International Telecommunication Regulations

ITRs : Setting the stage for a connected world

CTO Forum, Colombo, Sri-Lanka 13 September 2010

Malcolm JohnsonDirector of ITU-TSB

ITRs: Setting the stage for a connected world

2September 2010

Background

Throughout this evolution the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has been providing the general principles for the provision and

operation of international telecommunications

1865 20101865 2010

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been constantly evolving since 1865

3

[Background]

1865 20101865 2010

These principles are in the form of treaty-level international regulations

1988

ITRs (came into

force in 1990)

ITRs (came into

force in 1990)

Regulations for international service of the Telegraph Convention

(1865- last modified on 1973)

Telephone Regulations (1932 - last modified on 1973)

Radio Regulations(first version 1906 – last modified in 2007)

Radio Regulations(first version 1906 – last modified in 2007)

1906 1973

• ITRs are one of the four treaties of ITU.

• ITRs succeeded the Telegraph Regulations (1973) and Telephone Regulations (1973) in a new treaty adopted at WATTC-88 (Melbourne). [CS/Art. 4].

• ITRs came into force in 1990.

4

[Background]

Constitution Convention Radio Regulations ITRs

1958194919381879 1932

Telegraph Regulations (1932 - last modified on 1973)

• Why were they adopted?

• To provide a basis for the provision and operation of international telecommunication services;

• To outline the respective responsibilities of governments and Operating Agencies in an industry that had previously largely been government-owned or controlled;

• To provide general principles, even for commercially-negotiated arrangements.

5

The adoption of the ITRs is often taken as the start of liberalization in the sector

[Background]

* Administrations or recognized private operating agency(ies)

1) Purpose & Scope of the Regulations2) Definitions3) International Network4) International Telecommunication Services5) Safety of Life & Priority of Telecommunications6) Charging & Accounting7) Suspension of Services8) Dissemination of Information [reporting by ITU SG]9) Special Arrangements10) Final Provisions

1) General Provisions Concerning Accounting2) Additional Provisions Relating to Maritime Telecommunications3) Service & Privilege Telecommunications

Appendices

Articles

Outline

6

[Background]

ITRs: Setting the stage for a connected world

7September 2010

Influence on the ICT sector

AlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBolivia Bosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape Verde

Central African Rep.ChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCongo (Rep. of the)Costa RicaCôte d'IvoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech Rep.Dem. People's Rep. of KoreaDem. Rep. of the CongoDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican Rep.EcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFijiFinlandFranceGabon

GambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran (Islamic Republic of)IrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKorea (Rep. of)KuwaitKyrgyzstanLao P.D.R.LatviaLebanon

LesothoLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNepal (Republic of)NetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorwayOmanPakistanPanama

Papua New GuineaParaguayPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSouth AfricaSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwazilandSweden

PeruSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTajikistanTanzaniaThailandThe Former Yugoslav Rep. of MacedoniaTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVaticanVenezuelaViet NamYemenZambiaZimbabwe

Signed by 178 countries, ITRs are a truly global treaty applied around the world

8Source: ITU

[Influence on the sector]

ITRs establish the framework for…

• The international network for international telecommunication services;

• Safety of life and priority of telecommunications;

• The basis for charging and accounting for international telecommunication services; and

• The suspension of services.

9

[Influence on the sector]

This treaty set the stage for an increase in competition and a reduction in accounting rates

ITRs come into force

10

Source: ITU

[Influence on the sector]

ITRs: Setting the stage for a connected world

11September 2010

The need to rejuvenate the ITRs

The ICT sector has changed dramatically since the adoption of ITRs, both in technologies and in

penetration

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[The need to rejuvenate the ITRs]

Shift from fix to mobile,

from voice to data

as the drivers of traffic and main

sources of revenue

A decade of ICT growth driven by new technologies

The Internet is now in the center of most ICT services and every user has become a potential broadcaster

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[The need to rejuvenate the ITRs]

The evolution from Web 1.0 and 2.0 provide an idea of the range of applications that ICTs may provide in the near future

Opportunities: Future ICTs could

• Provide education around the world, so schoolchildren can carry their textbooks with them in the palm of their hand…

• Monitor the elderly to ensure their wellbeing…

• Help track and find lost children…

• Enable everybody to keep up-to-date with personal and professional relations, regardless of distance…

• Provide access to the world’s largest library and online store of learning, at the click of a mouse…

• to mention just a few…

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[The need to rejuvenate the ITRs]

15

[The need to rejuvenate the ITRs]

Challenges: At the same time, there are growing issues

and urgent challenges that need to be addressed

Preserving cybersecurity;Ensuring access to ICTs for all

Fighting illegal content (such as spam, fraudulent emails or child

pornography)

“Net shaping” or deciding which services get priority…

Distribution of revenues between carriers and content providers Taxation of international services

Sovereignty of public sector over services provided offshore

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The functioning of ICTs is the result of a set of decisions by governments, ISPs and network operators….

Source: OFCOM.Greater transparency in traffic prioritization is needed to preserve Quality of

Service for consumers’ benefit….

[The need to rejuvenate the ITRs]

ITRs: Setting the stage for a connected world

17September 2010

What’s next

The revision of ITRs has been under discussion since 1998

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PP98 PP02 PP06 PP10Res 79 Res 121 Res 146

WCIT12

Expert Group CWG-ITRs Expert Group CWG-WCIT-12

WTPF-09

Op.6

C99, C00, C01 C03, C04, C05 C07, C08, C09, C10

• Slow progress over the last twelve years shows the complexity of the issue and the need to build consensus to agree on a revision of the treaty.

• These issues will be discussed at the November 2012 World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12)

C11

Res 1312

[What’s next]

WCIT-12 will be an opportunity for the 192 ITU Member States to update the ITRs for the modern

communications era

• The revised ITRs could continue to provide the general principles for the provision and operation of international telecommunication services by:

• facilitating global interconnection & the interoperability of telecom infrastructure, the base layer underlying the Internet;

• Underpinning the “harmonious development” & efficient operation of technical facilities;

• Promoting the efficiency & availability of international telecom services.

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[What’s next]

This treaty could provide the framework for the healthy growth of modern international communications by:

• Establishing general principles for the operation of international telecommunication services;

• Examining issues relating to Net shaping and the prioritization of international telecommunication services to optimize Quality of Service (QoS) for consumers’ benefit;

• Ensuring the right of end-users to communicate;

• Promoting cybersecurity and guarding against spam and harm to facilities or consumers from the use of telecommunication/ICT services.

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[What’s next]

ITU is committed to Connecting the World…

Ensuring that affordable telecommunication services are available to all,

and working to ensurehealthy future growth in ICT networks and services

for a safe and secure online world for all.

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[What’s next]

ITRs: Setting the stage for a connected world

Corporate Strategy Division

22September 2010

Thank you!

For more information on WCIT-12 and the ITRs:

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[More information]

The ITRs, time for a revision? (background information for PP10)http://www.itu.int/plenipotentiary/2010/newsroom/backgrounders/itr.html

CWG-WCIT12:http://www.itu.int/council/groups/cwg-wcit12/index.html

2007 Background document:http://www.itu.int/md/T05-ITR.EG-INF-0002/en