It was a week for rules and regulations, as the EC updated telecoms regulations and mulled copyright law reforms, and the TM Forum launched a new automated benchmark scheme.
Neelie Kroes, the EC’s digital agenda commissioner, pledged tough action on member states and regulators that fail to introduce new European telecoms rules unveiled on Tuesday.
The updated regulations allow consumers to switch operator in a day, demand operators give more information on the services available, and beef up the security of personal information stored online.
Separately, the EC revealed it is working up an overhaul of copyright laws designed to make them fit for purpose in the digital era. Topics covered by the proposal include the transfer of music and video orphan works and the creation of digital libraries.
The TM Forum used its flagship Management World to unveil new automated benchmarking tools that enable service providers to automatically upload and compare their performance against a set of industry standard metrics. The Forum also took the wraps off an update to its Frameworx standards suite at the event.
Ireland’s communications minister used the event to call on operators to establish a trial network for its Exemplar next generation fiber network, as the scheme moves into its second phase. Pat Rabbitte said the network is essential to Ireland’s financial recovery, and will establish it as a global technology leader.
Progress in deploying New Zealand’s UFB fiber network is a little more advanced than Ireland. This week the government awarded the bulk of its rollout contracts to incumbent Telecom NZ, which plans to split its Chorus network arm into a separate company to help fulfil the contract.
Across the water, it was wireless broadband that stole the headlines, as Australian carrier Telstra switched on its first LTE base stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.
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