NL International News Briefs

American consumers limited in lawsuits, Supreme Court rulesThe Supreme Court of the United States decided, in the Verizon Communications v. Trinko case, that consumers cannot use American antitrust laws in suits that claim regional telcos are providing substandard service to CLECs. The court also declined to hear appeals of two cases that would have allowed states to increase telecom competition. European court finds Telefonica mistreated by governmentThe European Court of Justice has ruled that the government of Spain took too long to allow Telefonica to increase its local rates. Telefonica and other telcos now have the option of suing the Spanish administration. Court rules against Deutsche Telekom tariffsGermany’s Administrative Court has found that two tariffs approved for Deutsche Telekom are illegal. DT was offering free calls to local and national fixed numbers on weekends and holidays for EUR 3.58 (about $5.80) per month and 120 free minutes for EUR 1.47 (about $2.38) per month. Telecom licence fees slashed in Hong KongThe Hong Kong government has cut the licence fees it charges firms providing telecom services. The Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau is proposing to reduce by 60% the amount it charges for fixed carrier licences to operate external telecom services only. WorldCom suspension lifted by American governmentThe American government lifted a five-month ban that had prohibited WorldCom Inc. from obtaining new federal contracts, saying the telco has solved ethical and accounting problems. The Government Services Administration made the move three days before a large GSA-WorldCom contract was due to expire. The telco will be required to file regular reports to the government for the next three years, the GSA added. Internet controls on individual access tightened in CubaThe Cuban government has forbidden citizens from accessing the Internet through dial-up services on the nation’s phone system. Although home access to the Internet is officially restricted on the island, many people had been illegally logging on through black market services. France Télécom launches digital TV in partnership with networks|France Télécom is joining with TPS, a partnership between the TF1 and M6 television networks, to offer digital television over telephone lines. The service is being deployed in Lyon initially, with rollout to Paris this spring. FT and its partners hope to be in other major centres before the end of 2004. Anti-spam laws having little effect in the United StatesDespite new anti-spam laws that took effect on January 1, junk emailers are still running rampant, the Washington Post has discovered. Several companies surveyed, including Postini Inc., Brightmail Inc. and Earthlink, report that spam levels are relatively unchanged. America Online says it blocked 500 billion spam messages to its subscribers in 2003, representing about 15,000 items per user. BT introduces new structure for community broadband BT has altered its pricing structure for service providers rolling out broadband to small and remote communities in Britain. While the telco had demanded EUR 64,450 (about $104,490) as a single upfront payment for 30 users for three years, it has now cut that almost in half and introduced connection and line rental charges. Man sues spammer over unsolicited emailJim Gordon of Richland WA is suing Commonwealth Marketing Group Inc. for sending him unsolicited email. He is demanding US$500 for each of the more than 1,200 messages he received, for a total of US$600,000. Robert Kane, CEO of the Hopwood PA-based telemarketers, accuses Gordon of shaking down the company and says that Gordon requested the email messages.

NL International News Briefs

News | January 19, 2004

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