Thursday, 25 May 2017 05:47
EC alleges Altice breached EU rules by early implementation of PT Portugal acquisition
The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections alleging that multinational telecommunications company Altice (the Netherlands), breached the EU Merger Regulation by implementing its acquisition of telecommunications operator PT Portugal before notification or approval by the Commission. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: "If companies jump the gun by implementing mergers prior to notification or clearance, they undermine the effective functioning of the EU merger control system. The Statement of Objections sent to Altice shows how…
Thursday, 25 May 2017 05:29
Egypt’s Minister for ICT says 4G frequencies are ready for use
His Excellency Eng. Yasser El Kady, Egypt’s ICT Minister, has announced that 4G frequencies are ready to be used in the country. Following delays, 4G services will soon be deployed. The Egyptian Government has completed preparations for the transfer of 4G frequencies to operators, according to the Minister, after selling four licenses in a 2016 auction. “We are now ready to hand over 4G mobile frequencies to any company that is ready. We are waiting for companies to finish preparations…
Tuesday, 23 May 2017 07:59
Facebook the first company to be fined by EU for providing misleading formation
The European Commission has fined Facebook €110 million for providing incorrect or misleading information during the Commission's 2014 investigation under the EU Merger Regulation of Facebook's acquisition of WhatsApp. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: "Today's decision sends a clear signal to companies that they must comply with all aspects of EU merger rules, including the obligation to provide correct information. And it imposes a proportionate and deterrent fine on Facebook. The Commission must be able to…
Tuesday, 23 May 2017 07:34
Huawei CEO pledges continuing investment in the Czech Republic
Joined by a delegation of government representatives, President Milos Zeman of the Czech Republic recently met with Huawei's Rotating and Acting CEO, Guo Ping, in Beijing. During the meeting, Guo Ping shared Huawei's latest developments in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector and expressed the company's intention to continue investing and growing in the Czech Republic. President Zeman spoke highly of Huawei's contribution to the country's economic development. He also complimented the company on its choice of Jaromir Jagr,…
Sunday, 21 May 2017 09:10
Rwanda Government pioneers Smart City Innovation with SRG and Nokia
Nokia and SRG will collaborate with the Government of Rwanda to deploy Smart City technology to improve the lifestyle and social sustainability of its citizens in 2017. This announcement was made in Kigali during the Transform Africa Summit. "Nokia is a global leader in driving innovation in 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart City solutions, "says Mohamed Abdelrehim, Head of Solutions and Business Development for Nokia in Middle East and Africa market. "This project is in line with…
Sunday, 21 May 2017 08:34
Thailand government threatens to shut down Facebook over ‘illegal posts’
Thailand’s government has threatened to shut down social media colossus Facebook in the country - after it refused demands from authorities to remove posts. Government officials issued a request to Facebook to remove around 131 posts off the popular networking platform claiming the posts were ‘illegal’. Thailand’s Criminal Court backed the request from the government and ordered Facebook to remove the posts within a week, or they would face subsequent legal action. However, the removal order is the latest in…
Thursday, 11 May 2017 12:19
Amazon settles antitrust concerns with EC over e-book distribution agreements
The European Commission has adopted a decision that renders legally binding commitments offered by Amazon. The commitments address the Commission's preliminary competition concerns relating to a number of clauses in Amazon's distribution agreements with e-book publishers in Europe. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: "Today's decision will open the way for publishers and competitors to develop innovative services for e-books, increasing choice and competition to the benefit of European consumers. Amazon used certain clauses in its agreements…
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Thursday, 11 May 2017 07:47
FCC CIO says organization was subject to multiple recent DDoS attacks
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States was the subject of multiple recent DDoS attacks on Sunday, May 7, at midnight, according to Dr. David Bray, Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the organization. Dr. Bray issued a statement regarding the cause of delays experienced by consumers recently trying to file comments on the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). “Beginning on Sunday night at midnight, our analysis reveals that the FCC was subject to multiple distributed denial-of-service attacks…
Monday, 08 May 2017 10:09
China set to tighten grip on internet controls
Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to tighten the country’s internet regulations with a pledge on May 7 to increase controls over search engines and online news portals, CNBC reported. The increased security implementations are the latest in President Jinping’s attempts to oversee strict Communist Party control over internet content in China. One of the President’s top priorities for China is “cyber sovereignty”. He has also reasserted the ruling Communist Party’s ability to limit and guide online discussion in the country.…
Tuesday, 02 May 2017 09:10
Sweden’s telecoms sector under EU investigation for concerns of anti-competition
The European Commission confirmed that on 25 April, 2017, its officials carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of companies active in the mobile telecommunications sector in Sweden. The Commission has concerns that Swedish mobile network operators may have engaged in anti-competitive conduct preventing entry into the consumer segment of the Swedish mobile telecommunications market, in breach of EU antitrust rules (Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). The Commission officials were accompanied…
Tuesday, 02 May 2017 07:41
Turkey blocks access to Wikipedia and doesn’t explain why
Turkey has reportedly blocked access to online encyclopedia Wikipedia and hasn’t given an explanation except that it has taken “an administrative measure”. According to Turkish media, authorities had asked Wikipedia to remove content by writers “supporting terror”. The country has a history of blocking websites, including Facebook and Twitter which were both temporarily blocked in the past, most often following protests or terror attacks. Wikipedia was officially blocked by the Turkey Blocks monitoring group at 08:00 (05:00 GMT) on April…
Thursday, 20 April 2017 08:28
US Federal Communications Commission to lift ban on telecoms merger talks
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is set to lift a ban on telecommunications companies engaging in merger discussions. Since the FCC announced its plan, Wall Street has predicted that T-Mobile US, Sprint, and Dish will be the first companies to engage in merger talks. Shares of these companies have risen over the past 12 months on expectations of deal discussions. Each firm is trading at up to 31 times forward earnings, in contrast to the S&P 500 telecom services…
