Rob’s Digital Life

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Entries from May 2004

Naked DSL

May 31st, 2004 · No Comments

Recently it’s become clear and often quoted, that wireless is for voice, DSL is for Internet. The problem in the current market is if you want DSL you get voice too! But now Naked DSL is hitting the business market and I’m sure it won’t be too long before it hits the consumer market place.
My [...]

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Tags: Telecom

Telecom giant may close UK 3G arm

May 31st, 2004 · No Comments

HUTCHISON Whompoa is being forced to consider closing its British 3G mobile operation to shift resources to faster growing markets such as Israel, Eastern Europe, India and Hong Kong. The company is worried that it is spending billions of pounds developing a British network with little chance of recouping its investment. Hutchison is having to [...]

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Tags: life

The Orange Lab

May 29th, 2004 · No Comments

I’ve just stumbled across this site ‘The Orange Lab‘ - “We have a number of prototypes available for you to try, rate and discuss*. Whilst we are unable to provide support for these prototypes, we do encourage you to share any experiences or problems in the discussion area for each prototype.”
I tried the logo service [...]

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Tags: Mobile

Lowering the cost of Frame Relay

May 28th, 2004 · No Comments

Here’s an interesting (long) article about running Frame Relay over DSL, as opposed to using a T1 or fraction of, to provide the connectivity back to the POP. The idea is that the cost of DSL is much lower than traditional leased lines and hence a saving can be gained by supply frame relay over [...]

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Tags: Telecom

Stat of the Week

May 28th, 2004 · No Comments

From Yesterday’s online section of the Guardian, stat of the week; Virgin Mobile tops the JD Power customer satisfaction survey with a score of 738.
Virgin 738
Vodafone [...]

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Tags: Mobile

Virtual Network Operators

May 26th, 2004 · No Comments

Kevin Werbach has an interesting piece on how AT&T is hollowing itself out in an attempt to become what Kevin sees as the first 21st century phone company (telco ?), one that virtualizes and outsources everything.
Well Vanco has been a global virtual network operator since 1988. Vanco doesn’t own a network of it’s own, they [...]

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Tags: Telecom

Reading

May 24th, 2004 · No Comments

currently reading the MCI white paper “A Horizontal Leap Forward“, 73 pages!

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Tags: Uncategorized

Two VP’s in a week!

May 21st, 2004 · No Comments

It’s been an interesting week during which I’ve managed to have a business related conversation with IBM’s VP for Networking in EMEA. The second VP is such a coincidence, on Wednesday I read in the FT about how PWWC was looking to buy part of a Chinese telco, then today I get an email form [...]

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Tags: Random

A buyers Market?

May 20th, 2004 · No Comments

I’m sure we’re seeing greater signs of competition in the Telecoms market and as a consequence it’s making the market a good place to be if you’re buying. Greater competition is coming in as the market is growing and Telcos and trying to win the business and competing hard to get it. All providers have [...]

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Tags: Telecom

Mobile app Market to be worth $8bn by 2008

May 20th, 2004 · No Comments

The Register says “that this is because there will be several important factors driving revenue to such an extent that by 2008, the mobile consumer applications market will be worth just under $8bn in Western Europe.”
That’s a pretty big market and they believe that will be made up of ring tones, gaming, video, and music. [...]

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Tags: Uncategorized

MMO2 makes a profit

May 19th, 2004 · No Comments

MMO2, who operate the mobile phone brand O2, announced a profit. Their revenue is up and subscriber spend is around 252ukp. They may possibly put a bid in for KPN, the Dutch operator, but I think that’s just hot air.
I’ve seen the UK subscriber figures and Orange is the largest mobile phone company in the [...]

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Tags: News

Telco workers on strike

May 19th, 2004 · No Comments

Close to 100,000 SBC employees plan show their displeasure with the trend of sending telco jobs overseas by going on strike this week.
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) issued a statement today declaring that union employees at SBC in 13 states will boycott work from May 21 to May 25. In addition to the strike, [...]

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Tags: News

Preperation

May 17th, 2004 · No Comments

Just finished packing for a 2 day meeting in London, IBM Southbank, and I’m now ready for the 5.55am train from Chester to Euston tomorrow morning. The meeting is with other people from around EMEA doing the same role as me, PTSL leads, so should be interesting.
Interesting day to day though (but another long one [...]

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Tags: Random

VPN’s, EVPN’s and IVPN’s

May 16th, 2004 · 6 Comments

I got caught up in a discussion the other day about VPN’s and they by definition are encrypted. The person thought that there was only one type of VPN, an encrypted one. While the term VPN is becoming more common and is often brandished around, there are two uses of the term that I think [...]

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Tags: Telecom

50% of all Voice calls to be Wireless

May 15th, 2004 · No Comments

Both Analysys and Silicon.com have articles on how’s there’s still more growth in the wireless, cellular, mobile, call it what you like, market place. Voice services account for 80% of revenue and providers should stop worrying so much about data, as there’s still a ton of people using landlines when they could be using mobiles.
Both [...]

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Tags: Mobile