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UN says US fears over Huawei’s 5G are politically motivated
The secretary general of the UN's internet and telecoms agency has suggested US concerns about 5G networks built using Huawei equipment have more to do with politics and trade, rather than legitimate worries over security. "There is no proof so far," Houlin Zhao, head of the International Telecommunication Union, said regarding claims about Huawei's security. He noted it's in telecoms' best interests to make sure their infrastructure is secure as they might otherwise feel the wrath of authorities.
ITU treaty negotiations collapse as US, Canada and UK refuse to sign
As anticipated, several countries pushed to expand the UN's authority to regulate the internet and the US, along with many of its allies, have said they will not sign the updated treaty. Interestingly, the collapse of negotiations began when language was added to the new rules about "human rights obligations," which predictably met with stiff resistance from nations with spotty records on that front, including China and Iran. But the complete failure of the delegates to reach a consensus on updating international telecommunication laws seems to hinge primarily on the push by countries like Russia open the internet to additional UN regulation, that could cover everything from security to the assignment of addresses (something currently handled by ICANN). The US, along with Canada, the UK, Netherlands, New Zealand, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, and the Czech Republic have refused to sign the treaty over to the proposed expansion of powers. The proposed change would, in effect, give the UN and other nations regulatory control over content. The concern is that it would open up the web to broader censorship and abuse from oppressive regimes seeking to control information and squash dissent. For now it seems as if the status quo will continue, though, any internet treaty coming out of the UN would likely face stiff opposition from the US, even without the content-related language.
House passes unanimous resolution to ban UN regulation of the internet
In a rare showing of bipartisanship, the House unanimously passed a resolution to ban UN regulation of the internet at the hands of the ITU (International Telecommunication Union). It states that the US would "continue working to implement the position of the United States on internet governance that clearly articulates the consistent and unequivocal policy of the United States to promote a global internet free from government control." Put forth by Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill, the same bill got the thumbs up from the Senate earlier this year. Both bills are a show of opposition against a potential change to the telecommunications treaty that could expand control from telecom operators to internet companies like Facebook and Google. The 1988 treaty does indeed need an update, but US and Canada along with several EU nations have expressed a strong desire to limit any new policies from impacting how the web is run. Their efforts have so far been for naught, but Congress is hoping that such a unified stance from the US will help sway the votes that are due to happen later this week in Dubai.
ITU will consider broader powers to regulate internet companies
The ITU hasn't updated its rules since 1988. Thankfully the telecommunications arm of the UN is currently meeting in Dubai to rewrite its hopelessly outdated regulations. The US and Canada quickly sought to place limits on any new rules and keep the international body's focus on telecom operators and protect companies like Facebook and Google that rely on, but don't own, the world's online infrastructure. Unfortunately, with 150 other countries sitting at the negotiating table, that proposal was shot down. Critics worry that an expansion of the ITU's powers could make it easier for authoritarian regimes to thwart anonymity and expose more content to censorship. The failure of the proposal does not mean that the International Telecommunication Union will actually seek to regulate the actions of internet companies, but it does leave open the possibility of broader rules that could disrupt the status quo. A number of key issues, regarding security and the weaponization of the web, are also on the table. Next week the participating delegates will vote on changes to the 1988 treaty, which would then have to be ratified by participating nations independently.
International Telecommunication Union: worldwide mobile subscriptions hit six billion in 2011
Last year, the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) told us there were five billion mobile subscriptions worldwide at the close of 2010, and now it's reporting that at the end of 2011, that figure hit a staggering six billion. China and India account for one billion a piece, and it brings us ever closer to having the equivalent of one subscription for every person on the planet. (According to the CTIA, there are already more cellular plans in the US -- around 322 million -- than there are inhabitants.) In a stat-heavy release from the ITU, it also ranked the most advanced telecoms countries, with South Korea placing first, Japan eighth and countries in Europe filling the remaining spots. Interestingly, the number of global mobile broadband subscriptions now outnumbers fixed ones by two to one, and mobile internet services showed the biggest growth rates in 2011: 40% worldwide and 78% in developing markets. The ITU attributes the latter figure to the relatively high price of fixed access in these countries, and the increasing availability of mobile alternatives. The CTIA also commented on mobile broadband use, reporting that from July 2011 to June this year, Americans consumed 104 percent more data -- no doubt due, in part, to people taking advantage of expanding 4G coverage. As usual, we've given you the cheat sheet, so if you'd like the full reports and have got a thing for statistics, there's plenty more in the source links below. [Image credit: Chris Jordan]
ITU roundtable narrows scope of debate around standard-essential patents, doesn't create world peace
The ITU's roundtable discussing the controversy over standard-essential patents has wrapped up its first day, and surprise -- there wasn't immediate harmony. While strict press rules prevent discussing exactly which companies said what in the Geneva meeting, the UN's telecom agency mentioned that the initial, partly publicized discussions saw a "heated debate" that mostly followed party lines. Certain companies kept to their view that bans over standard-essential patents hurt innovation, while others were adamant that bans were harmless and potentially necessary -- you can probably guess who's on each side. The meeting mostly helped whittle down the subjects for the closed meetings, which should focus on how much of a curb there should be on injunctions as well as the definition of just what the "reasonable" in Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory (RAND) patent licensing terms should mean. ITU officials remain ever the budding optimists, however. They felt that it was tough to leave injunctions "completely unchecked" and that their institution could shape policies, even if it wouldn't get involved with ongoing talks. Legal Officer Antoine Dore also explained to Engadget that his organization wasn't surprised at the uncompromising stances early on and expected the companies involved to open up "a lot more" once they weren't under the watchful eyes of cameras and reporters. If they don't, we suspect other international organizations could exert their own pressure.
ITU approves NHK's Super Hi-Vision as 8K standard, sets the UHDTV ball rolling very slowly
We'd heard that the International Telecommunication Union was close to approving Super Hi-Vision as an Ultra High Definition TV standard, and the UN agency hasn't waited long to confirm the rumors. The recommendation to use NHK's 7,680 x 4,320 format has gone unopposed and should define the parameters for incredibly detailed 8K video worldwide. This shouldn't lead anyone to return that 4K TV just yet -- once again, it's important to remember that NHK still won't start any kind of wider testing until 2020. That's also assuming that the first 8K sets are down to Earth instead of the incredibly expensive 145-inch variety.
Nikkei: ITU near recommending NHK's Super Hi-Vision as official TV standard
We've seen NHK preparing its Super Hi-Vision 8K video since time immemorial. Wouldn't it be nice if the TV broadcast technology was more than just a perpetual research project? If sources for Japan's Nikkei aren't dreaming, the International Telecommunication Union is now "likely" to declare the format an official standard for broadcasters and TV makers. Should it go ahead, the UN telecom body would ask the world to rely on Super Hi-Vision as an eventual successor to HDTV and reduce the balkanization of TV standards that we've seen in the past. Neither the ITU nor NHK is known to have commented on the claim so far, but NHK isn't exactly in a rush to get a seal of approval from anyone -- widescale test broadcasts aren't coming until 2020, and production TVs themselves are only just entering a 4K universe.
ITU wants to bring smartphone makers to peace talks, hash out patent wars
The United Nations defines the stereotype of a peace broker, so it's not that far-fetched to hear that its International Telecommunication Union (ITU) wing is hoping to step in and cool down the rapidly escalating patent world war. The organization plans to convene a Patent Roundtable on October 10th -- in neutral Geneva, Switzerland, of course -- to have smartphone makers, governments and standards groups try and resolve some of their differences. Those mostly concerned about Apple's actions won't be happy with the focus of the sit-down, however. Most of the attention will surround allegations that companies are abusing standards-based patents, which will put the heat largely on a Google-owned Motorola as well as Samsung. Still, there's hope when the ITU's Secretary-General Dr. Hamadoun Touré talks of desiring a "balancing act" between what patent holders want and what customers need. Our real hope is that we don't have to hear talk of customs delays and product bans for a long while afterwards. [Image credit: Patrick Gruban, Flickr]
UN: worldwide internet users hit two billion, cellphone subscriptions top five billion
The UN's International Telecommunication Union predicted last fall that the number of internet users worldwide would hit two billion by the end of 2010, and it's now issued its full report that confirms just that -- 2.08 billion, to be specific. As the ITU's Hamadoun Toure notes, that number represents a huge leap from the mere 250 million internet users that existed a decade ago, and it means that roughly one third of the world's population now has internet access of some sort -- of those, 555 million have a fixed broadband subscription, and 950 million have mobile broadband. Just as impressive as that (if not moreso), are the number of cellphone subscriptions worldwide, which has now crossed the five billion mark. That's up from 500 million at the beginning of the year 2000, although the agency notes that it's only accounted for "subscriptions," and not individual users. Any way you slice it, however, that's quite a record of growth for the first decade of the 21st century.
Internet to boast more than 2 billion users by year's end
That's right, by the end of 2010, it is estimated that more than 2 billion people -- nearly 30 percent of the world's population -- will be using the internet. According to a report released by the International Telecommunication Union, 2010 alone will see an additional 226 million users log on. The report contains some far less encouraging data, however, such as the fact that it's now estimated that in 'developed' countries nearly 71 percent of the population is online, while in developing nations, just 21 percent is. The discrepancy is beginning to shrink somewhat, but is so massive that it's likely to be a factor for many years to come.
Support for universal micro-USB phone chargers grows with ITU approval
The entire wireless industry has been congealing around micro-USB as a universal charging standard for a while now, and we've taken yet another important step toward completely ridding the world of bizarre proprietary connectors (you know what we're talking about, Samsung) with ITU ratification this week. The UN-backed International Telecommunication Union isn't just making the move to make our lives a little less hellish, though -- it's also a strategic environmental move on a couple fronts, since universal chargers mean consumers will be able to hold on to a single charger over the life of several phones and modern chargers are far more power efficient than models that are even just a couple years old. The ITU move isn't binding or compulsory, but there's enough momentum behind micro-USB at this point that it's pretty much going to happen for any phone you'd ever consider buying going forward, and many of the big players have already hopped on the bandwagon. We won't lie, we won't miss the days of buying a $40 car charger that powers, like, two LG models. [Thanks, d0mth0ma5]
