Where to from now? How do we address the gaps to strengthen the foundations for digital transformation and better build back?

- Addressing the financing gaps:

- Balancing innovative financing mechanisms and funding models: sustainable policy measures, business and partnership models, and policy – regulatory and fiscal incentives

- Affordability of access: Community driven approaches to extend digital infrastructure

- Addressing the infrastructure and technology gaps:

- Mapping connectivity requirements and technologies for greater efficiency, preparedness and universal connectivity - Emerging technologies for sustainable and environmental-friendly smart world: how can regulation foster innovation and adoption of emerging technologies?

- Addressing the policy and regulatory gaps:

- What strategic framework is needed for digital transformation addressing the new realities? - Experimentation for innovation and investment: new deal, special authorizations, regulatory sandboxes, lessons learned from COVID-19 and new practices for adopting to new normal

Moderator

Ms Doreen Bogdan-Martin Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) International Telecommunication Union Biography

Intervener

Mr Mats Granryd GSMA

Mr Lacina Koné Director-General Smart Africa Biography

Panelist

H.E Ursula Owusu-Ekuful Minister of Communications Ministry of Communications Ghana Biography

Mr Michel Van Bellinghen Chairman Council, Belgian Institute for Postal services and Telecommunications (BIPT) Belgium Biography

Mr Flavien Bachabi President ARCEP Benin Biography

Dr Ram Sewak Sharma Chairman Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) India Biography

Mr Bocar Ba CEO SAMENA Telecommunications Council United Arab Emirates Biography

Ms Aarti Holla-Maini Secretary-General EMEA Satellite Operators Association (“ESOA”) Biography

Mr Joakim Reiter External Affairs Director Vodafone Group Biography

Mr Makhtar Diop Vice President, Infrastructure World Bank Biography

Special focus will be dedicated to the role of NRAs in shaping an enabling environment for the development of resilient and secure digital connectivity for all. COVID-19 crisis has emphasised, as perhaps nothing else could have, the vital importance of connectivity and of extending affordable access to as many people as possible, as fast as we can. Discussion, amongst may other topics will touch upon collaborative regulation, spectrum management, digital safety, as well as inclusiveness.

Opening Remarks

Ms Doreen Bogdan-Martin BDT Director International Telecommunication Union Biography

Moderator

Mr Jaroslaw Ponder Regional Director, Regional Office for Europe International Telecommunication Union Biography

Message of the Chair of GSR-2020

Mr Dan Sjöblom Director-General Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) and Chair of Berec Sweden Biography

Speaker - Executive Highlights of GSR-2020 and Best Practice Guidelines

Mrs Sofie Maddens Head, Regulatory and Market Environment Division International Telecommunication Union Biography

Speaker - Key Regional Trends by Regional Organizations

Mr Jeremy Godfrey Vice Chair BEREC Biography

Mr Elmir Velizadeh Deputy Minister, Ministry of Transport, Communications, and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan​ and Vice Chair EaPeReg

Ms Naama Henig Chair of the International Roaming EWG EMERG Presentation : EMERG-GSR-20-Regional-Webinar-EUR-CIS Biography

Moderator - National Regulatory Approaches Fostering Post COVID-19 Digital Transformation

Mrs Natalia Mochu Regional Director, Regional Office for CIS International Telecommunication Union Biography

Speaker - National Regulatory Approaches Fostering Post COVID-19 Digital Transformation

Mr Elmir Velizadeh Mr Elmir Velizadeh, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Transport, Communications, and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Chairman RCC High-level Working group on Information Society Development Azerbaijan

Mr Aleksandar Mastilovic Director of Telecommunications Communications Regulatory Agency Bosnia and Herzegovina Biography

Mr Azamat Dyikanbaev Director State Communications Agency Kyrgyzstan

Mr João António Cadete de Matos Chair of the Board of Directors Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (ANACOM) Portugal Biography

Mr Vladica Tintor Director Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services (RATEL) Serbia Biography

This sessions aims at discussing as to how can the countries be better prepared and are the strategies for connectivity good enough. Sharing country experiences in addressing the following issues:

• What is the total spectrum allocated and how does it compare with rest of the world?
• What is the per MHz/POP price of the last spectrum allocation?
• Reasons for suboptimal spectrum allocation and high price?
• What are the strategies related to Infrastructure sharing and fibre deployment and reducing the cost of right of way?
• What are the connectivity initiatives related to rural areas?
• What are the licensing policies related to community networks?
• How are the policies being changed in response to COVID-19?
• Country cases , real deployment experiences and vision for future plan

• What is the IMT2020 (5G) roadmap and is it considered a luxury or a requirement?
• Do the speakers think that they have the whole of the government approach towards connectivity in their country?
• It is clear that fixed wireless and Fiber connectivity will be very important during and after COVID 19? What steps are being taken to improve fixed broadband connectivity?
• What are the immediate steps, short term measures and long term strategy?
• What are the licensing policies related to community networks and other innovative ideas for rural connectivity

• The global and regional perspectives - including an analysis of global and regional digital players in Arab and Africa regions
• Implications at national level​

• Developments in Regional Associations (EACO and ARTAC, WATRA, CRASA) - what are regional frameworks and trends?
• Country Case studies from Arab and Africa region

• Summary of discussions and concluding remarks ​​

Ahead of the 20th Edition of the ITU’s Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-20) the USTTI and ITU will team up to provide regulatory officials with a behind the scenes look at the work taking place to prepare for the deployment and usage of emerging technologies. The webinar will be run by subject matter experts.

Spectrum Planning for Emerging Technologies

As the competing demands for spectrum access intensify, Ronald Repasi, the Acting Chief of the United States Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC), Office of Engineering and Technology will talk about work the FCC has been doing in pursuing both exclusive use and shared spectrum allocations among various services and technologies. The training will also walk through several examples to highlight the FCC’s continued pursuit of greater spectrum access for all types of services and technologies.

Additionally, information will be shared on Dynamic Spectrum Sharing technology and how it opens the door for operators to seamlessly transition from 4G to 5G networks. Speakers will discuss how this technology functions and how it can speed the path for operators to move from 4G to 5G.

REGISTER HERE

Ahead of the 20th Edition of the ITU’s Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-20) the USTTI and ITU will team up to provide regulatory officials with a behind the scenes look at the work taking place to prepare for the deployment and usage of emerging technologies. The webinar will be run by subject matter experts.

Technological Underpinnings of Emerging Technologies

Get a “behind the scenes" view of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and the Edge. This session will discuss artificial intelligence from hardware to software capabilities and real-world applications across multiple usage scenarios, as well as provide an overview of IoT and the Edge. We will explore the latest technologies and standards underpinning this landscape and how they interact with key policy and regulatory trends.

REGISTER HERE

Against the backdrop of COVID-19 and on the occasion of GSR-2020, IAGDI-CRO organized this meeting to provide a platform for the participants to exchange ideas on how industry and private Sector in the ICT Sector exchange views on the impact of COVID-19 in their operations and explore ways of how industry and regulators could work together to address connectivity challenges and find innovative ways of addressing these challenges so as to ensure that the world continues to reliably communicate.

This meeting addressed critical questions and proposed ways forward, from the industry’s perspective, on the business and regulatory landscape challenges and shifts during COVID-19, shared innovative collaborative approaches being explored; regulatory challenges, lessons learned and investment gaps and new partnership approaches within the context of revised growth forecasts for the global economy.

• ​​How to bring affordable, safe, secure and trusted connectivity and online access and use to people in their respective regions.​

• Mandate and Role of ICT/telecommunications regulators in a post COVID digital ecosystem
• The digital evolution and changing regulatory functions, capacity, skills, and tool: are regulators sufficiently equipped to face the new realities and digital transformation?
• What does collaboration look like: with policy makers, with other regulators, across the sectors, with a wide range of stakeholders
• Autonomy and independence: rule-making in a collaborative world
• 20 years of sector transformation and competition: moving towards evidence-based decision making
• Collaborative regulators in action: the case of digital financial services

  Moderator

  Ms Doreen Bogdan-Martin Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) International Telecommunication Union Biography

  Panelist

  Ms Nerida O'Loughlin Chair Australian Communications and Media Authority Australia Biography

  Mr Eng. Hossam El Gamal Executive President National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (NTRA) Egypt

  Ms Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo Director General Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Uganda Biography

  Ms Bety Aichatou Habibou Oumani President of Council Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications et de la Poste Niger Biography

  Mr Rafael Eduardo Muente Schwarz Chairman of the Board of Directors Organismo Supervisor de Inversión Privada en Telecomunicaciones (OSIPTEL) Peru Biography

  Mr Karol Krzywicki Vice-President Office of Electronic Communications (UKE) Poland Biography

  Mr Fabrizio Hochschild Special Adviser on the Preparations for the Commemoration of the United Nations’ 75th Anniversary United Nations Secretariat Biography

  Mr Louis-Marc Sakala General Director Agence de Régulation des Postes et Communications Électroniques (ARPCE) Congo Biography

  Mr Kevin Martin Vice-President for US Public Policy Facebook Biography

  Mr Alan Kurešević Vice-President, Engineering SES Techcom Biography

• From ex-ante to ex-post regulation: are we there yet?
• Transparent, competitive, and non-discriminatory markets and access to facilities and services: Is a level playing field among all digital players still possible? Are co-creation of regulation and partnerships the answer?
• Integrating the verticals and emerging technologies:  a changing competitive landscape
• Interconnection, interoperability, and open access
• Competing for data, a need for data-based regulation and co-regulation
• Incentives for sustainable competitive frameworks fostering inclusion, innovation, and investment, lessons learned from COVID-19

  Moderator

  Mr Amir Azeem Bajwa Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Pakistan Biography

  Panelist

  Ms Tanja Muha Acting Director Agency for Communication Networks and Services of the Republic of Slovenia (AKOS) Slovenia Biography

  Mr Serge Abiteboul Member of Board Autorité de Régulation des Communications électroniques et des Postes (ARCEP) France Biography

  Mr Mario Fromow Commissioner Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT) Mexico Biography

  Mr Amir Al-Gibreen VP Regulatory Affairs STC Biography

  Mr Göran Marby CEO & President ICANN Biography

  Mr Attilio Zani Executive director Telecom Infra Project (TIP) Biography

  Mr Karim Antonio Lesina Senior Vice President International External and Regulatory Affairs, AT&T Biography

  Ms Annemarie Sipkes Telecommunications, Transport and Postal Services Director ACM Netherlands (Kingdom of the) Biography

  Intervener

  Ms Julie Kearney Head of Regulatory Affairs Loon LCC Biography

  Ms Patricia Cooper Vice President Satellite Government Affairs SpaceX Biography

• Spectrum use for temporary emergency situations: lessons learned from COVID-19
• The role of spectrum in the digital transformation process
• Spectrum valuation as an economic and social tool: Up-front public revenues or broader network deployment for greater access?
• Are fees and taxes for spectrum an impediment to new deployment? 
• Spectrum licensing principles for new services (e.g. 5G) and non-traditional networks

  Moderator

  Mr Leonardo Euler de Morais Chairman Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (ANATEL) Brazil Biography

  Panelist

  Mr Mario Maniewicz Director, Radiocommunication Bureau International Telecommunication Union Biography

  Mr Brendan Carr Commissioner Federal Communications Commission (FCC) United States Biography

  Professor Konstantinos Masselos President Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT) Greece Biography

  Dr Ismail Director General Spectrum Management and Postal and ICT Devices, Ministry of Communication and Informatics Indonesia Biography

  Mr Joakim Reiter Executive Committee member Vodafone Group Biography

  Ms Jennifer Manner Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Hughes Network Systems Biography

  Ms Jayne Stancavage Global Executive Director, Digital Infrastructure Policy INTEL Biography

  Mr Stephen Pentland Head of Spectrum, Public Policy Vodafone Group Biography

  Intervener

  Mr Mustapha Bessi Head of the Frequency Spectrum Management Division Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Télécommunications (ANRT) Morocco Biography

• Keeping infrastructure, networks, people and things safe and secured at all times: preparedness measures for policy consideration and risk mitigation taking into consideration lessons learned from the pandemic
• Building a secure and trusted digital ecosystem: understanding cyber threats, collaborative security
• Safety online and cyber resilience: Who is in charge?
• Trusted digital identity for safe online use: the role of the regulator
• Regulatory initiatives for protecting children online post covid-19
• Consumer engagement in digital societies: expanding trusted e-services and use (data privacy, data ownership, security risks and intellectual property rights)
• The need for multistakeholder (public-private) global and regional collaboration

  Moderator

  Professor Américo Muchanga Chairman of the Board INCM Mozambique Biography

  Panelist

  Ms Hannia Vega Board Member Sutel Costa Rica Biography

  Mr Steve Harvey CEO BitSight Biography

  Mr Derek O’Halloran Head of Shaping the Future of Digital Economy and New Value Creation World Economic Forum Biography

  Mr Joe Hall Senior VP for Strong Internet ISOC Biography

  Mr Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin Chief Compliance Officer Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Malaysia Biography

  Ms Natasha Jackson Head of Public Policy and Consumer Affairs GSMA Biography

  Intervener

  Mr Jacques Francoeur Founder & Chief Scientist Security Inclusion Now - USA Biography

• Policy measures and regulatory tools to support inclusion of everyone including persons with disabilities, in the digital age.
• Innovative approaches to facilitate digital transformation process for everyone.
• Ensuring access to basic and specialized ICT education and training programs for all (including e-learning tools) to leave no one behind.

  Moderator

  Mr Michel Van Bellinghen Chairman, Institut belge des services postaux et des télécommunications (IBPT) Incoming Chair, BEREC Biography

  Panelist

  Mr Hameedullah Sherani Board member Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA) Afghanistan Biography

  Dr Ali Naser Al-Khwildi Head of Regulatory Authority Communications and Media Commission (CMC) Iraq Biography

  Mr João António Cadete de Matos Chairman Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (ANACOM) Portugal Biography

  Dr Mercedes Aramendía President Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones (URSEC) Uruguay Biography

  Mr Carlos Lugo Executive director Comisión de Regulación de Comunicaciones (CRC) Colombia Biography

  Mr Lacina Koné Director-General Smart Africa Biography

  Mr Toby Robinson Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) AVANTI COMMUNICATIONS Biography

  Ms KR Liu Head of Brand Accessibility Google Biography

  Mr Omar Mansoor Ansari Chairman ATRA Afghanistan Biography