New 'Connected Vehicle' Proving Center Opens in Ann Arbor

Michigan state government officials and executives from the transportation, manufacturing, automotive and telecommunications sectors were on hand for the dedication of the
Connected Vehicle Proving Center (CVPC) in Ann Arbor.

The CVPC, funded by the state of Michigan, has been created through a strategic alliance between the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) and the Connected Vehicle Trade Association (CVTA). The CVPC will be a proving ground for testing, evaluating, and showcasing connected vehicle systems.

The center will integrate connected vehicles, smart roadway infrastructure and a broad range of telecommunication technologies. In addition, the CVPC will provide expertise in evaluation design, data storage and analysis, and information sharing.

Once fully operational, the CVPC will serve as an incubator that offers an advanced test and evaluation environment the can be accessed by original-equipment manufacturers, automotive suppliers, transportation agencies, and communications companies. Ultimately, the center will serve as a catalyst for growing the connected vehicle industry, thereby attracting related technical and engineering jobs to Michigan, the center says in a statement.

"Michigan's economic plan is all about building on our heritage to create cutting-edge jobs," says Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm. "This project is an excellent example of how innovation can fuel economic growth in our state."

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U.K. Study Finds No Health Effects of Cell Phone Use

Mobile phones have not been found to be associated with any biological or adverse health effects, according to the UK's largest investigation into the possible health risks from mobile telephone technology.

The Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) Program published its conclusions on September 12 as part of its 2007 Report.

The six-year research programme, chaired by Lawrie Challis, emeritus professor of physics at the University of Nottingham, has found no association between short term mobile phone use and brain cancer. Studies on volunteers also showed no evidence that brain function was affected by mobile phone signals or the signals used by the emergency services (TETRA).

The MTHR program management committee believes there is no need to support further work in this area.

The research programme also included the largest and most robust studies of electrical hypersensitivity undertaken anywhere in the world. These studies have found no evidence that the unpleasant symptoms experienced by sufferers are the result of exposure to signals from mobile phones or base stations.

The situation for longer-term exposure is less clear as studies have so far only included a limited number of participants who have used their phones for ten years or more. The committee recommends more research be conducted in this area.

The MTHR program also investigated whether mobile phones might affect cells and tissue beyond simply heating them. The results so far show no evidence for this and the committee believes there is no need to support further work in this area.

Challis says: “This is a very substantial report from a large research programme. The work reported today has all been published in respected peer-reviewed scientific or medical journals.

“The results are so far reassuring but there is still a need for more research, especially to check that no effects emerge from longer-term phone use from adults and from use by children.”

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AT&T Launches Video Share Program

AT&T, the once telecom giant that struggled to come to grips with the wireless age has launched its latest offering aimed at attracting and holding customers in the competitive cell phone market.

The company has rolled out AT&T Video Share, which enables live video sharing over cell phones. Covering nearly 160 markets, the service allows users to share live video over their mobile phones -- even while on a voice call.

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China and India Will Lead Growth in the Mobile Market by 2011

China and India will remain the world's growth engine for wireless services, accounting for 60% of the 1.2 billion predicted new mobile subscribers over the next five years, according to the inaugural report produced by Global Insight's new Telecoms Intermodal Forecasting Service.

Global Insight an economic and financial analysis and forecasting company.

The report compares the world's 20 leading developed and emerging markets between 2006 and 2011, and predicts that over the next five years, market penetration of wireless services will grow from 34.8% to 69.1% in China; and from 13.4% to 31.0% in India.

According to the report, China will also outpace the other 19 markets in terms of broadband growth, accounting for more than one-third of the 350 million-plus new broadband subscriptions anticipated over the next fiveyears. By 2011, China, with broadband revenues of more than US$19 billion and four times the subscribers, will surpass Japan as the world's second-largest broadband market. However, the United States will continue to maintain its position as the world's largest mobile and broadband market by revenues over the forecast period.

"The bulk of the revenues for the sector will still come from thedeveloped markets. Another notable conclusion is that the so-called deathof the landline has been overstated, even if traditional landline revenueswill take a massive hit," says Julian Watson, director of Global Insight Telecom Products and author of the special report, Substitution Shakes Up the Telecoms Sector.

More than US$50 billion in revenues will be lost worldwide over the forecast period due to fixed-line subscriber declines and the migration of voice traffic to mobile and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) networks. A 4.5% decline is predicted in traditional fixed-line accesses as the growth in the China and India markets fail to offset the erosion of traditional accesses in markets like Japan, South Korea, and Europe; the latter of which has already seen extensive migration of accesses from fixed lines to mobile.

"Primarily as a result of substitution, the next five years will see a fundamental shift in the revenue make-up of the global telecoms industry. In these 20 markets, fixed-line's share of total telecoms revenues will collectively fall from 39% in 2006 to 21% in 2011; while by the end of 2011, mobile will account for over two-thirds of total telecoms revenues in those markets," Watson says.

"But as our research shows, disparate local regulatory, competitive, and economic conditions will mean that the pace of substitution will vary greatly across the 20 markets. Traditional telcos are seeking to offset or reduce substitution effects by moving into multimedia and convergent markets such as IP TV (Internet Protocol Television) and Fixed-to-Mobile Convergence (FMC), but this will not always be sufficient to protect and enhance their revenues," he concludes.

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Former Telecom Owner Convicted for E-Rate Scheme

A federal jury in McAllen, Texas, convicted the former president and owner of ATE TelSolutions Inc., which does business as ATE Telecom Solutions Inc. (ATETel), on seven of nine counts of wire fraud in a scheme to defraud the federal E-Rate program, the Department of Justice announced.

Rafael Adame was convicted of submitting fraudulent applications for payment onbehalf of ATE Tel to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). The indictment against Adame was returned on Dec. 6, 2006.

Adame was convicted of submitting fraudulent invoices for payment to the Schools and Libraries Division of USAC from December 2001 to May 2003. As a result of the scheme to defraud the E-Rate program, Adame fraudulently obtained $106,514 in payments from USAC.

"Committing fraud upon the E-Rate program harms underprivileged school districts," says Thomas Barnett, assistant attorney general in charge ofthe Justice Department's Antitrust Division. "The Antitrust Division will continue to vigorously pursue those who cheat the competitive process and steal money from this federal program."

The E-Rate program subsidizes the provision of Internet access andtelecommunications services, as well as internal computer andcommunications networks, to economically disadvantaged schools andlibraries. The program was created by Congress in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and is administered by USAC, a non-profit corporation, under the auspices of the FCC.

Adame owned and operated ATE Tel, a vendor that provided computer-related goods and services through the E-Rate program to various school districts, including Weslaco Independent School District in South Texas. Adame devised a scheme to defraud the E-Rate program through illegitimate invoices, which were transmitted via wire communications to USAC. On these invoices Adame entered fabricated data, such as false customer bill dates and false amounts for reimbursement. USAC then relied on this illegitimate information to transmit wire transfers for theindicated amount into ATE Tel's bank account. By making false representations on invoices filed with USAC, Adame received payments in excess of what was authorized and for work that was not actually performed.

The wire fraud conviction carries a maximumpenalty per count of 20 years in jail, and a $250,000 fine. Adame has not yet been sentenced.

The conviction resulted from an ongoing national investigation offraud in the E-Rate program. The trial and prosecution of this case wasconducted by the Antitrust Division's Dallas Field Office and the Federal Communications Commission's Office of Inspector General.

The Antitrust Division's ongoing investigation into fraud and anti-competitive conduct in the E-Rate program has yielded charges being filedagainst 14 individuals and 12 companies. Six companies and four individuals have either been found guilty at trial, pleaded guilty, agreed to pleadguilty, or have entered civil settlements. The defendants have collectively agreed to pay criminal fines and restitution totaling more than $40 million. Two of the individuals have each been sentenced to serve six years in prison.

Anyone with information concerning fraud or anticompetitive conduct inthe E-Rate program should contact the Dallas Field Office of the AntitrustDivision at +1-214-661-8600.

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