Search results

Provides a snapshot of how the themes of convergence, competition and forthcoming communication services, as raised in the European Commissions’ review, are playing out across Asia. Argues domination by North American and European service companies remains a strong concern of many Asian governments.

NO ONE WOULD BE SURPRISED by the assertion that John Bunyan made a deep impression among the devout Welsh for a century or more after his unique career. The standard evidence for such a statement is of course the number of editions of the author, and for Bunyan a special compilation of all his works printed in Wales alone between 1677 and 1931 shows the impressive total of 188 titles (no fewer than 58 of Pilgrim's Progress) in various languages. For a land with only a little over a half million inhabitants and with only two cities with over five thousand population in 1800, this is a record hard to equal, demonstrating an extraordinary devotion to a single author. Yet beyond such eloquent numerical summary another particular witness emerges from an unsuspected quarter. In the 1767 Welsh translation of The Doctrine of the Law and Grace Unfolded is dutifully included the ‘Names of the Subscribers’ underwriting the publication. This particular list is so unusual as to merit perpetuation in its entirety:

To consider the various challenges raised by Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). These include commercial, technological, marketing and regulatory issues.

First explores the technological issues, such as quality assurance and load control, then marketing issues by contrasting the various service providers and their approaches, and finally regulatory concerns by comparing European and US approaches to issues such as emergency services, numbering, law enforcement and security.

VoIP raises complex questions beyond whether or not consumers get cheaper telephone calls. IP technology is ushering in a world of peer‐to‐peer communications that provides opportunities (and dangers) for multiple business models and players.

Provides an overview of the issues raised by a potentially disruptive technology and contributes a perspective on the opportunities and threats for incumbents and new entrants to the market.