AN AFRICAN VIEW ON THE OUTCOMES OF WTSA-08

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AN AFRICAN VIEW ON THE OUTCOMES OF WTSA-08
ITU FORUM ON IMPLEMENTATION OF DECISIONS OF
WTSA-08 (Accra, Ghana, 16-17 June 2009)

• Joshua Peprah
• Director,
• Regulatory Administration,
• National Communications Authority

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Background

• Prior to WTSA-08 the African group held a
  preparatory meeting in Accra aimed at
  coordinating African views on issues considered
  to be of importance to the region.
• Hot issues such as
• Study Group restructure,
• Bridging the Standardization Gap in developing
  countries

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Background (Cont.)

• Ways of enhancing the relevance of Study Group
  activities for developing countries
• Possible creation of regional groups for
  different standardization topics 
• the election of new SG and TSAG chairs and
  vice-chairs,
• Inclusion of new categories of members were
  discussed

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African positions Vs the WTSA-08 outcomes

• About twelve (12) African positions were
  submitted
• Seven were adopted.

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Item African common proposals
Add.1AFCP1 Resolution 72 - Measurement concerns related to human exposure to electromagnetic fields
Add.2AFCP2 Resolution 59Enhancing participation of telecommunication operators from developing countries
Add.?AFCP3 Resolution 58 - Encourage the creation of national Computer Incident Response Teams, particularly for developing countries
Add.4AFCP4 ITU Type Approval of telecommunication equipment. Merged into Resolution 76 - Studies related to conformance and interoperability testing, assistance to developing countries, and a possible future ITU mark
Add.7AFCP7 Resolution 17 - Telecommunication standardization in relation to the interests of developing countries
Add.10AFCP10 Resolution 44 - Bridging the standardization gap between developing and developed countries
Add.12AFCP12 Resolution 54 - Creation of regional groups
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African positions Vs the WTSA-08 outcomes

• The African group also strongly supported the
  adoption of
• Resolution 26 Assistance to regional groups of
  study Group 3,
• Resolution 50 - Cybersecurity
• Resolution 70 - Telecommunications/ICT
  accessibility for persons with disabilities
• Resolution 71 Admission of academia,
  universities and their associated research
  establishments to participate in the work of
  ITU-T.

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African views on WTSA-08 outcomes

• The regional development forum on bridging the
  standardization gap has been successful and the
  African Group welcomes its continuality
• WTSA-08 adopted the African proposal to reduce
  the number of study groups from 13 to 10 to
  enable effective participation.

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African views on WTSA-08 Outcomes
Study Group Title
2 Operational aspects of service provision and telecommunications management
3 Tariff and accounting principles including related telecommunication economic and policy issues
5 Protection against electromagnetic environment effects
9 Television and sound transmission and integrated broadband cable networks
11 Signalling requirements, protocols and test specifications
12 Performance, QoS and QoE
13 Future networks including mobile and NGN
15 Optical transport networks and access network infrastructures
16 Multimedia coding, systems and applications
17 Security
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African views on WTSA-08 Outcomes

• WTSA-08 revised some existing resolutions,
  adopted new ones and suppressed others in support
  of developing countries.
• It is worth noting resolutions 44, 54,59,71,
  72,76 serve as catalyst for bridging the digital
  divide.

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African views on WTSA-08 Outcomes

• Resolutions 76 clearly sets the course for
  developing countries to ensuring that
  communications systems are certified to be
  conformed to ITU-T Recommendations and also
  present a higher probability of Interoperability.

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African views on WTSA-08 Outcomes

• Resolution 54 present opportunity for African
  region to create our own regional study groups.
• Resolution 72 is aimed to assist developing
  countries in the measurement of EMF related
  Health related issues

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African views on WTSA-08 Outcomes

• Res. 59 encourages Developing Countrys Operators
  to fully participate in ITU-T activities.
• The African group is now visibly represented in
  all ITU-T activities

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Way forward

• The African group should continue to work closely
  with the TSB and provide inputs into the ITU Mark
  program vis-à-vis the proposed study to establish
  regional type testing center in the region.
• We need to continuously participate and
  contribute effectively in the ITU-T activities

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Way forward

• We should seek to create regional study groups
  that are of most importance and relevance to the
  region in accordance with res. 54
• ATU should coordinate and look into the issue of
  the creation of a flagship group for African

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THANK YOU!!!!!!!!MERCI!