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TELECOM Digest     Thu, 24 Nov 2005 21:13:00 EST    Volume 24 : Issue 533

Inside This Issue:                             Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    EU Committee Approves Telecom Data Storagte Rules (Huw Jones)
    Partnerships in Online Travel Searches Are Key to Survival (Kyle Peterson)
    Many Went Online For Hurricane News (Anick Jesdanun)
    Cellular-News for Thursday 24th November 2005 (Cellular-News)
    Re: Lingo Phone Can't Port Number (Rik)
    Re: Voicepulse Owns Your Number (Steve Sobol)

Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
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and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest.  

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Huw Jones <reuters@telecom-digest.org> 
Subject: EU Committee Approves Telecom Data Storage Rules
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 19:29:29 -0600


By Huw Jones

A European Union parliament committee voted on Thursday to keep
details of all EU-wide telephone calls and Internet use for six months
to a year to help combat terrorism and serious crime.

Telecoms firms typically store data for three months for billing
customers, but some member states such as Britain want data to be kept
for much longer.

The European Parliament's civil liberties committee voted by 33 to
eight in favor of the new rules, with five abstentions.

The full Parliament will vote on the measures in December, and member
state approval will also be needed before the rules become law.

Alexander Alvaro, the German liberal legislator in charge of the bill
in parliament, said after the vote that a more balanced text had
emerged, compared with what the European Commission proposed and with
what some member states want.

"Everything that makes this directive proportionate and balanced is
now in, especially concerning the limitation of data types, limitation
on storage period, safeguards on access and sanctions," Alvaro told
Reuters after the vote.

"It had a two-thirds majority in committee, and I think this is a
quite realistic estimation for plenary too," Alvaro added.

"Now Council (member states) will have to move."

FLASHPOINTS

Britain, the current EU president, wants rules on retaining telephone
and Internet usage details agreed between member states and the
parliament by the end of the year.

Britain sees the rules as an important way to tackle terrorism and
other serious crime, made more urgent after the deadly bomb attacks on
Madrid last year and on London in July.

In Thursday's vote, the committee also voted that member states should
reimburse telecoms firms for the additional costs of complying with
the new rules.

The lawmakers also voted in favor of inserting a new provision in the
bill to ensure "effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties" for
infringements of the rules.

The committee also agreed that only a judge could authorize access to
telephone and Internet traffic, a condition absent in the Commission
proposal.

"The Council has about 10 key flashpoints. They have problems with the
costs, the limitations on types of data, and they have problems with
access to data and the sanctions," Alvaro said.

Details on a fixed-line call would include name and address of caller,
number dialed, name and address of the receiver, the date and the
start and completion times of the call.

Details of a mobile phone call would include the subscriber's identity
number or SIM card and the location at the start of the call.

Internet data would include the IP address of the computer, telephone
number of connection to Internet, name and address of the subscriber
and the date and time of logging in and off.

The committee voted to make it optional to record information about
uncompleted calls, while the Council would like that to be mandatory.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

------------------------------

From: Kyle Peterson <reuters@telecom-digest.org> 
Subject: Partnerships are Key to Online Travel Search Survival
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 19:31:06 -0600


By Kyle Peterson

The online travel search market is fast filling up with Web sites
offering the cheapest bookings, and experts warn that the smaller
entrants without partnerships with major service providers are sure to
fail.

Unlike full-service online travel agencies such as Expedia Inc. that
sell tickets and make reservations, travel search engines sniff out
bookings and direct users to Web sites where they can make
purchases. Some travelers use search engines to avoid booking fees
that travel agencies charge.

The newest breed of these businesses are the so-called meta-search
sites that present users with lists of bookings for comparisons.

The trouble is that too many sites are doing the same thing and too
few travelers care, according to Henry Harteveldt at Forrester
Research.

"There is a glut. They're not working," Harteveldt said. "Our research
indicates these meta-search sites just aren't gaining any traction."

Data from Forrester shows that only 6.5 percent of travelers who
planned trips online used travel search engines to plan a trip,
compared with 44 percent who used a travel agency.

About 27 percent of travelers researched trips using general search
engines such as Google and Yahoo!. And 25 percent looked at sites
hosted by travel service suppliers such as airlines and hotels.

"The truth is that meta-search really doesn't matter," Harteveldt
said.

An Internet search for "travel search engines" yields dozens of
results, including not only well-known brands like Expedia and Orbitz,
which is owned by Cendant Corp., but also a slew of names like
AllCheapFares, Kwikfly and Travel Now.

Experts say the travel search market is reaching a point where
competitive pressures threaten to smother start-ups before they can
get a toe hold.

"I think it's going to be a lot tougher road for some of the new
companies to try their hand at travel search," said Phil Carpenter,
vice president of corporate marketing at search engine SideStep. "I
think it's getting really challenging for new players to enter the
space."

Carpenter said the key to success is in partnerships with big-name
travel suppliers and other travel service companies. Only then will
users be confident that they are getting access to the best deals
possible, he said.

SideStep, a leader in travel search, just this month announced deals
with Hilton International, Amazon.com and American Airlines.

SideStep searches more than 100 Web sites for travel bargains. But the
company is not alone in that approach and faces competition from
search engines like Kayak.com and Yahoo! FareChase. Other competitors
include general search engines.

Meanwhile, online travel agencies such as Expedia and Priceline.com,
which made their reputations locating cheap fares, are adapting to the
new competitive environment by personalizing research and bookings
instead of relying solely on finding low prices. The agencies hope to
expand their businesses by addressing all travel needs and making
recommendations.

"The online travel agencies haven't really felt the pinch," said
Lorraine Sileo, an analyst at PhocusWright, a travel research
company. She said the newest crop of travel search sites are a bigger
threat to each other than to established travel agencies.

Still, the appeal of ad revenue, lucrative partnerships or a buyout
remain key motivators for people looking to jump on the travel search
gravy train.  What's more, e-commerce trends suggest their optimism is
not misplaced.

Data from Forrester Research showed that in 2005, travel has been the
largest sales category in online commerce with $62.8 billion of the
total sales of $172.4 billion. The travel component on Web commerce is
expected to account for $119.1 billion of a total $328.6 billion by
2010, Forrester said.

SideStep's Carpenter said there is still money to be made in the
online travel industry as long as a company has an innovative approach
and the funds to carry out a vision.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

------------------------------

From: Anick Jesdanun  <ap@telecom-digest.news> 
Subject: Many Went Online For Hurricane News
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 19:32:45 -0600


By ANICK JESDANUN, AP Internet Writer

More than half of U.S. Internet users went online for news and
information about Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the vast majority
having visited the Web sites of traditional news organizations such as
CNN and MSNBC, a study finds.

Of the Americans who went online for news, 14 percent went to an
international news source such as the BBC's Web site.

"The fact that you had this U.S. domestic crisis and people turning to
international news sources is interesting," said John Horrigan,
associate director for research at the Pew Internet and American Life
Project, which released the survey findings Thursday.

"There were certainly commentators worldwide shocked that this sort of
thing was going on in America, and I would imagine some people decided
to see firsthand what commentators and news sites overseas were
saying," he said.

Though nearly three-quarters of the online consumers of hurricane news
went to the Web site of a major U.S. news organization, 54 percent did
turn to an alternative source, including international outlets, Web
journals or nonprofit relief organizations. Some people went to
multiple sources, so the totals exceed 100 percent.

According to Pew, 9 percent of Internet users say they made donations
online for hurricane relief and 5 percent say they used the Internet
to organize their own relief efforts.

Twenty-four percent sent e-mails or instant messages on the storm, and
9 percent went online to check on the safety of a loved one. Four
percent said they posted comments, links or pictures to a bulletin
board, chat room or Web journal.

The random, telephone-based survey of 1,577 Internet users was
conducted in September. The margin of sampling effort is plus or minus
3 percentage points.

Pew found little difference in news consumption by dial-up and
high-speed broadband users, even though online tasks are typically
done in greater numbers by the broadband set.

"This modest anomaly is probably attributable to the strong desire for
lots of information in the face of such a large natural disaster," the
report says. "Established media organizations covered Katrina and Rita
heavily and it is no surprise a large majority of Internet users
turned to them online."

On the Net:

http://pewinternet.org

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press.

------------------------------

Subject: Cellular-News for Thursday 24th November 2005
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 07:22:05 -0600
From: Cellular-News <dailydigest@cellular-news-mail.com>


Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com

[[3G News]]

Russian government to award 3G license through tender
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14952.php

The Russian government plans to award licenses for third generation
(3G) mobile services through tenders, Kommersant business daily
reported Wednesday, citing draft rules for holding auctions and
tenders of frequencies for mobile services. ...

[[Financial News]]

Telephone & Data, US Cellular To Delay 3Q Results Release
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14946.php 

Telephone & Data Systems Inc. and U.S. Cellular Corp. will further
delay reporting third-quarter results so they can complete previously
disclosed restatements. ...

Samsung Elec To Provide Foundry Service To US Qualcomm
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14947.php

Qualcomm Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. have agreed to form a
partnership whereby the South Korean company will provide
made-to-order chips to the U.S. wireless chipset maker, the companies
said in a joint press release Wednesday. ...

Research In Motion Cuts 3Q, 4Q Subscriber Additions View
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14951.php

Research In Motion Ltd. lowered its outlook for third and fourth
quarter subscriber additions but backed its revenue guidance for the
two quarters. ...

Russian mobile operator MTS sees revenue up 25% on year in 2005
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14955.php

Russia's largest mobile operator Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) expects its
revenue to increase 25% on the year to U.S. $4.86 billion this year,
MTS President Vasily Sidorov told reporters Wednesday. ...

Russia's MTS to replace Sistema in bidding for Turkey's Telsim
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14957.php

Russia's largest mobile operator Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) will take
the place of AFK Sistema and bid for Turkey's second-largest mobile
operator Telsim, MTS' President Vasily Sidorov told reporters
Wednesday. ...

[[Handsets News]]

Russia's Svyaznoi handset retailer shuts bulk department 
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14953.php

Russian mobile handset and services retailer Svyaznoi has closed down
its wholesale department, the company's Press Secretary Yelena
Nogotkova said, Biznes daily reported Wednesday. ...

[[Interviews News]]

Informa: 2006 A "Watershed" Year For Mobile Phone Industry
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14949.php

Research company Informa Telecoms & Media, part of Informa PLC,
Wednesday said 2006 will be a "watershed" year as mobile phone
operators change their strategies in response to a number of major
threats. These include high subscriber acquisition costs...

[[Legal News]]

Russian court unfreezes 100% of SMARTS' shares 
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14956.php

Russia's regional court in St. Petersburg ruled to unfreeze 100% of
SMARTS' shares, SMARTS' public relations department said
Wednesday. ...

[[Mobile Content News]]

ITV Signs Content Deal With 3 UK For Mobile Portal
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14950.php

ITV PLC, the U.K.'s largest commercial broadcaster, Wednesday said it
has signed a deal with 3 UK, a mobile telecommunications subsidiary of
Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., to offer its most popular shows to mobile
phone users via an online portal. ...

[[Network Contracts News]]

Nokia Gets GSM Network Expansion Order In Thailand
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14948.php

Finland's Nokia Oyj said Wednesday it has signed a deal with Advanced
Info Service Plc, one of Thailand's leading mobile phone service
operators. ...

Ericsson Signs 2 Contracts With Digicel In Caribbean
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14954.php

Sweden's Telefon AB LM Ericsson Wednesday said it has received two new
GSM/EDGE contracts from Digicel Group, a telecommunications company in
the Caribbean. ...

------------------------------

From: Rik <hrasmussen@nc.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Lingo Phone Can't Port Number
Date: 24 Nov 2005 05:45:08 -0800
Organization: http://groups.google.com


Follow up:

Lingo Customner Service was very professional and gave me a
Cancellation Number to call. I did and that person was also very
professional. I am shipping the box back to them and they say on
receipt of the box, they will issue a refund. Both people I spoke to
were aware that Lingo would email me a link to a survey and seemed to
be trying to insure I wopuld give them a good review, which I did. It
seems they do have an effort to insure their CSR's are professional.

I will keep a check on them to see if they get a Point of Presence in
my exchange.

Rik Rasmussen

------------------------------

From: Steve Sobol <sjsobol@JustThe.net>
Subject: Re: Voicepulse Owns Your Number
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 10:12:47 -0800
Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com


Michael D. Sullivan wrote:

> Fred, you can file a complaint with the FCC 

Which will be ignored, since the FCC doesn't regulate VoIP.

Steve Sobol, Professional Geek   888-480-4638   PGP: 0xE3AE35ED
Company website: http://JustThe.net/
Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/
E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307

------------------------------


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