European Union Latin America and Caribbean

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European Union Latin America and Caribbean
Information Society Forum   Lima (Peru), 20-21
July 2003
The Role of Standards in Developing an
Information Society for All.
Karl Heinz Rosenbrock Director General, ETSI
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What it takes to build a prosperous economy?

• Capital

• Labor

• Ground

In addition
Infrastructures for

• Utilities (water, electricity)
• Transports
• Communications Information/knowledge

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Assumption 1Development of Information Society
is ALWAYS the Objective.What does it mean?
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Depends on the point of view
GOOD CHANCES FOR EVERYBODY NO DISCRIMINATION FAIR
COMPETITION USER SATISFACTION CONNECTIVITY EXCELLE
NT ICT INFRASTRUCTURE FIGHT THE DIGITAL
DIVIDE INFORMATION AT THE FINGERTIP ACCESSIBILITY
FOR ALL BUSINESS ETC., ETC.
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Assumption 2The development of the Information
Society is not (only) a question of bits bytes
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Policy makingRegulationTrade
policiesInvestment Financial issuesMarket
access related issues (Certification
TA)Business practicesEtc., Etc.And indeed
STANDARDS
Also touches upon
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• HOW TO CREATE STANDARDS
• IN AN ENVIRONMENT
• CHARACTERIZED
• BY PERMANENT CHANGE?

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Industrial players (new businesses, new
entrants)Regulatory bodies Standards making
organizations (formal or not)More policy
makersIndustry associations Organizations
involved into market access issuesEtc
Look, how many new players
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In spite of this plethoraOne assumption is
shared globallyLiberalization/deregulation is
the way! (the  Invisible Hand )
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The big plea for freedom!

• WITHOUT LIMITATION?

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• Without rules, freedom is merely
•  the freedom of a free fox in a free henhouse 

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In ETSI, there are i.a. three strategic tracks
1/ Open standards level the playing field and
are a tool for fair competition
2/ Technical standards for business benefits
3/ Future is built through Partnerships
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1/ Open Standards, a balance of powers

• Representation of all market players
• Decisions by consensus
• Standards are voluntary
• Contribute to market openness
• A fight against
• technical barriers to trade

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2/ Technical standards for business benefits a)
The industry point of view

• Learn a lot
• Influence evolution of technologies/standards
• Input market requirements into standardization
  process
• Co-operate to build critical mass
• Access to new markets
• Parallel product/service development
• Reduced lead times
• Early market watch
• Standards ensure consistency/protection of
  investments
• (including legal ones)

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2/ Why invest in standardization?b)Regulators
policy makers perspective

• Reference to standards recommendations for
• licencing schemes, tenders, optimum spectrum
  usage,
• numbering, dispute resolution etc.
• To structure the market on a long term basis
• with a view to cater to the end user interests.
• In that perspective, standardizations agenda is
  ahead
• Regulators policy makers
• Identify potential regulatory issues embedded in
  standard-making
• Impact on elaboration of standards to fulfill
• competition rules, obligations provided by
  Directives
• optimum use of scarce resources, etc.

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In case you think standardization is for
idealists
ICT sector is a 650billion US per annum global
industry, the largest sector in the
world, accounting for more than 2 of world
GDP and representing nearly 20 of world trade.
(lirne.net) Up to 80 of trade (equivalent to
4 trillion annually) is affected by standards or
associated technical regulations (Estimate OECD)
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3/ Future is built through partnership

• From a technical point of view
• Do-it all alone strategy, a recipe for disaster
• Lets become partner
• with the most relevant players in every domain.
• From a regional point of view
• Build bridges to increase market relevance and
  reach
• of ETSIs deliverables.
• Combination of both the partnership project
  model

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What does this mean for Latin America (1)

• Latin America is traditionally a standards taking
  region.
• It opts for technical solutions that will best
  fit markets needs.
• What is at stake is choosing options
• that will allow for best market developments,
• WHILST not getting locked into proprietary
  solutions
• or a hostage of alien industrial battles.
• Open standards create market conditions that
  benefit all (policy
• makers, industrial players as well as end
  users)
• /

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What does this mean for Latin America (2)

• ETSI produce open standards fit for global
  markets
• and creating conditions for Information
  society for all
• (see mobile communications, digital TV etc).
• _at_LIS allows for increased co-operation
• between ETSI/3GPP and Latin America players.
• ETSI Members are very keen to open
• the dialogue on standardization
• lets go!!!

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Gracias, Thank you rosenbrock_at_etsi.org