This year, MIDEM is introducing a special section for companies that bring innovative digital services. Some are consumer-based, others provide services that could be used by artists, labels or brands. All were chosen by a panel of experts from the music and digital sectors and will be at MIDEM in January, presenting their services

In all the years I’ve been travelling to Cannes and using cyber-cafes and later WiFi, I can’t remember ever having to show ID. Simon Glynn of RiveriaOne, however, posted an interesting item on his company’s blog. RiveriaOne provides IT, network and security systems during the trade fairs and also in private residences. He pointed to a rather little-known law in [...]

The long-announced roaming charges on mobile phone calls and text messages are now in effect. Since July 1, visitors to Cannes (and indeed anyone travelling within the EU) will benefit from lower charges thanks to new regulations introduced by the EU Commission. The broad outline of the measures mean that: * the price for sending a text message while abroad [...]

Attending a trade fair without e-mail access is pretty much unthinkable these days. It’s only a few years back that I had to run to a cybercafe near the railway station to check mail, burn CDs (yes, CDs) and print documents (using the wrong keyboard). In fact, my first time in Cannes I didn’t even have a mobile phone (this [...]

In a move that will be welcomed by both European and other travellers, Euro MPs have voted to enforce lower roaming fees across mobile services. The cap for a “roaming” text will fall to 11 euro cents (10p; 14 US cents), from an average of about 29 cents today. But the bad news is that visitors to the Cannes festival [...]

For about three years, I have been meaning to start blogging from my mobile phone. But I always wondered who would be interested. Although the capabilities are there, is there anyone out there really interested in reading what would be very short messages? Since then, of course, Twitter had made its appearance and seriously changed the way people communicate breaking [...]

It’s almost unthinkable to be in Cannes for a few days and not have access to your e-mails. Midem obviously has Internet connections for visitors, although you usually have to stand in a queue. If you want a more accessible connection, you should think about taking a WiFi subscription. SFR is the supplier within the Palais, but I’ve had no [...]

Much has been made of the new (lower!) roaming charges that the European Commission has forced operators to apply across Europe. Needless to say, you don’t have to be European to benefit from them. I’ve often recommended buying a local SIM card if you are staying any time in Cannes as lots of calls you will make are made to [...]

If you’re headed for Cannes for the festival, one of the most important questions is: will my phone work at Cannes (and almost as important, how much will I pay?). The answer to that, of course, depends on your phone and your provider. Best to check with your provider who their “roaming” partner is and then check their coverage in [...]

This must be one the most-frequently asked questions that we hear about Cannes. The answer is simple: maybe! To simplify the debate, you should know that just about all of Europe works on 900 and 1800 frequencies. If your phone works on either (or hopefully both), then you’re OK. If not, you’ll have to buy or rent one locally. This [...]