October 2012 Industry News

Focus on forums…

Latest 3GPP Release Supports Stereoscopic 3D Video

The 11th release of the 3GPP specifications, published in September, includes support of stereoscopic 3D video, which combines two planes to produce depth perception. The release incorporates updates to five different specifications. 3GPP also issued a technical report on mobile stereoscopic 3D video. More...

Bluetooth SIG Publishes Standards for Cycling and Running

In August the Bluetooth Special Interest Group finalized standards for use in the sports and fitness market. The standards allow wireless sensors to collect and transmit a variety of data related to bicycling and running activities, including running cadence, cycling speed, and distance traveled. More...

Cloud Security Alliance Seeks Speakers for 2013 Innovation Conference

The Cloud Security Alliance has issued a call for speakers interested in presenting at their second annual Innovation Conference, coming January 24, 2013 in Santa Clara, Calif. The event will have two tracks of speakers: one for applied research and another for demonstrating case studies. Proposals are due October 14. More...

North American Fiber Networks Expand Thanks to Small Telecoms

At its annual conference in September, the Fiber-to-the-Home Council announced that fiber networks now reach 9 million North American homes. Small telephone companies (those with fewer than 30,000 subscribers) are leading the expansion, the council found. More...

GSMA Rebrands Development Fund #1

The GSMA has renamed its GSMA Development Fund, rebranding it as GSMA Mobile for Development. The GSMA Foundation has also been renamed to follow suit. Dr. Nasser Marafih, CEO of Qtel Group, has been appointed as the foundation's first chairman. Both the fund and foundation retain their purpose of serving emerging markets. More...

GSMA Rebrands Development Fund #2

The GSMA is also accepting entries for its 18th annual Global Mobile Awards. Submissions are due November 30. More...

Internet Society Holds Seminar on Open Internet Standards

The Internet Society hosted a meeting this month with the Permanent Consultative Committee I of the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission to discuss the Internet Standards Framework. The Commission represents 34 member nations in the Americas. Speakers included representatives from industry and standards-making bodies such as IEEE and the ITU. More...

ITU Publishes Sustainability Toolkit

During ITU Green Standards Week in September, the International Telecommunication Union released its new "Toolkit on Environmental Sustainability for the ICT Sector." The toolkit was produced in partnership with more than 50 companies, United Nations agencies, environmental groups and research institutions. More...

Small Cell Forum Elects New Chairman, Hires New CEO

Gordon Mansfield has been elected the new chairman of the Small Cell Forum. Mansfield is AT&T Mobility's Executive Director for Small Cell Solutions & RAN Delivery. The Forum has also hired industry veteran Graham Wright as its CEO. More...

TIA Releases Scorecard on Presidential Positions

Where do President Obama and Governor Romney stand on issues of importance to the ICT industry? The Telecommunications Industry Association has published a scorecard comparing the candidates' positions on tax reform, net neutrality, research & development, education, cybersecurity and other policy issues. More...

TM Forum to Use SINET Security Taxonomy Definitions

The TM Forum will incorporate the Security Taxonomy Definitions created by the Security Innovation Network (SINET) in the next version of their Frameworx suite of standards. The 140 entries in SINET's taxonomy define cybersecurity technologies that are available to commercial end-users. More...

Four USB-IF Standards Adopted by IEC

The IEC has adopted four standards from the USB Implementers Forum, including the Hi-Speed USB specification, USB Cables & Connectors specification v2.0, USB Battery Charging specification v1.2, and Micro-USB Cables and Connectors specification v1.01. All four are included in the new IEC 62680 standard, which covers USB technology. More...

Wi-Fi Alliance Launches Certification Program for Multi-Vendor Wireless Displays

The Wi-Fi Alliance has created a new certification program to label Miracast products. Miracast allows users to send video content from one device to another. According to industry analysts, at least one billion Miracast devices are expected to ship in the next four years. More...