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European Official Talks Rural Broadband
by Winter Casey
Public initiatives are necessary to get high-speed Internet service to less populated European regions and remote areas with permanent geographical and natural constraints that make the locations not commercially attractive for providers, a top European official said Tuesday.
"Experience shows that open and efficient markets are the best tool to deliver broadband to all European citizens," European Commissioner for Competition Policy Neelie Kroes said at a broadband policy conference. "There may be a justification for public support in specific situations where the market does not deliver. However, public policymakers must be aware that state aid is not a magic solution."
If government funding is granted to support the rollout of broadband networks, it should follow certain criteria to stay in line with European Union rules, she added.
In order to spur broadband penetration, EU governments can provide funding if approved by EU officials. "Support measures which involve state aid have to be notified to the commission for state-aid approval," Kroes said. "The commission then assesses whether the aid granted is compatible with the state-aid rules."
Next, the commission considers the rationale for the intervention, whether the initiative is the appropriate instrument to address the problem, and whether the authorities have designed the aid scheme in a way as to minimize the distortion of competition, Kroes said.
"Over the past two years, the commission has considered many projects involving public support for broadband provision," she said. "We have issued 25 decisions that involve projects in 10 countries. So far, in all cases but one, the commission has approved the proposed subsidies. And we are happy with the results of our work."
Kroes added that "public authorities can do a lot even without offering financial support. For example, city councils can coordinate network rollout or lower right-of-way fees for operators, which may reduce the cost of providing broadband access."
The commission uses several policy measures to keep the broadband market fair, she added. The actions include EU legislation that "obliges former monopoly telecommunications operators to let competitors use essential parts of their networks." The commission also has the ability to use its antitrust powers to challenge anti-competitive practices by dominant players, Kroes said.
Currently, 75 million households in the European Union use broadband, she noted.
U.S., Singapore Tout Benefits Of Trade Pact
Trade leaders from the United States and Singapore met Friday in Singapore to review the progress of the free trade agreement the countries entered in 2004. The officials said the agreement has increased Singapore's attractiveness as an investment destination and has led to an increase in investment flows between the countries.
"Our FTA with Singapore has deepened and strengthened our trade and investment ties with one of the world's most vibrant economies," Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Barbara Weisel, who led the U.S. delegation, said in a statement.
Singaporean Deputy Trade Secretary Loh Wai Keong led his country's delegation. The leaders discussed intellectual property, telecommunications and regulatory issues that affect trade between the countries. The United States and Singapore also exchanged ideas on how to continue to promote trade among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Singapore, the 15th-largest trading partner of the United States, has supported the proposed U.S.-Korea trade agreement and a possible free trade area in the Asia Pacific region.
In other news, President Bush will host British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House on Wednesday and Thursday. During what will be Blair's final trip to the United States before leaving office in June, the leaders plan to discuss trade and other issues.
Australians Jump On Do Not Call Register
Australian Communications Minister Helen Coonan said Monday that some of her country's citizens will be able to join a new "do not call" registry by telephone.
Since May 3, Australians have been able to register their telephone numbers to avoid telemarketing by going online. Australian IT reported May 4, however, that the online registry was overloaded minutes after launch, as thousands of people immediately attempted to join.
"There has been a very high level of demand for the register, with over 500,000 registrations received in the first week it was launched," Coonan said in a statement Monday. "Even if the call is being made from a foreign country, if the call is made on behalf of an Australian company, it will be illegal."
The registry is scheduled to become fully operational May 31, after which telemarketers breaching the law could face fines of up to $1 million, according to Australian IT.
Study: Piracy Rates Fall In China, Russia
A new study has found that the infringement of intellectual property in China dropped by 10 percent in the last three years, according to the Business Software Alliance. The research, conducted by IDC, found that Russian piracy dropped 7 percent.
In the 102 countries evaluated, piracy rates dropped moderately in 62 and increased in 13.
The report attributed China's drop to government efforts to increase its own use of legitimate software, vendor arrangements with computer suppliers to use legitimate software, and increased industry and government education and enforcement efforts. The legitimate software market in China grew to nearly $1.2 billion in 2006 -- an 88 percent increase compared with 2005.
In other news, Microsoft on Tuesday announced a partnership with the International Youth Foundation to support a program to enhance sustainable youth employment opportunities in Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania. The program aims to improve the work prospects of disadvantaged African youth through technology training.
U.K. Kids Have Unwanted Online Encounters
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a United Kingdom children's charity, said Monday that according to a new poll, about half of British children have had an "unwanted experience" while online.
According to the poll, posted at the online community Habbo.co.uk, one in two children said they used social-networking sites to share problems and get advice from people their own age.
The charity said it wants to encourage young people on such sites to speak about child abuse through its new "Don't Hide It" initiative. The campaign will be featured at sites such as Habbo, AOL Teens, Bebo, MSN, MyKindaPlace and Piczo.
The campaign urges children to phone a child line or visit a special Web site for information and advice on abuse. The group also encourages youth to speak to someone they trust, such as a parent or teacher, about unwanted encounters. The "Don't Hide It" effort is part of a broader campaign by the charity that uses music and advertisements to further its agenda.
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