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 Meeting chaired by Prof. Dr. Glenn Woroch, Professor and Professor of Economics and Executive Director of Center for Research in Telecommunication Policy, University of California, Berkley, United States of America (Biography)

 Day One - Monday 15 January 2007
9:00 – 9:30 Registration (in reception of Montbrillant Building, 2 Rue Varembé, Geneva)
9:30 – 9:45 Opening Ceremony [Web-Cast]
9:45 – 10:45

Session 1: Framing the Debate [Web-Cast]

Session Description: For more than 100 years, voice traffic has been the mainstay of the telecommunications sector, in terms of customers, revenues and traffic. But the gradual migration to an all-IP network environment is having a significant impact on the provision of voice service over the public switched telecommunication network (PSTN). In this respect, the concept of ”voice”, as a universal service, is also evolving rapidly.

The purpose of this session is to outline the background and to frame the debate from different perspectives, in particular drawing attention to the main trends in technologies, markets, regulation and policies that are likely to have an impact upon the  traditional paradigm of the communication business.

10:45 – 11:00 Coffee Break 
11:00 – 13:00

Session 2: Innovation Dynamics in the Telecommunication/ICT Sector [Web-Cast]

Session Description:  The telecommunication/ICT sector is one of the most dynamic of all economic sector, especially in terms of innovation and the evolution of products and services. It is currently marked by a convergence that is operating at three distinct levels: voice/data, fixed/mobile and telecoms/bradcasting. The coexistence of diverse infrastructures with similar or substitutable technical capabilities (e.g. fixed telephone, broadband internet and cable TV networks; cellular and non-cellular wireless networks) - adds to the competitiveness of the sector. Nevertheless, the preservation of interoperability and interconnectivity remains one of the main challenges for all stakeholders, in particular for international standards development organisations, like ITU.

The purpose of this session is to discuss recent technical advancements relevant for the provision of the voice communication in the new converged environment, including issues like next generation networks, network performance, quality of service, numbering, emergency call handling, etc..

  • Innovation Dynamics in the IP Environment (Background Paper)
    Dr. Eric Knud Skouby, Director of the     Center for Information and Communication Technologies, Denmark [PRESENTATION / PAPER]
  • Global Standards for Converged Communication Services
    Dr. Chae-Sub Lee    , Vice-Chair of ITU Study Group 13, Next Generation Networks, and Vice Chairman of ITU IPTV Focus Group     [PRESENTATION]
  • Convergence and its Impact on Users, Providers, and Users as Providers of Interactive Multimedia Services 
    Dr. Eric Burger, Deputy CTO for BEA Systems, Inc., USA, and Board of Directors of the SIP Forum and IMS Forum [PRESENTATION]
  • VoIP Peering and Federations - the New Paradigm
     Eli Katz, Founder & CEO, XConnect, USA [PRESENTATION]
  • Internet/Next Generation Emergency Call Handling
     Ernst Langmantel, Director Technical Division, Austrian Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunication, Austria [PRESENTATION]
     
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch 
14:00 – 16:00 Session 3: Innovation Dynamics in the Telecommunication/ICT Sector [Web-Cast]

Session Description: This session is a continuation of the theme introduced in session 2. The purpose of this session is, in particular, to draw attention to innovation dynamics as a factor fostering sustainable growth in the telecommunication/ICT sector. The market opportunities brought about by convergence and the consequences for the provision of voice services will be discussed.

16:00 – 16:15 Coffee Break
16:15 – 18:15

Session 4: Voice in a Converged Environment: Market Dynamics [Web-Cast]

Session Description: The communications environment is changing rapidly, not only in terms of technology but also in terms of the basic business model. Service providers need to respond changing user preferences as well as to competitive pressures both on the PSTN and on alternative infrastructures. For a long time, voice communication was the cash cow of the industry, constituting the largest share of the revenue streams in the telecommunication sector. Indeed, the share of voice traffic is even higher on cellular mobile networks than on the PSTN. However, new service offerings that combine voice with other applications under a “multiple play” label--typically fixed-line voice plus broadband internet, video entertainment and mobile voice--is modifying this paradigm.

The purpose of this session is to assess the changing market dynamics of voice services; to investigate new business models and revenue streams; as well as looking at developing country markets.
19:00 After Hours

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Day Two - Tuesday 16 January 2007

8:30 – 9:00 Registration
9:00 – 11:00

Session 5: Voice in Converged Environment: Market Dynamics [Web-Cast] 

Session Description: This session is a continuation of the session 4. During this session, focus will shift to non-facilities-based providers and the new business opportunities created by pro-competitive policies and the open character of the IP environment.
  • Voice and Video, Content and Connectivity: Ancient Myths and Current Reality
    Dr.     Andrew Odlyzko, Director of Digital Technology Center, University of Minnesota, USA [PRESENTATION]
  • ETP's View on the Future of Voice
     Dr. Margit Brandl, Vice President, Siemens EU Affairs/Telecoms and Chair of European Telecommunications Platform (ETP)     [PRESENTATION]
  • VoIP Driving the Restruction of Telecommunications
     Dr. Kaili Kan, Professor and Director of the Policy & Development Institute of Information Industries (PDIII), Beijing University of Posts & Telecommunications, China [PRESENTATION]
  • VoIP and its Impact on Competition in the Telecommunication Sector
    Monika Podplonska, Vice Director, Telecommunication Market, Office of Electronic Communications, Poland     [PRESENTATION]
  • WiMAX Contributing to Deliver Global Broadband Services
    Dean Chang, Director, Product Management and Strategy, Aperto Networks and Vice Chair of WiMAX Forum     [PRESENTATION]
  • The Investment Incentives in an Environment of Dwindling Voice Revenues
     Dr. Harald Gruber, Deputy Economic Advisor, Projects Directorate, European Investment Bank, Luxemburg [PRESENTATION]
     
11:00 – 11:15 Coffee Break
11:15 – 13:15

Session 6: Shaping an Enabling Regulatory Paradigm [Web-Cast]

Session Description: The migration towards an all-IP environment is progressively changing the character of the telecommunication industry. Converged IP networks—delivering voice, data, text and video—are creating synergies, economies of scale and scope, and are spawning new services that would have inconceivable in the circuit-switched world. In this regard, regulatory reform is necessary to reflect the changed environment and to redefine service definitions, bearing in mind the increased scope for substitutability. The purpose of this session is to examine the regulatory challenges resulting from the move to the all-IP environment, in particular focussing attention on the regulation of voice over IP (VoIP), licensing, universal service concepts and competition policy.

13:15 – 14:15 Lunch
14:15 – 16:15

Session 7: Shaping an Enabling Regulatory Paradigm [Web-Cast]

Session Description: This session is a continuation of the session 6, with a review of the situation in some of the major regions worldwide.

  • Fixed-Mobile Convergence and Universal Service
     Dr. Glenn Woroch, Executive Director, Center for Research on Telecommunications Policy, Haas Business School, University of California, Berkley, USA [PRESENTATION]
  • The Future of Voice: Consumer Issues (Background Paper)
    Ewan Sutherland, Consultant     [PRESENTATION / PAPER]
  • New Markets and Regulatory Forbearance
     Dr. Klaus Müller, Executive Vice President, Deutsche Telekom, Group Regulatory Strategy, Germany [PRESENTATION]
  • Bundling of voice with other offers (triple, quadruple play). Regulatory issues (price/margin squeeze, access, etc.) [PRESENTATION]
    Davide Gallino, Secretary of European Regulators Group, Brussels
  • The Role of Government in the Future of Voice?
    Melinda Tan, Senior Manager, International, IDA, Singapore [PRESENTATION]
16:15 – 16:30 Lunch
16:30 – 17:30

Session 8: Round Table: An Agenda for Action and a possible Way Forward [Web-Cast]

Session Description: The Chairman will invite selected participants to participate in a round table discussion to provide their conclusions from the workshop discussions and suggest pragmatic steps. [STARTING POINTS]

Questions that may be addressed include:

  • will voice become a commodity in a new converged environment?
  • what kind of services and applications will become new demand drivers for the telecom industry?
  • how far will the convergence progress between the three worlds of telecommunication, broadcasting and computing/internet and what impact will this have on voice communications?
  • what issues, if any, are not being satisfactorily addressed via market mechanisms and may still need regulatory intervention?
  • what is the appropriate level (e.g., national, regional or international) to address the issues raised at this workshop?
  • what initiatives should be undertaken by ITU to promote an enabling environment for voice communications at the global level?
17:30 – 17:40 Closing ceremony

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