Information Society DG releases prior information on open calls for tender in 2000
The European Commission's Information Society Directorate-General has published advance information about the open calls for tender it intends to publish during 2000. These will include studies on some of the following issues: - The telecommunications regulatory framework - in particular studies related to: - - Regulatory aspects of access to intelligent network (IN) infrastructures; - - Operational implications of local loop unbundling; - - Local loop cost modelling; - - Regulatory issues related to IP network interconnection and access; - - Implementation of carrier selection and pre-selection; - - Technical and operational issues related to the operation of number portability; - - Regulatory implications of inter-operator pricing; - - Market definitions and regulatory issues in converged markets; - - Monitoring universal service obligations; - - Internet access for targeted groups; - - Administrative and frequency fees related to the licensing of networks services implying the use of frequencies; - - Financial reporting and cost accounting by the incumbent operators; - - Spectrum management in accession countries; - - Right of ways and cable landing; - - Development and availability of directory services; - - Study on access of service providers to different types of telecommunications networks in Europe. - Developments in the telecommunication and information technology industry and markets - in particular studies related to: - - Cost structures in mobile networks and their relation to prices; - - Trends in tariffs in public voice telephony, leased lines and mobile services; - - Monitoring European telecom operators: network facilities, actual offer, proprietary structure and market strategies in EU and WTO countries (particularly US and Eastern Europe); - - Study on the market demand for a European Telephone Numbering Space (ETNS) on the basis of the 388 code; - - Study on market data monitoring; - - High tech IT business start-ups; - - Trends in digital television; - - Deployment potential of new telecommunications applications and services in CEECs and Mediterranean basin; - - Improving human capital in the IT sector; - - Legal and market aspects of e-signature related services in the enlargement countries; - - Market and technology trends in the information security market in Europe; - - eEurope - an Information Society for all: benchmarking study; - - Development of high speed networks in Europe. - Impact of information and communications technologies and general information society issues - in particular studies related to: - - Job creation in ICT industries; - - The impact of ICT uptake on productivity; - - The impact of ICT on ultra-peripheral regions; - - Analysis of IS know-how transfer mechanisms for cities and regions. - Analysis of the development of the Internet - in particular studies related to: - - Numbering, naming and addressing in a global context; - - The economies of IP networks, socio-economic patterns and techno-economic scenarios; - - The public sector Internet; - - Electronic commerce and digital product models; - - Evolution scenarios of future networking technologies and networks in Europe. - Multimedia content, tools and markets - in particular studies related to: - - Best practices in public sector data collection; - - The feasibility of a content forum; - - Support for the development of a follow-on to INFO2000 and MLIS; - - Technological landscapes for tomorrow's cultural economy; - - State-of-the-art in learning technologies in Israel; - - Towards a virtual exhibition of language services and solutions; - - Towards an on-line observatory of the multilingual Information Society; - - Evaluation of the INFO2000 programme. - Research-related issues, in particular studies related to: - - Encouraging SME participation in Information Society RTD activities: status analysis and development of best practices; - - Analysis of the development of virtual research communities.