The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the Brazilian Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (ANATEL) successfully completed a two-year joint project on the pricing of telecommunication services aimed at reducing costs and improving services as a result of the increased competition among operators and service providers.
The project began in August 2011, when ITU signed an agreement with ANATEL on the development of a cost-modelling to determine the cost based values of various telecommunication services offered in Brazil such as the interconnection of mobile and fixed services and operation of leased lines.
The USD 10 million contract also saw the involvement of a consortium of consultants from Advisia, Analysys Mason and Grant Thornton.
Mr Brahima Sanou, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, welcomed the completion of the project, describing it as a major milestone for ITU and ANATEL.
"Our longstanding collaboration has yielded positive benefits for ICT users in Brazil which reflects ITU's commitment to ensuring that no one is left out of the digital revolution on account of the cost of ICT services," added Mr Sanou.
"The continuous improvement of regulatory mechanisms, to enhance capacity building programs and the constant monitoring of international best practices are goals pursued and achieved thanks to the projects implemented with ITU, " noted Mr Jeferson Nacif, Head of ANATEL International Affairs Office. "Due to this successful cooperation, ANATEL is not only making an impact in the advancement of the Brazilian telecommunication market, but can also be viewed as a reference institution in Brazil and in Latin America," he added.
The project has provided tools which allow ANATEL to better understand the industry supply chain, not only from a historical perspective but also from an efficiency standpoint. It has also improved the decision-making process of the Agency, based on reliable and better structured information.
The cost models developed will enable ANATEL to improve the evaluation of the costs s of implementing new regulatory policies; the identification of opportunity costs related to regulatory changes; and the measurement of the benefit generated by the impact of regulatory modifications.
Ms Vera Zanetti, project manager at ITU, commended the team from ANATEL and the consortium of consultants for their professionalism and dedication which resulted in a positive outcome.
"ANATEL's dedication as well as the professionalism and dedication of the team that conducted the work of the consortium - led by Advisia - were crucial to the successful implementation of the project."
ITU and ANATEL are already defining new areas of cooperation. Recently, during the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Busan, ANATEL confirmed an additional contribution of USD 2.6 million to a project to enhance the agency's regulatory, human and financial resources capacities and competencies.
"Playing our dual role as a United Nations Specialized Agency and project implementation, we are continuously forging partnerships with public and private sector entities in order to hasten the pace towards the establishment of a truly global information society", said Cosmas Zavazava, Chief of Projects and Knowledge Management Department in the Telecommunication Development Bureau.
ITU and ANATEL have a longstanding relationship in the implementation of large scale projects for the structural reform of the Brazilian telecom sector. Since the early 90's, they have been working together in a variety of areas, ranging from technical regulatory issues to training programs for ANATEL's staff.
