BBG Communications – Mobile VOIP in Europe

During the early 2000s, Hewlett-Packard, Symbol Technologies, to name a few, are the acknowledged innovators in Wi-Fi-based handheld devices, such as personal digital assistants or handheld computers used for warehousing and other applications.

With successive generations of these devices gaining in processing power and battery life, their potential use as a platform for mobile VoIP became practical. So much so that in the summer of 2005 companies delivered practical client software to run on these class of Wi-Fi only, Windows-based PDAs using Microsoft Windows CE operating systems.

Exactly the next summer, in 2006, a SIP stack and a VoIP client in Nokia E-series dual-mode Wi-Fi handsets were launched in the market. The SIP stack and client have since been introduced in many more E and N-series dual-mode Wi-Fi handsets, most notably the Nokia N95 which gained popular following particularly in Europe. Various services use these handsets, including WiFiMobile and Truphone. Of late, Nokia introduced a built in VoIP client to the mass market device (Nokia 6300i) running Series 40 operating system.

But both Nokia N96 and Nokia N78 which were introduced in September 2008 as replacements for the N95 were not designed with built-in VoIP. Some quarters suggest that this was due to the pressures that Nokia has to deal with from Mobile Network Operators. But a plausible explanation is that VoIP has never been a major selling feature on the N-series, perhaps because software maintenance in this area is not commercially attractive or profitable. It is expected, though, that mobile VoIP operators will launch proprietary VoIP applications for the N96, as Fring has already done.

From a Wi-Fi network point of view, there are several innovations embedded in the most current vendor Wi-Fi networking equipment that makes them particularly powerful in a mobile VoIP context. Strong encryption making the conversation in a Wi-Fi context quite private, support for Quality of Service for real-time services such as mobile VoIP and in some cases support for wireless access point to access point call handoff, are some of these innovations.

VoIP server vendors who make it possible for VoIP service providers to create the service, have announced support for integrating mobile handsets into VoIP infrastructures, either natively using SS7 interfaces into the mobile network, or via software based clients running on the mobile handset. One such vendor is BroadSoft who is known for its Broadworks platform which enables mobile integration using either strategy. Meanwhile, enterprise IP PBX vendors have developed, tested and announced capabilities for mobile VoIP users interacting with their business IP-based phone systems.

One implementation of fixed mobile convergence allows for seamless roaming between WIFI and GSM or CDMA networks. As early as December 2005, standards and alliances have started being developed and technologies being demonstrated. For instance, Cisco and FirstHand Technologies demonstrated a Wi-Fi to GSM handoff in San Jose, December 5, 2005.

To date, there are some issues, if not resistance, on this WIFI-GSM/CDMA handoff. For example, in 2007 T-Mobile blocked their subscribers’ access to purely mobile VoIP numbers, issued by Truphone. The issue was widely discussed in the press and although Truphone won an injunction, the case is still in the courts while T-Mobile pays only a nominal termination fee. In another example, Aircell continues to battle with some companies allowing VoIP calls on flights which shows a growing conflict of interest between incumbent operators and new VoIP operators.

Chinese Telecommunications – Ministry of Radio and Television

In 1982, the Ministry of Radio and Television was formed by carving out of the Ministry as a separate entity, and mandated to administer and upgrade the status of television and radio broadcasting. Subordinate to this ministry were the Central People’s Broadcasting Station, China Central Television and Radio Beijing. Organizations that were in charge with broadcasting training, talent-search, research, publishing, and manufacturing organizations were also brought under the umbrella of the Ministry of Radio and Television. Renamed Ministry of Radio, Cinema, and Television, it also took over in 1986 the responsibility for the movie industry, from the Ministry of Culture.

By 1987 the quality of communications services in mainland China had seen considerable improvements than in earlier years. Also, foreign technology entered in droves in the country while domestic production capacity jumped.

Primarily, the form of telecommunications in the 1980s was local and long-distance telephone service administered by six regional bureaus: Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Chengdu, Wuhan , and Shenyang. These regional offices also functioned as switching centers for provincial-level subsystems. By 1986 China had nearly 3 million telephone exchange lines, including 34,000 long-distance exchange lines with direct, automatic service to 24 cities. As the end of 1986 was approaching, fiber optic communications technology gradually replaced existing telephone circuits.

Beijing and Shanghai served as overseas exchanges for international services. While Guangdong Province also served as an important gateway with its coaxial cable and microwave lines linking it to Hong Kong and Macau.

The large satellite ground stations originally installed in 1972 to provide live coverage of the visits to China by U.S. president Richard M. Richard Nixon and Japanese PM Kakuei Tanaka was upgraded continuously and acted as the base for China’s international satellite communications network until the mid-80s. By 1977 China had joined Intelsat and, using ground stations in Beijing and Shanghai the country linked to satellites over the Indian and Pacific oceans.

According to BBG Communications, in April 1984, an experimental communications satellite for trial transmission of broadcasts, telegrams, telephone calls, and facsimile, to remote areas of the country was launched. Following this, China launched in February 1986 its first fully operational telecommunications and broadcast satellite. The quality and communications capacity of the second satellite was praised as much better than the first. In the mid-1987 both satellites were still functioning. Taking advantage of these satellite systems in place, China’s domestic satellite communication network went into operation, facilitating television and radio transmissions and providing direct-dial long distance telephone, telegraph, and facsimile service. The network boasts of ground stations in Beijing, Urumqi, Hohhot, Lhasa, and Guangzhou, which were all tapped to an Intelsat satellite over the Indian Ocean.

While the telephone network surged, telegraph development was of second priority mainly due to the difficulties involved in transmitting the written Chinese language. But this technical difficulty of how to put in writing the Chinese language properly, was improved dramatically by computer technology. By 1983 China had nearly 10,000 telegraph cables and telex lines transmitting over 170 million messages annually. Most telegrams were transmitted by cables or by shortwave radio.

When was the UK phone industry privatised?

Until 1982, the main civil UK communications system was a state monopoly known as Post Office Telecommunications. Broadcasting of radio and TV was the concentrated in the hands of two – BBC and Independent Broadcasting Authority. These two companies controlled all broadcast services, and directly owned and operated the broadcast transmitter sites. Speaking of telecommunications systems at that time did not yet include mobile phone and Internet services. But the civil telecoms monopoly halted with the entry of Mercury Communications in 1983. The Post Office system evolved into British Telecom and was privatised in 1984.In the 90’s, Broadcast Transmitters, which ahd previously belonged to the BBC and IBA, were privatised. They are currently owned by  National Grid Wireless, VT Communications and Arqiva. Communications policies and regulations have gone through various modifications during the same period, and most of the bodies have been merged into Ofcom. Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries.

The UK is a focal point for many of the world’s submarine communications cables, which are mostly digital optical fiber cables.Many satellite links remain operational, but these provide a smaller part of the international bandwidth. Most commercial broadcasting companies lease transmission facilities from 1 or more of the transmission organisations. But smaller local radio stations are generally self-providing for cost-efficiency reasons. British Telecom remains as a provider of fixed phone lines and it still has a universal service obligation.  Next to it is Virgin Media, the second biggest player in the residential telephone line market. While other companies provide fixed telephone lines too, their market is mostly large companies in the major cities. There are plenty of other providers who sell fixed phone services that are carried over BT lines but they generally have no network infrastructure of their own.
3rd Generation System in Japan

The 3rd generation system is a product of technological improvements, essentially an improvement of the available bandwidth.  This makes it possible for new service offerings to telecommunications subscribers. Such services include streaming of live radio or video, video calls and live TV. The four 2G companies all won 3G licences in a competitive auction, as did a new entrant known as 3. As revealed by BBG Communications, the four 3G providers have already rolled out their networks.

The telecoms provider 3 has the biggest 3G coverage as they first rolled out their network coverage in March 2003, way before the others did theirs. But Vodafone and Orange rival 3 in terms of its reach.  T-Mobile and o2 has fairly good coverage but both generally get concentrate  in major cities and less so in smaller towns.  However T-Mobile and 3 recently entered into a deal whereby they can use each others 3g coverage.  But in this deal, 3’s 3G customers don’t have access to T-Mobile 2G coverage. An additional agreement has also been struck by 3 with Orange until 2010, under the terms that Orange’s 2G coverage is available to 3 subscribers where no 3G signal exists. This arrangement however, is deemed to become less significant as 3 and T-Mobile roll-out their shared 3G networks. Subscribers of 3 to have the best coverage of any United Kingdom network.

History of the Media in Japan by BBG Communications

The earliest of  Japanese history in media can be traced to newspapers in the Meiji period, the first being the Nagasaki Shipping List and Advertiser. It was founded in 1861 in Nagasaki. The telegraph and telephone following suit. And was followed by the broadcast industry which has been dominated by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation since its founding in 1925. In the postwar period, NHK’s budget and operations were under the administration of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.This was changed with the Broadcasting Law of 1950, which provides for independent management and programming by NHK.

TV broadcasting then began in 1953, with color televisions introduced in 1960. From free channels, cable television was introduced in 1969. In 1978 an experimental satellite with 2 color television channels was launched. Subsequently, operational satellites for television use were launched between 1984 and 1990. TV viewing has become a part of daily life that by 1987, 99 percent of Japan’s households had color TV sets and the average family reportedly had its set on, for at least 5 hours per day. Starting in 1987, NHK began full-scale experimental broadcasting on two channels using satellite-to-audience signals. With this, TV service was made available in remote and mountainous areas of the country that earlier could only get poor reception. The new system also provided round-the-clock, nonstop service. In the late 80s, NHK operated 2 public television and 3 radio networks, producing about 1,700 programs every week. Its education programs were broadcast through more than 6 thousand TV stations and nearly 300 AM and more than 500 FM radio transmitting stations. Comprehensive service in twenty-one languages was made available throughout the world.

Rapid improvements, innovations, and diversification in communications technology, including the introduction of optical fiber cables, communications satellites, and fax machines, led to the rapid growth of the communications industry in the 1980s. Government owned NTTC had dominated the communications industry until April 1985, when new common carriers were permitted to enter the field. Also NTT Worldwide Telecommunications Corp lost its monopoly hold on international communications activities in 1989, when Nihon Kokusai Tsushin and other private overseas communications firms began its operations.

Japan has been the world leader in telecommunications in the 1980s, but this position that has been challenged by the United States’ dot-com industry in the 1990s and the emerging tiger states in Asia. While the United States is leading in digital content, South Korea is leading in broadband access, India is leading in software, and Taiwan is leading in research and development.