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EuroWire – November 2010 28
Transat lant ic Cable
As if this were not remarkable enough, Hydro-Québec is ❈
looking beyond it to robots that not only inspect but also repair
faulty transmission lines.“That would be the beginning of what
we call intervention or manipulation tasks,” Mr Montambault
said. “It’s a challenge, because the robot has to be stable,
precise, and have enough dexterity.”But here, he told the Star’s
Mr Hamilton, is an area in which their countrymen can shine.
He said,“Canada is truly a leader in this.”
Andrew Phillips, a scientist at the Electric Power Research ❈
Institute (Palo Alto, California) pointed out that robot line
inspectors can also help bridge the coming skills gap in the
industry. The average age of power transmission workers
in Canada and America is 48, and many of the most skilled
linemen are nearing retirement. Mr Phillips told the Star,
“We just don’t have those people any more.”
Telecom
With thousands of federally nanced
stimulus projects already under way across
the US, broadband comes in for some funding
The “economic stimulus” – o cially, the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 – allotted $787 billion to create jobs
and promote investment, on the Keynesian principle that
government spending must take up the slack in consumer
spending during a recession. Now Washington is coming
through with $1.8 billion in Recovery Act money for broadband
access and adoption.
Focused mainly on rural telecommunications, 94 contracts have
been awarded to projects in 37 states.
The amounts range from the hundreds of thousands to tens of
millions of dollars. Jesse Emspak noted in International Business
Times that Motorola got $50.6 million to set up a public safety
wireless broadband network in the San Francisco area.
But some smaller companies were among the recipients.
Zerodivide, a California service provider, got $686,000 to
increase broadband usage among the Native American tribes in
San Diego County. (“US Puts $1.8 Billion Into Broadband Projects,”
19th August)
The projects receive the funds under a programme jointly
administered by the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture.
By some estimates, as many as 34% of Americans – especially in
remote areas of the country – do not have broadband Internet
access. The public safety grants are aimed at improving response
times and inter-agency communication in emergencies.
That push derives from such experiences as 9/11, when police
and re ghters in New York City found themselves out of touch
with one another in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the
World Trade Center.
In announcing the broadband awards, Vice President Joe Biden
emphasised the Obama administration’s dedication to “bringing
twenty- rst century infrastructure to underserved communities
and rural areas.” But he also cited the commercial potential of the
awards. “[This] investment in broadband technology will create
jobs across the country and expand opportunities for millions of
Americans andAmericancompanies,”Mr Bidensaid ina statement.
“The awards are another great example of how the Recovery Act
is creating jobs upfront, while also building a foundation for
sustainable job creation and global competitiveness.”
Elsewhere in telecom . . .
Now that Telefónica of Spain has won full control of the ❈
mobile phone joint venture it had with Portugal Telecom in
Brazil, a long tussle comes to an end between two operators
increasingly reliant on earnings from the fast-growing
Brazilian mobile phone market to o set sluggish sales at
home. The deal, worth about $9.75 billion, was announced
28th July. Brazilian mobile phone subscriptions rose to
187 million in July, up 1% from June, according to gures
released by the telecom regulator Anatel.
The Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Negócios reported on
its website that Portugal Telecom planned to use part of the
proceeds from the sale of Vivo to buy a stake in another Brazilian
phone operator. If completed, such a deal would allow Portugal
Telecom to maintain a Brazilian presence in Brazil.
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