Indo-US FTA: Prospects for the Telecommunication Sector

Since telecommunication is one of the main drivers of economic growth and globalization, WTO (World Trade Organization) negotiations and New Age FTAs (Free Trade Agreements) have focused on liberalizing trade in this sector. The present paper analyses the possibilities of liberalizing trade in telecommunication services if India and its largest trading partner-the US-enter into a bilateral agreement. The study found that India and the US have trade complementarities in telecommunication services and that it should be a priority sector in the FTA negotiations. The study identified certain areas such as R&D related to telecommunication and broadband infrastructure where collaboration between companies of both countries would be mutually beneficial. The study found that telecommunication services have been significantly liberalized in the US FTAs-much beyond the scope of the GATS and the Reference Paper on Basic Telecommunications. While the current policy regime in India is consistent with some of the requests made by the US in its bilateral negotiations, for meeting others, the policy regime needs to be examined and, if required, reformed. The present paper suggests certain reforms which would enhance the productivity, efficiency and global competitiveness of the sector and enable the country to benefit from the bilateral liberalization.Indo-US FTA, GATS, bilateral agreements, telecommunication, services

Experiences modelling and using object-oriented telecommunication service frameworks in SDL

This paper describes experiences in using SDL and its associated tools to create telecommunication services by producing and specialising object-oriented frameworks. The chosen approach recognises the need for the rapid creation of validated telecommunication services. It introduces two stages to service creation. Firstly a software expert produces a service framework, and secondly a telecommunications ‘business consultant' specialises the framework by means of graphical tools to rapidly produce services. Here the focus is given to the underlying technology required. In particular, the advantages and disadvantages of SDL and tools for this purpose are highlighted

Engineering of interworking TINA-based telecommunication services

This paper describes a Service Creation approach being developed in the EU funded ACTS TOSCA (TINA Open Service Creation Architecture) project to rapidly develop validated TINA based multimedia telecommunications services. The approach is based around object-oriented software frameworks in SDL which are specialized towards services by means of graphical paradigm tools. Further, in TOSCA, the need for service interworking across service provider domains via federation has been recognized in order to allow users to join service sessions offered by providers they are not customers of. However, service interworking may cause undesired behavior - the so called service interaction phenomenon. This paper focuses on this issue and the underlying technology of the service creation approach with emphasis on how service federation has been implemented

Managing ubiquitous eco cities: the role of urban telecommunication infrastructure networks and convergence technologies

A successful urban management system for a Ubiquitous Eco City requires an integrated approach. This integration includes bringing together economic, socio-cultural and urban development with a well orchestrated, transparent and open decision making mechanism and necessary infrastructure and technologies. Rapidly developing information and telecommunication technologies and their platforms in the late 20th Century improves urban management and enhances the quality of life and place. Telecommunication technologies provide an important base for monitoring and managing activities over wired, wireless or fibre-optic networks. Particularly technology convergence creates new ways in which the information and telecommunication technologies are used. The 21st Century is an era where information has converged, in which people are able to access a variety of services, including internet and location based services, through multi-functional devices such as mobile phones and provides opportunities in the management of Ubiquitous Eco Cities. This paper discusses the recent developments in telecommunication networks and trends in convergence technologies and their implications on the management of Ubiquitous Eco Cities and how this technological shift is likely to be beneficial in improving the quality of life and place. The paper also introduces recent approaches on urban management systems, such as intelligent urban management systems, that are suitable for Ubiquitous Eco Cities

Telecommunication mashups using RESTful services

Evolution in the telecommunications sector has led to companies within it providing APIs for their products and services, allowing others to build communication services into their own service offerings. In order to support mass adoption of this new approach, consumers of these APIs (many of which are RESTful) must be supported by a reduction in the complexity involved with describing, finding, composing and invoking them. Existing efforts to provide automation have, in general, focused on WSDL services rather than REST services. The paper explores the approach of the SOA4All project in supporting interaction with REST services which is being applied in a telecommunications focused case study. © 2010 Springer-Verlag

MARKETING STUDY REGARDING THE ROMANIAN MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES’ OFFER

The fight of the mobile telecommunication companies to attract clients trends to be much more powerful, because the numbers portability has become a reality. The very competitive market goes to the growth of the price importance in choosing an operator. The short term gain of the operators becomes a long term image risk. The choice of some mobile telephony services is sometimes difficult to be made because of the offer’s complexity. The young people represent an important segment in the current or potential mobile telecommunication companies’ clients. This segment is a great consumer of mobile telecommunication services, being, at the same time, a segment that demands varied services at the smallest prices. The clients expect the service to function, to be simple and easy to use, benefit from rapid and efficient assistance if errors occur, and the operator to respect the contract’s riders. This paper will present an analysis of a study regarding the consumption behavior of the young people from the city of Craiova, users of mobile telephony services. The survey subjects are the youngsters (men and women) between 20 and 29 years old. The chosen method of sampling is the quotation method, using selection criteria such as the age and sex.mobile telecommunication, market, offer, consumers’ behavior, price, marketing survey

Engineering telecommunication services with SDL

If formal techniques are to be more widely accepted then they should evolve as current software engineering approaches evolve. Current techniques in the development of distributed systems use interface definition languages (IDLs) as a basis for the underlying communication and also as an abstraction tool. Object-oriented technologies [6] and the idea of engineering software through frameworks [5] are also widely accepted approaches in developing software. In this paper we show how the formal specification language SDL and associated tool support have been applied in the TOSCA1 project to engineer telecommunication services using these current techniques

The Impact of Liberalizing the Telecommunication Sector in Morocco

The purpose of this paper is to present the major developments recorded in telecommunication sector in Morocco and assess the impact of regulating the telecommunication sector in Morocco along the European Union lines. The basic assumption underlying this work is the following. Further liberalization of various market segments of the telecommunication sector would benefit communications intensive industries that provide key “backbone services” to the economy, such as transport, distribution and finance. It would also improve competitiveness of exporting industries by reducing their costs and facilitating their integration to transnational production networks. The quality and price of telecommunication services directly affect business costs, but also affects the capacity of firms to network and compete in foreign and domestic markets. Finally, development of telecommunication services sector would create more investment opportunities for the domestic private sector, and help attract more FDI and portfolio investment.Telecommunication services, liberalization, Morocco

Regulation system study for innovative communication services

The change in the telecommunication market can be explained with the change within the traditional telecommunication services and the introduction of new innovative services. In accordance with the changing telecommunication environment from Fixed/Circuit/Voice to Wireless/Packet/Data, each country is trying to improve its regulatory system and to build the infrastructure appropriate for the change. This study suggests the principals required for regulatory systems to vitalize innovative telecommunication services. It is make a road and let it be used freely. By comparing the regulatory environment of the U.S., EU and Korea about their policies for Fixed/Wireless networks, ex post regulations and net neutrality, the implications necessary to lead the future telecommunications market are suggested. In conclusion, the U.S. has its strength in Fixed networks, EU has it in Wireless networks and Korea needs to make a blue print of future networks which has not yet been experienced by any country of the world and, at the same time, needs to build a flexible regulatory system. --Regulation,Telecommunication,Innovative Service,Fixed/Wireless Network,Ex post,Net Neutrality,U.S.,EU,Korea

A Brief History of Mobile Telecommunication in Europe

Since the introduction of mobile telephony in the early fifties in Europe, US and Japan the demand for this service exploded. It seems that the latent demand for mobile telecommunication services for decade's continued to be very strong. Since the introduction of cellular technology the capacity of the services increasingly became able to meet the massive demand. Next and future generations of mobile telecommunication technologies bring increased transmission speed and more versatile services. This forces network operators to organise multi- sourced information flows supplied by service providers to increase the network effect of the system instead of providing the network infrastructure and leave the content to the users as in pure voice telephony. The drivers and inhibitors behind the emergence and recent developments of mobile telecommunications systems in Europe are highlighted in this paper. Liberalisation of the telecom markets in Europe drove new entrants to the market and curbed excessive pricing. However, in recent years the lack of challenging service is the main cause for the wavering development of newer generations of mobile telecommunication services.Telecommunications, Market Structure, Production, Pricing, Technological Change, Economic History, Europe