Susan Schorr

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The Role of the Regulator in Telecommunication
and Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) Development
Susan Schorr Regulatory Officer, Regulatory
Reform Unit Telecommunication Development Bureau
(BDT)
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Men in Beards The ITU in 1865
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ITU in brief

• UN specialized agency, concerned with the
  development of telecommunication networks and
  services worldwide
• 140 years old
• 189 Member States 650 Sector Members
• Around 790 staff / 83 nationalities
• 2004 budget CHF164m (USD 132m)
• Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi (Japan)
• Deputy Sec-General Roberto Blois (Brazil)
• Website http//www.itu.int

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ITU structure
Plenipotentiary Conference
World Conferences on Intl Telecoms
Council
Telecom Standardization
Development
Radiocommunication
World/Regional RadiocommunicationConference
(WRC) Radiocommunication Assembly (RA)
World TelecommunicationStandardizationAssembly
(WTSA)
World/RegionalTelecommunication Development
Conference (WTDC)
Radio RegulationsBoard (RRB
AdvisoryGroup
StudyGroups
AdvisoryGroup
StudyGroups
AdvisoryGroup
StudyGroups
Secretary-General Deputy Secretary-General
Secretariat
TELECOM
Director RadiocommunicationBureau (BR)
Director Telecom StandardizationBureau (TSB)
Director Telecom DevelopmentBureau (BDT)
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According to the International Telecommunication
Constitution (Marrakesh, 2002), the role of ITU
is

• International cooperation in telecommunications
• Technical assistance to LDCs
• To promote technical development
• To extend the benefits of telecoms
• To promote telecoms for peaceful use
• To harmonize national policies
• To promote telecoms in cooperation with other
  national and regional bodies

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But what does ITU actually do?

• Spectrum allocation and registration
• Coordination of national spectrum planning
• International telecoms standardization
• Collaboration in international tariff-setting
• Cooperation in telecoms development assistance
• Measures for ensuring safety of life
• Policy reviews, information exchange
• Extension of universal access

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Network of ITU Field Offices
Moscow
Geneva
Cairo
Bridgetown
Dakar
Tegucigalpa
Addis Ababa
Bangkok
Yaounde
Brasilia
Jakarta
Santiago
Harare
Regional Office Area Office
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(No Transcript)
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• World Telecom Development Conference (Last
  Istanbul, March 2002)
• Next, Doha, Qatar 2006
• Study Groups
• Telecommunication Indicators reports and
  databases
• Regulatory assistance
• Technical cooperation
• Regional offices
• Director Hamadoun Touré (Mali)

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Istanbul Action Plan (IsAP) SIX PROGRAMMES
Prog 2 Technologies and networks
Prog 1 Regulatory Reform
Prog 3 E-Strategies and E-services
Prog 4 Economics and Finance
Prog 5 Human Capacity Building
Prog 6 Least Developed Countries
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Regulatory Reform Unit
2nd Meeting of the TDAG Working Group dealing
with Private Sector Issues, January 2004

• Regulatory Database, Online regulatory library
  (TREG)
• Publications and cases studies on key
  regulatory issues
• Online exchange of best practices for regulators
  and policy makers
• International and regional regulatory forums
• Regulatory Models and Best Practices

Promoting universal access to ICTs Practical
tools for regulators
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Trends in Telecommunication Reform
2004/2005 Licensing in Era of Convergence
2002 Effective Regulation
2000/2001 Interconnection Regulation
2003 Promoting Universal Access
1998 General Trends
1999 Convergence and Regulation
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ITU Regulatory Case StudiesGlobal Benchmarks
For Best Practice Regulations Botswana Makes
the Mark Twice!
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Trends in Telecommunication Reform 2004/05
  Chapter 1 DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ICT SECTOR
Chapter 2 WHY LICENSE? Chapter 3 OPTIONS FOR
TELECOMMUNICATION LICENSING Chapter 4
LICENCE FEE PRACTICES HISTORICAL
PERSPECTIVES AND NEW TRENDS Chapter 5
LICENSING APPROACHES IN AN ERA OF
CONVERGENCE Chapter 6 CONVERGENCE AND
SPECTRUM LICENSING Chapter 7 TRANSITIONING
REGULATION FROM OLD TO NEW Chapter 8 A NEW
ERA IN LICENSING
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Revenues from public switched telephone,
cellular mobile and other telecommunication
networks worldwide,1993-2003 and 2003, in
current USD billions
Source ITU World Telecommunication Indicators
Database
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ICT Users Worldwide 1991mid 2004
Source ITU World Telecommunication Indicators
Database
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Cellular mobile users mid-2004 and mobile
users added 2000-mid 2004 number of Internet
users 2003, and new Internet users added,
2000-2003 
Source ITU World Telecommunication Indicators
Database
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102 million broadband subscribersby end 2003
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Trends in international voice traffic on public
switched telephone networks (PSTN) and Voice over
IP (VoIP)1997-2003
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The legal status of competition in different
global telecommunication market segmentsin 2004
Source ITU World Telecommunication Regulatory
Database.
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Trends National Regulatory Authorities Worldwide
and Percentage per Region
Source ITU World Telecommunication Regulatory
Database.
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Blueprint for Access to Affordable ICTs

• Bridging the Digital Divide Can Be Achieved
• Information Society Linked to Smart Policies and
  Regulations Recognizing Universal Access As an
  Opportunity
• Competition in Mobile Services 829 million
  subscribers in developing countries, or 56 of
  all mobile users worldwide!

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Powers and Functions of the Regulator

• General Powers
• Rulemaking
• Enforcement
• Dispute Resolution
• Specific Regulatory Functions
• Licensing Spectrum Management
• Interconnection Number Administration
• Equipment Approval Universal Access
• Price Regulation Quality of Service

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Checklist for effectiveness

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Ensuring that a Regulator is Effective
What Governments can do

• Spell out the Regulatory Authority's mandate
  clearly
• Provide sufficient human and financial resources
  and level of independence
• Give the Regulatory Authority sufficient
  enforcement powers
• Give the Regulatory Authority sufficient
  organizational flexibility
• Set timelines and goals for efficient and
  effective rendering of decisions

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Ensuring Regulatory Effectiveness
What Regulators can do

• Apply transparent procedures that will ensure
  fairness
• Raise stakeholders awareness through public
  consultation
• Make information available to all
• Provide timely response to disputes and appeals
• Ensure effective organization and staffing

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Summary From Principle to Practice
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ITU Global Symposium for Regulators 2004
Theme Licensing in an Era of Convergence Output
Best Practice Guidelinesfor the Promotion of
Low Cost Broadband and Internet Connectivity
Chaired by Mrs. Kathleen Q. Abernathy Commissioner
US FCC

• Participants
• 350 Participants
• 106 Countries
• 77 Regulatory Authorities
• 54 Heads of Regulators
• 34 ITU-D Sector Members
• International and Regional Organizations

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GSR 2004 Best Practice Guidelines for the
Promotion of Low Cost Broadband and Internet
Connectivity

• We, the regulators participating in the 2004
  Global Symposium for Regulators, have identified
  and proposed best practice guidelines to achieve
  low cost broadband and Internet connectivity. Our
  goal is the creation of national regulatory
  frameworks that are flexible and enable
  competition between various service providers
  using multiple transport and technology options.
  We believe the best practices outlined below will
  help bring social and economic benefits to the
  worlds citizens

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Best Practice Guidelines (Contd.)Three Main
Headings

• An enabling regulatory regime that encourages
  broadband deployment and Internet connectivity
• Innovative Regulatory Policies Must Be Developed
  To Promote Universal Access
• Broadband is an Enabler

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Best Practice Guidelines (Contd.)

• An effective, separate regulator insulated from
  political interference, a transparent regulatory
  process, and adoption and enforcement of clear
  rules.
• Stimulate competition among various technologies
  and industry segments that will lead to the
  development and deployment of broadband capacity
• Adopt policies that are technology neutral and do
  not favor one technology over another
• Encourage innovative approaches to managing the
  spectrum resource such as the ability to share
  spectrum or allocating on a license-exempt
  non-interference basis.
• Minimize licensing hurdles
• Provide a clear regulatory strategy for the
  private sector in order to reduce uncertainty and
  risk, and remove any disincentives to investment

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http//www.itu.int/ITU-D/treg/
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Thank You For Your Attention

• Susan Schorr
• Regulatory Officer
• ITU BDT Regulatory Reform Unit
• susan.schorr_at_itu.int