Property tax bills now through SMS

Now, you don't have to make rounds of the municipal office or go on-line to find out about your property tax bills. Help will be available on your mobile through an SMS, repors the Times of India.

"The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is launching a new system in which citizens would get details of their property tax bills through an SMS service where you mention your property number and sms it to 54646.

The details of the tax will be sent on your mobile within a few seconds.

The formal announcement of the project would be made in a week. The PMC is also working on a plan in which citizens can receive property bills on mobile and pay them on-line. "

Filing your income tax by SMS (Philippines)

The Bureau of Internal Revenue in the Philippines offers a service called "PAYBIR," where a taxpayer can file his or her income tax returns by SMS. Manila Bulletin Online reports.

"Through the PAYBIR service, taxpayers can now pay their tax of R10,000 ($281.-) and below through a text message. The BIR has forged a partnership with Land Bank of the Philippines as the accredited agent bank and Globe Telecom as the taxpayer agent. Globe Telecom uses its G-Cash facility to make tax payments on behalf of its subscribers.

This is unique and could be the first in the world where a taxpayer can pay his income tax through a text message without going to the BIR or a bank."

IRS to refund federal excise tax on long-distance calls

Consumers can claim a standard $30 to $60 refund next year for a tax on long-distance telephone calls that the government declared invalid, the Internal Revenue Service announced Thursday, reports SiliconValley.com via Engadget.

"Telephone customers had been paying the 3 percent federal excise tax on local and long-distance service. The government this month stopped collecting the tax on long-distance calls after businesses repeatedly fought the tax in court and won.

... The tax dates back to the late 19th century and the Spanish-American War, when telephones were a luxury and the government needed revenue."

Related articles:

-- Companies Discover It Isn't Easy to Claim Phone-Tax Refunds

-- Wireless Consumers Get Excise Tax Reprieve

-- U.S. May Stop, Refund Excise Tax On Phone Service

-- 3 Percent Fee On Cell Phones Started 107 Years Ago

French Embassy Updates Citizens in Lebanon by SMS

According to The Age, which reports on complaints that the Australian government is not doing enough to get its citizens out of Lebanon, "the French embassy have got all the mobile phone numbers from all of their citizens and SMS them three or four times a day to keep them updated on the situation."

Wireless devices to get emergency alerts

According to CNN, the US government will soon be sending warnings of national emergencies on wireless phones, Web sites and hand-held computers.

"The Homeland Security Department, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, expects to have the system working by the end of next year.

"Anything that can receive a text message will receive the alert," Homeland Security Department spokesman Aaron Walker said Tuesday. "We find that the new digital system is more secure, it's faster, and it enables us to reach a wide array of citizens and alert them to pending disasters."

Singapore. Access to all govt services via SMS

By the year end, Singaporeans can access all government e-services -- from paying parking fines to checking CPF accounts -- by simply sending SMS messages from their cellphones, reports the Straits Times. "The SMS or short message service will allow access to existing as well as 15 new e-services currently in development".

... "To ensure that people without access or who lack the know-how to use the services are not left behind, it will open within the next year 25 CitizenConnect centres -- free, manned Internet kiosks to teach users how they can interact with the Government online. The first centres were introduced last October, and there are currently five around the island."

Picture above left - cell phones sold on the side of the road in Singapore.

Media members told their cellphone activity is being tracked by the government

According to The Wireless Report, "ABC News investigative reporters Brian Ross and Richard Esposito were told by a "senior law enforcement official" that the government is tracking their phone numbers so they can find out who their confidential sources are. Ross and Esposito were advised that they should get some new cellphones immediately".

... "ABC News does not know how the government determined who we are calling, or whether our phone records were provided to the government as part of the recently-disclosed NSA collection of domestic phone calls".

... "Other sources have told us thatphone calls and contacts by reporters for ABC News, along with the New York Times and the Washington Post, are being examined as part of a widespread CIA leak investigation."

[The Blotter via The Wireless Report]

French MEP suggests EU tax on SMS and emails

Alain Lamassouree, a senior centre-right French MEP, has suggested that the EU levy a tax on SMS and email messages in a debate on the union's future financing, reports the euobserver.

"Mr Lamassoure made his suggestion on Monday (8 May) in a financial working group as part of a joint European Parliament and national parliament conference on the future of Europe in Brussels.

"A small tax on an SMS from Paris to another French city could be allocated to the French government, but taxes on emails or SMS messages from Paris to Rome could be dedicated to the EU budget," he said.

"In France an SMS costs 15 cents (already outrageously high!). We could tax it by 1.5 cents, or less," the MEP added.

For email, the rate could be as little as €0.00001. "This is peanuts, but given the billions of transactions every day, this could still raise an immense income."

Actions in France against high prices of SMS and Telecoms collusion:

-- French consumer group targets mobile phone companies

-- French mobile phone firms fined

-- French consumer association calls for SMS boycott over prices

-- Consumer Advocate Group in France fights to bring down price of SMS

Related attempts to tax SMS elsewhere:

Italy
-- Italy 'text tax' sparks outrage

-- Mobile strike in Italy - July 15

Philippines
-- Palace clears up text tax confusion

-- 'Text tax' sparks cyber-protest in Philippines

-- Fight the TXT Tax!

-- Philippine gov't revives plan to tax text messaging

-- President Arroyo open to text tax

-- Philippine Senators to oppose texting tax

-- Have mercy on the people!" said the archbishop

-- Philippine leader backs away from SMS tax after popular criticism

Switzerland
-- No to Proposal to Tax SMS in Switzerland

Debt Collectors Seek To Auto-Dial Cellphones

According to The Washington Post, Debt collectors are asking the FCC for permission to use automated dialers to call a debtor's cellphone about overdue bills.

ACA International, the trade association that represents collectors, said federal rules formerly permitted collection agencies to call cellphones using a computerized system that stores and dials numbers."

This is not the first time Government or private agencies around the world have used text messaging as a useful and effective way to send out a reminder for overdue rent, unpaid fines, outstanding payments - even tuition.

-- In a 6 month trial run, Inland Revenue New Zealand will begin text messaging parents to remind them to pay child support. [ IRD gets into text messaging ]

-- The Australian State Government's Fines Payment Unit is running a pilot program using SMS to remind people who have been issued with a court summons. [Claiming unpaid fines by SMS]

-- In New Zealand, the Justice Ministry collections centre staff are now sending text message reminders to people who continue to avoid paying overdue reparation and fines. [Press Release: New Zealand Government]

-- In a South African High School, late paying parents receive the following SMS: "A wonderful spring day to you. But please pay your child's outstanding school fees. If you have already done so, thank you." A few days after the messages go out, the school receives a lot of outstanding fees. [News24.com]

-- Officials at Fife Council Scotland are hailing as a success, an experiment in which tenants behind on their rent payments were sent reminders by text messaging. Out of the 200 tenants sent SMS messages adivising them their rent was overdue, the response rate was of 40%, with five responses arriving within 10 minutes of being sent. [Textually.org]

new EU broadcasting rules could restrict the growth of emerging media

Media and technology companies warned Tuesday that new European Union broadcasting rules could restrict the growth of emerging media formats such as video broadcasts through the Internet and mobile phones, reports the Associated Press.

"An alliance of companies, including ITV PLC, Yahoo Inc., Vodafone Group PLC, Intel Corporation, and Cisco Systems Ltd., warned a European Commission proposal to impose rules for traditional broadcasters on new media providers could have "unintended consequences" and hurt investment.

The draft legislation proposed in December aims to level the playing field by applying the same rules to everyone.

... According to Intellect, a London-based business lobby representing technology companies, "citizen media such as blogs, video-casts and the like are one of the most exciting developments enabled by new technology. This phenomenon has the potential to create new businesses ... but this proposed regulation severely risks stunting its growth," it said.

... The law will need the backing of the European Parliament and 25 European Union governments before it can enter into force. The Parliament is likely to vote on it later this year".

U.S. May Stop, Refund Excise Tax On Phone Service

The Treasury Department, following a series of hostile court rulings on the way it assesses the federal excise tax on phone service, is working on a plan to stop collecting the levy and refund billions of dollars to consumers and businesses, according to people familiar with the matter. The WSJ reports.

... "Elimination of the excise tax would be a major victory for the telecommunications industry, which has fought for years in court and on Capitol Hill to do away with the surcharge.

Government officials are holding closely guarded discussions on how to best handle the repayment process as well as mitigate the impact of about $60 billion in potential refunds and lost federal revenues over the next five years. The surcharge would likely disappear from long-distance and wireless bills, but local-call levies could remain.

The law -- originally enacted to help pay the costs of the Spanish-American War -- taxes telecom services based on both the duration of a call and the distance it travels. But the changing nature of technology now lets phone companies offer flat rate per minute or monthly plans. The government, however, has continued to assess the tax under the old services, sparking widespread protest".

Related article:

-- 3 Percent Fee On Cell Phones Started 107 Years Ago - According to Channel 5 News, there is a 3 percent fee on every cell phone bill in America. The origin of the tax predates the invention of the cellular phone by nearly a century and supportis the war effort -- the Spanish-American War.

China will let companies pick their own mobile standard

China promises to let its phone companies pick their own standard for next-generation mobile phones even as it develops its own technology, the U.S. government said, reports The Canadian Press.

"The mobile industry had feared that China would impose its own third-generation, or 3G, standard in an effort to reduce its reliance on foreign technology.

China has the world's largest mobile phone market, with more than 400 million users, and decisions on standards can have far-reaching commercial implications for equipment suppliers."

Related article: - Japan, SKorea, China to launch joint study unified cell phone standard

Greek boss at phone-tapping probe

The head of mobile phone company Vodafone Greece has started giving evidence to a parliamentary committee about a phone-tapping scandal. The BBC reports.

"It is the first time George Koronias has faced public questioning since the scandal came to light. Last month, the government admitted that the mobiles of the prime minister and other officials had been bugged.

The tapping started before the 2004 Athens Olympics and continued until it was detected last year.

The hearing in parliament is likely to last many hours as Mr Koronias faces a barrage of questions from MPs. "

Related articles:

-- Mobile phone-tapping plot uncovered in Greece

-- Furor continues over unprecedented mobile phone-tapping case

Mobile IT 'could save councils millions of pounds'

Local authorities could save millions of pounds if they adopt wider use of mobile technologies, according to a new report, entitled Cutting the Wires, reports The Guardian.

"The research, published today by independent thinktank the New Local Government Network (NLGN), suggests that councils should use mobile phones and IT to become better organised and more relevant to their local communities.

Simple changes could vastly improve the lives of citizens, it suggests, or help increase efficiency and communication."

Some projects that allow the public to contact councils directly are already in place. Anyone living in the south-east London borough of Lewisham can take a snap using their camera phone of the many problems that blight London's roads, such as graffiti or fly-tipping and send it to the council.

... "The report's findings were welcomed by local government minister Jim Fitzpatrick. "Being mobile can enable local public servants to deliver better outcomes and better fulfil local needs," he said."

Furor continues over unprecedented mobile phone-tapping case

An unprecedented mobile phone-tapping conspiracy targeting Greece's top political leadership is being investigated (cf yesterday's post Mobile phone-tapping plot uncovered in Greece). Charges have already been filed by a relevant prosecutor, while the judicial probe will also consider espionage charges, reports Athens News Agency .

"The government on Thursday said the entire phone-tapping plot was discovered when some type of glitch was detected in Vodafone's systems on March 4, 2005, with the suspect software pinpointed by software experts from multinational Ericsson on March 7, 2005. An order to disable the "ghost program" was given the next day, March 8, 2005, whereas the government was notified by the company two days later.

One of the primary questions that swirled around the east Mediterranean country since Thursday morning is why Vodafone disabled the "ghost programme", an action that reportedly made tracing the perpetrators difficult.

... Back in Athens, when asked about an even more "cloak-and-dagger" aspect of the ongoing investigation, namely, the suicide of Vodafone's network design department manager during the period when the phone-tapping was discovered, Roussopoulos said the incident is "real" and is being investigated by police.

... One of the 46 individuals whose mobile phones were tapped was, in fact, identified as an employee of the US embassy in Athens."

Mobile phone-tapping plot uncovered in Greece

The Greek government has just confirmed that a year-long investigation took place, focusing on a mobile phone-tapping that targeted the prime minister himself, high-ranking ministers and well-known business leaders. News of the investigation was the object of a front-page article in the Athens daily "Ta Nea" on Thursday, reports the Macedonian Press Agency

"Members of the government told reporters that 14 pre-paid cell phones, all operating in the Vodafone Hellas network, monitored mobile phone conversations of the targeted individuals.

According to the government, some 100 mobile phone numbers were being monitored before the 2004 Olympic Games of Athens until early March 2005."

More in Cellular News.

Crackdown on food marketing call

Governments must do more to protect children from food marketing in the fight against obesity, an expert says, reports the BBC. Text messaging campaigns for fast foods are partially to blame.

".. Children are increasingly exposed to not just ads, but also sophisticated marketing techniques such as text messaging. ... A report, published by the consumers' association, Which?, said "underhand marketing tricks" were being used to target children.

The study cited examples of internet promotions, toys and computer games and "misleading" health claims being used. "

SMS Alerts A Disaster?

Various initiatives are under way using SMS as a way to alert people when there is an emergency situation. But while SMS might seem to be an obvious solution, there are some issues such as privacy that need careful consideration before being rolled out too quickly. Mike Grenville reports for 160characters.org.

"One problem with using SMS is that you might be asleep with your phone turned off and so not receive the message. The Japanese government is testing a system that will enable an emergency-broadcast signal to be broadcast to specially designed mobile phones capable of being switched on remotely.

The ministry plans to test the system in Sapporo in April 2006, piggybacking a new broadcasting system, called One Seg, that is being set up to enable television programs to be played on mobiles.

The ministry believes using text messages would help people evacuate a disaster area safely reduce the impact of a disaster situation. It hopes to be able to implement the system within a few years.

How citizens will respond to the idea that their government can turn on their phones and broadcast messages to them at any time may depend on how responsibly it is used in practice.

Related:

-- A project underway in the Netherlands may raise such concerns. In August 2004 the Dutch Ministry of Economic affairs commissioned LogicaCMG to build the world’s first government sponsored mobile alert system based on cell broadcast (CB) technology.

-- The other issues with SMS alarm systems is the potential for spoofing. The Malaysian government recently had to advise the public not to believe text messages being circulated ahead of the first anniversary of the Tsunami which warned of the possibility of tsunami occurrences this month or in January.

Beep, beep ... "u.o.us"

Offenders who fail to pay their court fines could receive a text message warning them "to pay up or get locked up", informs Reuters.

Under plans outlined by the government, magistrates courts in England and Wales are to look at sending messages by text or email to fine evaders and those who fail to show up to court or for community service. The messages warn those that don't comply with their court orders that they could face further action.

In a successful trial in Staffordshire, 75% of the offenders who were sent SMS immediately paid up.

"Everybody's got a mobile phone and as one of the most common ways to keep in touch these days, it makes sense for the courts to contact offenders that way too," Constitutional Affairs Minister Harriet Harman said. "It doesn't cost much, it's quick and effective and most importantly offenders take notice too."

Feds invest in mobile tech-based tutoring services

In an effort to strengthen the federal government's after-school tutoring program, known as Supplemental Educational Services, or SES, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) plans to invest $9.5 million in a new test project that will explore the use of mobile devices such as cell phones and other technologies in delivering targeted remediation to struggling students. [via eSchool News]

"Though it's unlikely mobile technologies such as cell phones and PDAs would serve as replacements for online or face-to-face tutoring, Cohen said, the devices could be used to supplement existing programs, providing a means for parents to receive updates on their child's progress via cell phone, for example, and giving students yet another means of receiving additional remediation and support, whether it's reviewing for a test or just brushing up on their skills."

Mobile phones and other technology can narrow social divides - [Usability News]

A challenge to the traditional view that new technology will widen inequality in the future comes from the UK Government’s Social Exclusion Unit.

The new report, Inclusion Through Innovation: Tackling Social Exclusion Through New Technologies, explores the potential that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have to improve service delivery and quality of life for the most excluded groups, and argues that effective use of ICT is key to addressing exclusion and meeting complex needs.

"For instance, mobile phones are being used by homeless people to avoid the problems of not having a permanent address, leaving a mobile number on job applications. Medical results can be texted to the patient without someone else answering the phone. Elderly folk are playing chess with friends across the world.

The report, published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, argues that 'excluded' people already use technology extensively and that we need to build on this enthusiasm."

[via Putting People First]

EU deal to keep telephone records

European Union ministers have agreed a deal compelling mobile phone companies to retain call and internet records for use in anti-terror investigations, reports the BBC.

"Records will kept for up to two years under the new rules, which need to be approved by the European Parliament. Police would have access to information about calls, text messages and internet data, but not exact call content.

Justice and interior ministers agreed governments can decide how long to hold data, from six months to two years."

Pakistanis given free mobile phone use during quake distress

While the people of Pakistani-Kashmir continue to deal with the horror of this month's earthquake, their Government has loosened some of the military restrictions which have long been imposed on the disputed territory, reports ABC.net.au

For the first time, people in the region are now able to use mobile phones. The Government has allowed a network to be established in the regional capital Muzaffarabad, to enable survivors to phone relatives and friends for free.

..."We are offering free calls from three kiosks set up in the entire Muzaffarabad and we are offering free calls international calls to anybody who can make a call to his loved ones, said Saadat Mumtaz, the countrywide distributor for the Pakistani telco that is running the service.

... And in a few months, it is most probable that these people will go back to having no mobile phone coverage again."

Swiss Bulach citizens to vote by SMS on speed limits

Residents of the Swiss town of Bulach are using SMS (short message service) to cast votes on a local measure regarding road speed limits, reports CIO.

"Just like for any election in Switzerland, the residents received their voting material in the mail but this time they also received a user ID and PIN (personal identification number) for voting via SMS. The letters were sent Oct. 10 and residents can use a variety of methods including SMS to cast their vote before Oct. 30. As an extra security measure, SMS voters also have to supply their birth date.

... Bulach residents will have another chance to vote via SMS in November on a different issue. The Swiss government will examine the results of the trials and may decide to allow for SMS voting around the country, she said.

Dutch test boradcasting of disaster text messages

The Dutch government on Wednesday started testing a special warning system that will send text messages to mobile phones to alert the population in the event of a disaster., reports IOL.

The technology for the system, called 'cell broadcast', allows the authorities to send text messages to mobile phone users in a specific area. On Wednesday the first tests started in Zoetermeer, a town in the west central Netherlands.

"The advantage of this system is that it allows us to send messages without having to know the phone numbers of the users in the region. Instead of sending a message to a specific known cell phone you can send a text to all cell phones in a specific zone," Frank Wassenaar of the Dutch interior ministry told AFP."

Click here for other national SMS emergency systems from around the world.

Cell Phones to Offer Civil Documents Services

South Koreans will be able to use mobile-phones to get copies of civil documents, including residence registry and property registration certificates, in November, reports The Korea Times.

"The Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs said on Sunday that it will start sending text messages about civil affairs and announcements to mobile phones and other portable communication devices as early as November.

Mobile phone users can request civil documents using their handsets.

The ministry plans to expand the service to include more civil documents."

[via Smart Mobs]

Privacy Group Urges FCC to Guard Phone Data

According to The Washington Post, a privacy group wants the government to force telephone companies to better protect their customers' private data -- including records of calls made and received -- from being bought and sold on the Internet.

"n a petition scheduled to be filed today, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC urges the Federal Communications Commission to create tougher rules for how and when landline and wireless carriers release customer information.

... EPIC included in its filing a list of more than 40 Web sites that offer to sell call records, often within hours of receiving credit-card orders that are taken online.

EPIC argues that carriers are making it too easy for fraud artists to glean customer data by requiring only basic biographical identifiers that are easily obtainable, such as Social Security numbers or dates of birth."

USA. SMS Terror and National Disasters Alerts

According to The Examiner, the federal government is considering using text-messaging to warn Americans of impending natural disasters or terrorist attacks.

"Next year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will launch a pilot study to use reverse 911 technology to provide specific, targeted weather alerts or other warnings to individuals on a voluntary, opt-in basis. This sounds like a great way to keep the populace informed without being overly intrusive."

Emergency Alerts: Coming to Your Cell Phone?

Emergency alerts may soon be delivered by more than just your television set or old-fashioned radio: The US federal government is considering alerting you via text message should a possible natural disaster or terrorist attack directly affect your area, reports PC World.

"The Senate Subcommittee on Disaster Prevention and Prediction met this week on Capitol Hill to discuss creating a national, integrated all-hazards alert system that uses digital technology to efficiently send public warnings to Americans".

[via Engadget]