Telecom Asia articles from October 2004

Telecom Asia archives from October 2004

The ubiquitous network.(Tanner)
October 1, 2004... There's something refreshing about traveling to Korea--not just the world's top broadband market, but also Asia's largest Internet market per capita --and staying at the only hotel in the country with no Internet connectivity in the guest...

Multistream business planning--the platform for success.(Advertisement)
October 1, 2004... It costs a great deal to launch a mobile service in a new growth market. This explains why operators naturally start by targeting the most densely populated areas and the most affluent consumers. But new technologies, handsets and service...

Korea seeks room for WiBro in BCN.(First Mile)(broadband convergence networks)
October 1, 2004... Not content with being the world's most enthusiastic broadband market, South Korea is already moving on to "broadband convergence networks" (BCNs)--wired and wireless access to voice, video and data services on NGN backbones, which the Ministry...

Asia telecoms rules OK.(Stat Snap )(Internet usage )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... This year's Telecommunication Indicators report for Asia-Pacific, released by the International Telecommunication Union last month, tells what many of us already knew and the rest suspected--Asia remains the hottest telecoms region going in...

KDDI moves to take non-mobile business fully IP.(News Analysis)(Internet Protocol)
October 1, 2004... Japan's number two carrier, KDDI Corp, aims to become the first major carrier in the world to fully migrate its fixed-line network to IP and will also roll out a new nationwide fixed-line dark-fiber telephone service, Metal Plus, in December....

GPS navigation market doubles in EMEA.(Insight: one month's telecom research)(Global Positioning System; Europe, Middle East and Africa; www.canalys.com)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Shipments of mobile GPS navigation solutions in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) jumped to 843,000 in the first half of the year, surpassing the total for all of 2003. Some 720,000 units were shipped with, or for use on, handhelds,...

Shakeout on the horizon.(Insight: one month's telecom research)(www.norson.com.cn)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... China's domestic handset design industry now encompasses move than 300 design houses. Growth is being driven mainly by the increased importance of handset appearance, the ever-greater complexity of new models, and the need to put out new models...

Robust BTS growth short lived.(Insight: one month's telecom research )(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
October 1, 2004... After a three-year drought, new base transceiver station (BTS) rollouts are forecast to increase worldwide by more than 30% this year. While mobile subscriber growth is still robust, this surge is beginning to decelerate, which will reduce new...

Server market heats up in Asia Pacific.(Insight: one month's telecom researchFBRF)(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
October 1, 2004... The Asia Pacific (ex Japan) server market expanded 12.4% to $1.37 billion in the second quarter compared to the same period last year. The growth comes after an 11% jump in the first quarter, according to Gartner. China boosted its market share...

CPCNet offers One Region, One Network solution.(Advertorial)(CPCNet Hong Kong Limited)(Advertisement)
October 1, 2004... One of the many headaches facing IT professionals today is ensuring secure and reliable communications on a private network. How do you exclusively and securely link your central office to your remote sites? Is it more cost-effective to build...

Service-oriented transport networks: data private line and broadband access.(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
October 1, 2004... The emergence of new telecoms services and the ongoing development of existing ones has drastically changed the requirements for transport networks, which have been forced to rapidly evolve to keep up with new service initiatives. In the...

VoIP row escalates after OFTA's 'green light' speech.(News Analysis)(Office of the Telecommunications Authority)
October 1, 2004... The VoIP wars in Hong Kong escalated last month after the head of the local telecoms regulator indicated that he would allow local IP telephony services to be offered over broadband networks with minimal regulatory intervention. M.H. Au,...

A case of broadband overkill.(Resend: flashbacks, updates and nostalgia: Telecom Asia, October 1997)
October 1, 2004... SYNOPSIS: The growing prominence of data traffic is giving rise to the question of where switches and routers will fit in the future network. Switch vendors say routers are doomed because they can't handle the 0C-48 (2.5 Gbps) speeds that will...

The Ministry of Information Industry says Chinas international data capacity has increased needy fivefold in the last two years: from 10.58 Gbps in June 2002 to 53.94 Gbps in June '04.(Beijing)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Ministry of Information Industry says Chinas international data capacity has increased needy fivefold in the last two years: from 10.58 Gbps in June 2002 to 53.94 Gbps in June '04. The pipe has almost doubled in the last 12 months from...

China Unicom, which already has 400 Internet cafes throughout the country, plans to open up to another 3,000 Internet cafes by the end of the year.(Beijing)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... China Unicom, which already has 400 Internet cafes throughout the country, plans to open up to another 3,000 Internet cafes by the end of the year. The company will open 150 to 200 Internet cafes and operate another 2,500 to 2,800 by franchise....

China reportedly is to roll out IPv6 Internet.(Beijing)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... China reportedly is to roll out IPv6 Internet to cover 20 cities in the country with 300 access nodes.

ZTE signs a one-year mutual distribution agreement with UK-based Marconi.(Shenzhen)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... ZTE signs a one-year mutual distribution agreement with UK-based Marconi, which will initially cover Marconi's SDH-based Digital Radio System (MDRS) and ZTE's CWDM equipment.

OFTA director-general Au Man-ho says the regulator will begin developing regulations governing Internet-based telephony by the end of the year.(Hong Kong)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... OFTA director-general Au Man-ho says the regulator will begin developing regulations governing Internet-based telephony by the end of the year, and it will apply a pro-competition and pro-consumer approach to the technology.

City Telecom offers a free trial of VoIP service to consumers.(Hong Kong)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... City Telecom offers a free trial of VoIP service to consumers, in an attempt to negate features about the perils of the service stated in a letter sent by rival PCCW to 753,000 broadband users last month.

Hutchison Whampoa orders up to 12 million 3G handsets.(Hong Kong)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Hutchison Whampoa orders up to 12 million 3G handsets, at an estimated price of $300 each, in a bid to meet next year's subscriber target of 8-10m.

China Telecom posts a 28.1% year-on-year increase in its first-half net profit.(Hong Kong)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... China Telecom posts a 28.1% year-on-year increase in its first-half net profit, driven by its high flying broadband business and the acquisition of ten provincial networks from its parent last year.

PLDT launches a mobile service called 1538 Smart, which gives Filipinos in Hong Kong cheaper text messaging and voice call rates.(Manila)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... PLDT launches a mobile service called 1538 Smart, which gives Filipinos in Hong Kong cheaper text messaging and voice call rates. The service--the first of its efforts to crack the regional market--is jointly offered by Smart Communication,...

The Department of Telecom scraps the license needed for using low-power equipment in the frequency band of 2.4 GHz to 2.48 GHz to boost wireless access technologies.(New Delhi)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Department of Telecom scraps the license needed for using low-power equipment in the frequency band of 2.4 GHz to 2.48 GHz to boost wireless access technologies. The move will allow ISPs and telecoms carriers like BSNL, Reliance and Tata...

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will give its final recommendations on unified licensing this month.(New Delhi)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will give its final recommendations on unified licensing this month, which could usher in provision of Internet, radio broadcasting, cable TV, DTH and TV under a single license.

Cambodia Shinawatra rolls out a CDMA450 WLL service throughout the country.(Phnom Penh)(CDMA450 WLL )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Cambodia Shinawatra rolls out a CDMA450 WLL service throughout the country. The service, which will implement cdma2000 1x, is being marketed strictly as a fixed-line Internet access service, because of a lack of handsets.

The Ministry of Information and Communication chooses three consortia.(Seoul)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Ministry of Information and Communication chooses three consortia led by SK Telecom, KT Corp and Dacom Corp to participate in broadband convergence network trial projects scheduled to start next year.

TU Media will launch the world's first satellite-to-mobile TV service by mid-November, targeting the country's 38m mobile users.(Seoul)(TU Media Corporation)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... TU Media will launch the world's first satellite-to-mobile TV service by mid-November, targeting the country's 38m mobile users. The service will be sold through SK Telecom initially, but TU is also in talks with rival operators KTF and LG...

The MIC plans to give out three licenses for companies to operate the so-called "WiBro" wireless broadband service by February next year with the aim of launching commercial services during the first half of 2006.(Seoul)(Ministry of Information and Communication)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The MIC plans to give out three licenses for companies to operate the so-called "WiBro" wireless broadband service by February next year with the aim of launching commercial services during the first half of 2006. The regulator will announce...

Hanaro Telecom announces it will interconnect directly.(Seoul)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Hanaro Telecom announces it will interconnect directly with global IP backbone operator iBasis.

The price war in the nation's fixed-line market intensifies, with KDDI and Softbank announcing new service plans to undercut each other.(Tokyo)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The price war in the nation's fixed-line market intensifies, with KDDI and Softbank announcing new service plans to undercut each other. KDDI says it will introduce in February a new fixed-line service that offers a lower monthly line rental...

NTT DoCoMo plans to offer free video calls worth up to 500 yen ($4.54) per month for two months between this October and March 2005.(Tokyo)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... NTT DoCoMo plans to offer free video calls worth up to 500 yen ($4.54) per month for two months between this October and March 2005. The offer will be applied to both existing and new FOMA subscribers and is aimed to boost video call usage...

Telstra is conducting VoIP trials for residential customers with Lucent Technologies.(Sydney)(Voice over Internet Protocol)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Telstra is conducting VoIP trials for residential customers with Lucent Technologies. Telstra says the trials are expected to be completed by early 2005.

The government announces a spectrum allocation plan for fixed wireless broadband services.(Wellington)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The government announces a spectrum allocation plan for fixed wireless broadband services. The plan consists of two blocks in the 3.5-GHz frequency band held back from auction in 2002. The licenses will be available for geographic areas based...

ISP iiNet will roll out its own DSLAMs.(Wellington)(Internet service providers; Digital subscriber line access multiplexers)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... ISP iiNet will roll out its own DSLAMs in 104 exchanges in the country by June 2005.

TelstraClear files a complaint to New Zealand's Telecom and Commerce Commission, alleging incumbent TCNZ undertook "unlawful" marketing practices by monitoring the calling patterns of TelstraClear's customers.(Wellington)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... TelstraClear files a complaint to New Zealand's Telecom and Commerce Commission, alleging incumbent TCNZ undertook "unlawful" marketing practices by monitoring the calling patterns of TelstraClear's customers. TCNZ denies the allegations,...

The Infocomm Development Authority announces it will increase access to SingTel's submarine cable capacity.(Singapore)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Infocomm Development Authority announces it will increase access to SingTel's submarine cable capacity, a move which is expected to give rival operators like StarHub, MCI and Reach more scope to expand their service offerings.

StarHub, the city-state's third largest telecom carrier.(Singapore)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... StarHub, the city-state's third largest telecom carrier, announces its IPO of 481.8m shares at a maximum offer price of S$1.15 ($0.68) each.

ITU members are divided on the issue of whether the international telecoms body should take the responsibility of governing the Internet.(movements)(International Telecommunication Union)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * ITU members are divided on the issue of whether the international telecoms body should take the responsibility of governing the Internet. ITU Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi says he believes that the ITU should play a central role in running...

The Asia-Pacific Carriers Coalition, comprising ten global and regional telephone companies, is urging Asian governments to grant them greater access to national telecommunications markets.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * The Asia-Pacific Carriers Coalition, comprising ten global and regional telephone companies, is urging Asian governments to grant them greater access to national telecommunications markets. China and India have been singled out by the...

A new ITU report predicts that the telecoms sector will undergo a further bout of disruption from new high-speed technologies, with technologies like Wi-Fi, WiMAX, 3G and UWM impacting the mobile sector.(movements)(International Telecommunication Union)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * A new ITU report predicts that the telecoms sector will undergo a further bout of disruption from new high-speed technologies, with technologies like Wi-Fi, WiMAX, 3G and UWM impacting the mobile sector. The ITU says the "portable Internet"...

The FCC gives VSNL America, the US subsidiary of India's VSNL, a license to own and manage domestic US and international networks.(movements, Federal Communications Commission)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * The FCC gives VSNL America, the US subsidiary of India's VSNL, a license to own and manage domestic US and international networks for global telecoms services.

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) rejects Microsoft's Sender ID proposal.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) rejects Microsoft's Sender ID proposal due to the company's refusal to reveal details of a possible patent application on its proposed technology.

Qwest Communications agrees to pay $250m to end a two-year federal probe.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * Qwest Communications agrees to pay $250m to end a two-year federal probe of alleged fraudulent accounting practices employed by former management.

France will privatize France Telecom by cutting its stake below 50%, said Economy and Finance Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, while announcing the sale of 9.6% of its shares.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * France will privatize France Telecom by cutting its stake below 50%, said Economy and Finance Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, while announcing the sale of 9.6% of its shares. The sale is worth $5.6-7 billion.

A report by TeleGeography shows that the price of a 155-Mbps STM-1 link fell by roughly half all around the world in the last 12 months.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * A report by TeleGeography shows that the price of a 155-Mbps STM-1 link fell by roughly half all around the world in the last 12 months. Prices between European titles fell 49% and in the US 55% while Asian prices fell by about the same rate...

Lucent will invest $70 million in its 3G R&D center in Nanjing, eastern China.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * Lucent will invest $70 million in its 3G R&D center in Nanjing, eastern China. The investment follows an economic cooperation agreement with the Jiangsu Province Information Industry Department signed in July.

The Wi-Fi Alliance unveils a new brand, WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia).(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * The Wi-Fi Alliance unveils a new brand, WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia), to cover consumer electronics goods fitted with Wi-Fi components, such as TVs, DVD players and mobile phones, among others.

Ericsson abandons Bluetooth chip development, blaming a lack of a business case.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * Ericsson abandons Bluetooth chip development, blaming a lack of a business case. The company last month shut down its technology licensing division and placed its remaining Bluetooth staff inside the Mobile Platforms group.

Microsoft, eBay, Yahoo! and AOL have come together as part of China's first anti-spam alliance.(movements)(America Online)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * Microsoft, eBay, Yahoo! and AOL have come together as part of China's first anti-spam alliance. The four sign an MoU with the Internet Society of China (ISO last month to cooperate in developing technical measures to prevent spam and educate...

Ensuring a smooth transition from circuits to packets.(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
October 1, 2004... Carrier-class convergence over IP is finally here. It can be manageable, dependable, scalable and affordable. But getting from where you are today to the multi-services network you envision for tomorrow requires something more than the right...

What's driving NGN?(Cover Story)
October 1, 2004... "The installation of... 'VoIP Broadband Phone Services' involves complex network settings, errors made during this process may lead to disconnection o[ your broadband service... [this] may directly result in a reduction o[ broadband Internet...

Simplifying the last mile: how Hongkong Land leveraged its grade-A office portfolio by installing its own carrier-neutral cable network.(Network)(Hong Kong Land Company Ltd.)
October 1, 2004... To step into Hong Kong's Central district is to step on Hongkong Land. You're not only stepping in and between their flagship buildings--The Landmark, Chater House, Exchange Square and Swire House --but stepping along a path laid by Hongkong...

Braced for change.(One-To-One)(Company Profile)
October 1, 2004... Liberalization has come slow in Laos, which has only grudgingly allowed private companies into the telecoms sector. One of them, Shin Satellite, owns 49% of government-controlled incumbent Lao Telecom. Atip Rittaporn, a member of the board of...

Prediction failure.(Telecom Forum)
October 1, 2004... The old joke that God created economists to make weather forecasters feel good, misses the fact that technology gurus were later designed to boost the egos of everyone. Technologists tend to believe that their strictly-bounded ITC world always...

10-gigabit UTP cabling.(Premiere: latest products and services)(Krone Group )(CopperTen)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Krone Group has unveiled CopperTen, the world's first augmented Category 6 structured cabling system capable of carrying 10 Gbps Ethernet transmission over a full 100 meters. To overcome insertion loss and alien crosstalk, which are...

TETRA terminal with GPS capability.(Premiere: latest products and services)(Global Positioning System; www.nokia.com)(Nokia THR88oi)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Nokia has expanded its TETRA terminal product offerings by introducing the Nokia THR88oi portable radio. The terminal features a GPS receiver, active TFT display and XTHML browser. With the device, organizations can track their field...

UbiNetics adds new HSDPA testing option.(Premiere: latest products and services)(high-speed downlink packet access )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... UbiNetics has upgraded the scheduler function of its test solution for HSDPA, the next upgrade of W-CDMA. Available as an extension to the UbiNetics TM500 HSDPA Test Mobile solution, the new Multi-UE option allows a single TM500 to...

Ultra-high capacity extension to transmission system.(Premiere: latest products and services)(Eclipse Quattro; www.stratexnet.com)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Eclipse Quattro, a new release from Stratex Networks, is a compact ultrahigh capacity extension to the company's Eclipse nodal transmission system. The product, which comes in a compact split-mount package, provides a cost-effective...

Samsung selects Philips' NFC solution.(Premiere: latest products and services)(Near Field Communication)(www.samsung.com; www.semiconductors.philips.com)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Samsung Electronics has signed an agreement with Philips Electronics to use the Dutch company's Near Field Communication (NFC) solutions in its mobile phones, so handsets can double up as wallets. The companies say the collaboration is an...

Narrowing the innovation gap: the US lead in international telecommmunications is disappearing fast as control of the global network diversifies and emerging regional powers rush to match US capabilities.(Telecom Corporate)(Industry Overview)
October 1, 2004... If current trends in communications technologies and services persist, the US will be hard pressed to keep a strategic advantage in network capabilities. The international telecoms system is rebalancing into four major centers of influence and...

Vietnam Telecomp and Vietnam Electronics: a stage for market leaders to compete for market share in Vietnam.(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
October 1, 2004... 2004 * 11 * 9-13 Vietnam Exhibition & Fair Centre, Giang Vo Road, Hanoi, SR Vietnam With the rapid economic growth in Asia, developing countries urge the need of new technologies in communication, transportation and building aspects...

Investing to innovate.(Telecom Corporate)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... R&D spending is frequently taken as an indicator of the efforts by companies to innovate and develop knowledge-based industries. According to the OECD, R&D spending in China has been expanding at an inflation-adjusted rate of 10-15% per year, a...

Asia telecom transactions index.(Telecom Corporate)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Asia telecom transactions index Value Seller Buyer Deal (US$) Ericsson Shangdong Mobile GSM network expansion...

TA30 telecom stock index 13 Aug-15 Sept, 2004: TA30 index rises 7%.(Telecom Corporate)
October 1, 2004... The TA30 index took a rebound and closed 7% higher at 1,130 points, following two consecutive months of decline. The overall performance across the index was much improved from the previous month. Only four lost ground, two closed flat...

China Netcom names chairman.(telecom career)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... China Netcom Group Corp. (Hong Kong) Ltd, the soon-to-be-listed arm of China Network Communications Group Corp., has named Zhang Chunjiang as its chairman. The Hong Kong-based company, which is planning a $1.5 IPO, has also appointed Leng...

Lucent China chairman.(telecom career)(appointment of chairman)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Ivan Shen has joined Lucent Technologies as chairman of Lucent China and vice president of Lucent Technologies. Shen comes to Lucent from the Hong Kong-based marketing consulting firm Global Pioneer, where he served as president.

Linktone names SVP.(telecom career)(appointment of senior vice president)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Linktone has appointed Mingjie Guan as senior vice president to lead the mobile VAS provider's overall sales efforts and spearhead major corporate development initiatives. Guan comes to Linktone from Aspire Technologies Shenzhen, where he most...

ISC2 selects advisory board.(telecom career)(International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium)(appointment of co-chairman)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC2), a non-profit group that certifies information security professionals, has named nine new members to its Asian advisory board. Chester Soong is the new...

Avaya South Pacific sales director.(Telecom Career)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Bob Lanigan has been named sales director, enterprise and government for Avaya South Pacific. He will be responsible for expanding the enterprise and government markets across the Avaya portfolio of IP telephony and contact center solutions....

Riverstone Asia-Pac VP.(telecom career)(appointment of vice president)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Yong Shu has joined Riverstone Networks as vice president of the Asia-Pacific region encompassing China, Korea and Japan. He will be based at Riverstone's Shanghai office and will report directly to Riverstone's president and CEO Oscar...

Sheer Networks CEO.(telecom career)(appointment of chief executive officer)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Sheer Networks has appointed Klod Ghez as CEO to lead the company. Most recently Ghez was vice president and customer business executive for global accounts at Amdocs.

New CTO for EMC.(Telecom Career)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... EMC Corp has hired Jeffrey Nick as senior vice president and CTO to lead the company's office of technology. Nick will report directly to Howard Elias, EMC executive vice president, corporate marketing and office of technology. Previously...

Cirpack sales & business development SVP.(telecom career)(appointment of senior vice president)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Normand Tremblay has joined Cirpack as senior vice president in charge of worldwide sales and business development. Before joining Cirpack, Tremblay held various management positions with Nortel Networks and Bell Canada.

Esmertec appoints VP sales, Asia Pacific.(telecom career)(vice president)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Wireless software solutions provider Esmertec has appointed Danny So Shui-hui as vice president of sales, Asia Pacific. Most recently, So was sales director of GSG Motorola Asia Pacific, where he was responsible for building and managing the...

VMware taps regional director.(telecom career)(appointment of regional director)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... VMware, a provider of virtual infrastructure software, has appointed Koh Eng Kheng as regional director of VMware Asia South and Greater China. He will be based in Singapore and is responsible for the company's regional sales strategy and...

STATS ChipPAC appoints COO.(telecom career)(appointment of chief operating officer)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... STATS ChipPAC, an independent semiconductor test and advanced packaging service provider, has appointed Wan Choong Hoe as COO, reporting directly to the president and CEO. Separately, Eleana Tan Ai Ching as resigned from her position as...

SAS Institute's Greater China director.(Telecom Career)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... SAS Institute, a developer of business intelligence software and services, has promoted Dawn Kung to the position of regional director of Greater China. Kung will be responsible for the strategic development and the day-to-day operations...

Networking opportunities across Asia.(Events Calendar)(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... Networking opportunities across Asia DateEvent Location Oct 10 - Oct 13, 2004 Global Mobile Congress Shanghai, China Oct 12 - Oct 13, 2004 Push-to-Talk World Asia Singapore 2004 Oct...

Does broadband matter?(inside line)(3G mobiles)
October 1, 2004... The staging of the ITU Asia show in the eccentric location of Busan last month was at least a chance for the world to look at Korea's world-class carriers and manufacturers. Korea has put a lot of daylight between itself and the rest of the...

ITU.(backpage briefing)(International Telecommunication Union)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... One of the most common questions flying around the ITU TELECOM ASIA 2004 event in Busan last month was, "What do you think of the show so far?" Reviews were mixed. A Backpage Briefing poll revealed that many exhibitors were disappointed in...

Video.(Backpage Briefing)(demand of videophones)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Videophones have finally gone "mainstream"--at least in the US. So says the Wall Street Journal, which reported in late August that desktop phones with video-call capabilities are going mass-market. In this case, "mass market" means one...

Crime.(backpage briefing)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Russian mafia has reportedly found that the old-world rackets like extortion also works online. Case in point: recent denial-of-service attacks from gangsters targeting two online bookmaking agencies in the Australian city of Alice Springs....

Advertising.(backpage briefing)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Web advertising's chief attraction, aside from the bargain-bin price scheme, has traditionally been the quantifiable click-through. If that's not enough for you, a Japanese research firm has developed another tool to determine online marketing...

Debunking.(backpage briefing)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Andrew Odlyzko, director of the Digital Technology Center at the University of Minnesota, became famous for being right in arguing during the Internet boom that the Internet was not growing nearly as fast as many people claimed. Last month, he...