Excellencies
Distinguished colleagues and friends,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am honoured to be here today to address this SATRC Council meeting. I will
speak in the first session on some of the key regulatory issues facing ITU
today.
I would like to thank very much our hosts CRA for inviting me and offering such
wonderful hospitality. I bring with me the best wishes of Secretary-General
Hamadoun Touré and the new team of Mr Zhao, Deputy Secretary-General, Mr Rancy
Director of the Radio Bureau, and Mr Sanou Director of the Development Bureau.
We look forward to collaborating with SATRC over the next four years.
As you know ITU is the pre-eminent international organization dealing with
spectrum and satellite allocation, international standards, and ICT
development... all issues on your agenda for the next three days.
A sound regulatory framework creating an enabling environment for innovation,
investment and competition is essential for encouraging the provision and roll
out of an efficient ICT environment.
ICTs can have an enormous impact on everyday lives and economic growth, but the
full opportunities of ICTs only be provided by broadband services.
National broadband plans that encourage more efficient use of radio spectrum and
optical fibre roll out are a key challenge in terms of the development of
broadband, in rich countries and emerging countries alike.
Access to broadband allows the delivery of more effective healthcare, better
education, environmental sustainability, more efficient transportation services,
smarter and more economical energy supplies, and many new applications and
services.
This is why ITU, in conjunction with UNESCO, launched the Broadband Commission
for Digital Development last year.
The Commission is co-chaired by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Carlos Slim,
Chairman of Grupo Carso, the world’s richest man, and we have some 50
Commissioners from the top of the public and private sectors.
The Commission has already been very successful in raising the issue at the
highest political levels – including at the 2010 Millennium Development Goals
(MDG) Summit held in New York last September.
One issue that was forcibly made was the need to ensure that broadband access
becomes very much more affordable than it is today.
Affordability is dramatically improved when competitive forces are brought to
bear, and when there are clear incentives to increase capacity. National
broadband plans need to be developed to encourage this and where better to
develop these policies for this region than in SATRC.
For the ICT industry, good regulation breeds confidence and stability. It
reduces risk and encourages investment in ICT infrastructure, rewards
competition, and encourages innovation. At the same time, it offers consumers
greater choice, lower costs, a transparent market place and a fair system for
resolving disputes.
After the break I will take about some of our related activities including our
efforts to improve conformity and interoperability, IPv6, cybersecurity, next
year’s world conference to revise the International Telecommunications
Regulations, and new opportunities for the private sector and academia to
participate in our work.
So for now, let me thank you for your attention and I wish you a very successful
and enjoyable meeting. |
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