Covad designed these services to run business-class, real-time applications like Voice over IP, video, gaming, VPNs and video conferencing through multiple traffic-handling options via Quality of Service (QoS) and Class of Service (CoS), and are backed by Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

“Ethernet is an important component of Covad’s overall portfolio strategy. What will differentiate this product in the market are the integrated QoS and CoS options that give our partners immense flexibility in optimizing network performance based on their application requirements,” said Patrick Bennett, president and chief executive officer at Covad.

“Covad Ethernet extends the availability of higher-bandwidth products while also offering new, even more cost-effective Ethernet services at the lower end of the broadband speed curve. Our new services have been purpose-built to support revenue-generating, value-added services such as VoIP, video conferencing, VPN and software as a service.”

Covad’s Ethernet service will be available beginning April 15 at speeds from 1.5 Mbps to 35 Mbps out of more than 4,000 COs reaching approximately 10 million businesses nationwide.

Tags: cos, covad, ethernet, qos, sla, voip, vpn
Related tags: ethernet service, performance based, bennett president, based application, differentiate product, covad

Follow me:

Facebook Profile

FriendFeed Profile

Google Reader Profile

LinkedIn Profile

Netflix Profile

Twitter Profile

Related Entries

XO’s IP VPN services – Jul 16, 2008

Dotcom-Monitor announces new SIP Monitoring tool – Mar 18, 2009

TrackBacks
| Comments | Tag with del.icio.us | VoIP & Gadgets Blog Home | Permalink: Covad Nationwide Ethernet Service Launches on Tax Day

Copyright VoIP & Gadgets Blog

Novell Intent to Invest in Pakistan’s IT Sector: Sandeep Menon

Novell today announced that `the Novell India Partner Academy, a training programme for Novell’s partners in selling, distributing and supporting of Novell’s suite of enterprise IT solutions, held for the first time in Colombo, was a major success. Novell partners graduating from the training will be able to provide pre-sales consulting and professional services, post-sales support and training to their customers.

Over 200 representatives from India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan participated in the four-day programme, during which senior Novell executives and partners discussed and identified prevailing challenges in developing the enterprise software market, in addition to formulating comprehensive growth strategies to subside and overcome them.

The event underscores Novell’s intent and investment into the Pakistan market. Partners such as NDS Technologies will be key in helping Novell offer key solutions in the Data Centre, Identity and Security, End-user Computing in Pakistan.

Sandeep Menon, Country Manager for Novell India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, said, “Many organizations around the world and in Asia have begun to look at IT infrastructure that is best-of-breed, cost-effective and easy to manage. Organizations in India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan should also be able to learn from the best technology vendors, enjoy these benefits, so that their businesses can grow. Novell believes strongly in the potential of these markets, and the benefits our solutions provide them, which is why we are prepared to invest and train more partners here. ”

“With cloud computing becoming a key technology development around the world, it is crucial that organizations here have the ability to embrace the latest and the best from what Novell can offer in this space.”

Novell has a partner-centric sales model as its go-to-market strategy. Under its Global PartnerNet programme, Novell offers sales and technical training, lead generation and management tools, marketing support, point-of-sale resources, consulting services, and programmes to help its partners focus their sales, marketing and support efforts. The markets of India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan were grouped together for this program in order to better facilitate training and encourage peer collaboration alongside learning.

Novell is the only Linux distributor that Microsoft approves and supports. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and Windows interoperate, and their 3-year collaboration has helped many organizations optimize their mixed-environment operating infrastructure, ensure business continuity and minimize technology investment risk.

© 2010, Telecom News Bulletin. All rights reserved.

What can we learn from recent acquisitions of banks by mobile network operators? Over the last year we have seen a number of mobile network operators (MNOs) buying stakes in banks or looking to acquire their own banking licenses. Are these isolated incidents or does this point to an industry trend?

On November 21, 2008 Telenor Pakistan entered into an agreement to acquire 51% of the shares in Tameer Microfinance Bank. A year later, in October 2009, Globe Telecom received permission from the Central Bank of the Philippines to acquire a 40% stake in Pilipinas Savings Bank with their parent company taking a further 20% stake. And, most recently, China Mobile confirmed earlier this month that they are in talks to buy a stake in Shanghai Pudong Development Bank in an explicit strategy to enter the m-payments market.

Industry attention has often focused on the successes of M-PESA in Kenya and G-CCASH in the Philippines which have been permitted under progressive regulation in these two countries which allow nonbank actors like MNOs to offer mobile banking services. But regulators in other countries have been less willing to allow non-prudentially regulated actors to enter the market for branchless banking. Lobbying efforts by MNOs and those in the financial access camp who think that consumers will be better served by allowing new entrants into the market have fallen on deaf ears.
So does the recent spate of acquisitions mean that MNOs are changing their tactics and looking to acquire banks to ensure that they maintain control over services that they want to launch and to allow them to offer their customers a broader range of services?
In Pakistan, a country that has issued clear guidelines on branchless banking in a 2008 circular on Branchless Banking Regulation, the central bank is explicit that only bank-led models will be permitted. This clear signal from the regulator would have been an important factor in Telenor’s decision to take a controlling stake in a microfinance bank with whom they later launched the EasyPaisa mobile wallet. Last week there was speculation that Orascom (owner of Pakistan’s largest network operator Mobilink) had entered into discussions with an un-named microfinance bank about acquiring a controlling interest. We know that the other operators in the Pakistani market are also exploring this strategy and several smaller banks have confirmed that they have been approached as possible targets.
In Nigeria the Central Bank has received two applications from banks that had partnered with different MNOs to offer mobile banking solutions which have not been approved yet. There have been suggestions that this may be related to concerns that it was the MNO who was the main actor in the model. Some operators have said that they are considering the acquisition of banking licenses as a possible strategy to get access to Africa’s most populous market.
Even in countries like the Philippines where a non-bank based model is allowed, network operators seem to be coming round to the idea that they can offer a far broader range of financial services, such as savings or insurance products, if they have a banking license.
If this trend continues, what will the implications be for branchless banking? Firstly, it may be that M-PESA is shown to be the exception rather than the rule in the way that MNOs offer enter the market for mobile financial services. Secondly, it will put even more pressure on the large banks to form partnerships with MNOs or risk losing out to smaller banks who may be more willing to give up some level of control to, or even be acquired by, cash risk MNOs.

Thirdly, it may increase the barriers to entry for smaller MNOs that do not have the cash to acquire a bank. And fourthly, and to the chagrin of those who think that the banks have failed in their efforts to reach large parts of the population, it may reduce the pressure on financial regulators to allow a non-bank led model in the future.

Via CGAP

© 2010, Telecom News Bulletin. All rights reserved.

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit http://telecomtalk.info/ for other content, and more! ]]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit http://telecomtalk.info/ for other content, and more! ]]

Late December, Imran Ghory had offered a similar analysis for Y Combinator, a start-up school & investment program co-founded byPaul Graham. According to Ghory’s data, over the years Y Combinator had seen 14 acquisitions, 33 had failed and 82 were still active of which 24 had raised more outside capital. Reddit (acquired by Conde Nast) was one of the early stars of YCombinator program. My two favorite YCombinator alumni are Dropbox and Xobni.

Related: Notes from a conversation with Paul Graham & Found/Read Interview with Paul Graham.

I originally recommended Telefonica S.A. (NYSE: TEF) back in November 2006 when was trading at $58.23. Last September when it reached $81.27 I suggested selling half your position for a 40% gain.

Since then the stock pulled back by over $12 to just under $70 a share. It closed on Friday at $73.82 and I think it’s time to buy it again.

Complete Story »

Three years ago, Eric E. Schmidt, the chief executive of Google, jogged onto a San Francisco stage to shake hands with Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s co-founder, to help him unveil a transformational wonder gadget — the iPhone — before throngs of journalists and adoring fans at the annual MacWorld Expo.

Google and Apple had worked together to bring Google’s search and mapping services to the iPhone, the executives told the audience, and Mr. Schmidt joked that the collaboration was so close that the two men should simply merge their companies and call them “AppleGoo.”

“Steve, my congratulations to you,” Mr. Schmidt told his corporate ally. “This product is going to be hot.” Mr. Jobs acknowledged the compliment with an ear-to-ear smile.

Today, such warmth is in short supply. Mr. Jobs, Mr. Schmidt and their companies are now engaged in a gritty battle royale over the future and shape of mobile computing and cellphones, with implications that are reverberating across the digital landscape.

In the last six months, Apple and Google have jousted over acquisitions, patents, directors, advisers and iPhone applications. Mr. Jobs and Mr. Schmidt have taken shots at each other’s companies in the media and in private exchanges with employees.

To read this report in The New York Times in full, see:
www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/technology/14brawl.html

“They disguise, reveal, mirror our innermost being or help to hide it,” Mr. Kempa says on his Web site. Mr. Kempa has photographed dozens of people with and without their clothing, and is showing the “before” and “after” results on the site, naked-people.de.
…
That explanation worries some German publishers. Why should a technology company in California be allowed to decide what is objectionable to the rest of the world, they ask. By comparison, imagine a Japanese television manufacturer determining what Americans are allowed to see on their sets.

To read this report in The New York Times in full, see:
www.nytimes.com/2010/03/15/technology/15cache.html

Evo New Prepaid Packages I see freedom!

Again PTCL Advertising is deceiving the customers as they say Rs.799 Only. No Staricks and no details mentioned that its limited to 1GB. Where is PTA and Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), please take action against this …

After seeing this AD i have opened the website and check the details about the package and came across the details mentioned below:-

PTCL Evo has launched 3 new packages on 15th March 2010. Evo now offers a wide variety of exciting packages that are designed to suit all lifestyles. Starting from as low as Rs.799 per month, now EVO is breaking the high price barrier for those of us who want on the Go connectivity at low prices. With these new prepaid packages, there is truly something for everyone, providing true prepaid flexibility.

With this little dongle in your pocket, you get the freedom to spend less time waiting and more time doing what you love to do on the web. For casual surfers who love to do all their favorite things online and stay on top of things On the Go; there is the new Evo Go 1GB Package at an amazing new price of Rs.799 only. Users can now get to surf, network and stay in touch, and it won’t cost them much. Or for those who want to do some serious surfing, stay connected to catch up with their friends and stay tune to the latest happenings there is the new 2GB Lite Package, which is truly light on the pocket. If you love downloading music and videos or game online once in a while there is the intelligent Wiz package with a smart 5GB download allowance. For freedom lovers there is the powerful and unparalleled Evo Max package that offers unlimited volume download. Users can download or upload as much data as they want during the entire month. With an unsurpassed speed of upto 3.1Mbps and packages that suit your pocket, EVO is surely turning out to be the ultimate choice of Mobile broadband for the Next generation.

Package Monthly Charges Volume

• Go Rs.799 1GB
• 2GB Lite Rs.1199 2GB
• Wiz Rs.1499 5GB
• Max Rs.1999 Unlimited

Why should I Choose EVO?

Evo is enabling the next evolution of the internet revolution at its best. Since there is no limit to your imagination so why should there be any limit to what you can do with Evo!

• Superior 3G experience.
• Broadband Internet in your pocket.
• Nationwide Roaming with auto switch over to lower speeds in non-EVDO coverage areas.
• Plug & Play – Instant Connectivity.
• Fastest growing *Coverage in more than 20 cities.
• Average download speeds from 300 kbps to 500 kbps!
• USB – Compatible with Desktops & Laptops.
• Instant Prepaid Recharge through Vfone-scratch cards.

For more detailed information regarding EVO, you can also visit PTCL’s Official Webpage, www.ptcl.com.pk

© 2010, Telecom News Bulletin. All rights reserved.

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit http://telecomtalk.info/ for other content, and more! ]]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit http://telecomtalk.info/ for other content, and more! ]]

The upcoming five-year plan for Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) would include projects worth Rs125 billion with an aim to utilise the extraordinary capacity of this sector to boost the country’s overall development, sources told ‘The News’. Sources said a total of Rs25.07 billion would be allocated for software exports, Rs27.4 billion for the quality of IT education, Rs30.49 billion for e-governance, Rs1.05 billion for e-commerce and IT security, Rs1.3 billion for the promotion of Urdu language in IT, Rs3 billion for hardware initiative, and Rs37.5 billion for telecommunication and network infrastructure.

In the field of software exports, projects worth Rs25.07 billion would be initiated comprising IT market and industry size (Rs40 million), promotion of IT industry through media (Rs100 million), promotion of entrepreneurial start-ups (Rs80 million), development of effective Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime (Rs10 million) and awareness about opportunities for Pakistani companies (Rs20 million), establishment of business incubators (Rs200 million) and proactive match-making (Rs100 million).

The projects would also include the showcasing of brands (Rs500 million), interest free financing (Rs250 million), certification of companies (Rs800 million), mergers and acquisition (Rs400 million), establishment of internet city (Rs10 billion), building software technology parks (Rs10 billion), certification of ITeS/BPO (Rs400 million), study on investment guarantee (Rs20 million) and training of youth (Rs50 million), certification of individuals (Rs100 million), software technologies centre (Rs500 million), development of smart technologies programme (Rs500 million), and establishment of centre for cognitive science (Rs1 billion).

For the quality of IT education, project worth Rs27.4 billion would include vocational/technical skills programme (Rs15 billion), scholarships for IT education (Rs1.5 billion), IT infrastructure in educational institutions (Rs10 billion), centres of excellence for IT training (Rs440 million), establishment of IT placement centres (Rs100 million), capacity building of National Computing Education Accreditation Council (Rs60 million) and strengthening of boards of Technical Education (Rs300 million).

To promote e-governance, projects costing Rs30.49 billion would comprise development of e-services applications (Rs500 million), greater automation drive (Rs500 million), capacity building of departments (Rs400 million), infrastructure for public access to e-services (Rs400 million), building ICT infrastructure (Rs2 billion), incentives for promotion of IT (Rs10 million), training of government employees (Rs250 million), establishment of online access points (Rs300 million), expansion of e-services to rural areas (Rs100 million), public awareness programmes (Rs30 million), LRMIS for provinces (Rs1 billion) agency specific applications (Rs1 billion) e-government related ongoing projects (Rs3 billion), ministry of interior projects (Rs20 billion) and automation of CDNS (Rs1 billion).

The projects in e-commerce and IT security would cost Rs1.05 billion including awareness about information security (Rs30 million), cyber laws improvement programme (Rs50 million), establishment of certification authority regulatory (Rs500 million), Pakistan Internet Exchange (Rs100 million), e-payment solution (Rs200 million), Computer Emergency Response Team (Rs100 million) and development of e-commerce related services (Rs70 million).

For the promotion of Urdu language in IT projects costing Rs1.3 billion would be launched comprising availability of support for Urdu in international software products (Rs200 million), programmes for conversion of electronic knowledge sources (Rs200 million), development of SW & Content in Urdu language (Rs200 million), localization of government websites (Rs400 million) strengthening centre of excellence in Urdu Informatics (Rs100 million), development of Urdu applications (Rs100 million) and training programme for localization (Rs100 million).

In the field of ICT hardware, projects worth Rs3 billion would be initiated consisting of provision for free land to manufacturing concerns (Rs2.5 billion) and Investment Insurance/Guarantees Programme (Rs500 million).

Projects worth Rs37.5 billion in telecommunication and network infrastructure would include Alternate International Connectivity (TAE) (Rs4 billion), deployment of solutions for detecting and eliminating grey traffic (Rs500 million), secure communication programme (Rs1 billion), satellite communication programme (Rs32 billion).

Sources said the vision and strategy for the plan would revolve around ‘inclusiveness of ICT’ in transforming the socio-economic panorama and leap-forwarding into ‘knowledge era’ by providing ‘universal access to education, learning and knowledge sources’, shifting from ‘follower’ strategy to ‘value addition/leader’ strategy, transformation from government-centred policy to private sector-centred policy, and creating demand for local ICT products and services.

They said the salient features of the plan include increasing human resources with a qualitative edge, reaching out to the international market, addressing socio-economic problems by using IT, creating industrial synergy by involving local IT industry, enhancing domestic market, and provision of fiscal incentives and legislation.

Sources further stated that the plan would help face the growing challenges in the way of promoting education and human resource development, increasing information technology exports, enhancement of e-commerce and IT security, development of computer hardware company and supporting e-government.

© 2010, Telecom News Bulletin. All rights reserved.

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit http://telecomtalk.info/ for other content, and more! ]]

These findings are not surprising — during regular week days, many of us are busy working and more often than not, use the device to make phone calls or send text messages. The report says that iPhone “app usage on weekends and weekdays is both different in usage patterns and overall scale.”

The iPhone users typically generate 7% more traffic on the weekend than the average weekday. Saturday traffic ramps quickly from a morning low at 6:00 am to over 90% of peak usage by 11:00 am—and stays near the peak for the rest of the afternoon and evening. By comparison, weekday app usage is more concentrated in the evening with a slow ramp during the working day and a peak at 9:00 pm EST, when East Coast users are at home and West Coast users are commuting home.

In short, iPhone is still quite a ways off from becoming a “business” phone. The report also concludes that these heavy weeknight and weekend app usage could be interpreted as a sign that consumers may be willing to try more convenient devices than their laptops to entertain themselves, plan a trip, check sports scores and listen to music. No wonder Apple has big hopes for its iPad.

Chief of the intelligence and investigation wing of the Federal Board of Revenue has unearthed a fraud involving unauthorised clearance of hundreds of thousands of cellphones from the Quetta airport without payment of customs duty and other taxes.

According to FBR sources, preliminary investigations revealed that the fraud caused an estimated loss of Rs470 million to the national exchequer.

The sources told this correspondent that the directorate-general of intelligence and investigation had lodged FIRs against 14 importers and customs officials.

Raids are being conduced in various parts of Quetta for the importers involved in the fraud and eight Customs officials at the airport have been suspended.

The importers are reported to have removed the phones without filling ‘goods declaration’ with the help of the officials.

The investigations revealed that 54 consignments brought from China and Dubai had been cleared without payment of duties and taxes.

The smuggling of mobile phones has also been a problem for law-enforcement agencies because criminals and terrorists use such phones and calls made from or to them cannot be traced.

Via Dawn

© 2010, Telecom News Bulletin. All rights reserved.

India is planning to seek meeting with Pakistan to resolve issue of cross-border telecom signals which are affecting the quality of cellular operators of both countries in Punjab border areas.

Indian cellular operators have complained that signals of Pakistani telecom providers are crossing into Indian territory in Punjab, leading to interference with Indian services. Pakistani mobile phone companies have also complained that interference in frequency bandwidth from Indian cellular operators affecting the quality of their services in border areas.

The Indian Department of Telecom and Ministry of External Affairs are holding consultations on this issue.

Media reports quoting official sources here said India has planned to seek a meeting between the Departments of Telecom of the two countries in June but nothing has been finalised as the process of consultations are still going on.

The reports said the interference is caused because service providers of both the countries are using the same frequency. While the Indian service providers have been allocated 824-844 MHz/869-889 MHz band, some Pakistani operators work on 890-915Mhz/935-960Mhz band. So between 889Mhz and 890 Mhz there are some interference, media reports quoting sources said.

Via APP

© 2010, Telecom News Bulletin. All rights reserved.

O2 and Vodafone are considering legal action after ministers finalised their proposals to end a bitter and long-standing dispute between mobile phone operators over radio spectrum.

To read this report in full from The Financial Times, see:
www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ea6e7e62-2fa1-11df-9153-00144feabdc0.html

Demand for services such as mobile telephones and broadband Internet have remained buoyant despite the economic crisis, with mobile subscriptions set to reach 5 billion this year and mobile broadband subscriptions having topped 600 million.

But the ICT industry has also witnessed reduced sales in equipment and manufacturing, as well as lower demand.

The new publication by the UN International Telecommunications Union (ITU), entitled “Trends in Telecommunication Reform,” said the industry is currently undergoing a generational shift from fixed telephone networks to mobile connections of all types, next generation networking and broadband wireless networks.

Previously clear borders among telephones, broadcasting and online services are being eroded, with people able to watch movies on their computers and programming being downloaded on mobile phones.

As a result, “ICT regulators play a key role in fostering ongoing innovation and competition, enabling operators to adopt the latest, most power technologies, and ensuring consumers enjoy the very best range of services at the lowest possible prices,” said the agency’s Secretary-General, Hamadoun Touré.

The economic crisis has sounded the alarm on the need for effective regulation and has kick-started a dialogue on the role of the Government, which is now considering the need for State intervention to ensure, among other elements, the development of a ‘broadband economy.’

The new report argued that regulators and policy-makers can tackle the potential risk for under-investment in tomorrow’s networks through a two-pronged approach that would involve Government-backed funding programmes and effective regulatory strategies and policies.

In a related development, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and Cambodia today unveiled a training course seeking to boost the South-East Asian nation’s ability to harness ICT to promote development.

According to the ITU, Cambodia is in the early stages of ICT development, ranking 120 out of 159 countries, and has been endeavouring to increase nationwide access to ICTs.

The four-day workshop opened today in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, and drew 50 top policy-makers – to examine ways to enhance awareness and bolster knowledge on the effective use of ICTs for sustainable socio-economic development.

The course is part of the UN Asia and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT), headquartered in Incheon, Republic of Korea. Similar workshops have been carried out across the region, including in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan and Samoa.

To read this United Nations news release in full, see:
www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34024

Verizon (VZ) announced Friday morning that it is taking the unusual step of dual-listing itself on both the NASDAQ exchange and the New York Stock Exchange.

This means you’ll be able to trade Verizon stock on either exchange, as well as some other international exchange the stock trades on.

Complete Story »

Africa may host the fastest growing economies in the emerging market world. While it’s also one of the most risky, there’s no need to sit on the sidelines. An ever-widening range of exchange traded funds (ETFs) that span the risk spectrum are appearing on the scene.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised Africa’s full-year 2010 economic growth estimates from 4.3% to 4.5%, putting the region at the forefront of the global economic recovery, writes Sam Hopkins for Wealth Daily.

Complete Story »

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit http://telecomtalk.info/ for other content, and more! ]]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit http://telecomtalk.info/ for other content, and more! ]]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit http://telecomtalk.info/ for other content, and more! ]]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit http://telecomtalk.info/ for other content, and more! ]]