WholeThinking essays with keyword tag: telecom

Broadband and Health: Bound by TeleMedicine

By | August 14, 2010 | Raw Economics

On August 14 I had the opportunity to sit in a small room with a handful of local journalists and staff at Seattle Children’s Hospital, also present, was the chairman of the FCC, Julius Genachowski. We were gathered to see a demonstration of the hospital’s telemedicine network that serves a number of hospitals and rural clinics throughout […]

Partitioning the Internet: Google and Verizon Hold Forth

By | August 9, 2010 | Mobile Nature, Raw Economics

Despite numerous rumors and repeated questions, Google and Verizon denied they were in any kind of discussions. When specificaly asked if they were engaged in conversations about the prioritization of Internet traffic, they continued to deny any such talks had taken place. Today, Google and Verizon issued a joint statement that they have not only been […]

Saudi Arabia and the UAE to Block Blackberry

By | August 1, 2010 | Cultural Interface

Today, the United Arab Emirates announced that it will start blocking Blackberry email, messaging and web browsing features starting on October 11. Almost immediately following this announcement, Saudi Arabian telcos were ordered to begin blocking the messenger service of Blackberry later this month. The UAE cited security concerns as the primary reason to take this […]

iPad International Data Plans, Will Cost Deflect User Acceptance?

By | July 31, 2010 | Mobile Nature

The acceptance or rejection of a device or user pattern is not just dependent on great industrial design, interface and user experience -price and availability can be just as much a part of user experience. A successful product acceptance and the subsequent user pattern change depends on many factors. None can be ignored if the […]

DTH Satellite Television Surges Over Telecom & Cable

By | July 26, 2010 | Raw Economics, Visible Future

While the news media preoccupies itself with the battle of titans, telecoms versus cablecoms for pay-TV market share, satellite delivered direct-to-home service has been quietly and steadily gaining on them both. According to TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, the DTH pay-TV sector now claims 150 million subscribers with a growth of 13% to 15% per year. This growth trend continues […]

Of Tolls and Rivers Chains -The New Robber Barons

By | September 14, 2009 | Raw Economics

For a number of centuries, roughly 800 AD to 1800 AD, feudal lords with land along the Rhine River in Germany, collected tolls from passing cargo ships. In an effective effort to back this control, large iron chains were laid across the river and raised high enough to block passage of uncooperative vessels. Not being […]