Peering, Transit, Interconnection: Internet Access in Central Europe

This paper presents a review of the alternatives for Internet access in Central Europe and the evolution of the market, the regulation, and the technology. The change in peering, the reduction in transport costs, the reduction in transit costs have dramatically changed the overall supply side of the market for Internet services in Central Europe. This paper assess the current market and how these regulatory and technological changes are accelerating the demand side as well and how such alternative paradigms for interconnection may impact other regional markets

Comparative Deregulation of Far Eastern Telecommunications Markets: Economic Incentives and International Competitive Strategies

The deregulation of telecommunications has taken a major step with the WTO agreements in February of this year. Namely, each of the major Far Eastern countries has agreed to open their market in some form of planned entry. These markets will allow for the introduction of competition of local and international services now currently restricted to the local PTT as well as allowing the entry of new services in what are generally closed markets. This paper analyzes the implications of changes in several key Far Eastern countries and discusses how this will impact the U.S. economy and the overall policy implications that this will focus on

The economic viability of wireless local loop and its impact on universal service

This paper presents an overview of the economics of wireless transport focusing on Personal Communications Service (PCS) and Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS) as compared with the existing incumbent local exchange carriers, namely the I-LECs. The paper also addresses the issues of universal service and presents an analysis of how wireless may be aviable player in that environment. The paper combines the approaches from several different fields and demonstrates that wireless has applications as a provider of universal services in certain niche areas but it is not a clear universal application. The paper also develops several policy issues as to how best to deal with the issue of universal services and also addresses the issue of how far that social demand should be extended.

Architectures et structures de l'information. Création et transfert de valeurs

This article addresses the issue of information as a mean to value creation for firms or individuals. The authors develop a utility function definition of value to be related to information and different available information systems. They then develop a construct for describing the essential elements of information systems, and relate the value created to each of the elements of such systems. These are then combined into a taxonomical structure used to compare existing information infrastructures, provide a paradigm for new ones, and measure the value created. Architectures for information systems then developed allow for an understanding of the evolutionary paths available for information infrastructures.Cet article aborde les questions de l'information sous l'angle de la valorisation. Les auteurs proposent une définition de la valeur utilitaire de l'information, qu'ils confrontent avec différentes sortes de systèmes d'information. Ils édifient ensuite une construction pour présenter les composantes essentielles des systèmes d'information et estimer la valeur produite par chaque composante. Puis ils agencent cela dans une structure taxinomique qui sert à faciliter la compréhension des infrastructures d'information existantes, à comparer ces systèmes, à mesurer la valeur créée, ainsi qu'à fournir un paradigme pour de nouvelles infrastructures. Sont finalement développées des architectures de systèmes d'information afin de mieux comprendre des progrès réalisables dans le domaine des infrastructures de l'information.McGarty Terrence P., McGarty Sara J., Zeitlin Edith. Architectures et structures de l'information. Création et transfert de valeurs. In: Réseaux, volume 10, n°56, 1992. Télécommunication : d'une organisation à l'autre. pp. 119-156

Multimedia Communications Session Management 1

Multimedia Communications involves itself with the communications of highly distributed multimedia data objects that require precise timing at and between multiple locations. This paper proposes a way to handle this level of communications through enhancements made at the Session Layer of the OSI protocol standard. The approach taken starts with a definition of multimedia data objects and then develops the required elements for the Session Layer. Detailed implementations are presented and discussions on their performance comparisons are discussed. Multimedia Communications is a discipline that combines the ideas of the human senses, disparate storage and data structures, varying interfaces and complex communications systems. The basis concept of a multimedia environment has evolved from that of the single media data focused world of the computer specialist to the need to provide a fully integrated system for a human user to interact with usin