2012-06-28: Copyright-based industries are powering a greater portion of the overall economy, according to studies released by the National Administration of Copyright in Beijing last week.

28/06/2012 -The head of the EU delegation in Thailand is calling on the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to revise new draft regulations on foreign dominance or risk violating World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements, says a source at the regulator.

David Lipman, ambassador and head of the EU delegation to Thailand, submitted a letter in opposition to the NBTC’s new foreign dominance regulations, saying the rules were not in compliance with WTO agreements and national treatment commitments.

Mr Lipman will meet with the NBTC to discuss the issue today, said an NBTC member.

Last month the NBTC approved a draft of new regulations to prevent foreign dominance of local telecom operators. The regulations are expected to become effective in August.

The rules will be enforced under the authority of the 2010 Frequency Allocation Act and 2001 Telecom Business Act and be used when the NBTC auctions 2.1-gigahertz of third generation (3G) spectrum licences in October.

The term dominance in the draft means having direct or indirect control or influence on local telecom operators in determining business policies, management, operations, and the appointment of the ranks, including directors and top executives.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/300041/eu-concerned-about-draft-telecom-law

June 26, 2012 – Ofcom is planning to encourage UK internet users to download films and music legally with a new code that would require large ISPs to inform customers of allegations that their internet connection has been used to infringe copyright.

The media regulator has published a draft code for consultation that it said includes measures to help inform the public and promote lawful access to digital content.

The code would initially cover ISPs with more than 400,000 broadband-enabled fixed lines, which currently includes BT, Everything Everywhere, O2, Sky, TalkTalk Group and Virgin Media. The draft code requires ISPs to send letters to customers, at least a month apart, informing them when their account is connected to reports of suspected online copyright infringement.

Download Ofcom Consultation

Read more: http://www.digitaltveurope.net/25592/ofcom-publishes-%E2%80%98three-strikes%E2%80%99-online-copyright-code/

NEWTOWN, Conn., June 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Forecast International projects that the commercial communications satellite market will be worth $52.7 billion from 2012-2021. According to its “The Market for Commercial Communications Satellites” study, which tracks some 49 satellite production programs, 419 individual communications satellites will be produced during that timeframe.

According to the study, high-speed broadband Internet, digital television and video broadcasting, and government services are currently major areas of growth for the commercial communications satellite industry. The analysis notes that demand will be especially strong in developing markets such as Eastern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. William Ostrove, Forecast International space systems analyst and author of the study, said that a lack of terrestrial networks and the rapid growth in demand for communications services in these areas of the world is driving this demand.

Demand for Broadband Internet by satellite operators is particularly acute in rural areas, where high-speed Internet demand isn’t high enough to justify the cost of laying miles of cable. Satellites are also useful for increasing connectivity for mobile applications. According to Ostrove, “Airlines such as United, Southwest, and JetBlue plan to equip their entire fleets with Wi-Fi in the future. Ka-band satellites will be a primary supplier of the bandwidth needed to provide in-air broadband Internet connections.”

Read more: http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/fi-forecasts-53-billion-comsat-175336662.html

June 25, 2012 – About 370 million digital homes were added around the world between end-2007 and end-2011 – or an average of 93 million more digital homes each year, according to a new report from Digital TV Research. The Digital TV World Databook estimated that this took the digital TV household total for the 80 countries covered in the report to 675 million.

Simon Murray, author of the report, said: “Half the world’s TV households now receive digital signals. Digital TV penetration climbed from 23.5% at end-2007 to 48.5% by end-2011.

”He added: “However, there were still 714 million analogue TV households (mostly terrestrial and cable, with a few analogue DTH ones) by end-2011. This total was down from 989 million at end-2007.”

Read more: http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2012/06/25/global-digital-tv-penetration-crosses-halfway-mark/

June 27, 2012 – Employees of start-ups or freelancers in the media industry who seek to upgrade their skills or obtain apprenticeships can now tap on funding provided by the Media Development Authority (MDA) as part of its drive to increase productivity in this sector.

The S$20-million funding, which will be effective from Sunday, will go towards three new productivity measures – a training allowance, enhanced apprenticeship opportunities and a productivity grant to help media companies raise efficiency through process improvements.

The MDA aims to raise the value-add per worker from the current S$98,500 to S$119,700 through the fund.

“In the media sector, the way to productivity is through ideas,” said MDA Chief Executive Officer Aubeck Kam. “We have to keep developing better ideas because better ideas mean more audiences and more value derived from the same unit of work.”

Read more: http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120627-0000026/Media-professionals-to-benefit-from-S$20m-funding

June 25, 2012 – According to recent market research, cable operators still rule the roost when it comes to the number of worldwide pay-TV subscribers, but satellite and IPTV providers are poised for a takeover.

The report by Infonetics Research said Comcast was the global pay-TV leader, with more than 22 million subscribers last year.

“Cable video still makes up over half of the global pay-TV market, but revenue growth is decelerating due to a slowdown in new subscribers, especially in the lucrative North American market, as competition from satellite and IPTV operators intensifies and as OTT offerings from Netflix, Hulu and others siphon away a small but growing number of households,” said Jeff Heynen, directing analyst for broadband access and video at Infonetics Research.

Read more: http://www.cedmagazine.com/news/2012/06/cable-still-king-of-pay-tv-satellite-iptv-usurpers-plot-takeover

June 25, 2012 – In a move to quash doubts raised by retrospective amendments concerning re-opening of assessments, the Central Board of Direct Taxes issued a circular on May 29. It clarified that the tax department would not reopen assessments simply on account of retrospective/ clarificatory amendments introduced by the Finance Act, 2012 if the regular assessment proceedings have been completed before April 1 and no notice has been issued for re-assessment before that date.

The interesting point for consideration is how far revenue can enforce these retrospective amendments/ clarifications to Sec 2(14), 2(47), Sec 9 and Sec 195, which have retrospective effect from April 1, 1962 or April 1, 1976 — meaning that these amendments/ clarifications had been part of the Act from that very date with no such extension of time in section 147 /148 for reopening of assessment. In short, the tax authorities can go back to a maximum of seven years from the end of the tax year to reopen past cases.

Read more: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/taxation-and-accounts/article3563049.ece

June 23, 2012: MultiPlay subscribers in China that use fixed voice, broadband, television and mobile voice are expected to grow from 112 million in 2011 to 253 million in 2016, according to research from Strategy Analytics.

So far, Chinese bundled services market made up of Double Play subscribers only. However, this will change during the forecast period as Triple Play and Quad Play offerings take shape.

The study shows that multiplay also known as bundled services will reach 64 percent penetration and penetration of Triple Play bundles will reach 12 percent of households by 2016.

Additionally, the study predicts that Quad Play penetration will reach 6 percent by 2016.

Read more: http://telecomlead.com/inner-page-details.php?id=9932&block=News

NEW DELHI (June 23, 2012): Private operators will have to wait for some more time to introduce mobile television in the country as the decision to restrict the requirement of spectrum for various broadcasting services within 585-646 MHz has further complicated its introduction.

The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on vacation of spectrum took this decision in its meeting held on 5 March 2012.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources told indiantelevision.com that in the light of this decision, the feasibility of introduction of Mobile TV has been jeopardised.

Read more: http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k12/june/jun228.php