Telecommunications industry update

Despite an appalling press and large redundancies, the information and communications technology (ICT) sector has done rather better recently than most people imagine. Globally, it grew by over 3 per cent last year (1 per cent in Europe, 3 per cent in the USA, 4 per cent in Japan and 6 per cent elsewhere).
Forecasts for 2003 are even better, with an overall global growth figure of 6 per cent (3 per cent in Europe). Britain expects nearly 4 per cent growth this year against less than 2 per cent in 2002, and currently has 20 per cent of the western European market with an estimated value of nearly 130 billion Euros.
Network cabling convergence
In September 2002 there was a shortfall of some 450,000 networking engineers across Europe with over 125,000 in the UK alone. As the industry well recognises, the global development of the convergence market is being hampered by the chronic shortfall in competent networking engineers. To address the skills, training and qualifications issues within the converged solutions industry, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) has launched the Convergence Technologies Professional (CTP) programme, a new high-level, vendor-neutral, technical qualification and training programme providing the convergence industry with an international professional convergence accreditation standard.
The programme validates that an individual has the core knowledge and skills required by convergence equipment manufacturers, their channel partners, systems integrators and end users to design, install and support convergence technology solutions. Aimed at engineers and technical sales representatives, it consists of a 75-minute exam consisting of over 65 high-level questions, covering competencies on industry standards and protocols, infrastructure, IP protocol, telephony concepts and fundamentals, voice over convergence, topology convergence and troubleshooting.
Smarter homes
Bryant Homes is planning to fit a revolutionary Home Manager monitoring service in its 51 new-build homes in Isleworth, Middlesex. The service links the digitally networked homes to the Internet, enabling home owners to monitor and control domestic services from anywhere in the world. The technology is linked to sensors connected to alarm panels in each house. Any alarm activity will trigger the Home Manager to relay warnings to the home owner or other contacts via text messages, phone or e-mail. Additionally, low-cost sensors can also be linked to warn of flooding, gas, power failure, freezing pipes and more. Working parents can also set the system to send them text messages when the kids get back from school.
TV
As the competition to provide broadband services increases, making Internet connection speeds of 128-2000kbps available to home users, ntl has already announced the sign-up of its 500,000th broadband customer. Newer technologies such as 10-Gigabit Ethernet with its requirement for higher-performing cabling systems, broadband video and digital TV, will promote debate and interest in 2003.
A new deal worth £250 million between BT and Orange for the supply of 3G infrastructures across the UK is evidence that Orange is preparing to launch its 3G services in 2004. Thus while technical problems continue to beset 3G, it is likely to happen in the UK before long. In fact, the much-heralded launch of 3G services by Hutchison due before Christmas is now expected by March 2003, and the general pace of preparation for 3G in the UK and across Europe in increasing.
The technology behind TErrestrial Trunked RAdio (TETRA) is alive and well. November's NATO summit in Prague gave delegates access to Motorola's TETRA system providing safe and secure two-way radio, mobile telephony, messaging and data. Meanwhile, in the UK, Dolphin Telecom has introduced the new Nokia second-generation TETRA handset to its nationwide TETRA network.
Security
About 6,000 UK security companies deal with security systems, with approximately 350,000 people working in the industry. There are over one million CCTV cameras in the UK, and one report estimates one for every 24 UK citizens, with a growth factor of ten by 2005. Approximately 12 per cent of home owners have a domestic intruder alarm, and, in 2001, the security systems industry turnover was £658 million.
The British Security Industry Association - the industry association for companies operating in the security sector - recently reached the 500-member mark. Members cover 12 industry sectors and supply more than 70 per cent of the UK's security products and services. So the use of telecommunications solutions to security problems can increase quickly once the necessary technology is available and accepted in the industry.
The recent completion of a £1.2 million CCTV fibre-optic network and transmission system linking 78 public-space CCTV cameras operating throughout Fife to a single control room demonstrates the capabilities available to combat the rises in crime now being experienced across the UK. The push for live networked video over existing and future IT networks is supported by central and local government in the drive not only to reduce crime but also to slash costs.