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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Interesting <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>This was a topic of an interesting debate at one of the sessions
at the recently concluded IGF in Rio. With broadcasters trying to claim the spectrum.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>However it’s a pitty that in Africa where we need this capacity
more we have chosen to wait till 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div style='border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'>
<div>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
Discuss-owner@afrispa.org [mailto:Discuss-owner@afrispa.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Eric
Osiakwan<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, November 20, 2007 7:57 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> discuss@afrispa.org; African Information Society Initiative -
Discussion Forum; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [AfrISPA.Discuss] Fwd: [TIER] UN agreement on freeing spectrum for
wireless<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>fyi<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>Begin forwarded message:<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>From: </span></b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Jennifer
Bussell <<a href="mailto:jbussell@berkeley.edu">jbussell@berkeley.edu</a>></span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>Date: </span></b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>19
November 2007 19:54:38 GMT+03:00</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>To: </span></b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>TIER
<<a href="mailto:tier@tier.cs.berkeley.edu">tier@tier.cs.berkeley.edu</a>></span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>Subject: </span></b><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>[TIER] UN agreement on freeing spectrum for wireless</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><a
href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2ece0dd2-962c-11dc-b7ec-0000779fd2ac.html">http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2ece0dd2-962c-11dc-b7ec-0000779fd2ac.html</a><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Radio
spectrum freed for mobiles</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>By
Frances Williams in Geneva</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Published:
November 19 2007 01:23 | Last updated: November 19 2007 01:23</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;
margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Valuable
radio spectrum now used mainly by broadcasters is to be opened up to broadband
services offered by mobile phone operators under a United Nations agreement
endorsed on Friday by governments from over 160 countries.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;
margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>For
the first time, the decision will provide a common chunk of spectrum for mobile
broadband services globally, boosting the market for new wireless technologies.
It is also expected to reduce significantly the cost of expanding mobile
networks in poor or predominantly rural nations.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;
margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The
accord follows a month-long diplomatic conference that pitted traditional
broadcasters against mobile phone operators in a battle over who should benefit
from the “digital dividend” provided by the continuing switch from analogue to
digital television.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;
margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Digital
signals require much less bandwidth, freeing space in the coveted ultra-high
frequency (UHF) band, which has been the almost exclusive preserve of broadcasters.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;
margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Mobile
phone companies have pushed for access to the UHF band for two reasons. One is
that the quality signals support high-speed mobile broadband connections,
enabling faster downloads of data and video to mobile devices and encouraging
the development of new internet-based services.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;
margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The
other is that UHF signals can penetrate buildings and travel long distances, so
fewer base stations are required for coverage of large areas, cheapening the
cost of rolling out wireless broadband networks.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;
margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Under
the deal, the Americas and much of Asia, including China and India, will open
up the 698-806 Megahertz band to mobile wireless broadband services between now
and 2015 as the transition from analogue to digital television proceeds.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;
margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>In
Europe, Africa and the Middle East, where broadcasters have retained a bigger
share of UHF spectrum, only the 790-862 Megahertz band will be available for
mobile wireless broadband and not before 2015.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;
margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#003A8C'><a href="http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/copyright">Copyright</a></span><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> The Financial Times
Limited 2007</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>TIER mailing list<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>Website: <a href="http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu">http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu</a><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:TIER@tier.cs.berkeley.edu">TIER@tier.cs.berkeley.edu</a><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><a
href="https://www.millennium.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tier">https://www.millennium.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tier</a><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<div style='margin-left:15.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>Eric M.K Osiakwan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div style='margin-left:15.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>Executive Secretary<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div style='margin-left:15.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>AfrISPA (<a href="http://www.afrispa.org">www.afrispa.org</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div style='margin-left:15.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>Tel: + 233.21.258800 ext 2031<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div style='margin-left:15.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>Fax: + 233.21.258811<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div style='margin-left:15.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>Cell: + 233.244.386792<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div style='margin-left:15.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>Handle: eosiakwan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div style='margin-left:15.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>Snail Mail: Pmb 208, Accra-North<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div style='margin-left:15.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>Office: BusyInternet - 42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div style='margin-left:15.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>Blog: <a href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/">http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div style='margin-left:15.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'>Slang: "Tomorrow Now"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:black'><br>
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