November 9th, 2009

Wireless users may be shut off if sharing copyrighted files

Posted by Doug Hanchard @ November 9, 2009 @ 6:28 AM

Categories: Commerce, Copyright, Courts, International, Justice, Law enforcement, Mobile/wireless, Net neutrality, Patents, Privacy, Security, Telecom, UK, Web services, piracy

Tags: Service Provider, U.K., Wireless, Wireless Security Problem, Internet, Wi-Fi, Wireless LANs, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Business Services, Wireless And Mobility

Internet services have created explosive growth in distribution of copyright materials. Some people are distributing it and don’t even know it, some argue. Reaction, regardless whether a consumer knows it or not, is to push for extensive reform and new enforcement capabilities to prevent further erosion and  protect their content. The U.K. government responded (Oct. 28) with proposed enforcement options for OFCom to use at its discretion. Among them is the ability to shut off a user’s wireless WiFi service if user is found to be transmitting internet traffic such as file transfer of copyright material. Singling out wireless access to the internet is just the start. Read the rest of this entry »

November 5th, 2009

FCC Chairman testifies on driving while texting

Posted by Doug Hanchard @ November 5, 2009 @ 2:30 PM

Categories: Canada, Commerce, Congress, FCC, Law enforcement, Mobile/wireless, Obama, State & Local Govt, Transportation

Tags: FCC, Phone, Chairman, Cell Phone, Federal Government, Cellular Phones, Telecom & Utilities, Government, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology

Last week I posted that the Government of Ontario has implemented a ban on driving while using a mobile phone or CB radio. U.S. Congress is now holding hearings on the issue.

Chairman Julius Genachowski of the Federal Communications Commission testified before the Subcommittees on Communications, Technology and the Internet, Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Committee on Energy and Commerce on the topic of Technological Devices and Vehicle Safety. Chairman Genachowski’s testimony brought out some interesting facts.

1995: approximately 34 million people had subscribed to a mobile phone.

2009: 276 million

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2008 that driver distraction is the cause of 16% of all fatal crashes - 5,800 people killed - and 21% of crashes resulting in an injury - 515,000 people wounded.

I posted last week that 6 U.S. states have banned driving while talking on a cell phone. 18 states now have some kind of law, primarily aimed at texting while driving.

President Obama signed an Executive Order banning all Federal employees (except in an emergency) from texting while driving any government vehicle or driving while on the job.

According to the Automobile Association of America (AAA), nearly 50% of teens admit to texting while driving.

Bluetooth and speech-to-text technology sales are likely to skyrocket, along with civilian versions of Heads Up Displays (HUD) in rear view mirrors.

November 4th, 2009

European Parliament to revisit telecom regulations

Posted by Doug Hanchard @ November 4, 2009 @ 4:30 AM

Categories: Courts, Cyber Security, Disaster recovery, E-government, European Parliament, European Union, Government technology, International, Justice, Law enforcement, Mobile/wireless, Network security, Open government, Privacy, Regulations, Security, Spam, Standards, State & Local Govt, Telecom, UK, VoIP, piracy

Tags: Internet Access, Telecom Regulation, European Parliament, Telephony, Telecom & Utilities, Telecommunications, Networking, Doug Hanchard

The Members of the European Parliament (MEP) are to convene once more on November 4 to discuss Internet access, along with new rules that are currently being tabled and will be the sole topic up for discussion. At the last meeting on October 6, the Council of EU Telecommunications Ministers formally rejected Parliament’s second-reading amendment on internet access, which dealt with access freedom, indirectly pointed to file sharing and creating a law on disconnecting users that do so illegally.

In a press release by the European Parliament, the Council for EU telecommunications will be discussing a variety of legal issues that have caused a stir around the world on restricting internet access.

Alejo VIDAL-QUADRAS (EPP, Spain) who heads Parliament’s Conciliation Committee delegation, said after the last of these meetings on Thursday morning: “We go into the negotiations in a spirit of compromise, but determined to defend users’ rights and committed to the development of a regulatory framework that will incentivise investment and open up the market. We will do all we can to achieve a good solution, but Council has to understand that Parliament will defend without hesitation the freedom of the citizens it represents”.

The group is reviewing a complete package of innovation, safety and other reforms in respects to telecommunications, including traditional television and radio broadcast, security, privacy,  email spam, cyberterrorism,  phone number portability and those with disabilities accessing technology. Currently the council is at a significant cross roads on the Internet access and file sharing, copyright and this single issue could scrap the entire telecom package being tabled and given final reading for passage.

Looming larger is how European Parliament’s new regulations and Laws would affect sovereignty of each nation’s jurisdiction with respect to enforcement. One such example: if an individual is convicted of an infraction in Spain, would that country’s court decision (if based on this new set of Laws) be then applicable to all other nations inside the EU with respect to the individual’s conviction? If it is enforceable and agreed upon by all signing nations, this may indicate that Europe is beginning to eliminate the issue of sovereignty all together.

October 29th, 2009

Start up cellular provider Globalive denied license to operate in Canada

Posted by Doug Hanchard @ October 29, 2009 @ 7:17 PM

Categories: Canada, Courts, Mobile/wireless, Regulations

Tags: Financial, Commission, TELUS Corp., Canada, Bell Canada, Globalive, CRTC, Orascom, Canadian Law, Telephony

In a stunning victory for Bell Canada, Telus and Rogers, the CRTC denied new start up Globalive a license to operate as a telecommunications (cellular) service provider in Canada. Over the past month the CRTC held hearings whether or not Globalive met ownership rules required to operate as a carrier. The commission’s hearings today determine that it did not. In a press release issued this afternoon:

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission today determined that Globalive Wireless Management (Globalive) does not meet the Canadian ownership requirements set out in the Telecommunications Act. Under the legislation, a telecommunications company is only eligible to operate in Canada if it is not at any time owned and controlled, in law and in fact, by non-Canadians.

Orascom is one the largest cellular players in the Middle East, Africa and parts of Europe and is based in Eygpt. Managed by CEO Naguib Sawiris, he and Canadian CEO of Globalive Tony Lacavera believed that majority financial investment did not translate into the mandatory Canadian ownership Laws.

Canadian Law requires majority control of the company be Canadian controlled. The CRTC stated:

The Commission found it particularly important that Orascom owns 65.1 per cent of the equity, has entered into a strategic technical arrangement with Globalive, controls and holds the “Wind” brand under which Globalive will operate, and holds the overwhelming majority of the outstanding debt.

Orascom has invested over 400 Million (Cdn) into the new company’s cellular operations which are to be called Wind, which is also Orascom’s European brand.

All three major incumbent players, Bell Canada, Telus, and Rogers, aggressively argued that Globalive was not a Canadian controlled entity, submitting strong evidence and regulatory requirements were being sidestepped under illegal pretenses. The CRTC commission agreed with just about every argument the three made during hearings in September.

No public announcement has yet been made by Globalive appealing the CRTC’s decision. Several options are possible including bringing in a majority Canadian financial interest into the company. The CRTC did not mandate Globalive to halt construction on any of the towers that they have currently being built.

October 29th, 2009

Traffic management: New Internet coming to your local roads

Posted by Doug Hanchard @ October 29, 2009 @ 9:18 AM

Categories: Canada, Congress, Government 2.0, Government technology, Intelligence, International, Mobile/wireless, Networking, Regulations, State & Local Govt, Transportation

Tags: Internet, Traffic Management, Australia, Radio, Advertising & Promotion, Wireless And Mobility, Marketing, Doug Hanchard

Since the mid 1980’s, there have been proposals to implement traffic management via wireless. Often referred to as Intelligent Transport System (ITS), the goal is to enable analysis and traffic flow services on a nation’s road system.  Study and working groups have been active in the Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. Other European countries are in various stages of reviewing similar requirements.

ITS services would be operated via wireless devices attached to any motor vehicle. It could monitor volume, speed and direction of traffic. There would be significant benefits of such a tool for various agencies. The current designs being contemplated are looking for synergies on platform standards along with radio assignment in the 5.9 GHz frequency band.

During initial development the goals became clear and benefits in public safety and traffic management could save billions of dollars. Fast forward to see how we use technology today brings new concerns and other challenges that may cause significant concerns with respect to Law, Privacy and a host of security implications.  It could also prove to be a terrorist’s or hacker’s dream come true and thus a whole new level of challenges arise.

Australia has just released its analysis and request for comment for ITS solutions and the future of such a project. In it you will find some fascinating ideas, concepts and issues that raise more questions than there are answers. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is specifically looking for comments on the radio frequencies recommended for such a deployment. There is no current timetable when this infrastructure would be enabled. Is this the beginning of a new era of how people management maybe becomes the norm? Perhaps…

October 26th, 2009

Talk and drive? More governments ban handheld phone use in vehicles

Posted by Doug Hanchard @ October 26, 2009 @ 12:34 PM

Categories: Canada, Courts, International, Law enforcement, Mobile/wireless, Telecom, Transportation, Twitter

Tags: Phone, Lufthansa, Government, Cell Phone, Accident, Ontario Provincial Police, Telecom & Utilities, Policies And Procedures, Cellular Phones, Human Resources

You just finished buying a new cell / mobile phone and it’s got everything you need in one neat little gadget. Your email, address book and calendar. It has your presentation, web browser and of course the ability to twitter what you are doing right this second…like getting a ticket for using it while driving down the road.

It’s now law. The government of Ontario has banned operating handheld devices while driving any motor vehicle on public roads. There are exceptions made for public safety and other government agencies. But these are exceptions. You can still talk and drive, providing you are not actually holding the device. Blue-tooth enabled phones or headsets are allowed. Fixed devices to dashboards are allowed, such as GPS units. The law will be enforced in all jurisdictions with warning tickets for approximately 30 days prior to fines being issued.

The Ontario Provincial Police is warning people publicly that if caught driving while holding and talking on a cell phone a fine could be just the start of your problems. If during an accident investigation it’s determined that driving while talking on a cell phone is a contributing factor to the accident, existing laws and fines may expose the driver causing the accident, fines to be levied at the maximum rate and driver points assessed at the maximum allowed under law. Read the rest of this entry »

October 19th, 2009

StatsCan reports 10.9% decline in computer and software store sales

Posted by Doug Hanchard @ October 19, 2009 @ 12:12 PM

Categories: Canada, Google, International, Microsoft, Mobile/wireless, Municipal broadband, Regulations, Telecom

Tags: Software, Revenue, Computer, Stats Canada, Sales Strategy, Sales Force Management, Productivity, Sales, Doug Hanchard

Stats Canada has reported 3rd quarter economic statistics indicating broad declines in most sectors in consumer spending. Computers and software showed significant declines over 10%.

While many companies are indicating that the worst is over, Canada will lag behind U.S. economic recovery. The statistics don’t show new growth for many companies like Microsoft’s new SYNC platform in Ford cars and trucks, that are now seeing increased sales. Companies like Google are not required to report any numbers to the Canadian government’s Stats Can Bureau. Google is seeing growth in Canada but are not broken out in their U.S. SEC filings. Google did break out U.K. revenues which accounted for 13% of total revenues.

Canadian government incentives in computer and software technology R&D have been significant in the past. Consumer spending in IT and not corporate evergreen upgrades are likely to be the recovery source for computer and software sales. But when?

The Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has conducted several hearings on broadband access focusing on rural communities. This has not translated into new consumer computer or software sales growth either. Bell Canada, Telus and Rogers have seen stagnant revenues in wireless sales as consumers continue to be hesitant in spending or even replacing existing phones. In fact, many are downgrading what they have. Many of the rural areas are planned service areas delivered by 3 & 4G broadband along with WiMax access points and expanded DSL and Cable services. Many of these roll outs won’t be completed until 2010. A detailed 2008 CRTC report shows continued growth in Internet access with revenues from Internet services now account for up to 15% of their bottom line.

January 30th, 2009

Guest blog: Presidential BlackBerry means mobile revolution

Posted by Richard Koman @ January 30, 2009 @ 7:09 PM

Categories: Mobile/wireless, Obama

Tags: Mobile, Smart Phone, Blog, RIM BlackBerry, Smart Phones, Handhelds, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Hardware

By David Goldschlag
executive vice president of corporate strategy & technology for Trust Digital

Even before President Obama was inaugurated, there was a great deal of speculation about whether our first “connected” President would be allowed to keep his BlackBerry or whether security concerns and the Presidential “bubble” would take it away.

The government’s decision allowing President Obama to continue to use his BlackBerry demonstrates that the government appreciates both the value of a smartphone to its owner and the smartphone’s security risks, and found a way to mitigate the risks. Government IT sets a good model on how IT can better serve personnel they support, and in this case it is the Commander-in-Chief.

So what are the smartphone security risks? Bloggers, such as Marc Ambinder, were quick to report that Presidential use of the BlackBerry was secured by the National Security Agency adding a “super-encryption” package to his smartphone.

Other articles suggested the President would use a specialized dual-mode unclassified/classified device in addition to his smartphone. Regardless of President Obama’s exact method for staying connected, the larger story is that smartphones introduce a broad set of risks – some that are laptop-like – including: data compromise if the smartphone is lost, malware from viruses, emails and applications, and SPAM.

New risks are associated with the very personal and always-present/always-on/always-connected nature of the smartphone: location tracking (through the wireless carrier and GPS), surreptitious recording using the camera and microphone, and malware through SMS/text messaging and Bluetooth.

While President Obama’s smartphone of choice was the BlackBerry, more and more federal workers want consumer devices such as Apple’s iPhone to leverage the Internet and other applications beyond email. In October, Jordy Yager of The Hill reported that the House of Representatives’ chief administrative officer, who oversees the communication needs of the House, was investigating the use of the iPhone.

The driver behind this effort was workers’ demand for the iPhone. New blockbuster devices such as the Palm Pre and Google Android will further increase the pressure for more device choice and more mobile applications.

Of course, giving users device choice creates some implementation headaches for IT. IT needs more knowledge and guidance about how to mitigate risks. To address this situation, the Defense Information Systems Agency has published Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) for BlackBerry and non-BlackBerry devices.

These documents provide guidelines for the deployment, configuration and operation of smartphones and their management systems. In both DoD and civilian agencies, these STIG documents offer best security practices and help take the guesswork out of mobilizing email and other applications.

Regardless of what personnel an IT group is supporting – be it a public or private enterprise – by considering DISA STIG best practice, IT can empower workers with: smartphone device choice, allow smartphones to access current email and applications through their existing communications infrastructure, and mitigate the old and new risks associated with smartphones.

By layering DoD approved security and management software on top of commercially available smartphones, including Windows Mobile and BlackBerry, workers can use the mobile smartphone of their choice to access sensitive information and applications.
Trust Digital is the only mobility management platform tested and approved to secure Microsoft Windows Mobile and Exchange solutions per the updated DISA STIG.

January 22nd, 2009

Obama in BlackBerry heaven

Posted by Richard Koman @ January 22, 2009 @ 7:57 PM

Categories: Mobile/wireless, Obama

Tags: RIM BlackBerry, Ambinder, Handhelds, Hardware, Richard Koman

Woo-hoo! Obama will keep his BlackBerry — thanks to the addition
of a superencryption package, Marc
Ambinder is reporting

It seems that the National Security Agency — or perhaps another
agency — added the package to to a standard BlackBerry so that Obama
can use it for routine mesages.

In general, government BlackBerries can only handle “secret”-level
messages. Howerver, the Sectera Edge from General Dynamics, allows for
“top secret” voice conversations.

Ambinder speculates that the NSA has created a special, more secure
pathway for the presidential messages.

Instant messaging, though, is right out.

May 29th, 2008

Latest spectrum auction could mean national wireless network

Posted by Richard Koman @ May 29, 2008 @ 12:31 PM

Categories: FCC, Mobile/wireless

Tags: FCC, Network, Spectrum, Auction, Wireless Network, Federal Government, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Government, Richard Koman

The FCC is set to vote on rules for a new spectrum auction that would require the winner to deliver wireless Internet across wide swaths of America, AP reports.

“We’re hoping there will be increased interest (in the proposal) and for the fact that this will provide wireless broadband services to more Americans is certainly something we want to see,” said FCC spokesman Rob Kenny.

Under the rules being considered, the new wireless network would have to reach 50 percent of the population within four years and 95 percent after 10 years. The spectrum being auctioned is the 2155-2175MHz band.
Read the rest of this entry »