The Pacific Islands. Policy options for telecommunications investment

The Independent Commission for World-Wide Telecommunications Development (Maitland Commission) reported that telecommunication networks, including public telephone systems, are an infrastructure which aids economic development throughout the world. The Commissions objective is to bring the majority of the world's population within easy access of a telephone and, in time, other communications services. Development in the Pacific Islands region is slowed by a lack of efficient communications. The islands are spread over 29 million square kilometers of ocean and extremely vulnerable to natural disasters. Pacific Island Nations (PINs) have problems of foreign exchange, skill shortages, and poor credit terms. Telecommunications infrastructure audits showed the overall regional teledensity of 3 telephones per 100 population. The individual countries vary form 8.3 in Fiji to 1.5 in Papua New Guinea and 25.2 in New Zealand. The population of the developing island countries is in mostly rural areas where there is a chronic shortage of telephones. The constraints on radio systems can be overcome with satellite technology. The new technologies are coming on the market faster than these countries can afford to handle them. By using satellite technology and sharing facilities PINs can greatly reduce the cost of telecommunications systems. Fiber optic cables will be used to carry large volumes of traffic over major routes while satellites can be used for a array of services for the smallest PIN nation to the largest route rim country. Work is being done to standardize the equipment specifications and to develop policies for the coordination of regional telecommunications training. To further facilitate communications development in this area, changes need to be made in international funding priorities for development, and recommendations by the Maitland Commission must be taken seriously.     

Satellite communications : US policy considerations

Regulatory decisions have controlled the possible technical alternatives in the use of artificial satellites, for both domestic and international telecommunications, since the enactment by the US Congress of the Communications Satellite Act of 1962. At the same time, advancements in technology have caused satellite systems to play a larger role in telecommunications. An updating of the 1934 Communications Act would allow for a more definitive statement of national satellite policy and for a revised regulatory standard. This article reviews some of the principle factors which have influenced communications satellite policy, and offers additional issues for consideration that can affect the development of communications satellite markets, systems and services.     

国际油田服务公司一体化发展的经验和启示

油田服务行业的一体化服务模式是通过强化公司资源的集中统一调配和管理,以综合项目管理为导向,增强油气勘探生产活动各环节技术服务业务的紧密性,为石油公司提供“一站式”服务和综合性解决方案.油服公司运作一体化服务需要具备六个要素.全球油服领域“三巨头”(斯伦贝谢、哈里伯顿、贝克休斯)发展一体化服务能力的经验表明:先进的理念与完善的组织机构是发展一体化服务的基础;技术研发和信息系统是实施一体化服务的有效保障;收购兼并与业务重组是扩展服务领域和快速提升服务能力的重要手段;战略联盟作为新型合作模式可加速一体化服务模式的发展.与国外油服公司相比,中国油服公司的一体化服务能力略显不足.提高一体化服务能力,需要加大投入,提高技术创新能力;引进人才,培养开发复合型人才;组织保障,以战略目标考核作引导;适时兼并,跨越式扩大规模;发挥比较优势,积极参与国际竞争.     

International legal norms governing development of the orbit/spectrum resource

Resource development is the process of dispersing concentrated values. International law relating to resource development establishes objectives for value dispersion and puts forward rules by which these objectives may be attained. The geostationary orbit and the electromagnetic spectrum are two store-houses of value, or resources, coming under increasingly vigorous international control. The author first describes geostationary satellite communications as the dispersion of values concentrated in the geostationary orbit and in the electromagnetic spectrum. He then addresses the objectives of international satellite communications policy and the relative effectiveness of relevant legal rules in implementing those objectives.     

基于低碳经济理论的油气资源产业可持续发展分析

发展低碳经济是我国适应国际趋势的战略选择,是实践科学发展观的现实选择。分析了低碳经济给油气资源产业带来的挑战和重要机遇,提出了基于技术创新、产业结构调整和制度创新实现可持续发展的对策。     

The orbit-spectrum resource: Market allocation of international property

The author presents a formulation of a market system for the allocation of orbital space to geosynchronous communications satellites. Although based on a simplified model of satellite communications systems, the market system retains sufficient flexibility to be applicable to the allocation problems of the next two decades. Ultimately, the usage rights put forward in this article may need to be modified to include explicitly additional aspects of the orbital-spectrum resource. This formulation, however, includes in the definition of the usage right most of the information actually used today in picking an orbital location for a satellite.     

Implications of deregulating satellite communications

Following the divestiture of AT&T, US policy makers have focused attention on means of increasing competition in international telecommunications markets. Several policy changes have been made by the FCC to deregulate international satellite communications. International concern has been aroused by the Reagan administration approval of alternative international satellite systems. INTELSAT and PTTs fear the systems will permit multinational corporations to bypass them, shifting the cost burden onto individual users and developing nations. While there are risks to be avoided, the potential effects of the private international satellite systems have been exaggerated by supporters and opponents.     

Research Opportunities Related to Consumer Response to Product Design*

This essay identifies five research opportunities that concern consumer response to product design. The first opportunity involves the need for more research on the interaction between form and function in consumer product evaluations. To this end, more knowledge about how product appearance characteristics influence consumer evaluation of both product form and function, and how this differs between countries and in time, is needed. The second research opportunity concerns the influence of consumer input in the front end of new product development on product success. Although the positive effect of market information use on product success is known, more actionable insight into which consumer information or input is beneficial in which circumstances is largely missing. The third opportunity for research concerns how to include subjective product attributes in concept testing. Getting valid feedback from consumers, which includes functional as well as emotional and experiential aspects, can improve proficiency in the early stages of product development. In this essay, several ways of approaching this research endeavor are highlighted. Next to enhancing market receipt and the assessment of product design, two topics that concern consumer response to product design from a more managerial viewpoint are identified. The first of these is strategic management of product styling. The importance and opportunities of visual design for brand management has gained more attention in the literature; different strategies and the cases in which they are beneficial are issues for further research. And finally, the design of product service systems (PSSs) provides opportunities for future research. Here, engendering perceptual unity between products and services and an explicit managing of meanings and feelings that PSSs should communicate are issues at play.     

Export attitudes of industrial manufacturers

Small and medium-sized firms in three “high-tech” manufacturing industries were analyzed, in terms of their export attitudes and behavior, in order to provide beginning exporters and export promotion agencies with guidance to avenues of export success. Based on industry differences investigated, the study finds that managers in firms involved in exporting in each industry have similar attitudes toward international marketing opportunities, but that each industry exhibits different characteristics and strategies for exporting. Help is mainly needed in the areas of international communications and service delivery. The authors propose fewer government subsidies for export financing and more emphasis on encouraging joint ventures for service delivery purposes.     

Bundling communications policy for the new US administration

The USA does not have a coherent framework for communications policy. The author sets out what should be the prime concerns of a communications policy aimed at serving a pluralistic society in an ‘electronic age’. She describes the current situation, in which responsibilities for communications are divided over a wide range of government organisations. The Communications Act of 1934 is under review, and the author focuses on major aspects of the debate, and lists suitable areas for government involvement. She concludes by stressing the need for the new US administration to provide a coherent structure for communications policy making to encourage the essential free flow of information.     

The development of information infrastructure in Hong Kong

Given its geographical advantage and economic integration with mainland China, Hong Kong has naturally become a major communications centre in the Asia-Pacific region. A growing number of international telecommunications and broadcasting companies are establishing business relations with Hong Kong. Hong Kong has also become the first place in the world to launch video-on-demand service. Although these companies are equipped with new technology, their developments have been impeded by the policy inertia of the Hong Kong Government. The objectives of this paper are to highlight some of the regulatory issues posed by the new technology and to make policy recommendations for the removal of the structural barriers impeding Hong Kong’s information infrastructure development.     

Emerging economic constraints on transborder data flows

The phenomena of transborder data flows have emerged from rapid technical changes in the area of computer communications. Attendant upon this, new economic opportunities are inducing institutional changes designed to modify the manner in which economic gains are to be partitioned. This has, in turn, led to government actions that go beyond conventional allocative and redistributive roles of governmental intervention. This paper discusses some of the welfare implications of ‘protectionism’ that have appeared on the international scene. By so doing we may begin to anticipate and perhaps circumvent the economic inefficiencies of barriers to trade involving data flows.     

INTELSAT and the digital communications revolution

The digital communications revolution may have begun in 1832 with the Morse telegraph, but it is still a significant movement. It should be realized that digital innovations and increasing transmission efficiencies are simply picking up speed with age. This article traces the development of digital communications, examines the continuing relationship between source rate and transmission rate requirements, points to the need for universality of standards and compatible transmission techniques, and describes the role of INTELSAT within the goal of global communications provision.     

论新型工业化的道路

我国探索和推进工业化的道路，是人类前所未有的一个世界现象，没有什么固定模式可以遵循。当前正在发生着信息技术革命，为我国走出一条以信息化为基础的新型工业化道路提供了机会和可能。怎样走出新世纪我国新型工业化的道路？文章从所有制结构、经济运行方式、工业与国民经济其他部门关系、信息技术改造传统产业、企业生产组织的社会化、工业可持续发展、发展科技与教育、利用国际国内两个市场等8个方面进行了回答。     

Communications and information resources in Canada

The author details Canada's efforts to maintain unity and national economic and cultural identity through its communication and information resources. The country's dependence on the USA is stressed. Computer communications, broadcasting and publishing industries, telephone and satellite communications, and research and development are covered and several Canadian innovations are introduced. It is concluded that, with appropriate action, Canadian communications and information resources could be used to strengthen national sovereignty.     

Understanding MNEs׳ decline in the adoption of locally developed technology standard in China: A positioning and cognitive perspective

Asian countries are becoming more and more active in participating technology standard development. In this paper we study the impact of this change on multinational enterprises (MNEs) using the case of TD-SCDMA, an international technology standard of 3G mobile communications. During the development of this technology standard, MNEs׳ market share dropped dramatically. A major contribution of this study is analyzing the underlying mechanism governing MNEs׳ interpreting TD-SCDMA as a threat rather than an opportunity by integrating two streams of literature. We also discuss the possible strategies for MNEs to maintain their market leadership position when local firms are able to lead international technology standard development.     

Visual communication technology : Priorities for the 1980s

The author considers a strategy for the study of visual communications in the 1980s. To establish a basis for this strategy, market research was carried out to ascertain major visual communications needs in leading business organizations. The systems found to have greatest potential were video conferencing, interactive information retrieval, facsimile, document processing, and office automation (integrating all four systems). In the light of these requirements, the author describes a study programme for the 1980s and shows which technologies should be developed.     

The political economy of satellite business

Satellite communications systems are the outcome of the fusion of big governments, high technology and big business, whose needs they meet. As a major growth sector they are becoming extremely important in economic terms. But satellite communications raise wider issues of the relationships between rich and poor countries and within rich countries. They will crucially influence the location of economic activity and the future prospects for countries in terms of access to information, decision making and income. The article discusses these questions and suggests how Europe might improve its position. It also argues that participation in public policy on satellite communications should be opened to a wider range of parties.     

Developing information policy

The author first considers some of the policy issues that arise in connection with the creation of new information, primarily scientific and technical information. He then discusses specific policy problems stemming from communications and information storage and retrieval systems and their use. A broader integrative view of this field could help develop a national information policy for the future. Such integrative work remains to be done, and suggestions for future studies in this area are given.     

The rise of 5G technologies and systems: A quantitative analysis of knowledge production

The advent of a new generation of wireless communications has punctuated the dawn of every decade in recent times. Upgrades to mobile electronic systems represent faster and more robust capabilities of data transfer but bring with it a wide set of complementary changes as they are underpinned by harmonised specific spectrum bands, fresh international technical standards, new network operation requirements, innovative cellular devices as well as new services and a broader array of potential commercial use applications. This paper presents a systematic outline of the development of 5G-related research until 2020 as revealed by over 10,000 science and technology publications. The exercise addresses the emergence, growth, and impact of this body of work and offers insights regarding disciplinary distribution, international performance, and historical dynamics. Findings reveal the progressive growth of the 5G research over the years after original contributions in 2010 and point to a “take-off” around 2014. A set of stylised facts regarding this technology since its infancy are of interest to engineers, regulators and innovation strategists and policy-makers.