Russia export controls and sanctions

Governmental participants in a U.N. experts group on information security appointed Andrey Krutskikh -- the deputy director of the Department for Disarmament and Security Affairs in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs -- as chairman for the group’s meetings through July (CD Nov 24 p10) . He suggested that the group prepare an informal list of possible subjects for discussion at its three meetings next year, an official said. Many delegations weren’t prepared to commit to anything beyond organizational matters, he said. The discussions probably will cover general threats, not just military issues, a diplomat said. The group’s mandate is a major question for debate, a second official said. The U.N. resolution is vague, he said. Governments weren’t clear on what kind of representative to send, he said. Information security hasn’t been considered part of arms control or disarmament, he added. The group has participants from experts of expertise, he said. Belarus, Brazil, China, Estonia, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, the U.K. and the U.S. are taking part, officials said. Michele Markoff is representing the U.S., an official said. The Russian delegation has twelve participants, an official said, and China sent nine. U.S. participation is run by the National Security Council, a U.S. executive said. Krutskikh was chairman of the meetings in 2004 and 2005.

GENEVA -- Countries are at odds over what’s needed to protect critical networks and stem cyberthreats, they said in preparations for U.N. meetings this week and next year on information security. The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council meet this week with 10 other countries for the first time on the issue. The organizational meeting through Thursday will set the stage for future talks on strengthening security in the global information and telecommunications systems, documents said.

GENEVA -- Countries are at odds over what’s needed to protect critical networks and stem cyberthreats, they said in preparations for U.N. meetings this week and next year on information security. The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council meet this week with 10 other countries for the first time on the issue. The organizational meeting through Thursday will set the stage for future talks on strengthening security in the global information and telecommunications systems, documents said.

Eutelsat will move its Eurobird 4 satellite to 75 degrees east, where it will be used by Asia Broadcast Satellite under a strategic cooperation agreement, the companies said on Tuesday. Eurobird 4 will be renamed ABS-1B and will be collocated with Asia Broadcast Satellite’s ABS-1 and ABS 1A. The satellite will add eight Ku-band transponders for growing markets in the Middle East, central Asia and Russia, Eutelsat said.

KT Corp. agreed to a multi-year contract for capacity on Intelsat 17, scheduled for launch in early 2012, Intelsat said Thursday. KT, a South Korean communications service provider, will use the capacity for broadband VSAT services to the country’s government and to other customers in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The satellite will replace Intelsat 702 at 66 degrees east. The satellite’s Ku-band payload covers Russia, the Middle East and southern Africa, and its C-band capacity can cover all of Europe and Asia in addition to the regions covered by Ku-band, the company said.

GENEVA -- A recent U.S. wireless industry estimate that 800 MHz more wireless spectrum will be needed in five years (CD Oct 1 p7) isn’t unrealistic, said Tim Hewitt, the WiMAX Forum’s director of regulatory and spectrum policy. He said the ITU projected before the 2007 World Radio Conference (WRC) a need for 1,000-1,200 MHz of wireless spectrum, which fits with the projection of additional requirements.

Clearwire and WiMAX operators UQ Communications of Japan and Yota of Russia signed a memorandum of understanding as a foundation for roaming agreements among them, the companies said. They plan to work with Global Alliance Partner Program members and other WiMAX service providers to increase the number of countries that support international WiMAX roaming. The companies also agreed to support the WiMAX Forum’s roaming guidelines.

EU states should clear broadcasters from the 800 MHz band and make it available for wireless broadband services by 2015, a European Commission-ordered report recommended this week. The study, by Analysys Mason, DotEcon and Hogan & Hartson, examined what actions are needed at EU level to maximize benefits from the switchover to DTV. It found that the economic benefits of a harmonized approach are large enough to warrant action now, Analysys Mason partner Lee Sanders told us. European countries are reliant on each other for economies of scale, and high-powered transmissions could cause interference if the band isn’t treated uniformly, he said. Several governments, including the U.K., France, and Germany, have already committed to creating an 800 MHz sub-band, so the report, and the EC’s support for it, are another major step toward harmonization, he said. Another key recommendation is that broadcast networks be upgraded to the more advanced compression technology, MPEG-4, he said. Some European countries now use MPEG-2, others MPEG-4, he said. The problem is that when there’s an installed base of MPEG-2 DTV receivers that aren’t compatible with MPEG-4, many set-top boxes won’t work, he said. The report suggested that all receivers sold in Europe be at least as efficient as MPEG-4, he said. That will make broadcast networks more efficient and offer higher capacity, lessening the pain of losing the 800 MHz band, and will boost availability of HDTV, Sanders said. Another potential area for EU-level action is encouraging the use of interleaved spectrum (white spaces) for services auxiliary to broadcast, he said. The issue has proven controversial in the U.K. where wireless microphone companies are upset at being forced out of their nationwide channel in the 800 MHz band (CD Aug 20 p4). But Sanders said the issue is particular to Britain because most European countries don’t have dedicated channels. The report found no shortage of white spaces for such services in the short to medium term, he said. The move from the 800 MHz band is also controversial for broadcasters, he said. It will require a great deal of frequency and network replanning and tough negotiations, particularly with non-EU eastern states such as Russia, he said. The EC will now develop plans to implement the report’s recommendations, Sanders said.

A new ITU-T recommendation is needed for “national revenue leakage protection systems,” the Telecommunications Administration of the Russian Federation said in a proposal to a study group meeting next week on telecom security. Telecom network development has spurred new kinds of fraud that use information technologies, the proposal said. Fraud losses grow 30-50 percent a year, draining 12 to 15 percent of companies’ revenue, Russia said. The action proposed would create business processes to protect income and reduce fraud, Russia said. Fraud management and revenue assurance systems include “complete control” and building “customers or group customers’ profile,” it said.

International Launch Services (ILS) instead of Sea Launch will launch Eutelsat’s W7 satellite in mid-November, Eutelsat said Monday. The Thales Alenia Space-built satellite is currently being prepared for delivery to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The satellite will ride aboard ILS’s Proton into space. The satellite will provide DBS services to Russia and sub-Saharan Africa and will replace the company’s SESAT 1 satellite, which will be used at a different location, Eutelsat said. Eutelsat made the launch change once it became clear that Sea Launch couldn’t provide the rocket on time because of problems in its production chain, Sea Launch spokeswoman Paula Korn told us. The companies have been in talks about assigning the original launch contract to a future Eutelsat launch, she said. “We're not happy” about Eutelsat’s announcement, “but it’s not a surprise,” Korn said. Sea Launch, which declared bankruptcy in June (CD June 24 p9), made a 2006 agreement with Eutelsat to launch the satellite for an undisclosed sum.