Ambassador Anthony De Bono

Article From The Sunday Times of Malta SEPTEMBER 26, 2004

Article From The Sunday Times of Malta OCTOBER 10, 2004

Article From The Sunday Times of Malta DECEMBER 12, 2004

CTO NEWS

Commonwealth countries achieve objectives on standardisation

he international community considered and adopted the common views expressed by Commonwealth countries on global telecommunications standardisation during the fourth World Telecomunications Standardisation Assembly (WTSA-04) held in Florianópolis, Brazil in October 2004. Common views were presented on key standardisation issues as well as on the working methods of the ITU Standardisation Sector (ITU-T), including the Telecommunication Standardisation Advisory Group (TSAG) and the Study Groups, as well as their working procedures and proposed new mandates. It was the first time, it is believed, that Commonwealth nations, as a group, had demonstrated their political power and succeeded in making a significant difference to the outcomes of an international information and communication technologies (ICTs) plenipotentiary conference. Held every four years, the WTSA aims to bring round the same table members of the international community to discuss and agree processes and rules on global telecommunications standards. Naturally, the Brazil Assembly was dominated by issues linked to the rapid progress of ICTs, in particular the Internet and next-generation networks (NGNs). “The contribution of the Commonwealth ITU Group on specific issues contributed largely to the success of the Assembly. Telecommunications standardisation is a consensual process among Member States and Sector Members of the ITU, many of which are Commonwealth countries which coordinated Commonwealth preparatory activities for the Group”, said Anthony De Bono, Vice-chairman of the Assembly and then newly elected Chairman of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Council (CTC), 6

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Some participants at the Melbourne event

This was undoubtedly the most successful Commonwealth effort to date in the ITU which left a lasting impression on the participants. the governing body of the CTO. “Such inter-regional contribution from a 50member country organisation is very significant and adds positively to its contribution to international telecommunications cooperation”, added Mr De Bono. Background

The Commonwealth ITU Group was formed during the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Marrakesh, Morocco in September 2002, to provide a Commonwealth perspective at events such as ITU Plenipotentiary Conferences (PP), World

Radiocommunications Conferences (WRC), World Telecommunication Development Conferences (WTDC), World Telecommunication Standardisation Conferences, the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) and the review of the International Telecommunications Regulations (ITR). The Group, of which the secretariat is hosted by the CTO, successfully held its first preparatory meeting for the WRC03 in 2003 in London. It is along the same lines that in August 2004, the CTO invited Commonwealth countries to meet in Melbourne, Australia, for a WTSA Seminar in preparation of the Brazil Assembly. The Melbourne Seminar aimed to co-ordinate Commonwealth stakeholders’ views to be presented by heads of the ITU/Commonwealth member states delegations in Brazil through a common position on the issues to be considered by the Assembly. As a result, thirteen objectives referred to as Commonwealth Common Objectives (CCOs) were agreed by the representing delegations. Common positions adopted included views on working methods of the ITUT such as improvements to the approval process (including power of veto); the future of Study Group 2 which is responsible for operational aspects of service provision, networks and performance; overall criteria for Study Group chairs and vice-chairs, including appropriate representation from developing countries; and the role of TSAG in ‘high-level’ strategic issues. Commonwealth countries also agreed to support the idea of an NGN study within ITU-T. Other common views were directed at more complex issues such as the misuse of numbering resources, alternative calling procedures and cybersecurity. Commonwealth and WTSA: adopting a common position

During the WTSA-04, several meetings CTOUpdate / January - March 2005

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WTSA Brazil — CTO/ITU co-ordination meeting

of the Commonwealth ITU Group were held to coordinate the Commonwealth effort to achieve the Melbourne CCOs, with a co-ordinator being appointed to each CCO. Commonwealth coordination proved extremely effective, resulting in the achievement of all thirteen objectives, including the CCOs on NGNs and the removal of the veto by a single Member State on approval of ITU-T Recommendations dealing with purely technical matters, albeit against strong opposition. Representatives of Commonwealth countries chaired three of the five main Committees in the Assembly: Bruce Gracie, Canada, chaired Committee 2; Patrick Masambu, Uganda, chaired Committee 4; and Richard Thwaites, Australia, chaired Committee 6. In addition, the Chairman of the Commonwealth Telecommunication Council, Anthony De Bono from Malta held the post of Vice-chairman of the Assembly. This was undoubtedly the most successful Commonwealth effort to date in the ITU which left a lasting impression on participants and marked a significant step towards making the Commonwealth a valuable partner within the ITU’s consultation and decision-making process. Compared to the previous WTSA in 2000, there was a significant increase in the awareness of the issues and participation of Commonwealth countries in the debates. CTOUpdate / January - March 2005

ITU events: more assistance to the CTO

The draft Resolutions on regional preparations—as reflected in the common proposals from the AsiaPacific Telecommunity (APT), the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) and the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL)—were supported in principle. The Commonwealth objective was to amend these proposals to include ITU assistance to ‘regional’ telecommunications organisations as well as ‘inter-regional’ organisations, so as to include the CTO. And the new Resolution B contained in WTSA Document 122 specifically makes reference to the ITU Telecommunications Standardisation Bureau (TSB) supporting regional and inter-regional organisations in their WTSA preparations. Recommendations approval process: the end of the veto

The Commonwealth objective was to improve the approval process for ITUT recommendations to ensure Recommendations are available in a timely manner for implementation. The main concern was to remove the single Member State veto on the approval of ITU-T Recommendations dealing purely with technical matters. The Commonwealth view that such Recommendations were mainly an industry matter and that the maintenance of the single Member

First official visit by the CTO Council Chairman, Mr Anthony De Bono to the ITU Secretary General Mr Yoshio Utsumi

State veto on their approval was an anachronism pre-dating the liberalisation of the telecommunications market. The Assembly agreed that Recommendations of a technical nature will be approved unless more than one Member State objects. ITU and NGNs: taking the lead?

Another significant Commonwealth objective intended to maintain the ITU as the leading global standards body in telecommunications was to invite the WTSA to take a major initiative to restructure the ITU-T Sector to properly address NGNs, by defining the long-term vision for the networks and migratory services, and the strategy for achieving it. The objective was to establish an optimum structure to address NGNs by the creation of a new NGN study group which would have sufficient critical mass of expertise to cover core aspects of the NGN effectively and be a focal point for industry to place its resources for the development of NGNs. Developing countries: a louder voice

The Commonwealth objective was to increase the involvement of developing countries in the work of the ITU standardisation sector by making its work more widely available and remove the constraints in deploying new www.cto.int

CTO NEWS already undertaken by other standards development organisations (SDOs). Flexibility in working methods

Commonwealth countries succeeded in supporting efforts to increase the flexibility of working methods within the ITU. This included allowing the WTSA or TSAG to create ‘other groups’ than study groups such as coordination groups on high priority standardisation issues, a group to identify the implications of new technologies and market needs on the ITU-T work programme and a group to evaluate and co-ordinate ITU-T seminars and workshops. Confronting alternative calling procedures Some member representatives of CTO with Chairman Anthony De Bono

technologies in developing countries. Current commercial trends and developments also mean that concrete support and standardisation for bridging the digital divide are needed. With the support of the Commonwealth countries led by Botswana, WTSA took a number of steps towards this objective. This included providing for easier downloading of information, publications as well as more transparent mechanisms that would ensure that developing countries’ special interests are provided for in all the new standards. Electronic working will be more widely used to allow participation in virtual meetings, and assistance provided to ensure greater participation in physical meetings. Two other resolutions were adopted in realtion to the interests of developing countries and their involvement in standardisation, aimed at bridging the standardisation gap between developing and developed countries as well as creating regional groups. Safety in the cyberspace

The objective was for the ITU-T to develop a plan to undertake an evaluation of existing and new Recommendations, particularly in the areas of signalling and communication protocols, with respect to their robustness of design and potential for 8

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exploitation by malicious parties to interfere destructively with their deployment in the global information and communication infrastructure. The ITU-T was called upon to raise awareness within its areas of operation and influence the need to protect information and communications systems against the threat of cyber attacks and to deal effectively with such issues as the increasingly widespread incidence of SPAM. Three resolutions were adopted to address cybersecurity, countering and combating crime. TSAG: a more strategic role

The TSAG acts on behalf of the WTSA in the four-year period between Assemblies. Commonwealth countries were concerned that it was not fulfilling its potential to manage the work of the sector and wished to see changes to WTSA Resolution 22 to clarify TSAG’s role to address at a ‘higher level’ strategic issues which intersect services/applications and technology boundaries on an ongoing basis and cross geographic or regional boundaries. At the same time the specific concerns of regions and subregions should be taken into account to assist the ITU-T in providing a global solution. It was felt that more emphasis should be put on the standardisation policy aspects while recognising and leveraging detailed technical initiatives

The previous WTSA in the year 2000 specifically addressed the harmful effects of call back and other alternative calling procedures on international telecommunication networks. Since then other alternative calling procedures such as unauthorised use of home network identifier, refilling or transit have appeared which can hinder the sound development of telecommunications networks and services, particularly in the developing countries. The objective was to increase the role of the TSB in countering these practices, especially the issue of home network identifier. Significant progress was also achieved during the Assembly on other issues, such as the maintenance of ITUT Study Group 2 to ensure that only one group is responsible for numbering, naming, addressing and identification; deceptive or fraudulent use of the international telephone numbering plans such as the use of internet auto-diallers for connection through an international or satellite number or premium rate number without user realising; criteria for the appointment of Study Group chairmen and vice-chairmen (where it was agreed that there should be a representative proportion of chairmen and vicechairmen from developing countries and/or LDCs); result-based budgeting; and free access to ITU-T Recommendations which requires further consideration by the next ITU Council because of the financial implications. ● CTOUpdate / January - March 2005

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CTO and Malta discuss closer collaboration

Member Relations — Dr Louis Galea, Minister of Education of Malta (left) with CTO CEO, after discussions regarding collaboration for ICT training programmes for Commonwealth delegates in Malta

r Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, CEO of the CTO recently visited Government ministers in Malta, one of the three European Commonwealth countries, to discuss the role the country could play in the Organisations’ forthcoming agenda on ICT for development. “We are pleased with the level of involvement Malta has shown. The country went further this year to support the successful candidacy of Mr Anthony De Bono, our new Chairman, opening doors for even more collaboration”, said Dr Spio-Garbrah on his return from his short European trip. During his one-day stay in the island, Dr Spio-Garbrah explored with the Hon. Louis Galea, Minister of Education, Youth and Employment, the possibility of a greater role Malta can play in CTO training and educational programmes. Indeed, through Maltacom, the incumbent operator, the CTO has had access to important training facilities for the staff of its member organisations. As a result of the advances made by its valued member country in the use of ICTs and the establishment of an information society, the CTO believes CTOUpdate / January - March 2005

that other member countries would benefit from accessing the island’s wider network of knowledge-sharing institutions. Given that the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is to be held in 2005 in Malta, it was an ideal opportunity for Dr Spio Garbrah to meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Michael Frendo, who among his many other responsibilities, is in charge of relations with Commonwealth countries. The two officials look forward to the possibility of closer collaboration in the ICT aspect of the 2005 CHOGM. Before his departure, Dr SpioGarbrah was honoured with a brief visit to meet the Hon. Francis Zammit Dimech, Maltese Minister for Tourism and Culture. Their discussions centred around Malta’s vision and initiatives in the area of tourism, with the view to collaborate closer and share best practices with other member countries in this area, which remains a considerable—and yet largely untapped—revenue source for urban and rural populations in many CTO member countries. ●

African countries adopt CTO’s views on regulatory skills The CTO called on African governments and other stakeholders during the recent Fourth African Development Forum (ADF IV) held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to recognise the shift in skills needed for regulating information and communication technologies (ICTs) and consider using the CTO’s regulatory training programmes as part of their plans for mainstreaming ICTs in their national strategy for sustainable development. The ADF IV was attended by public, private and non-profit African organisations as well as members of the international donor community with an interest in the region’s political, economic and social development. Speaking during the session on the role of ICTs and eGovernance, Marcel Belingue, Manager of Communication of the CTO introduced the delegates to the growing issue of regulatory skills gap and invited them to consider the CTO as a partner in their plans to use ICTs in their development strategies. “Regulatory capacity, especially in areas of human resources, is an important aspect in the development and use of ICTs and the CTO is ready to provide this assistance to countries and partners in the region”, Mr Belingue said. At the end of the 5-day gathering, the ADF Consensus broadly recognised that “Weak institutions... insufficient human resources... poor technical skills [and] lack of independence of governance institutions weaken their ability to function effectively and to establish accountability mechanisms.” The text adopted called more specifically on African governments to leverage ICTs through the development of “appropriate policy frameworks, supported by legislation for eGovernance, that are linked to development objectives”. ● www.cto.int

Article From The Sunday Times of Malta FEBRUARY 13, 2005

Article From The Sunday Times of Malta MARCH 27, 2005

Article From The Sunday Times of Malta MAY 22, 2005

CTO secures Malta’s Tsunami Relief funds Roadshows innovative Sea Gateway Maritime Project in Europe and beyond As the Malta summit of the Commonwealth Heads of Government progressively comes to its final lap key protagonists are already on top gear to provide meaningful input. The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is actively engaged in making an effective impact. Watching carefully the implementation of the strategic direction that the CTO is taking in this regard and in consolidating its role as the flagbearer of ICT development in the Commonwealth environment and beyond, explain this reasoning. More importantly, as the CTO prepares for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis, the Commonwealth ICT Ministers Summit in the Cameroon and CHOGM. It is therefore not surprising to record the myriad initiatives taken by the organisation, directly and indirectly, in a short spell of less than a fortnight, which included the preparations for the Commonwealth Secretariat meeting held in Malta this week.

monwealth Countries, nonCommonwealth Governments, business and Civil Society Organisations. The membership of the CTO consists of Ministers in charge of Communications and other highlevel policy makers, regulators, Chief Executive Officers and other business leaders. It provides the international community with effective means to help bridge the digital divide, while achieving social and economic development. The Governing Council of the CTO is made up of representatives appointed by the full member countries who meet once a year where the Chairman, two vice Chairmen and the Executive Committee with two members representing Developing partners and the Industry are elected. The last Council meeting held in Colombo Sri Lanka in 2004 just before the Tsunami disaster, elected Mr Anthony De Bono as Chairman of the CTO.

The Tsunami that so tragically affected Sri Lanka also highlighted the need for proper communications with the need for proper communications with which the damage would have been minimised and the Tsunami Relief Fund Nevertheless the announcement by reconstruction would have been much easier. In fact the proposed

networks which are connected to the national backbone. It is to be taken into consideration that the community itself contribute to the capital through their savings and loan schemes. The fund is only the seed capital to pay for the equipment which has to be purchased. Any work that can be carried out by intended beneficiaries such as civil works will not be paid for by the fund but be procured through their capital and labour. The proposal, which is now accepted, is to build mini-telephone networks, interconnected to the national backbone to serve selected rural communities up to a maximum of 1000 subscribers by using different technologies selected according to the suitability to address the topography and other requirements. Through wireless Local Loop, CDMA and GSM solutions already proved successful in similar projects in India, rural telephony can rapidly be developed.

Cyprus.

As the Chairman Anthony De Bono explained “this is partly to debunk the misconception that the CTO is dedicated only to the needs and priorities of its developing member countries”

Mr De Bono continued to elaborate that “ it is true that the majority of the CTO’s member countries are from the developing world and it is true that the CTO is very much concerned about their priorities and most of the CTO’s work programme is dedicated to issues of the digital divide, national e-strategy planning, rural communications and so on but it as important to underline the fact that the CTO is as much an equal opportunity membership organisation which does its best to reflect as much as possible the varied priorities and needs of its member organisations. So here in the Mediterranean it is important that we establish that the CTO is as much as European and MediterraMr Anthony De Bono confirmed nean Organisation, as it is Africa, that the CTO is always keen to Asian, Caribbean or Pacific” work alongside other multilateral agencies which could contribute to the success of any project it undertakes. With regard to this project the CTO would engage the Commonwealth Network of Information Technologies for Development (COMNET –IT), an organisation headquartered in Malta and other Dr. E. Spio-Garbrah CEO of the CTO, Mr. Communications Operators would A. De Bono Chairman of the CTO and the Hon. Harris Thrassou Cypriot Minister for be approached to join forces. Communications and Works

Keynote address in Cyprus

Mr Anthony De Bono was making The degree of importance of the this statement in his keynote adevents unfolded in the last two dress during a conference organised weeks, coupled with their quality in Cyprus by the CTO as part of the CTO’s new orientation of broader collaboration with the International ICT community in the use of ICTs Beneficiaries of the Tsunami Relief Fund as a means to accelerate social and the Maltese Ministry of Foreign early warning system would not be economic development globally. Affairs on the 15th June of the effective without a communication The Conference, which was also CTO’s successful bid to secure a component to deliver the warning to addressed by the Cypriot Minister contract to utilise the Tsunami Re- the masses. Undoubtedly such comof Communications and Works Hon lief Fund, created by the Govern- munication links would contribute Harris Thrassou entitled ‘Billing ment of Malta, to implement a rural to the general economic developand Revenue Assurance 2005’ connectivity project in Sri Lanka ment of the under-developed areas and would provide the marginalised addressed the difficulties operators called Rural Telecoop was one of face in collecting much-needed the main highlights of the strategic communities with means to actively operational funds, and as multioperational activities of this organi- participate fully in the democratic operator and competitive environsation, which is Chaired by Mr process. Sri Lanka society which ments become the norm in respecAnthony De Bono, a Maltese na- has seen a number of civil uprisings tional, whose standing in the inter- could definitely benefit from this level is certainly not insignificant tive countries, revenue losses can and in most cases manifested the prove a far more important impedinational telecommunications envi- project. ronment is eminently notorious and The project which is now approved CTO’s drive to multiply and diver- ment to growth. So one of the chalsify its relationship with potential lenges facing operators is that of needs no introduction. by the Committee entrusted by the partners. identifying systems and processes The CTO is a more than a 100 year Government of Malta and Chaired that optimise payments collection old organisation and it constitutes by President Emeritus Dr Ugo Mif- Indeed some of these efforts have and minimise deficits due to an international development part- sud Bonnici, entails the empower- been in Brussels, right in the heart revenue leakages. nership between the British Com- ment of the rural communities to of Europe’s capital city and in the build and operate their own micro other CTO and EU member country

Sea Gateway Road-Show key measurement and regulating are now discussing the fine details •The reinforcement of Research tool hopefully to be mandatory for of a memorandum of understanding and Development instruments to in Brussels and Cyprus It was in Cyprus that the CTO show – cased their ambitious Sea Gateway project, which is a nextgeneration maritime security and monitoring system and which takes advantage of numerous advances in land-based monitoring systems, to the Cypriot national maritime authorities, Ship management Companies, the Chairman and Board of Directors of the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority. A number of CEO’s from the industry were also presented with the benefits that this project will eventually offer.

The same trend was followed in Brussels during the meetings held with the Cabinet members of EU Commissioner Dr Joe Borg at the European Commission’s offices, throughout the Annual Conference of the European Telecommunications Networks Operators, at the meeting with the Secretary General of the European Satellite Operators Association and right through the encounter with the Directors of the European Telecom Information Society (ETIS), with whom, a memorandum of understanding was signed to promote cooperation between the CTO and ETIS.

the maritime industry international security code as for any other security requirement that US and European authorities may enforce.

ETNO Annual Conference The ETNO Annual conference with the theme ‘New Generation Networks: The next Telecom Revolution’ was also held in Brussels, with the EU Commissioner for Information and the Media Viviane Reding delivering the keynote address as the precursor of Commissioner Reding’s launch of the first policy initiative under the new Lisbon Strategy for jobs and growth - the i2010 initiative. The CTO took the advantage to make acquaintance with Commissioner Reding and to eventually project its profile by joining the ETNO leadership in endorsing the move towards IP (internet protocol) -based next generation networks and enabled new services. Next generation networks are underpinning the next revolution in the telecoms sector, driving all future growth prospects. ETNO members and likewise the CTO direction are optimistic that these will bring tremendous opportunities for users, citizens and businesses. The next generation networks will allow the industry to boost the level of innovation and knowledge leading to a more inclusive society, improved competitiveness and economic growth. It is true that next generation networks require significant investment and entail important risks. Consequently the CTO strongly supported ETNO in its drive to ensure that the application of regulatory frameworks for e-communications both removes existing barriers to innovation and

Throughout the meeting with the Chef de Cabinet of Commissioner Dr Joe Borg, Mr Anthony De Bono emphasised the critical role that the Sea Gateway project will play in the maritime industry. Sea Gateway will be the most comprehensive way to access critical and useful information regarding the state of a shipping fleet including cargo load on a global scale. SeaGate way is a channel of information that enables financial savings, improved maintenance and contributes to increased global maritime security. The opportunity of meeting Commissioner Borg’s Cabinet leader- Mr. A. De Bono Chairman of the CTO, Mr. Michael Bartholomew Director General ship could not have been more appropriate for the CTO since Dr ETNO (European Telecommunications Network Operators) and Dr. E. Spio-Garbrah Borg’s Commission is currently CEO of the CTO preparing to strengthen the regulatory management of the maritime avoids creating new obstacles to the industry. The Sea Gateway solution deployment of innovative networks is, in fact, aiming at becoming a and services. ETNO and the CTO

which will bring the two organisations even closer in their ambitions to secure a forward-looking regulatory environment which encourages investment. More importantly now that the CTO’s newly amended constitution provides for new categories of sector membership. Under these new arrangements it is now possible not only for the main fixed-line and incumbent telecom operators in each of the member countries to become part of the CTO, but also for companies in the mobile sector, Internet, Cable and equipment manufacturers.

The i2010 initiative The CTO Chairman and its CEO Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah were also actively involved during the press conference held by Commissioner Redding following the formal adoption of her ‘i2010’ initiative by the Commission. The CTO is heavily involved in assisting Member Countries to develop National ICT Development plans and they considered it vital to support the broad objectives of this initiative, which, in the main, is aimed at providing a new impetus to enable society as a whole to benefit from digital convergence. Hence their presence at this event. The importance of this experience therefore, merits underlining the critical elements in Commissioner Reding’s statement, which highlighted that the sector was on the eve of major transformations with the convergence of three major industries: Content, ECommunications and Electronic devices. Convergence of technologies requires convergence of policies and Reding’s initiative set priorities for the next five years in order to boost the development of the ICT sector. It is based on three major pillars: •A combination of all regulatory instruments related to the development of the ICT sector and at this point Commissioner Reding insisted on the rapid development of technologies to modernise the regulatory framework and possibly abolish out-dated rules. In this context the review of the regulatory framework foreseen in 2006 should encourage further investment in high-speed infrastructure. Mrs Reding also announced a revision of broadcasting rules and a new radio spectrum policy.

ensure technological leadership of Europe in ICT. Her i2010 initiative proposes an increase of EU research funding for ICT of 30 % •The promotion of an inclusive information society. Several initiatives will be launched in the coming five years in the fields of ehealth, e-government, e-learning; Commisssioner Reding mentioned concrete projects such as use of ICT to help caring for elderly people, to contribute to safer cars and digital libraries.

Looking Ahead This dynamic period of the CTO’s drive to secure international visibility for its membership will continue in the course of this month as it prepares to attend the High Level Forum at Marlborough House, the Commonwealth Headquarters in the UK, scheduled for the 21 and 22nd June, specifically for Government Representatives to review and endorse the Commonwealth Action Plan for the Digital Divide report for CHOGM 2005. The forum is expected to be chaired by the Maltese Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Michael Frendo. The plan will eventually be fine-tuned at the Commonwealth ICT Ministers which the CTO is tasked to convene in Yaoundé in Cameroon next September just before November’s CHOGM in Malta.

Article From The Sunday Times of Malta JULY 17, 2005