Information Policy

OECD: The role of communication infrastructure investment in economic recovery

Policy makers need to evaluate the costs and benefits of any public investment in telecommunication infrastructure and select projects which can stimulate current demand but simultaneously expand the productive capacity of the economy in the longer term.

http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/4/43/42799709.pdf

Online Classifieds Use Doubles in Past Four Years: Pew survey

The number of online adults who have used online classified ads has more than doubled in the past four years. Almost half (49%) of internet users say they have ever used online classified sites, compared with 22% of online adults who had done so in 2005. On any given day about a tenth of internet users (9%) visit online classified sites, up from 4% in 2005.

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/7--Online-Classifieds.aspx

EU consults on state aid rules for high-speed Internet

The European Commission 19 May launched a public consultation on draft guidelines that will determine when governments can grant public funds for rolling out high-speed broadband networks.

http://euractiv.com/en/infosociety/eu-consults-state-aid-rules-high-speed-internet/article-182537

India: Structured for Success

With 342 million mobile subscribers at the end of December 2008, India is the second largest mobile market in the world after China. India is also the fastest-growing telecom market in the world.

Mobile telecom services were introduced in India in late 1995 and were marked by low demand and high tariffs due to large license fee commitments and capital expenditure requirements of service providers.

In March 1998, there were merely 0.88 million mobile subscribers in the country, more than half of those being from Delhi and Mumbai. A series of positive interventions by the government, together with well-run operations by telcos, have led to the phenomenal success in the Indian mobile market. Tremendous growth in the subscriber base since then has contributed to the gradual increase in the average earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) margin for mobile operators, from approximately 14% in 2000 to around 37% in 2007.

India, along with other Asia-Pacific countries like China and Indonesia, has very low average revenue per user (ARPU) compared to the United States (US) and European countries. A major reason for the differentials in ARPU across regions is the differentials in GDP (gross domestic product) per capita, and, consequently, the per capita telecom spending, which usually is a factor of the per capita GDP. However, EBITDA margins enjoyed by these Asia-Pacific operators are similar to those of their US and European counterparts.

https://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/100/35622?7649

Brazil: Fighting against cyber surveillance

Brazilian cyberactivists are again taking action against online surveillance in defence of the netcitizen rights. The Mega Não! protest has been triggered by the controversial digital crimes bill which aims to control cybercrime, raising serious issues on digital rights management and the free use of digital devices. There will be another demonstration tomorrow, 25th of May, this time in Rio Grande do Sul State. Check their twitter coverage out.

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/24/brazil-fighting-against-cyber-surveillance/