Full Coverage: Internet

28.11.2006 Shi Tao, the Chinese journalist who was imprisoned after the American search engine company Yahoo provided information to the Chinese authorities that led to his arrest, has been awarded the 2007 Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom prize of the World Association of Newspapers.

28.11.2006 Sri Lanka's first outdoor wireless computer network is now up and running. Surprisingly, it is not in Colombo. It is not even in any of the other key places. It was installed in Mahavilachchiya, a little known village, 40 km from the nearest town Anuradhapura, and surrounded three sides by the Vilpattu jungle.

27.11.2006 The legal framework in Albania is covered by the Telecommunication Regulatory Entity, the regulatory body on telecommunications and development policies. Although legally its task was to regulate the telecommunications operations and it aims to protect public interests and create transparent regulatory environment, which assists in inciting investments and free competition situation in the telecommunication market in the country is still monopolized and with many abuse cases and corruptive affairs.

27.11.2006 The lacking legal framework; exclusion from international associations of postal services and telecommunications due to its unresolved status; delayed transfer of competences by UNMIK to Kosovans; the drag in the licensing of other operators apart from the public one – Post and Telecommunications of Kosovo (PTK); use of foreign telecommunications codes and enormous expenditures it entails; these are all factors that have had to be taken into consideration in the development of telecommunications sector in Kosovo since 1999. The ultimate result of such a situation has been the creation of a monopoly in the sector, detrimental to the users of services in general.

26.11.2006 Compared to the other countries in SEE, the Croatian telecommunications sector is very well developed. The liberalization, i.e. the formal elimination of monopolies, was implemented in all segments of the market, while the state ownership in the incumbent operator is below 50 percent. Furthermore, a stable regulatory and policy framework was established, providing satisfactory levels of autonomy for the Telecommunications Agency (according to the European Commission) and the Central Administrative Bureau for e-Croatia, which has done strong work to increase public access to information and communication technology. Finally, the availability and quality of telecommunication services, as well as the percentage of population that uses them are among the best and highest in the region (according to the comparative report on telecommunications sector in SEE, prepared by Cullen International).

26.11.2006 Before the war erupted in the early 1990s, there was a well established telecommunications infrastructure in Bosnia and Herzegovina that included the telephone and telegraph network, as well as a network for transfer of data. The total capacity of B&H telephone exchange facilities was 744,000 telephone lines. The war caused huge material damages on telecommunications facilities. In addition, the administrative division of the country into two entities created a division in the telecommunications sector.

26.11.2006 The political will to improve the situation in the area of telecommunications and ICT does exist in Macedonia and is getting stronger, judging from the announcements made by the new Government that the Law on Information Society is in the process of being adopted, but also from the intention to establish a Ministry of Information Society, expected to become operational by the end of this year. At the E-Society regional conference that took place just ten days ago, Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakievski announced a number of projects that will be implemented next year, including a project to secure free computers for Macedonian schools.

26.11.2006 Back in June 2005, when the eight-year monopoly agreement with Telecom Serbia expired, experts in telecommunications market expressed their hopes that competition in this sector will enter Serbia over the next year or so, increasing the quality of services and reducing the prices. A year and a half later, the situation in Serbian market remains unchanged. Moreover, according to Telecommunications Development Strategy (TDS), recently adopted by the Government of Serbia, the monopoly of the Telecom has been, for all practical purposes, extended till 2010.

25.11.2006 Lack of information is one element and indicator of poverty. Insuficient education and information remain the main causes of the Cycle of poverty. In spite of the declared political will to reduce poverty, the citizens of Southeast Europe, the poorest region in Europe, are systematically denied the right to information, education and communications, through restricted access to telecommunications.

Cheap communications, for example, enabled the poor fishermen in India to increase their earnings manifold. "For less then a penny per minute, the lowest price in mobile telephony in the world, farmers from remote areas can check the prices of their produce in the local markets, to know where they could sell their goods at best prices. They can follow the global trends through internet services, provided by mobile telephone operators, and check the prices of pumpkins and bananas in London or Chicago”, reports the Washington Post in its cover story on revolution that mobile phones started in the fight against poverty in India. Read full report

24.11.2006 Microfinance Information eXchange, Inc. (MIX is a global, web-based, microfinance information platform. It provides information to sector actors and the public at large on microfinance institutions (MFIs) worldwide, public and private funds that invest in microfinance.

23.11.2006 Easy access to concrete, accurate and, above all, needed information contributes to improved quality of life, increased perspectives for the youth and greater inclusion of the youth in society.

21.11.2006 Second International Conference „e-Society.Mk“ was organised by the Metamorphosis Foundation in Holiday Inn Hotel in Skopje on November 15-17, 2006.

20.11.2006 Mumbai tops eight internet using metros with 3.26 million total users and 2.6 active users, Delhi is second with 2.66 total users and 1.80 million active users, while in the least is Ahmedabad.

17.11.2006 Networked Intelligence for Development is a Toronto based network of independent consultants and trainers specializing in new media, information and communication technologies (ICTs), the creative industries and international development. Our consultants have held senior positions in multilateral organizations, governmental and intergovernmental organizations, broadcasting and media institutions, research institutes and non-governmental organizations.

09.11.2006 IT GOES RURAL: Meera learnt computers and put together an Internet kiosk where she coaches villagers.