categories:

* Those which we see as emerging in a longer timescale, of at least 10 years or possibly not at all which might be due to remaining technical hurdles for which no solution is yet clear, or due to insufficiently strong business cases.
* Others which bear evident promise, and may have benefit within a 10 year timescale.

The former category includes technologies such as Cognitive Radio and Software Defined Radio. Research and development into these technologies continues and in some cases niche applications exist where the technologies are applied, however universal adoption or the case for it does not seem likely in the near future. It appears to Ofcom that additional regulatory measures to facilitate these technologies are unlikely to be fruitful at this stage.

In the latter group we have identified a number of technologies with promise and where we can take measures to facilitate and encourage an environment for innovative new services and applications to emerge. These include:

Dynamic Spectrum Access , a concept which could enable users to dynamically access required spectrum, allowing for example the cheapest selection to be made by a phone automatically, for whatever service is required at that time and place. Broadly it seems that it is business and regulatory issues, rather than technical issues that present barriers to the development of the concept. On the technical side it seems feasible to deploy such a concept in a 5 to 10 year timescale. The concept offers the possibility of providing a complementary means of wireless service delivery to those already established, offering the potential of providing the end user with greater choice.

Mesh networks , where we concluded last year that mesh has the potential to provide complementary coverage to existing cellular systems, for example:

* Extending hotspots to wider areas.
* Provision of broadband networks to rural communities.
* Enabling sensor networks which have the potential to bring significant benefits to UK society, for example in the transport and healthcare sectors.

Ofcom has supported the emergence of mesh networks by undertaking research which has provided insight into where the benefits from the technology are likely to emerge, dispelling some of commonly misunderstood statements about the technology, and by developing improved propagation models for services which will be based on mesh networks.

Convergence of networks and devices is a trend which is increasingly evident in emerging services, for example BT’s Fusion and Orange’s Unique, which enable seamless phone calls indoors and outdoors. Ofcom is facilitating such developments through improving the understanding of signal propagation from indoors to outdoors and vice versa. This will assist with a better understanding of the capability of outdoor wireless signals to propagate indoors and provide useful services, and to allow the introduction of new service deployments indoors whilst providing safeguards against interference.
Liberalisation

Liberalisation of the radio spectrum is central to Ofcom’s vision of spectrum management. Benefits that might be accrued from the introduction of trading and liberalisation to the UK have been estimated to be around £1bn per year. Liberalisation is not without risk. Inappropriate reductions in restrictions on users of the radio spectrum, for example allowing complete freedom in the use a licensee makes of the radio spectrum, could result in significant harmful interference between users and a reduction in the economic value of the radio spectrum. Therefore, our research in this area has concentrated on providing increased certainty in the delivery of a liberalised trading environment to ensure the benefits are realised with the minimum risk. Areas we have addressed to deliver these safeguards are:

Fragmentation of the radio spectrum , which could potentially leave areas of the radio spectrum which are too small to be usefully used. Our work has concluded that fragmentation is not currently a significant problem, and it is unlikely to become so in the future in a liberalised trading environment. Furthermore, should fragmentation occur, technology has been identified that could make use of broadband services by aggregating these spectrum fragments.

Improving our understanding of the threat of interference from sources of unwanted emissions, such as electromagnetic compatibility, Ultra-Wideband and spurious emissions, where we have identified that current levels of interference generated are not likely to be harmful, and they are not likely to degrade our spectrum quality further. Adequate protection is offered through existing regulations.

Development of a generic radio modelling tool for liberalised spectrum and associated underpinning propagation research. Tools which Ofcom has used under the command and control regime for spectrum planning and assignment are not sufficient in a liberalised environment. A new regime of spectrum management requires a new tool that can assess interference and undertake spectrum planning and assignment between different services. Ofcom has commissioned work which has resulted in the development of such a tool. This will allow Ofcom to respond more rapidly to licensee requests to change the use they make of their spectrum, with a high degree of certainty that harmful interference will not be caused.

Improving certainty to encourage use of lightly used frequency bands. Higher frequencies tend to be more lightly used, primarily due to the less favourable propagation characteristics. For example, as UHF frequencies become increasingly congested, there is growing interest in the use of frequencies above 3 GHz, for mobile and broadcast purposes. Ofcom has underway development of accurate propagation models for these frequencies which will help to reduce risk in deploying services at these higher frequencies and also enable better spectrum management of these services in the future.
Enhancing spectrum efficiency in areas where liberalisation cannot help

There are areas of the radio spectrum where we have chosen not yet to adopt a liberalised regime. Work commissioned by Ofcom has resulted in a number of measures for improvement in these areas, including:

Better management and utilisation of licence exemption; where we have undertaken a review of the use of licence exemption, including where it should be used and how to utilise it most effectively; for example should politeness protocols be mandated and if so where? Is there a frequency above which all spectrum use should be licence exempt? Ofcom will be publishing a consultation on its strategy and recommendations as a result of this work early next year.

Improving satellite system efficiency ; where we have investigated the application of spatial diversity and concluded it is a cost effective means of utilising spectrum more efficiently in the short term.

Facilitating the move away from congested areas of the spectrum in fixed services, by proving the capability of Free Space Optics systems By undertaking work to prove the capabilities of these systems we have identified the applications where they might be used and reduced the barrier to service providers who might employ such technology for fixed services. This could enable a radically increased deployment of short range fixed links in underused spectrum.

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