WCA November 2010

Telecom news

According to the report, despite the gathering surge in Internet usage, most people in the top emerging economies still lack ready access to broadband. Personal computer penetration ranges from about 32% in Brazil and Russia downward to about 5% in India and Indonesia, with many users relying on mobile devices and Internet cafes. An oddity of the broadband profile is that in China, with its penetration rate of 28%, broadband is cheaper than dial-up. In reference to these findings, Wall Street Journal “Digits” blogger Jennifer Valentino-DeVries pointed out the error of assuming that Internet usage is essentially similar across developing markets. Noting some “intriguing quirks,” she wrote: “Indians, for example, are really into job-hunting sites. Social networking is most popular in Indonesia and Brazil. India, Brazil, and Indonesia favor multinational sites, while people in Russia and China go local – mainly because of the low percentage of the population that speaks English.” (“How Internet Growth Is Playing Out in Top Emerging Markets,” 1 st September)

production had begun on the first Azerbaijani national tele- communications satellite, known as Azerspace. The work is being done by the US company Orbital Sciences Corp (Dulles, Virginia). Ali Abbasov, the Azerbaijani minister of information techno- logies, said that a contract has been signed with the Malaysian satellite operator MEASAT for lease of an orbital position for Azerbaijan’s satellite. With its 24 transponders “C” (frequency band 4–6 GHz) and 12 transponders “Ku” (frequency band 11–13 GHz), Azerspace will service Europe, Central Asia and Africa over a projected service life of 20 years. A Scottish think tank has called ✆ ✆ on the government of the United Kingdom to invest $310 million in broadband infrastructure in Scotland. As reported by BBC News (16 th August), Reform Scotland asserted that fibre optic technology is just as important today as railways and canals were to the Industrial Revolution, and

Elsewhere in telecom . . .

The government of India has lifted ✆ ✆ a ban that since May 2009 had prevented the state-run telecom BSNL from procuring equip- ment from Chinese vendors. Under new guidelines issued 19 th August, BSNL may now purchase equipment, software and services from foreign vendors without exception, while consulting with the Ministry of Home Affairs on security concerns. BSNL employee unions had joined ✆ ✆ the issue of discrimination with the Department of Telecom, alleging that barring the company from dealings with Chinese vendors placed it at a disadvantage to private players allowed the imports from China. In New Delhi’s last tender for some five million GSM lines, the only bids invited were from three European and American vendors, with Chinese vendors excluded. The Azerbaijan Business Center ✆ ✆ reported on 6 th September that

30

Wire & Cable ASIA – November/December 2010