INFORMAL EXPERT GROUP ON
INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS
Terms of Reference
OBJECTIVE
This voluntary, informal Expert Group is established by
invitation to examine the necessity, urgency, and wisdom of
reforming the existing international accounting and settlements
system.
The Group is to review the strengths and weaknesses of the
existing system, the threats to it, the current means being used
to by-pass it, and the various alternative schemes which have
been proposed to replace it. The Group will assist the
Secretary-General in providing International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) Members and ITU-T Study Group 3 independent, non
binding advice on possible modifications or reform, which may
include the current system coexisting with other schemes.
The work of the Group is being undertaken pursuant to a
recommendation made to the Secretary-General by the World
Telecommunications Advisory Council. It is anticipated that the
report of the Group will provide useful input to be used by the
Secretary-General to submit not only to Study Group 3 but also to
the ITU's Strategic Plan for 1999-2003, to discussions of
accounting rate issues at various ITU conferences and meetings
including the ITU Council, the 1998 Plenipotentiary Conference
and possibly the 2nd World Telecommunication Policy Forum also
planned for 1998, and the World Trade Organization. The role of
Study Group 3 as the body responsible for setting standards for
accounting in international telecommunications is not questioned
by this initiative, which will address accounting rate reform at
the level of overall ITU policy and strategy.
MEETINGS AND MEETING REPORTS
There will be one and perhaps two meetings of the Group to be
held at ITU headquarters in Geneva; the first of these is planned
for 24-26 March 1997. The meeting will be conducted in English
without translation. As the purpose of the Group is to assist the
General Secretary in his reflections on this very important issue
there will be no formal minutes of meetings or recording of any
opinions expressed; however, a report of the major points raised
as well as the Groups conclusions and recommendations will be
issued at the end of each meeting. This report will be submitted
to the Secretary General and a copy sent to the Director,
Telecommunications Standardization Bureau, the Director,
Telecommunications Development Bureau, the Chairman of Study
Group 3 and to each committee member.
It will be usefull to begin the discussion before the first
meeting electronically. For this purpose, an e-mailbox has been
established at intset@itu.int to facilitate an e-mail
discussion group
WORKING DOCUMENTS AND WEB SITE
A consultation paper, which will serve as a reflection
document and a starting point for the discussions of the Group,
will be issued before its first meeting. In addition members will
be given the Study Group 3 replies to the Secretary General's
Consultation paper presented at this Study Group's meeting in
November 1996. Members of the Group are encouraged to submit
papers. Attached is a partial list of some additional background
material which can be made available on request to members of the
Group. As much of this as possible will be made available
electronically and will be located at http://www.itu.int/intset/
MEMBERSHIP OF THE GROUP
The Group will consist of about 25 experts and a chairman who
have all been invited by the Secretary General to participate in
their personal capacity as experts in international tariffs and
settlements issues. They are free to be accompanied by the
resource persons required to assist them, Other experts not
invited to attend the meetings of the Group may be asked to
submit their comments by correspondence or electronically.
Chairman
Robert Bruce
Debevoise & Plimpton
1 Creed Court
5 Ludgate Hill
London EC4M 7AA
UNITED KINGDOM
tel. +44 171 329 0779
fax +44 171 329 0860
e-mail: Robert R. Bruce (rrbruce@debevoise.com)
Members
Telecommunications Operator Representatives:
Jean-Louis Burillon
France Telecom
Direction des Relations Exterieurs
6, place d'Alleray
75505 Paris Cedex 15
FRANCE
tel. +33 1 44 44 37 29
fax +33 1 44 44 63 96
e-mail: jean-louis.burrillon@francetelecom.fr
Ken Lindhorst
Vice-President, International Public Affairs
AT&T
295 North Maple Ave.
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
USA
tel. +1 908 221 4179
fax +1 908 221 4593
e-mail wklindhorst@attmail.com
Vivienne Lucas
Regional Accounting Rates Manager
BT
Holborn Centre
120 Holborn
LONDON EC1N 2TE
tel +44 171 492 2585
fax +44 171 492 2509
e-mail: lucasv@boat.bt.com
Steve Mijiga
Postmaster General
PO Box 537
Blantyre
MALAWI
tel +265 63 55 54
fax +265 62 01 88
Lim Shyong
Vice President, Business Communications
Singapore Telecom
31 Exeter Road
S-239732-SINGAPORE
tel. +65 96 15 26 15 (mobile)
fax +65 737 8930
e-mail lshyong@singnet.com.sg
Gabriella Sorrentino
Relaciones con corresponsales
Telintar
25 de mayo 457 Sexto Piso
1002 Buenos Aires
ARGENTINA
tel. +54 1 318 0556
fax +54 1 318 0539
e-mail: gsorrent@correo.telintar.com.ar
Carmine Taglialatela
Vice-President
CompassRose International Inc
1200 19th NW Suite 560
Washington D.C. 200036,
USA
Tel: +1.202.833.2390
fax: +1 202 467 4717
e-mail: 105503.2655@compassrose.com
Jerker Torngren
Director
ETNO
33 boul. Bischofsheim
1000-Brussels
BELGIUM
tel. +32 2 219 3242
fax +32 2 219 6412
e-mail: torngren@etno.be
Soichi Tsukui
Senior Assistant Manager
International Affairs Department
KDD
PO Box 1
KDD Building
Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 163-03 JAPAN
tel. +81 3 33 47 64 70
fax +81 3 33 47 67 39
e-mail:so-tsukui@kdd.co.jp
Bruce Willey
Vice President of International
Revenue Development for MCI International
MCI
Two International Drive
Rye Brook, NY 10573
USA
tel. +1 914 934 6262
fax +1 914 934 6004
e-mail: bwilley@MCIMail.com
Alternate Service Provider
1. Holland Taylor
CEO
USA Global Link
50 North Third Street
Fairfield, Iowa
USA 52556
tel. +1 515 472 1550
fax +1 515 469 4495
e-mail: htaylor@usagl.com
Users
Peter Allen
Vice Chairman, Regulatory Affairs, INTUG
Amex House
Edward Street
Brighton BN2 2LP
UNITED KINGDOM
tel +44 1273 52 65 80
fax +44 1273 57 19 59
e-mail: pallen@pavilion.co.uk
Representatives of International Organizations
James Bond **
Division Chief
Telecommunications and Informatics
The World Bank
1818 H St. NW
Washington DC 20433, USA
tel. +1 202 473 4522
fax +1 202 477 0685
e-mail: jbond@worldbank.org
Mark Scanlan
Industry Economist
European Commission, DG XIII
Rue de la Loi 200
B-1049 Brussels
BELGIUM
tel. +32 2 299 1261
fax +32 2 296 9132
e-mail: mark.scanlan@bxl.dg13.cec.be
Dimitri Ypsilanti**
Head of Telecommunications Section
OECD
2 rue André Pascal
75016 Paris
FRANCE
tel. +33 1 45 24 94 42
fax +33 1 45 24 93 32
e-mail: dimitri.ypsilanti@oecd.org
Academics
Henri Lepage
Délégué Général
Institut Euro '92
113 rue de l'Université
F-75007 Paris 7
FRANCE
tel. +33 1 45 51 14 01
fax +33 1 45 51 06 98
e-mail hleuro@multicable.fr
Bridger Mitchell*
Charles River Associates
Suite 370
285 Hamilton Ave
Palo Alto
California
USA 94301
tel. +1 415 617 9700
fax +1 415 325 2488
Werner Neu*
Leiter des WIK GMBH
Postfach 2000
Rathausplatz 2-4
D-5340 Bad Honnef
GERMANY
tel +49 2224 92 25 20
fax.+49 2224 92 25 68
e-mail: w.neu@wik.org
Regulators
Donnie de Freitas
Deputy Chief Engineer
Ministry of Communications and Works
Kingstown
ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
tel. +1 809 457 2279
fax +1 809 456 2168
e-mail: donnie@caribsurf.com
Gustavo Peña Quiñones
Comisionado
Comisión de Regulación de las Telecomunicaciones
Calle 73 No.12-22 Ofc. 701
Santafé de Bogotá, D.C.
COLOMBIA
tel. + 57 1 31 51995
fax:+ 57 1 31 70469
e-mail: penagu@www.crt.gov.co
Bernard Rouxeville*
Chargé de Mission
Ministère de la Poste, des Télécommunications et de
l'Espace
20, ave Ségur
75007 Paris,
FRANCE
tel. +33 1 43 19 68 49
fax +33 1 43 19 63 00
Katharina Stampfli
BAKOM
Zukunftsrasse 44
Postfach
CH-2501 Biel
SWITZERLAND
tel. (032) 328 5593
fax.(032) 328 5555
e-mail katharina.stampfli@bakom.admin.ch
Tom Wasilewski
Chief, Multilateral & Development Branch
FCC
2000 N St. NW Suite 800
Washington
USA 20554
tel. +1 202 418 1475
fax +1 202 418 2824
e-mail twasilew@fcc.gov
Non Industry
Jean-Francois Certain*
Air France
CLDA|
45 rue de Paris
F 95747 Roissy Charles de Gaulle, Cedex
FRANCE
tel. +33 1 41 56 61 54
fax +33 1 41 56 61 89
International Telecommunications Union
Tim Kelly (ITU-SPU)
Strategic Planning Unit
International Telecommunication Union
Place des Nations
CH 1211 Geneva 20
SWITZERLAND
tel. +41 22 730 5202
fax +41 22 730 5881
e-mail: tim.kelly@itu.int
Ahmed Laouyane* (ITU-D)
Director
Telecommunication Development Bureau
Place des Nations
CH 1211 Geneva 20
SWITZERLAND
tel: + 41 22 730 5456
fax: +41 22 730 5484
e-mail: ahmed.laouyane@itu.int
Peter A. Stern (Coordinator)
Special Advisor, International Telecommunication Union
International Telecommunication Union
Place des Nations
CH 1211 Geneva 20
SWITZERLAND
tel. +41 22 730 6324
fax +41 22 730 5881
e-mail: peter.stern@itu.int
Saburo Tanaka (ITU-T)
Telecommunications Standardization Bureau
International Telecommunication Union
Place des Nations
CH 1211 Geneva 20
SWITZERLAND
tel. +41 22 730 5989
fax +41 22 730
e-mail: saburo.tanaka@itu.int
Marlene J. Placci
Assistant
International Telecommunication Union
Place des Nations
CH 1211 Geneva 20
SWITZERLAND
tel + 41 22 730 5231
fax: +41 22 730 5881
e-mail: marlene.placci@itu.int
* = uncertain to attend or not yet able to confirm
** = cannot attend the whole meeting
Attachment
Timetable
| Date |
Action/Event |
Responsibility |
| to Feb 16, 1997 |
Prospective members contacted and
chairmanship confirmed |
P.A. Stern |
| 25 Feb 1997 |
Letter of invitation sent to prospective
members of group |
D. MacLean P.A. Stern
|
| 12 March 1997 |
Confirmation of participation in Group |
Members |
| 24-26 March, 1997 |
First meeting of Group, ITU, Geneva |
Group |
| April 15, 1997 |
WTAC Meeting, Geneva |
WTAC |
| April 20, 1997 |
Secretary General's report issued to
Study Group 3 |
Secretary General |
| May 22-30, 1997 |
Meeting of ITU-T Study Group 3,
Discussion of proposals. Submission of
Secretary-General's report |
Director, Standardization Secretary-General
|
| 18-27 June 1997 |
ITU Council, Geneva |
Secretary General |
| 23 March-2 April 1998 |
World Telecommunications Development
Conference, Malta |
Director, Telecom. Development. Bureau |
| March-April 1998 |
World Telecommunications Policy Forum |
Secretary General |
| June 1998 |
ITU Council |
Secretary General |
| 12 Oct.-6 Nov 1998 |
Plenipotentiary Conference, Minneapolis |
Secretary General |
List of Other Background
Documents Which Can Be Made Available
| No |
Title |
Ref. |
Date |
Source, Web Site |
| 1 |
Terms of Reference |
|
13-Mar-97 |
PAS |
| 2 |
Consultation Paper |
|
|
Chairman, Secretary General |
| 3 |
Pressures to Reform the International
Accounting Rate System |
|
15-Feb-97 |
WTDR, T. Kelly |
| 4 |
How will the accounting rate system need
to be modified in a liberalized market? |
|
IBC Conf. Rome 25-Mar-96
|
Secretary General http://www.itu.int/itudoc/osg/ptspeech/chron/1996/25_mars_e_33007.doc
|
| 5 |
Keynote Address: Opening Ceremony,
Americas TELECOM 96 |
|
Americas Telecom Rio |
Secretary General http://www.itu.int/itudoc/osg/ptspeech/chron/at96_e_34961.doc
|
| 6 |
FCC NPRM International Settlement Rates
(Benchmark NPRM) |
IB Docket 96-261 |
19-Dec-96 |
FCC http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/International/Notices/fcc/96484.txt
and
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/International/News_Releases/nirn6030.txt
|
| 7 |
FCC Report and Order on International
Accounting Rates |
Docket CC90-337 |
3-Dec-96 |
FCC http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/International/Orders/1996/fcc96459.txt
|
| 8 |
Accounting Rate Principles for
International telephone Services |
ITU-T Rec. D.140 |
Sept-95 |
ITU-T http://www.itu.int/itudocs/itu-t/rec/d/d140_e_23621.doc
|
| 9 |
New System for Accounting in
International Telephony |
ITU-T Rec. D.150 |
Oct-92 |
ITU-T http://www.itu.int/itudocs/itu-t/rec/d/d150_e_6084.doc
|
| 10 |
Guiding Principles Governing the
Apportionment of Accounting Rates in Intercontinental
Telephone Relations |
ITU-T Rec. D.155 |
Jul-96 |
ITU-T http://www.itu.int/itudocs/itu-t/rec/d/d155_e_6086.doc
|
| 11 |
Refile and Alternate Calling Procedures:
Their Impact on Accounting Rates and Collection Charges |
OECD/GD (95)19
|
1995 |
OECD www.oecd.org/dsti/gd_docs/s95_19e.html
|
| 12 |
The Cost of International Telephone Calls
|
|
|
Direction of Traffic, ITU |
| 13 |
The International Telecom Accounting and
settlements Debate |
|
Jul/Aug 1991 |
P.A. Stern, Transnational Data and
Communications Report |
| 14 |
The International Telecommunications
Settlement Process: What's Needed? Destroy and replace it
or Adjust it? |
|
26-Oct-91 |
P.A. Stern, IIC Telecommunications Forum,
Washington |
| 15 |
ECTRA Interim Report on Accounting Rate
practices for Intra CEPT-Relations, |
ECTRA (96)61-E
|
21-Oct-96 |
CEPT/ECTRA |
| 16 |
Accounting Rates: The Business of
International Telecommunications and the Incentive to
Cheat |
|
Apr-91 |
R.M. Frieden, Federal Communications Law
Journal |
| 17 |
The Collapse of the International
Accounting Rates System and the Rise of Cost-Based Global
Telephony |
|
Jan 1997 |
C. Holland Taylor, CEO, USA Global Link |
| 18 |
The Settlement Rate Rip-Off |
|
16 Dec 96 |
Scott Blake Harris Communications Week
International http://www.emap.com/cwi/176/176news14.html
|
| 19 |
Why is the United States whining about
its own creation? |
|
20 Jan 1997 |
Maev Sullivan, Communications Week
International http://www.emap.com/cwi/177/177news14.html
|
| 20 |
International Direct Dialled Calls |
OFTEL Consultation Doc. |
Dec 95 |
OFTEL |
| 21 |
Policy Statement on International
Accounting Reform |
FCC 96-37 |
31 Jan 1996 |
FCC |
| 22 |
Relationship of Accounting Rate Reform to
the Successful Conclusion of the WTO/GATS Agreement on
Basic Telecommunication Services |
|
|
ATT |
| 23 |
Order on Reconsideration in the Matter of
Regulation of International Accounting Rates Phase II |
FCC 96-157 CC90-337
|
May 29, 1996 |
FCC www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/InternationalOrders/1996/fcc.96157.txt
|
| 24 |
New Technologies and their Impact on the
Accounting Rate System |
OECD/GD(97)/4 |
|
OECD www.oecd.org/dsti/gd_docs/97_gd14.html
|
| 25 |
International Telecommunications Pricing
Practices and Principles: A Progress Review |
OECD ICCP Series No. 36
|
1995 108 pages
|
OECD |
| 26 |
Determination of Accounting Rate Shares
in Telephone Relations Between Countries in Europe and
the Mediterranean Basin |
ITU-T Rec 300R
|
1995 |
ITU-T, TEUREM Group |
| 27 |
Consultation Document on Accounting Rate
Reform |
ITU-T SG3
|
Nov 1996 |
ITU Secretary General |
| 28 |
TAS Group Cost Elements for Inward IDD
Services |
Annex 3 of Report of Tariff Group for Asia
and Oceania GR TAS-R 4-E
|
May 1996 |
ITU-T, TAS Group |
| 29 |
OFTEL-Publication of International
Accounting Rates |
|
Dec 1996 |
|
| 30 |
Accounting Rates Applicable in Relations
Between Countries in Latin America |
ITU-T Rec. 400R
|
Oct 1993 |
ITU-T, TAL Group |
| 31 |
Accounting Rates Applicable in Relations
Between Countries in Asia and Oceania |
ITU-T Rec.500R
|
Oct 1993 |
ITU-T, TAS Group |
| 32 |
Accounting Rates Shares and Collection
Charges Applicable in Relations Between Countries in
Africa |
ITU-T Rec.600R
|
Oct 1993 |
ITU-T, TAF Group |
p.a stern, 18 March, 1997
|
