Opening of the meeting

Dr. Tarjanne (Secretary-General, ITU) opened the meeting at 1000 hours and welcomed participants to Geneva. In his opening address, he stressed that the purpose of the new event, TELECOM Interactive 97, was to provide the opportunity to discuss and demonstrate the convergence of the telecommunications, computing and entertainment industries as a consequence of technical innovation and in the light of regulatory and policy issues. The ITU's own membership, its fundamental mission, especially with regard to the developing countries, its relations with other international organizations and its ability to attract the participation of a number of "intelligent" communities or cities placed it in a unique position to stage such an event dealing with all aspects of the newly emerging industry.

Mr. Jipguep (President, TELECOM, and Chairman, TELECOM Board) stressed the importance and significance of the new event and the need to ensure its success. He hoped that participants would draw inspiration from the fact that the first TELECOM event, in 1971, had been held not far from the venue of the present meeting.

Ms. Rison (Vice-President, Exhibition Division, TELECOM) was particularly anxious to receive participants' views on elements to incorporate in TELECOM Interactive that were not present in existing events, including the main, very successful TELECOM Exhibition. Given that TELECOM Interactive was to present a mix of both the old and new, with particular emphasis on the latter, what new players should be invited to exhibit? And what kind of support could be expected from the press?

Mr. Dahl-Hansen (Senior Vice-President, Business Development and Marketing Division, TELECOM) said that the ITU, and TELECOM in particular, sought to reflect society, and TELECOM provided a unique combination of platforms, namely the exhibitors, forum and participants. He hoped that TELECOM Interactive would provide a new synergy for a new event. Market trends for 1996 and 1997 pointed to the increased use of personal computers, Internet services and related broadband services, etc., all of which were dependent on networks. TELECOM Interactive should aim to reflect interactivity between services, the potential economic impact of the convergence of industries along with the advantages and disadvantages, and the potential economic benefits of effective networks, especially for the developing countries. Different market segments should be borne in mind, including small businesses, residential areas, institutions and so forth.

Mr. Lagraña (Vice-President, Forum Division, TELECOM) said that the particular purpose of the Forum was to bring together for discussion all players potentially involved in providing different services requiring interactivity, for which the requisite knowledge, technology and expertise existed. Satellite distance­learning projects provided a good example. He also wished to examine the possibility of a market­ rather than technology­driven Forum, with focus on users' requirements in the information society.

Mr. Krivocheev (Radio Research Institute (NIIR)), delivering his paper on broadcasting and interactivity, stressed that a global approach to interactivity called for a radical change of approach to the subject, bearing in mind, for example, that the number of television sets in the world far exceeded the number of personal computers or telephone sets; and that while the ratio of televisions to telephone lines in the developed world was 2:1, it was 10:1 in the developing world, implying that development of the information infrastructure in the developing countries would differ considerably from its development elsewhere. TELECOM Interactive should provide the opportunity to examine in detail the potential of direct and return channels and seek to identify frequency bands required for interactive services. It would provide a unique opportunity to map out the prospects of interactivity at the threshold of the 21st century. Mass interactivity, while satisfying social requirements, would produce cardinal changes in technical telecommunication facilities, considerably expand the telecommunications market, and increase the revenue of network operators, information services and broadcasters.

Mr. McCluskey (independent consultant) introduced his written contribution, which sought to establish a better understanding of interactivity. He questioned whether the traditional TELECOM model was the right one for TELECOM Interactive. Did existing technology really help collaboration between people, and was it in fact necessary? If everything was based on technology, the human level must be developed sufficiently in order to provide a counterbalance. If on the other hand people were to be put first, their desires and requirements must be clearly understood - bearing in mind that technology would nevertheless impose very important choices.

Brainstorming session

Mr. Gilhooly (Wall Street Journal, Europe) said that, despite all the talk, the only convergence that was taking place was technology driven. TELECOM Interactive offered an opportunity to bring together the telecommunication, computer and media industries, and to focus on social issues with the aim of extending the infrastructure to provide ubiquitous interactivity. The traditional telecommunication companies, represented by the ITU, might be seen as obstacles to the achievement of that vision. Would the telecommunications industry provide the broadband required by the computer industry? The orderly planning and careful consensus building which were characteristic of the ITU were in sharp contrast to the unplanned bottom­up development of the Internet and the conflict surrounding low­Earth orbit satellite systems. The Internet, like the earlier fax, were mass­market phenomena created by consumer demand. In terms of positioning, TELECOM Interactive had to be clearly distinct from TELECOM 95, where the high level of participation in Internet@TELECOM 95 had to some extent been attributable to a fear of missing out on an important event. There were already many successful software conferences, and TELECOM 95 had been a showcase for infrastructure hardware. The challenge for ITU was to bring together the different sectors involved in interactivity, in order to make TELECOM Interactive a unique event.

Mr. Braue (Tele.Com) agreed with Mr. Gilhooly. The question to be answered by the ITU was how to build on its telecommunications base and reach out to the people, for example the Internet Society, who were creating standards without broadband or infrastructure in mind.

Mr. Fluckiger (CERN) highlighted the importance of the themes to be chosen for the Forum and Exhibition at TELECOM Interactive 97. A subject such as the future emerging information society could not be addressed realistically by taking a top­down approach. In practice, efforts towards a global infrastructure were at the stage of isolated pilot projects and, at present, no viable project had emerged that was likely to provide such an infrastructure within a reasonable time-frame. Only the Internet provided global connectivity, although it had developed from the bottom up and had not been designed to provide an international infrastructure. The Internet was overloaded and slow but provided a means of connecting various projects that had a World Wide Web component. Looking at the various pilot projects from the applications standpoint, no common technology was evident. Even such relatively straightforward projects as video-on-demand were technologically incompatible. The only medium really of interest in terms of global interactivity was the Internet.

Mr. Gelijns (Ancara) recognized the difficulty of mounting an international project but pointed to the success of various local projects. It would be unwise to attempt to implement an international infrastructure without knowing what people really wanted, but consumers were unable to express their needs in a vacuum. The way to test consumer demand was to offer a range of products and see which ones were taken up. Such a consumer response would indicate the type of infrastructure that was needed at present and that would be needed in the future. Successful pilot projects could then be extended to regional or global scope. Regarding the TELECOM Interactive event, it would be useful to clarify whether the target audience was composed of businesses or individuals.

Mr. Sentilhes (Matra Hachette Multimedia Online), noting that the ITU represented users as well as operators, suggested that TELECOM Interactive 97 should present applications of interest to individuals, enterprises, cities and states. Health and education would provide interesting examples. Exhibitors were looking for customers and markets, and structuring the event around different applications would attract the software companies.

Mr. Lanvin (UNCTAD) said that TELECOM Interactive 97 should build on the success of Internet@TELECOM 95 but not necessarily rely on the same dynamics. One of the reasons for the success of Internet@TELECOM95 had been an element of fear: participants felt that they could not afford not to be there. While fear might ensure attendance at a single event, it would not be a motivating force in a series of events. Thus while the marketing pitch for TELECOM Interactive 97 might stress that it was an event not to be missed, the content should ensure participation both at it and subsequent TELECOM Interactive events. By focusing on users, services and applications, TELECOM Interactive should provide an attractive meeting place where people could discuss aspects of interactivity for the ultimate benefit of users. With regard to the Internet, industries were interested in new markets, especially those in developing countries or in Central and Eastern Europe. Banking and insurance applications were still relatively undeveloped but with more security had great growth potential. Similarly, electronic commerce still tended to be local in scope, whereas there was the opportunity for globalization.

Mr. Martin (Value Management Group) said that one of the ways to make TELECOM Interactive unique and to distinguish it from the many events dealing with the Internet or the computer industry was to make full use of the ITU's credibility in order to bring people together. There was no single application that overwhelmed all others. Rather, there was a need for people to discuss various possibilities, and TELECOM Interactive 97 should provide a forum for people from different industries to explore the benefits to be gained from interactivity. Highlighting such an opportunity would be a way of convincing people that they should invest time and money in the TELECOM Interactive event.

Mr. Mino (Eurocities) explained that Eurocities worked with local governments to promote telematic development in urban areas with a view to social development and enhancing the quality of life, as well as economic development. He stressed that TELECOM Interactive should be unique and suggested that the Exhibition and Forum should concentrate on practical applications in smart communities. He also observed that although they were obviously desirable, global projects could be unsuccessful because they failed to satisfy local requirements.

Mr. Quaynor (Network Computer Systems), speaking from his experience in Ghana, said that there were many trained personnel in developing countries and that infrastructure would expand in those countries to meet the market demand. The true emancipation of Africa depended on its access to information and, in that respect, the ITU should make good use of its unique capability for bringing the developing countries together, into the information society. The Forum and Exhibition at TELECOM Interactive could stimulate and expand the market in developing countries, particularly in view of the newly liberalized environment. Some claimed that the Internet would polarize society - a similar claim had been made earlier about private radio broadcasting. In fact, the real time exchange of views and community­based information enabled decision makers to be better informed and tended to promote unity.

Mr. Ramsey (Squires, Sanders & Dempsey) said that the ITU was not a key player in convergence but it should be. The primary goal of TELECOM Interactive therefore was to make the ITU relevant to the key players in convergence technology and thus retain its relevance over the next decades. Various elements were necessary for the success of TELECOM Interactive. The Exhibition needed to attract a critical mass of key industry players, not only the Fortune 500 but also promising newcomers. In pragmatic terms, charges should be low enough to permit the participation of the latter. The Exhibition should be a showcase for real examples of convergence: smart cities, smart communities, medical schools and so on. The Exhibition itself should be interactive and provide a market place offering opportunities to sell to new players. The TELECOM management should hire outside help if needed. Many companies planned exhibits 18 months to two years in advance, so time was short. He therefore suggested trying to attract companies that already had good presentations available, which they could reuse. It was unrealistic to expect companies to invent new exhibits for 1997. The success of the Exhibition required an active public relations effort starting soon. With regard to the Forum, the participation of star speakers should be ensured as quickly as possible, so as to have a snowball effect in attracting participants. The ITU provided a serious platform for policy discussion, having an advantage over trade shows in that respect. While big names in politics might have little new to say, their very presence would attract the participation of lesser political figures, such as mayors of cities, town councillors or deans of medical schools. For example, if TELECOM Interactive was pitched at smart cities, then it would attract people outside the traditional telecommunication sector.

Mr. Gambacorta (France TELECOM) said that TELECOM Interactive should present real experience of interactivity, for example in distance learning or teleworking. Objective information should be presented on problems and their solutions.

Mr. Guissani (Hebdo) thought that examples of smart cities successfully resulting in job creation and raising the educational level, say, would be more attractive to users of interactive infrastructure than industrial or political personalities. Rather than being a purely industry event, TELECOM Interactive should bring together producers and consumers. The Forum should thus focus on social and political aspects at local level, involving citizens, patients, students, etc. The Exhibition and Forum should be linked and unified, with the Exhibition showing off what the industry could offer in terms of interactive products, and the Forum presenting information to individuals in interactive sessions.

Mr. Stern wondered whether the Exhibition and Forum should be combined, so that explanations and information were linked to opportunities to see and try out equipment.

Mr. Hart (Communication Week International) said that the ITU should be the place where the global Internet infrastructure was discussed. TELECOM Interactive 97 presented an opportunity to examine policy, see equipment and bring the people involved together.

Mr. Barton (Information Society Observatory) emphasized the importance of bringing users into the discussion and suggested that various consumers' associations should be consulted to identify user's needs. Regarding the content of the TELECOM Interactive event and the concept of putting people first, he drew attention to the impact of democracy and pluralism, in the context of information exchange, in particular with regard to privatization and the ownership of online services. Those involved in interactive media industries were in favour of liberalization. TELECOM Interactive 97 would provide an opportunity to debate regulatory aspects and to convince government authorities of the need to provide a stimulating environment. He expected the Exhibition to attract leaders of municipalities, as well as user groups representing various social sectors, and he welcomed the idea of demonstrating pilot projects, stressing the importance of the arts and entertainment industry among content providers. The show should focus on online interactivity.

Mr. Purcell (Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) said that TELECOM Interactive should itself employ the techniques it was attempting to promote. In other words, the event should be interactive, allowing proactive access to information, rather that expecting attendees to be passive recipients of a stream of information. There was a need to address consumers effectively, especially at the base of the pyramid. With regard to content, the makers of films and television programmes were coming to terms with the impact of the digital infrastructure, which was leading to a rethinking of creative content. It was therefore important to hear from the creative community, particularly regarding the cultural content of information. It was also important to tap into the research and development community in order to gain an insight into the future of the fully digitized environment.

Mr. Davies (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) said that thought should be given to expanding the relevance of the ITU. Regarding the TELECOM Interactive event, the word "interactive" had different meanings to different people. Taking a bottom-up approach, the event could open the doors to new and constructive collaboration by bringing together users and applications through demonstrations of model pilot projects. Showing how interactive tools could be used to create new applications would point the way to new business opportunities. While the Forum had the possibility of looking into new areas, the Exhibition could only present existing products. It would be unwise to lock the Forum and Exhibition together too hastily. The Forum should provide a showcase for new applications and up and coming research and development, whereas the Exhibition should bring together the many components of interactive applications, including telecommunications services. The Forum and Exhibition should be open to ideas, not only to products and services. While there had been much discussion of the Internet paradigm, he pointed out that broadcasting had solved the interoperability problem long ago. The role of TELECOM Interactive 97 should be to seek to merge the communication interfaces between the Internet and broadcasting.

Ms. Donnez (AT&T) said that, while the ITU sponsorship of TELECOM Interactive might ensure the presence of companies, the business potential of the event would determine the amount of time and money companies were likely to invest. In other words, was the event likely to attract potential customers? It was important to differentiate TELECOM Interactive 97 from TELECOM 95 and TELECOM 99; from that perspective, the demonstration of working interfaces was appealing. Time was short and planning the event was a matter of urgency.

Ms. Singh (Sun Microsystems Computing Company) emphasized the importance of looking at the application of interactivity within the event itself. Despite the innovativeness of companies such as Sun Microsystems, levels of interactivity were not high. TELECOM Interactive 97 could show what was possible at present and what would be possible in the future. It should show how existing technologies could be integrated, as well as providing a showcase for small companies that would deliver applications in the future. The challenge, especially for the vendor community, was to work together to build a visionary show.

Mr. McCluskey said that, while the success of the TELECOM Interactive event could be judged on its ability to attract big name speakers, another measure of success would be its ability to reach out to the little people. Online communication before, during and after the show was an interactive process, while one person addressing an audience of thousands was not. Ms. Donnez added that people could stay at home and still participate in the event. Mr. Sentilhes stressed that such an online event would have to be set up well in advance.

Mr. Lagraña said that consideration had been given to holding an online Forum, starting early in 1997. He recognized the importance of making TELECOM Interactive 97 different from TELECOM 95.

Mr. Ramsey said that the expense of $US 5 to 10 thousand per participant should be justified by making TELECOM Interactive 97 a serious event. Observing that few projects got off the ground without political support, he stressed the importance of governmental participation, especially from countries with money to spend. While TELECOM Interactive 97 should not become a political circus, governmental participation would ensure its credibility and hence its success.

Mr. Quaynor reiterated that developing countries were a major new market and he encouraged the ITU to ensure the participation of developing countries in TELECOM Interactive 97.

Mr. Stern said that TELECOM Interactive 97 could present the Forum and Exhibition separately, in the traditional way, bringing them together where possible. The presentation by Andy Grove at TELECOM 95 had been very effective. At TELECOM Interactive 97, presentations could be made in the Forum and participants could then be led to the Exhibition to see and try out interactive applications for themselves. The Bologna project brought together a range of sectors, including healthcare and insurance, and used a wide variety of equipment. That project would be an excellent example to demonstrate at TELECOM Interactive 97.

Dr. Chasia (Deputy Secretary-General, ITU) said that TELECOM Interactive demonstrated that the ITU was not weighed down by its 131 years of history. The ITU was comfortable working with governments and industry, and wished to reach out to all telecommunications users, including those in the fields of medicine, agriculture and trade, in order to become more relevant. The strength of the ITU was its collaboration with so many countries, developed and developing. The potential offered by governmental support could be put to good use. There were shortages of infrastructure in developing countries - more telephones were needed - but television and radio were widespread and their potential should be investigated. He acknowledged that there was a shortage of time to prepare for TELECOM Interactive 97 and thanked the participants in the Preparatory Meeting for their efforts to make the event a success.

Mr. Leroy (Digimedia) said that the Internet was important in that it reflected consumer demand, but no price had yet been set on the services that it provided. The ITU surely had a role in the mainstream, to meet the needs of all people. The ITU's traditional tasks in relation to governments and telecommunication administrations were well defined, but what was its role in the free market? The answers to those questions might lead to the identification of ways to differentiate TELECOM Interactive from other events and thus motivate organizations, such as his own, to come to it.

Ms. Suominen (Nokia Telecommunications) said that the name TELECOM Interactive gave the impression of something to do with telecommunications and something to do with interactivity. But many conferences dealt with one or the other. For TELECOM Interactive to be different, those two aspects had to be combined throughout the event, both in the Forum and the Exhibition. The event should involve the backroom boys - young engineers - who would be providing future solutions. The Exhibition should complement the Forum, and there was an urgent need for preliminary discussions to increase networking in order to be able to present truly interactive products.

Mr. Lanvin said that complementarity between the Forum and Exhibition was even more important in TELECOM Interactive than in other events. There was a danger, however, that it might results in vendors' presentation syndrome, with Forum speakers describing their own company's products and the Exhibition showing off those products. It would be far more interesting if presentations in the Forum showed how a variety of equipment, described in generic terms as far as possible, could be used in an interactive application. The Bologna project was a good example.

Mr. Barraud (Sony Telecom, Europe) said that it was important to focus and narrow the subject of TELECOM Interactive 97. Interactivity ranged from the World Wide Web to video on demand and it was important to define the subjects to be addressed. Such focusing would make it possible to attract the relevant companies, including those involved in providing content. He suggested that TELECOM Interactive 97 should focus on the World Wide Web (the Internet being too wide a subject) and real time audiovisual, for restricted groups.

Mr. Braue said that companies attended ITU-sponsored shows because it was good for business. While it was all very well to talk about involving users, it had to be borne in mind that attendees had to be prepared to pay high Geneva prices. Public network infrastructures were changing and it would be sensible to focus on new infrastructure technology with the aim of attracting vendors who had money to spend on the event. High profile speakers and projects offering business opportunities (such as smart cities) were needed.

Mr. Gilhooly stressed the urgency of making arrangements for TELECOM Interactive 97. Only one year was left: not really enough time to plan an exhibition and forum. TELECOM Interactive 97 should be open to all constituents, but in the cut-throat commercial world there might not be time for the traditional slow movement towards consensus on what the event should involve. Regarding the need to focus on specific topics, it was important to deal with the newest and most topical developments. Microsoft had reinvented itself to take control of the Internet; Sun Microsystems had developed the Java approach for downloading software. The telecommunications sector should seize the opportunities presented by such developments, for example by providing value-added services as a vehicle for applications. TELECOM Interactive 97 should show developing countries the emancipating potential of the Internet, with its possibilities for electronic commerce. The examples of Ghana and Senegal could be presented to show what could be done. The consensus approach of the ITU was admirable, but controversy excited interest and topics for TELECOM Interactive 97 should be chosen with that in mind. Competition was fierce in the conference circuit and TELECOM Interactive 97 should offer something special.

Mr. Probst (Swiss PTT) agreed that the future of the telecommunications sector was in providing value-added services. TELECOM Interactive 97 should provide a unique window of opportunity both for the telecommunications sector and the ITU. It would be difficult to offer broadband on the Internet. The ITU had an established role in coordinating telecommunications and broadcasting, but its coordinating role did not yet extend to the computer industry and other users, such as the entertainment industry. ITU Interactive 97 presented an opportunity for the ITU to focus on content and the social uses of telecommunications, areas of particular interest to developing countries.

Mr. Laws (Communication Week International) said that, in order to be credible, TELECOM Interactive had to practice what it preached. In other words, partnership and interactivity should be the key to formulating the event. All the interested constituents should contribute; the ITU could not set up TELECOM Interactive on its own. As a small example, directories should routinely include E­mail addresses. Bearing in mind the cost of participating in an event such as TELECOM Interactive, new participants should be encouraged by offering them free floor space. Such an inducement would be symbolic, in that floor space represented only one component of the cost of participation, and it would be an inexpensive way of providing encouragement. Attracting new kinds of industries required practical steps, and the entertainment industry in particular should not be forgotten.

Mr. Davies, observing that broadcasting had historically brought together content, service and delivery, said that TELECOM Interactive 97 should provide an opportunity to see how different interests interrelated and what tools were available. The demonstration of mechanisms might extend the scope of the Exhibition. While TELECOM 95 had looked at mature technologies or innovations in a mature market, TELECOM Interactive was blue sky. It was important to do more than just talk. Mention had been made of involving users. It should be remembered, however, that cost implications in a commercial or institutional setting were different from those at the individual level. In general, services had to be aligned with costs. Discussion of TELECOM Interactive should not lose track of its importance for the ITU. Throughout the world, the ITU was perceived as providing leadership in telecommunications and satellite services. The ITU should emerge from TELECOM Interactive with leadership in the area of interactivity. Only the participation of movers could achieve that.

Mr. Couperous (Philips) said that potential exhibitors expected the ITU to show professionalism in bringing key industry people together. TELECOM Interactive 97 should be a benchmark to show the world what was possible. It should be market-driven, responding to consumers from the entertainment, communication and information sectors. And it should show multimedia on different platforms (television, personal computers). The Internet did not provide all the answers; in particular, it was too slow. TELECOM Interactive should also concentrate on telephone lines, cable TV and so on. Like the other TELECOMs, TELECOM Interactive should be held every four years, rather than annually, and should show what was likely to happen over the forthcoming four-year period. One key factor in TELECOM Interactive was its public relations impact. Interaction with consumers should be possible through the World Wide Web, thereby extending the Exhibition beyond Geneva and enabling consumers to participate without actually coming to Geneva. Regarding the Forum, he suggested the following topics: the social implications of interactivity (how interactivity can change peoples lives); and problems involved in implementing interactivity (for example, making responses fast enough to play video games). Regarding the duration of TELECOM Interactive 97, he suggested that, as a professional show, it should be restricted to Monday to Friday (five days).

Mr. Schmitz (Siemens Nixdorf) said that his company received 20 to 30 requests per week to participate in exhibitions. It was therefore extremely important for TELECOM Interactive to be highly focused. The strength of the ITU in mobilizing its membership was an important factor in attracting participation. There were great expectations that the ITU would assume the leadership in improving the Internet, as ISPs did not have the financial clout to improve networks. In particular, the ITU should play an important role in the allocation of more bandwidth and lower prices. Great technology existed and hardware companies were anxious to deliver it.

Mr. Watanabe (NEC) stressed the need to establish clear definitions of interactivity and the multimedia, and of the basic objectives of the event, which was not intended to be a consumers show.

Mr. Ochuodho (African Regional Centre) said that if the developed world wished to help the African continent effectively, it could do so by providing the connectivity to Internet that was significantly lacking. The developed world should not simply provide aid, there was enormous potential for partnerships and profit-making in Africa. Furthermore, African bureaucrats must be given good reason to come to Geneva for the TELECOM Interactive event. The ITU should explore all possible ways to help the developing countries, by providing infrastructure but also policy advice, for example with regard to the reduction of taxes on ITU products. TELECOM Interactive should demonstrate the tangible benefits of the Internet, by presenting examples of how connectivity had helped to increase revenue. And although information centres were being set up in many developing countries, how could information be brought to the masses? With all the talk of electronic media, the importance of print should not be overlooked. Lastly, debate related to TELECOM Interactive could be online, i.e. not only during the actual event.

Mr. Lagraña favoured the idea of an online Forum bearing in mind that it should be user-oriented, that many would be unable to travel to Geneva, and that 5 or 6 days was inadequate. A multiplier effect would be achieved by starting the Forum online prior to the event.

Mr. Purcell, having recalled that meetings of a similar nature had been held in the 1970s between competitive manufacturers, advised that efforts should be made to chart the way forward, in anticipation of radical change in the industry. Form and content could not simply be extrapolated, and the results of TELECOM Interactive might have an impact on future developments. He also recalled that significant changes in broadcasting in the United States had been instigated by players who were not broadcasters themselves.

Mr. Lagraña observed that, while it was up to the ITU to increase the awareness of its members by holding meetings like TELECOM Interactive, it could not define its members' strategies and tell them what line to follow. Mr. Jipguep said that the ITU represented all actors in the field of telecommunications and was closely involved in restructuring in the broadest possible sense of the word.

In reply to a query to Mr. Ramsey, Mr. Jipguep said that further consideration would be given to the size of the Forum and Exhibition in the interim between the first and second preparatory meetings. Mr. Lagraña provided various statistics from the TELECOM 95 Forum, adding that figures such as 2 000 delegates and 3-400 speakers were being contemplated for the TELECOM Interactive Forum.

Mr. Quaynor stressed that many visitors to TELECOM Interactive, regardless of their organization and background, would see the event as the opportunity to learn. It should therefore provide sufficient substance to meet that aspiration.

Mr. Fluckiger observed that many speakers had referred to the importance of Internet, and thought might be given to concentrating TELECOM Interactive on that, possibly as the first step towards the GII. In fact, development of the GII over the next 10 years might be confined to the Internet and its subsequent "upgrades". Various participants had warned that time was relatively short; and as participants should be given good reason to attend TELECOM Interactive, it must not simply be a mini-TELECOM and must offer something more than the numerous other events and conferences taking place worldwide. There appeared to be agreement that the Forum should concentrate more on the future, the Exhibition on the present, and pilot projects appeared to be a good way of linking the two. Political figures might also be invited in order to attract participation. The importance of interaction between people had been stressed. Lastly, on themes, further thought might be given to the World Wide Web as a theme for the Forum, and to the possibility of asking some exhibitors to demonstrate interoperability at the Exhibition.

At the request of Ms. Donnez, Ms. Rison provided various statistics on the amount of space taken by individual countries and exhibitors at TELECOM 95. The size of the TELECOM 71 exhibition might provide a good idea of what was expected for TELECOM Interactive.

Mr. McCluskey observed that several speakers appeared to be stressing the commercial success of the event, thus missing the point that it should be directed at the private individual. Would no one come if there was no Exhibition? Thought might be given to providing areas - bar, lounges, etc. - for informal discussion with individuals to encourage and facilitate exchange between different parties.

Mr. Jipguep said that TELECOM events were not intended to be commercial trade shows, but to serve the purposes specifically referred to by the previous speaker. Events like the Forum, without an Exhibition, took place almost daily at the ITU.

Mr. Gilhooly suggested that thought might be given to holding TELECOM Interactive closer to the 1997 World Radiocommunication Conference, thus facilitating attendance at both by the developing countries. "Mobile satellite systems today" might be a good theme for the Forum, as a follow-up to the Conference.

Ms. Donnez stressed that something new and different should be done at TELECOM Interactive. A real example of interactivity should be presented for people to experience live, and broadcast to audiences unable to come to Geneva. She hoped a further meeting could be convened shortly to discuss the idea.

Ms. Singh endorsed that suggestion. Visitors to the Forum wished to see how interactive applications really worked; however, no individual company alone could demonstrate interactivity. An area should be made available for such demonstrations, taking advantage of the ITU's ability to bring together so many different participants and visitors. It would be useful for a group of "integrators" to examine possibilities over the coming months.

Mr. Gelijns said that interactive projects could provide a good link between the Forum and Exhibition. They should provide an objective view both of their drawbacks and advantages. Some projects, however, might not have the necessary funds to be present. He would be willing to help select projects suitable for presentation.

Mr. Sentilhes suggested demonstrations of smart cities and distance learning, with companies providing the demonstrations and users giving their comments.

Mr. Gilhooly said that small groups could be accommodated by providing free space in country pavilions.

Mr. Guissani, having observed that it would be unreasonably costly to expect companies put on exhibitions for a mere five days, suggested that ways might be found to keep exhibitions going from TELECOM Interactive 97 up to TELECOM 99, providing opportunity for comment and reaction in the interim. Smart cities, possibly Geneva, were examples that came to mind. Thus a link would be provided between the Forum and Exhibition, and between TELECOM Interactive 97 and TELECOM 99.

Mr. Stern said that the Forum and Exhibition should be linked but advocated caution with TELECOM Interactive 97 as the first event of its kind. Alongside the Forum and Exhibition, a third element might be introduced combining the two, presenting interactive projects along with their drawbacks and advantages, demonstrating what the entire interactive project did as well as each company's individual contribution.

Mr. Lagraña drew attention to the Project Mosaic described in the documentation made available to the meeting, which sought to provide a link between the traditional Exhibition and the Forum.

Mr. Leroy said that content providers were relatively under­represented at the present meeting and an effort should be made to involve organizations like IMS in the preparation of TELECOM Interactive 97.

Closure of the meeting

Mr. Jipguep, having briefly summarized the main points made during the meeting, thanked participants for their valuable advice. It would be carefully analysed, with debate continuing via E­mail, fax, etc., over the coming months. The possibility of holding a further meeting in the near future would also be examined.

The meeting rose at 1640 hours.

Checklist of the main ideas arising from the meeting

Focus

- Differentiate TELECOM Interactive 97 from TELECOMs and other telecommunications or software shows by:

• presenting possibilities for true convergence between the telecommunications, computer and content industries;
• using ITU's strength to draw governments (interested in smart cities, distance learning, telemedicine, etc.) and developing countries (concerned with telecommunications development), thus attracting the business community who are looking for new markets;
• choosing defined topics for discussions at the Forum;
• presenting examples of successful multi-company projects at the Exhibition.

Openness

- Ensure future relevance by:

• bringing together users, services and applications in the telecommunications, computer and content industries;
• including all interested players (Internet, telecommunications enterprises, new research and development, consumers);
• covering social uses of interactivity (for example, smart cities, telemedicine, distance learning, video games, video on demand).

Format

- Make the event itself interactive as well as being a showcase for interactivity by:

• extending the Forum online;
• at the Exhibition, presenting examples of interactive projects involving several companies;
• linking presentations at the Forum with projects shown at the Exhibition;
• looking to the future to provide a vision of new paradigms (showcase for new companies).

Urgency

- Get preparations under way as fast as possible by:

• bringing interested parties together;
• calling on outside help where needed.

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