The Internet must remain open and accessible to all so that the “next Google and the next Facebook” have the opportunity to succeed, President Barack Obama declared on Tuesday, in his strongest comments on net neutrality since the Federal Communications Commission announced plans to craft new Open Internet rules. “One of the issues around Net Neutrality is …
Trends in Telecommunication Reform Special Edition: 4th Generation Regulation The Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is pleased to present this special edition of Trends in Telecommunication Reform which spotlights the theme “Fourth-Generation Regulation: Driving Digital Communications Ahead”. The changes in markets, business dynamics and consumer behaviours coupled with the rapid …
Netflix’s internet provider claims Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner are causing streaming bottlenecks (update). Having trouble streaming “House of Cards?” A stand-off involving Verizon and Netflix may be to blame. Streaming speeds for Verizon FiOS customers dropped by 14% between December and January, according to Netflix. Meanwhile, Netflix speeds on most other Internet service …
In this column, Johan Galtung, rector of the TRANSCEND Peace University and author of 50 Years – 100 Peace and Conflict Perspectives (www.transcend.org/tup), writes about the U.S. empire’s spying, and other debacles. WASHINGTON, Nov 14 2013 (Columnist Service) – The linchpin of an empire is the link between two elites, one in the imperial …
By William New, Intellectual Property Watch For years, the United States and partner governments have worked vigorously to keep the publics they represent from knowing what they are negotiating behind closed doors in the top-secret Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. But today’s Wikileaks release of the draft intellectual property chapter blew that up, confirming the …
Fibre-tapping, which involves bending fibre-optic cables and using hi-tech means to access light they emit to steal data, has reportedly been used by UK and US spy agencies. But experts are divided about whether fibre-tapping is a threat in Africa. Earlier this year, it was reported in the UK that spy agency, the Government …
Broadband internet access can help Africa leapfrog its development challenges and catch up with the rest of the world, seven presidents from the continent said Tuesday at the Transform Africa Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. President Paul Kagame hosted colleagues from Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, Gabon, Burkina Faso and Mali to review progress made in …
The Republic of Sudan was digitally cut off from the world today, amid government protests. The government likely cut the cord to stem outrage over the termination of fuel subsidies, though they have yet to issue an official statement on the matter. “There are 4 physical routes from Sudan to the rest of the …
Ministers from six African countries have come to an agreement to accelerate broadband access across Sub-Saharan Africa. Government ministers from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia met during the weekend in Botswana to discuss general points for consideration to expand internet access across the countries. Nonofo E Molefhi, minister of transport and communication for …
There have been significant improvements to Africa’s Internet connectivity in the last five years. Enormous investment in telecoms infrastructure has characterised these improvements, especially in terms of intercontinental connectivity and terrestrial fibre networks: Submarine cable investment has amounted to around USD3.8 billion and terrestrial networks have seen over USD8 billion of investment. Internet exchange points …