Page 90 - SAMENA Trends - August 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Digital Revolution Spurs Greater Demand for Limited Radio-Frequency

Spectrum in the Americas

The ITU Regional Radiocommunication telecommunications to all countries and
Seminar 2020 for the Americas Region to accelerate digital transformation,"
(RRS-20-Americas) was held virtually said Mario Maniewicz, Director of the
from 13-24 July in collaboration with the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau. "I look
Caribbean Telecommunications Union forward to continuing to work with our
(CTU). Participants discussed future membership in the region towards the
radio-frequency spectrum requirements implementation of the decisions of WRC-
for radiocommunication systems in 19 and the preparatory process for the
the context of the outcome of the ITU WRC-23."
World Radiocommunication Conference Forum: WRS-19 Outcomes: Challenges
(WRC-19) held in Sharm el-Sheikh, and opportunities for the Region
Egypt, in 2019. "The digital revolution is The RRS-20-Americas concluded with a
continuously opening doors to a variety Forum on "WRS-19 Outcomes: Challenges
of new applications that are spurring and opportunities for the Region".
greater interest in, and demand for, the Featuring panel sessions about the diverse
limited spectrum resource," said ITU radio communications services and
Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. "The systems, including among others: Digital
Regional Radiocommunication Seminars TV, Broadband Satellites (GSO and non- of the ITU Regional Radiocommunication
are, therefore, an important tool to help GSO), IMT and other wireless broadband Seminars is to extend assistance to
our members promote the efficient and technologies, High-altitude platform Member States in spectrum management
effective management of spectrum." The station (HAPS), RLAN/Wi-Fi, Maritime and activities and the application of the ITU
Seminar covered the regulatory framework Aeronautical Systems, Intelligent Transport Radio Regulations (RR), with special
for both terrestrial and space services and Systems, Emergency Communications, 5G attention to developing countries. The
the procedures for recording of frequency Spectrum Pricing, and the WRC-23 Agenda. seminars are organized to complement the
assignments in the Master International In her welcome remarks, Bernadette larger, biennial World Radiocommunication
Frequency Register (MIFR). It also included Lewis, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Seminars (WRS) so that all ITU countries
basic training on tools developed by ITU Telecommunications Union, noted that the and regions have ample opportunity to
for frequency notices for those services organization has been working in the area prepare for WRC-23, which will update
and the technical examinations. Various of harmonizing spectrum management the RR, the international treaty governing
tutorials also enabled participants to policies and practices for many years, the use of radio-frequency spectrum and
familiarise themselves with ITU notification including in recent times, coordinating satellite orbital resources. The seminar
procedures, as well as with the software and the work of the Caribbean Spectrum drew more than 350 participants from 38
electronic publications made available by Management Steering Committee and the countries, including 29 countries from the
the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau to the Caribbean Spectrum Management Task Americas Region, as well as 6 international
Administrations of Member States and the Force, the regional bodies addressing organizations, and representatives of the
ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) radiofrequency spectrum issues. She telecommunication industry, operators,
Members. "The Americas region continues added: “We are delighted to partner with ITU international organizations, associations,
to make great strides in expanding access to enhance the capacity of our members and academia from the Americas.
to and use of ICTs, but more work is still to make effective use of the technology
needed to bring accessible and affordable to achieve our goals." The main objective

DCMS Outlines Regulatory Changes Designed to Boost Gigabit Availability

and Enhance Mobile Coverage

The UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, changes will ‘boost gigabit broadband changes to the existing legal framework
Media & Sport (DCMS) has detailed how the rollout and bring better mobile coverage – the government intends to introduce
government plans to bring the European to the whole of the UK’. In a press release some new pro-investment measures from
Electronic Communications Code (EECC) regarding the matter, the DCMS noted that the Code that it considers are ‘in the UK’s
into UK law, claiming that the legislative – while the EECC largely consists of minor national interest’ and support the state’s

90 AUGUST 2020