[video]
Re: computer situation during IGF12
“We now have a substantial update from our IT security services on my personal computer. Conflicting certificates and suspicious messages were received on the computer, and it is not possible to exclude that passwords were compromised. On the other hand, there is no data loss or malware left on my computer. We are relieved by this news and consider the matter closed.”
Naturally I will update again if I learn more. Merry Christmas, happy holidays.
Neelie Kroes is making a forceful case to CEOs and MEPs for connecting an extra 45 million households to fast internet via the European Commission’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF): “It’s time to give our economy an upgrade … ICT investment is the most productive investment” for advanced economies like Europe.
Kroes says that the Digital Single Market cannot be completed, and the goal of fast broadband for all Europeans cannot be reached, without CEF’s financial instruments being deployed at EU scale.
The special nature of CEF’s European Investment Bank supported financial instruments mean it “isn’t a donation, it’s a loan. Every Member State will get back more total investment than they put in. The EU budget gets its money back: with interest”.
Kroes says Europe will be condemned to a “world of blackouts and blackspots and dumb-phones,” not to mention permanent low economic growth, if it does not achieve €200bn in network upgrades.
Europe is not keeping up globally: 80% of US households have access to 100mb per second broadband; China is installing 35 million fibre connections in 2012. Just 1% of Europeans have such connections.
“In Germany alone broadband upgrades could boost the economy by 170 billion euros and create nearly a million jobs,” Kroes will say.
The second prize winners include: Switzerland, Germany and Denmark and the third prize winners: Estonia, Polandand Belarus. This year, Canada won the International Prize for contestants from outside the EU with a project in Environment. This year’s competition attracted 117 contestants aged 14 to 21, grouped in 79 projects, from 36 countries and EU schools.
La Vice Présidente a eu une réunion très fructueuse avec la Ministre. Elles ont toute deux échangé des points de vue sur la conjoncture actuelle, à la fois en matière économique et réglementaire. Elles se sont accordées que l’agenda numérique est une priorité commune et un vecteur de croissance essentiel pour la France et l’Europe. Le secteur des telecoms est dans une situation délicate en Europe et en France en ce moment, et il est nécessaire de développer une vision européenne de politique industrielle pour le secteur, notamment pour relancer l’investissement dans le très haut débit, dynamiser les services télécom et informatiques et renforcer la compétitivité des équipementiers. La gestion des fréquences devrait être mieux coordonnée pour favoriser le développement de la 4G en Europe. La ministre et la vice-présidente ont également évoqué des sujets touchant à la fiscalité en France et en Europe.
From 1 July there are price caps for mobile internet roaming inside EU. You will get maps, email, photos and social networks at less than half the roaming price you are paying today. Prices for voice calls and SMS also fall – to lower than typical domestic rates in some Member States.
That’s saving of €200 euros for a family on a holiday abroad, and around €1000 euros for a regular business traveller. Overall, consumers will be saving €15 billion in the next year on roaming services compared to 2007 prices.
This does not mean companies will be losing revenue. Revenue is not falling because of this regulation, and that’s a fact. Why? Because with each price cut fewer and fewer people are scared to use their phone abroad.
In fact smart companies making price offers below new caps. They know this will encourage more people into the mobile internet market – the most profitable market. So the Commission says to companies: don’t complain, just follow the data. That’s where the money is.
We also remind consumers to choose data offers carefully. For example, agreeing to pay 2 or 3 euros a day for unlimited data roaming is a great deal. But you will pay whether you use the data or not. So if you are not a big data user, please remember that the price caps are your safety net.
(Source: twitter.com)
Just before Easter the EU institutions agreed a new roaming regulation system. A long term solution after 2015 which will mean you can choose your roaming provider like you choose a wifi network, and up until then the certainty of ever decreasing prices.
Neelie’s Kroes’ video message is here, subtitled in 22 languages: http://youtu.be/FgIjYkceW5w
#esignature
To my surprise I’ve been getting a few requests for info about the EU’s e-Signature plans. Here’s the lastest basic info.
The Commission plans to adopt a proposal before July 2012 for a pan European Framework for electronic identification, authentication and signature. It will include the revision of Directive 1999/93/EC.
You will find information on the consultation process carried out in this context on http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/esignature/eu_legislation/revision/index_en.htm
The proposal will be accompanied by an “impact assessment report”.
Full list of signatories at: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/digital-agenda/ict-and-women.html
More info on Neelie Kroes and International Women’s Day here:
http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/neelie-kroes/iwd2012/
“The empowerment of women and the recent rise of digital technology have changed our world for the better.
Now it is time to bring these two revolutions together. You may have heard of Moore’s law, but what about a more women law?
Technology should not be a boy’s and man’s world. Our technology gurus and heroes cannot be limited to men.
It’s a digital world now and the digital world is for everyone. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”