Communications & Telecom

Three U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday introduced a bill that would permanently extend a ban on Internet-only taxes, including taxes on Internet access. The legislation would ban three types of taxes that single out the Internet: taxes on Internet access, multiple taxation by two or more states of a product or service bought over the Internet, and taxes that treat Internet purchases differently from other types of sales.

A report by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has rebuked several countries, most notably China, Japan and India, for hampering the access of U.S. companies to their domestic markets for telecommunications services and equipment.

The Nigerian telecommunications market is heating up, as South African service providers in particular see investment opportunities and potential growth in the country's communications sector, especially for mobile technology.

Australian communications minister Senator Helen Coonan has ruled out the break-up and individual sale of Telstra Corp. Ltd.'s different business divisions as part of the government's forthcoming sale of the telecommunications carrier.

Chinese telecommunications equipment company ZTE Corp. is looking to establish a mobile phone manufacturing plant in Zambia, possibly starting construction by the end of the year, according to company officials.

Think telecom regulations have nothing to do with you? Think again. The feds help set the prices your firm pays for phone service, and recent regulatory moves could hinder access to new services, says Ian Russell, senior vice-president at the Investment Dealers Association of Canada. He

The Philippines government

Comtel, a proposed private regional telecommunications company, is on track to begin offering services in 2006, now that national telecommunications operators (NTOs) in 21 African countries have agreed in principal to harmonize regional tariffs and network interconnectivity, according to company officials.