I am delivering an interesting talk this weekend, speaking in Tel Aviv on Sunday afternoon at the invitation of the Israel Export & International Cooperation Institute, looking at opportunities in the Canadian telecom sector. Israeli technology firms have been leaders in messaging, VoIP, wireless and operations systems, among other areas.
As I have written recently, there is a lot of investment activity underway by our service providers. Many of the companies that are coming to the session are going to be looking for agents to act on their behalf
A number of the Israeli companies will be coming to The 2009 Canadian Telecom Summit in June to meet with potential partners, distributors, clients and competitors. Have you registered yet?
How much competition counts as “enough” for data access services? I am using the term “data access service”, because I don’t think that we need to limit ourselves to internet access services.
The internet is the interconnection of all these disparate access and backbone networks. Some parts are open; some parts are closed; some parts are public; some parts are private; some parts are managed; some parts are more of a free-for-all. The internet even interconnects to non-IP networks, such as for the purpose of VoIP calls or connecting to legacy financial data networks.
Remember early internet access services from AOL and other commercial services? They provided a special user interface to simplify service for the uninitiated. Those services were tightly managed and controlled, but they were internet access all the same, weren’t they?
So how much competition is enough?
I think this could be a relevant question in discussions on net neutrality.
I keep hearing some folks whining about monopolies in internet access, even as people talk about their cable company and phone company offerings. Monopoly, duopoly. Let’s not get too fussed about accuracy when whipping up the masses.
Let’s not forget about the wireless industry. All of the mobile carriers are offering choice in data access services. Not a real substitute? Recall that the OECD considers mobile wireless in its broadband connectivity figures – that is why Korea has 20% of their households enjoying with no computer!
And there are more mobile wireless choices coming to Canadians later this year or early in 2010.
Most of us can select satellite service and many areas have fixed wireless alternatives as well. This is all on the side of facilities-based competition in retail internet services. We haven’t started to look at resellers yet.
There aren’t a lot of barriers to entry. So, how many competitors does it take to satisfy regulators that consumers have choice? If consumers are deemed to have adequate choice, then why is the CRTC even looking at the network management practices of a competitive industry?
We are looking at Building Broadband and Net Neutrality in two of the sessions among other topical issues being explored at The 2009 Canadian Telecom Summit in June.
Have you registered yet? Early bird rates expire at the end of February!
Today’s posting comes from a loyal reader who was inspired by our recent comments [such as here and here] on the potential for the government to stimulate broadband accessibility as part of next week’s budget.
Next week, we are expecting that the Finance and Industry departments will likely announce some sort of funding program for universal broadband. The real challenge will be to implement it in a rational way.
My reader suggests that the CRTC has a lot of experience examining and approving individual projects (recall the Deferral Account program). That experience and the relevant staff might be put to good use rather than watching Industry Canada design a new system and training new people.
At the same time, he points out that the CRTC might want to revisit and revise their Basic Service Objective.
Currently, the CRTC’s definition of Basic Service refers to low speed (dial up) access to the Internet. With a national broadband stimulus program, we can no longer think of dial-up as basic.
Individual line local service with touch-tone dialling, provided by a digital switch with capability to connect via low speed data transmission to the Internet at local rates;
Enhanced calling features, including access to emergency services, Voice Message Relay service, and privacy protection features;
Access to operator and directory assistance services;
Access to the long distance network; and
A copy of a current local telephone directory.
Memories of an era that gave us polyester leisure suits.
Much of the current definition of the Basic Service Objective has been rendered, arguably, if not clearly, out of date, by technology and market changes.
International data roaming rates can vary considerably.
I travelled over the winter break and found that my charges from one country were 5 times the rate per kilobyte that I was charged for US roaming. Obviously, the US is the number one location that most Canadians visit.
Fortunately, I found free WiFi available in many locales to keep my bills down.
No kvetching at my carriers here.
Unlike Alec Saunders and his experience last fall, I’m not looking for business-as-usual roaming practices when I cross political borders. Let’s face it, with options such as WiFi on so many devices, mobile data roaming is a pretty discretionary service. Ask what the rate is before you travel if you think the amounts are going to be material to your willingness to pay.
I can vouch for Alec’s reference to Rebelsim as an alternative to getting your devices. I tested one out while I was on the road over the holidays. It successfully unlocked a number of devices that had been locked to a few different carriers.
Later this week, I’m heading to Israel for a few days. Israel is a country with among the world’s highest penetration rates for mobile services and I have arranged for a local phone SIM for voice calls while I am visiting. I will let my Canadian Blackberry do its thing, taking the roaming charges as they may come. Low cost / free WiFi is widely available.
Bottom line: do some research into roaming rates before getting on the plane or turn off the radio on your mobile device if you don’t want surprises when you get home.
Last week, I had a posting about the filing of interrogatory responses in the CRTC’s network management proceeding.
Christopher Parsons, a doctoral student in Political Science at University of Victoria, responded to my call for a volunteer to tabulate the responses. He has generously made them available for download from his website [pdf, 406KB].
Late in the day today, the Union des consommateurs filed an application with the CRTC for some of the confidential information to be disclosed to the public record. PIAC is also seeking release of some of the information that Bell and Rogers filed confidentially. The Commission is scheduled to rule on these applications next week.
We will have a special session looking at net neutrality issues at The 2009 Canadian Telecom Summit, taking place in June in Toronto. Special early bird registration rates are available until the end of February.
