Tag: framework

  • Accedo, Qualcomm, HBS launch XR Sports Alliance

    Accedo, Qualcomm, HBS launch XR Sports Alliance

    MUMBAI: XR in Sports is about to receive a shot in the arm. Three large global players have joined hands for a strategic alliance which seeks to bridge the sports and XR industry. These are global video solutions provider Accedo, leading hardware and software enabler Qualcomm Technologies and HBS, a specialist sports broadcast organization.

    The three founding members aim to bring together market-leading stakeholders, drawing on Accedo’s expertise in video user experience, distribution and monetization, Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon-powered XR technology and expertise, and HBS’ strong sports ecosystem.

    The program aims to accelerate knowledge gathering, technological advancement and time-to-market for XR sports services, as well as gather and share industry knowledge.

    The XR Sports Alliance aims to drive the development and deployment of XR Sports products and services by providing an end-to-end solution framework to help key stakeholders deploy state-of-the-art XR services efficiently and at scale. The framework encompasses immersive video production and distribution, system architecture definition, data and monetization frameworks, user testing and technology and business model advisory elements. Moreover, the program will be open to third parties to join, including XR OEMs, to drive the development of purpose-built XR hardware for the sports and video entertainment use case.

    At its core, the program aims to connect leading companies from the sports, video, telco, infrastructure, and hardware industries to collaborate in innovation projects, collectively contribute to each other’s roadmaps, and exchange knowledge and feedback, to support and accelerate industry growth and innovation.

    Accedo CEO Michael Lantz said: “We believe XR will become an important content distribution and user engagement platform and we want to connect industry stakeholders to collaborate and innovate. The Alliance network will enable industries to uncover industry demand in different geographical regions and shine light on the pipeline of upcoming XR solutions, allowing sports rights owners and holders to make data-driven decisions.”

    Qualcomm, Technologies senior director product management Patrick Costello added: “We are entering a new era of spatial computing. We firmly believe that XR experiences will revolutionize how fans engage with sports and we are already seeing a rise in adoption of immersive entertainment experiences thanks to the emergence of new XR devices and increased investment by OEMs for sports content rights. The XR Sports Alliance will bring together key players in the sports entertainment value-chain, collectively fostering the ecosystem to deliver game-changing immersive sports experiences.”

    HBS head of digital services Sylvain Lebreton commented: “This program aims to be a game-changer for the sports industry, helping to drive innovation. We are engaging with industry leaders across every part of the XR and sports broadcast ecosystem, which we are sure will ultimately accelerate the development and deployment of commercial XR sports services.”

  • Ease of doing b’cast biz date extended to 19 May

    NEW DELHI: With the fast-changing regulatory framework for the media and entertainment sector, which in India is one of the fastest growing sectors, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had last month embarked on a major exercise to find out easier ways of doing business and cause least harassment to entrepreneurs.

    To give stakeholders more time to respond to its pre-consultation paper on the ease of doing business in broadcasting which was issued on 17 April, the last date for responses has now been extended from 8 May to 19 May.

    The Authority has on its own decided to go for a pre-consultation with the stakeholders on ease of doing business in the broadcasting sector, taking a cue from PM Modi-led government’s efforts to ease doing businesses in India. It hopes to review various policy issues related to the broadcasting sector with a view to create a conducive and business friendly environment in the sector and identify procedural bottlenecks that affect ease of doing business in the broadcasting sector and recommend measures for simplifying the rules, regulations and bring more transparency and clarity in policies/ framework of the broadcasting sector.

    The aim is also to remove entry barriers by laying down well defined and transparent procedures and processes thereby creating level playing field and competition in the sector and to facilitate innovation and technology adoption for providing better quality of services to the consumers to steer further growth of the sector by attracting investment through investor friendly policies
    Subjects to be covered in the pre-consultation before a final consultation paper is issued are related to processes and procedures for obtaining permission/license/registration for the following broadcasting services and subsequent compliance connected with these permissions. The fields include:

    (a) Uplinking of TV channels
    (b) Downlinking of TV channels
    (c) Teleport services
    (d) Direct-to-home services
    (e) Private FM services
    (f) Headend-in-the sky services
    (g) Local Cable Operators
    (h) Multi System Operators
    (i) Community Radio Stations

  • TRAI extends time for interconnect agreement reactions

    TRAI extends time for interconnect agreement reactions

    NEW DELHI: Several stakeholders have complained to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India that most consumers are not even aware of the rates of various television channels and so the local cable operators were at the receiving end as they had to deal with the viewers.

    At an Open House discussion on the interconnection network for broadcasting TV Services distributed through addressable systems most stakeholders comprosing local cable operators and multi system operators raised issues that they said needed greater introspection. Cable Operators President of India President Roop Sharma said there was shortage of set top boxes and the consumer was not aware of what STB he should acquire.

    K K Sharma who edits Cable Quest said that no attention had been paid to the entry of OTT and the cross ownership that has come with this new phenomenon. The agreement has to be clear on this issue.

    Later, TRAI extended the date by one week to 10 June for comments on its consultation paper on
    Interconnect agreements for DAS areas. The date for counter-comments will remain the same – 17 June.

    TRAI had asked stakeholders to give suggestions on how a level playing can be created among different service providers using different addressable systems.

    It wanted to know whether there should be a common interconnection regulatory framework be mandated for all types of addressable systems.

    In the Consultation Paper issued on 4 May, it asked if there is any need to allow agreements based on mutually agreed terms, which donot form part of RIO, in digital addressable systems where calculation of fee can be based on subscription numbers. .

    The Paper has been issued not merely because the country is marching towards the last phase of DAS, but also in view of several judgments of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal where it has disallowed payments in the absence of agreements despite mutual oral agreements.

    TRAI wants to know how the interconnection agreements entered on mutually agreed terms meet the requirement of providing a levelplaying field amongst service providers can be ensured, and the ways for effectively implementing non-discrimination on ground.

  • TRAI extends time for interconnect agreement reactions

    TRAI extends time for interconnect agreement reactions

    NEW DELHI: Several stakeholders have complained to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India that most consumers are not even aware of the rates of various television channels and so the local cable operators were at the receiving end as they had to deal with the viewers.

    At an Open House discussion on the interconnection network for broadcasting TV Services distributed through addressable systems most stakeholders comprosing local cable operators and multi system operators raised issues that they said needed greater introspection. Cable Operators President of India President Roop Sharma said there was shortage of set top boxes and the consumer was not aware of what STB he should acquire.

    K K Sharma who edits Cable Quest said that no attention had been paid to the entry of OTT and the cross ownership that has come with this new phenomenon. The agreement has to be clear on this issue.

    Later, TRAI extended the date by one week to 10 June for comments on its consultation paper on
    Interconnect agreements for DAS areas. The date for counter-comments will remain the same – 17 June.

    TRAI had asked stakeholders to give suggestions on how a level playing can be created among different service providers using different addressable systems.

    It wanted to know whether there should be a common interconnection regulatory framework be mandated for all types of addressable systems.

    In the Consultation Paper issued on 4 May, it asked if there is any need to allow agreements based on mutually agreed terms, which donot form part of RIO, in digital addressable systems where calculation of fee can be based on subscription numbers. .

    The Paper has been issued not merely because the country is marching towards the last phase of DAS, but also in view of several judgments of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal where it has disallowed payments in the absence of agreements despite mutual oral agreements.

    TRAI wants to know how the interconnection agreements entered on mutually agreed terms meet the requirement of providing a levelplaying field amongst service providers can be ensured, and the ways for effectively implementing non-discrimination on ground.

  • Spanish data protection agency slaps Google with a 900,000 fine

    Spanish data protection agency slaps Google with a 900,000 fine

    MUMBAI: Google has been penalised with €900,000 by the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) (Spanish: Agencia Espa?ola de Protección de Datos) for breaking its protection laws. The fine was imposed after Google changed its privacy policy and started combining consumer data, which people registered while using Google’s many services.

     

    Google also failed to explain to the agency about customer browsing and what it does with that information. The agency claims to have found that Google runs roughshod over local users’ data and treats it in a way that can be considered illegal.    

     

    The AEPD declared in a statement that Google that has been processing personal data in the framework of its new privacy policy is illegal.

     

    Google, according to the agency, has violated the right to protection of personal data laid down in Article 18 of Spanish Constitution and regulated in the LOPD [Organic Law of the Protection of Personal Data]. The search browser has broken three parts of the Spanish law and hence will be fined €300,000 for each incident.