2020 ANNUAL REPORT
INTER-AMERICAN TELECOMMUNICATION COMMISSION (CITEL)
CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 3 1. INTRODUCTION ...... 6 2. ORIGIN AND STRUCTURE OF CITEL ...... 6 2.1 OBJECTIVES AND FUNCTIONS OF CITEL (ARTICLE 3 OF THE CITEL STATUTE) ...... 6 2.2 MEMBERS AND PARTICIPANTS ...... 7 2.3 STRUCTURE OF CITEL ...... 8 3. ACTIVITIES OF CITEL ...... 9 3.1 PERMANENT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF CITEL (COM/CITEL) ...... 9 3.2 PERMANENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE I: TELECOMMUNICATIONS/ICTS (PCC.I) ...... 11 3.3 PERMANENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE II: RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS (PCC.II) ...... 14 4. ACTIVITIES OF THE SECRETARIAT ...... 15 4.1 2030 ICT ALLIANCE FOR THE AMERICAS ...... 15 4.2 RURAL WOMEN’S ALLIANCE: EMPOWERING RURAL WOMEN THROUGH ICT ...... 21 4.3 CITEL’S RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ...... 22 4.4 ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUDGETARY ISSUES ...... 23 4.5 REPRESENTATION OF CITEL IN OTHER FORUMS ...... 23 5. MAINSTREAMING GENDER IN THE WORK OF CITEL ...... 28 6. COOPERATION RELATIONS WITH REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ...... 28 6.1 CITEL AND THE INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION (ITU) ...... 29 6.2 ORGANIZATIONS WITH WHICH CITEL HAS SIGNED A COOPERATION AGREEMENT ...... 31 6.3 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH MEMBER STATES ...... 34 7. STATUS OF INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS SPONSORED BY CITEL...... 35 7.1 LIMA CONVENTION ...... 35 7.2 INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION ON AN INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO PERMIT (IARP) .. 35 7.3 PROTOCOL OF AMENDMENT TO THE INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION ON AN INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO PERMIT (IARP) ...... 36 8. TRAINING ACTIVITIES SPONSORED BY OAS/CITEL ...... 37 9. BUDGET OF CITEL ...... 44 9.1 BUDGET AND EXECUTION FOR 2020 INCLUDING REGULAR FUND (SUB-PROGRAM 34F, SUB- PROGRAM 34G, AND INDIRECT COST OF RECUPERATION (ICR): ...... 44 9.2 BUDGET FOR 2020 ...... 45 9.3 SCHOLARSHIPS ...... 45 9.4 EXTERNAL FUNDS ...... 45 10. PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS OF CITEL FOR 2020-2021 ...... 47 11. DRAFT RESOLUTIONS FOR THE 50th OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ...... 49 ANNEXES 50 A. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS INCLUDING INCOMING AND RETIRED ASSOCIATES ...... 50 B. LIST OF MEETINGS CITEL HELD IN 2020 ...... 50 C. QUANTIFIABLE RESULTS OF CITEL FOR 2020 ...... 50 D. TITLES OF RESOLUTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND DECISIONS ADOPTED IN 2020 ...... 50 A. DRAFT RESOLUTION FOR THE 51TH OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY: LEADING ROLE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES IN DEVELOPING TELECOMMUNICATIONS / INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH CITEL ...... 61 F. DRAFT RESOLUTION FOR THE 51TH OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY: INITIATIVES TO EXPAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS / ICT IN RURAL, UNSERVED OR UNDERSERVED AREAS ...... 63
2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The year 2020 has been a year of worldwide challenges because of the global Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic and the restrictions set by health authorities in the member states of our region. Telecommunications and information and communication technologies (ICT) have been a key element and strategic partner supporting daily activities, so that, within this “new normal,” the socioeconomic and productive system would continue in all sectors. Governments, public and private institutions, academia, and civil society have been working holistically and cooperating to ensure that telecommunications and ICTs would function in the Americas. And CITEL has been vital for supporting agreements on digital inclusion, telecommunication infrastructure development, use of the radio spectrum, and creation of an enabling environment for investments in ICTs.
In March 2020, the CITEL Secretariat started using online technology for telecommuting pursuant to the instructions of the OAS General Secretariat. Nevertheless, the principal activities and meetings scheduled in the CITEL plan of operations were carried out virtually, while certain procedures were adapted and modified exceptionally because of the special the circumstances being experienced, so as to continue the work scheduled on the agendas of the Permanent Consultative Committees (PCCs) and to prevent activities from coming to a standstill.
In the framework of the 50 regular session of the General Assembly of the OAS, Resolution AG/RES. 2935 (L-O/20) was adopted on the “Leading role of the Organization of American States in developing Telecommunications/Information and Communication Technologies through the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL),” which urges OAS member states to implement activities in their countries and in the region to move forward with connectivity and broadband access, as the key driving force behind sustainable development. It also urges stepping up cooperation and the exchange of information, experiences, and best practices between each other in the realm of telecommunications and information and communication technologies (ICT) with support from the CITEL Executive Secretariat.
As for the budget for 2020, the resources from the Regular Fund allocated to CITEL for administrative overhead (not staff), including the Fund for Indirect Cost Recovery (ICR) and the meetings of CITEL Assembly, amounted to a total of US$629,819. Furthermore, the Program-Budget allocated which was adopted at the OAS General Assembly for the year 2021 amounted to $669,600, making it possible to continue hiring the two consultants to support added-value projects such as those agreed upon in the 2030 ICT Alliance for the Americas promoted by CITEL. In this budget adopted for 2021, from the Fund for Indirect Cost Recovery, the amount of US$26,400 was approved, compared to US$14,000 in the year 2020, which partially mitigates the impact of the Regular Fund’s cutback to Subprograms 34F and 34G.
The Permanent Executive Committee (COM/CITEL), CITEL’s executive body, held its meeting at the end of the year using an online platform and approved CITEL’s operational plan for 2021, which includes CITEL’s budget for 2021, as well as the calendar of meetings for 2021-2022. In addition, it approved the training and scholarship program and the annual report along with the draft resolution on the “Leading Role of the Organization of American States in Developing Telecommunications/Information and Communication Technologies through CITEL” for submittal to the 51 regular session of the General Assembly of the OAS for consideration and adoption by member states.
In that regard, a draft resolution was also approved for submittal to the next General Assembly of the OAS, which contains the “Initiatives for expanding Telecommunications/ICT in rural areas and in unserved or underserved areas” which shall help member states to develop projects or initiatives to expand telecommunications/ICT to rural areas, in compliance with the regulatory provisions applicable in each country, which shall facilitate the development of regulatory models to foster the rollout of infrastructure 3 in remote or underserved rural areas with the identification of changes needed in regulatory policies and in models to achieve universal access.
The recommendation containing “RELEVANT ASPECTS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN DRAFT REGULATORY POLICIES IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS DURING AND AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC” for the purpose of being shared with OAS bodies was also approved.
As for the activities of CITEL’s Permanent Consultative Committee I (PCC.I), its adaptation of the procedure for approving inter-American proposals electronically is noteworthy, as it makes it possible to move forward with CITEL’s activities and, as a result, those of the Americas region, when negotiating and adopting inter-American proposals for the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) and the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC). Also in the framework of this Committee, best practices were compiled to improve coverage of and universal access to telecommunications/ICT services and to identify development of models to bridge the digital divide by connecting the unconnected in unserved or underserved rural areas. In addition, a series of recommendations was approved on “initiatives to expand telecommunications/ICT in rural areas and in unserved or underserved areas,” which was developed jointly with CITEL member states and associate members.
As for CITEL’s Permanent Consultative Committee II (PCC.II), it has focused on defining the structure of the Working Group on Preparations for World Radiocommunication Conferences in response to the start of studies and preparations for WRC-23. The procedure for creating inter-American proposals and the role of the rapporteurs are also being examined. As a result of the work conducted in 2020, PCC.II made a series of recommendations on the radio spectrum for OAS member states that wish to develop projects or initiatives to expand telecommunications/ICT in rural areas and in unserved or underserved areas. In addition, it made recommendations for the countries of the Americas on the relevant actions that must be kept in mind when drafting regulatory policies in telecommunications/ICT during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public-private cooperation and collaboration through partnerships strives to promote inclusion and the appropriation of telecommunications and ICT in the Americas. The commitments already made by the 2030 ICT Alliance to provide digital education to more than 20,000 students in the Caribbean and 92 schools through the OAS and ProFuturo Foundation initiative make it possible to promote digital education in about 100 schools in five countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM): Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, and St. Lucia, and thus to boost connectivity with the help of initiatives that make it possible to secure funding, tools, and concrete products contributing to providing quality education, facilitating learning, and reaching rural and unserved areas using telecommunications and ICT.
These results of the 2030 ICT Alliance join others projects undertaken with MILLICOM, where “Conectate Segur@” has reached more than 340,000 beneficiaries by training children, adolescents, teachers, parents, and tutors. Likewise, there are already more than 1,400 schools that are now connected. With VIASAT in Mexico, more than 2,500 Community WiFi sites have been rolled out, with an estimated coverage of 1.8 million persons. In Brazil more than 12,000 schools have been connected, impacting about 3 million students. Jointly with the Rural Women’s Alliance: Empowering Rural Women through ICT, both alliances together are playing a key role in regional efforts to contribute to extending the use of technologies to bridge the digital divide and build roads to enable them to reach unserved persons and areas, taking into account geographical and gender constraints, with specific linguistic and content needs, as well as other conditions intrinsic to our region, as a key mechanism to achieve the goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (SDG).
4 Ultimately, through these alliances we are collaborating to build more effectively an inclusive, equitable, and fair digital society without any kind of discrimination, with the appropriate use of information and communication technologies, all the more so in times of COVID-19, by providing services and products to those who are most in need, on the basis of innovative and creative solutions that make it possible to integrate them and ensure their participation in this new reality in order to promote inclusive economic growth, competitiveness, and access to knowledge everywhere and in the most remote areas of our region, with the joint and strategic actions of governments, partner regulators and operators, and all stakeholders.
CITEL activities for 2020 ended with the 37 Meeting of COM/CITEL, held virtually on December 10 and 11 and hosted by Argentina, where the CITEL Plan of Operations for 2021 was approved
In general, the Consultative Committees and the working groups have steadily moved forward during this new scenario, proving they had the necessary expertise to contribute and collaborate with all stakeholders in this world emergency, adopting measures, best practices, and recommendations that would permit, facilitate, and promote the sustainable development of interoperable, innovative, and reliable telecommunications/ICT in the Americas, under the principles of universal access, equality, and affordability.
Bearing in mind the times we are living, today more than ever, in CITEL we continue to join forces by capacity building, the strengthening of strategic partnerships, and the establishment of agreements that allow us to hold true to our vision of full integration of members states in a world information and digital economy society, building bridges to bridge the gaps that are still dividing our societies, by using telecommunications and ICT in the relentless pursuit of contributing to poverty abatement, creation of an inclusive society, and integration of our countries.
5
1. INTRODUCTION
The Annual Report of CITEL is published pursuant to the provisions of Article 90.f of the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS), and Article 17.j of the Statute of CITEL and Articles 72.h and 92.j of the Regulations of CITEL. Its contents are in keeping with the guidelines established by the OAS General Assembly in its resolution AG/RES. 1452 (XXVII-O/97) on preparation of annual reports on the activities of the organs, agencies, and entities of the Organization.
The present report covers the period from January 1 to December 31, 2020.
2. ORIGIN AND STRUCTURE OF CITEL
The Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) is an entity of the Organization of American States established by the General Assembly in its resolution AG/RES. 1224 (XXIII-O/93), in keeping with Article 53 of the Charter of the Organization. CITEL has technical autonomy in the performance of its functions, within the limits of the Charter of the Organization, the Statute of CITEL, and such mandates as the General Assembly of the Organization may assign to it.
2.1 Objectives and functions of CITEL (Article 3 of the CITEL Statute)
Objectives a. To facilitate and promote, by all means available to it, the continuing development of telecommunications/information and communication technologies (ICTs) (hereinafter telecommunications/ICTs) in the Hemisphere, in pursuance of sustainable development. b. To promote and foster the existence of appropriate telecommunications/ICTs that contribute to the integral development process in the region, with particular attention to underserved areas. c. To organize promote, and evaluate the periodic holding of meetings of technicians and experts to study planning, financing, construction, operation, standardization, technical assistance, maintenance, and other matters related to the use and development of telecommunications/ICTs in the Americas. d. To promote the unification of criteria and technical standards for the installation, operation, and maintenance of systems, in order to obtain maximum benefit from the facilities available to each country and to the region in general, in the global standardization framework of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and other relevant standardization organizations. e. To promote and study technical assistance, in agreement with the governments of the respective countries, giving priority to the needs of developing countries. f. To foster the improvement and harmonization of administrative, financial, and operational procedures for the planning, installation, improvement, maintenance, and operation of the telecommunication/ICT networks of the member states of CITEL. g. To recommend studies and promote the adoption of official agreements among governments of member states of the Organization for the planning, installation, maintenance, and operation of telecommunication/ICT systems in the Hemisphere. h. To promote and encourage the study and dissemination of the impact of telecommunications/ICTs on the environment and climate change and their relationship to ICTs, in keeping with policies developed by the ITU and other organizations with competence in this area. i. To promote the harmonization, equitable access, and efficient use of the radio spectrum among the member states, devoting special attention to the needs of developing countries.
j. To promote and encourage the use and appropriation of telecommunications/ICTs in the Hemisphere, particularly by women, girls, and people with special needs. k. To promote capacity-building in the member states of CITEL to better attain their objectives. l. To foster the engagement of the telecommunications/ICT industry, the academia, relevant organization of the civil society or others related to telecommunications/ICT or Internet sector in the work of CITEL.
Functions a. To serve as the Organization’s leading advisory body in all matters relating to telecommunications/ICTs in the Hemisphere. b. To promote or undertake studies and programs for the sustainable development of telecommunications/ICTs c. To compile and disseminate to the member states of the Organization information pertaining to the fulfillment of the objectives of CITEL, as well as any other information that may be of interest, including the results of the work of the Commission. d. To maintain ongoing contact with the various international governmental and nongovernmental organizations in the field of telecommunications/ICTs, and to promote mutual cooperation and coordination of their activities with those of the member states of the Organization. e. To analyze, propose, and implement different forms of financing to support the approved plans and projects. f. To study the technical, legal, economic, policy, and regulatory aspects of telecommunications/ICTs of relevance to the region. g. To make recommendations in the area of telecommunications/ICTs to the governments of the member states of CITEL, taking into account those made by the ITU and by other relevant organizations. h. To consider matters related to inter-American cooperation in the field of telecommunications/ICTs assigned to it by the General Assembly and the Summit of the Americas. i. To promote the development of new applications that promotes the inclusion of the region’s countries in the Knowledge-based Society. j. To identify mechanisms to encourage participation by all member states in the meetings of CITEL, and to increase the number of associate members. k. To promote the coordination of positions among the member states for the different international telecommunications/ICT conferences, assemblies, and meetings.
2.2 Members and participants
All member states of the Organization are Members of CITEL.
The following organizations and entities may participate as observers: a. Permanent Observers to the Organization. b. Subject to COM/CITEL's approval, those American States that are not Members of the Organization and which have asked to participate in the meeting. c. Subject to COM/CITEL's approval, those Non-American States that are Members of the United Nations or its specialized Agencies and which have asked to participate in the meeting. d. Inter-American specialized organizations and entities of the Organization, and Inter-American intergovernmental regional organizations. e. The United Nations and its specialized agencies.
7 f. International and national organizations that are parties to agreements or arrangements establishing relations of cooperation with the Organization, with its organs, organizations or agencies, when such agreements or arrangements provide for participation of observers. g. Subject to COM/CITEL's approval, those international, regional, sub regional and national agencies and organizations that are involved in telecommunications/ICT activities in the region and which have asked to participate in the meeting. h. The associate members of the Permanent Consultative Committees.
The Statute of CITEL provides that any academic entity, organization, institution, or industry related to telecommunications/ICTs which has legal personality in one of the member states and with the approval of any such State, or which has legal personality in a non-member state and with the approval of three member states of CITEL, may become as associate member of a Permanent Consultative Committee. Associate members may participate fully, with voice but without vote, in all activities of the Permanent Executive Committee selected. They may present technical documents, and receive the documents of the Committee of which they are associate members, and of its working and ad hoc groups. At December 31, 2020, CITEL had 96 associate members. Annex A contains a complete list of associate members.
2.3 Structure of CITEL
As of the Seventh Regular Meeting of the Assembly of CITEL, the structure of CITEL is, according to Annex of the Regulations of CITEL:
• Assembly of CITEL • Permanent Executive Committee (COM/CITEL) • Permanent Consultative Committees: o Permanent Consultative Committee I: Telecommunications/Information and Communication Technologies (PCC.I) o Permanent Consultative Committee II: Radiocommunications (PCC.II) • Secretariat
The Permanent Consultative Committees (PCCs) provide advice on matters pertaining to their respective purviews. They establish working groups, ad hoc groups, and rapporteurships on topics of priority to the
8 region in telecommunications, information and communication technologies (ICTs), and radiocommunications.
The authorities of the Committees for the period 2018-2022 appointed by acclamation are:
Chair of COM/CITEL: Republic of Argentina Vice-Chair of COM/CITEL: Colombia Chair of PCC.I: Peru Chair of PCC.II: Mexico
The member states of the Permanent Executive Committee of CITEL (COM/CITEL) are: The Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, United States of America, and Uruguay.
3. ACTIVITIES OF CITEL
Annex B hereto contains a list of the meetings held in 2019. Annex C contains a list of CITEL’s quantifiable results for 2020, and Annex D the list of resolutions, recommendations, and decisions adopted by the Committees in 2020.
3.1 Permanent Executive Committee of CITEL (COM/CITEL)
Officers:
Chair: Mr. Claudio Ambrosini (Republic of Argentina) Vice-Chair: Ms. Karen Abudinen (Colombia)
The Permanent Executive Committee is the executive body of CITEL and generally meets once a year. In 2020, the 37 Meeting of Permanent Executive Committee of CITEL (COM/CITEL) was held virtually on December 10 and 11, 2020. At this meeting, the Permanent Executive Committee approved CITEL’s operating plan for 2021, indicators to monitor CITEL’s strategic plan and committees, as well as the calendar of meetings for 2021-2022; it also approved the training and scholarships program and the annual 9 report with the accompanying draft resolution on the “Leading role of the Organization of American States in developing telecommunications / information and communication technologies through CITEL” for submittal to the 51 regular session of the General Assembly of the OAS for its consideration and adoption by the member states.
Furthermore, in the framework of this meeting, the draft resolution for the General Assembly containing the “Initiatives for expanding Telecommunications/ICT in rural areas and in unserved or underserved areas” was approved as a basis for member states that wish to develop projects or initiatives for expanding telecommunications/ICTs in rural areas, in conformity with the regulatory provisions applicable to each country. It envisages initiatives that facilitate the development of regulatory frameworks that foster the deployment of infrastructure in remote or underserved rural areas identifying necessary changes in a) regulatory policies and in b) models for achieving universal access.
The recommendation containing the “RELEVANT ASPECTS TO BE KEPT IN MIND WHEN DRAFTING TELECOMMUNICATION REGULATORY POLICIES DURING AND AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC” was approved for the purpose of sharing it with OAS bodies.
This year, the Working Group to Prepare CITEL for the Meetings of the International Telecommunication Union held various virtual meetings to address issues relative to the ITU Council’s Working Groups and Expert Group on ITRs and the Informal Experts Group on WTPF, and other subjects to deal with the nominations to candidacies for the Council and Working Groups, as well as issues of interest to CITEL in connection with the ITU Council Virtual Consultation of Councillors. This working group held meetings on the following dates: January 27, May 15, June 3, August 19, October 15, and November 11.
The Working Group on the Strategic Plan met on March 11 to review the indicators reported to the OAS Strategic Plan with responsibility for CITEL and follow up on the indicators already defined for the CITEL Strategic Plan.
The Working Group on Financial Sustainability submitted its progress report in both PCCs and also held informative meetings for the purpose of talking about the report of the group contained in document COM/CITEL/doc.255/19r1 and in particular the draft proposal on creating a new membership category. In addition, it held meetings to clarify queries that associate members had asked, specify the process that is being carried out, and discuss proposals to uphold CITEL’s financial stability. These meetings were held on August 4 and September 1, also including the circulation of the report for receiving comments.
The Conference Preparatory Working Group to address regional preparations for world conferences and meetings took advantage of this meeting to adjust the Group’s name and change to “Working Group for the preparation of ITU Plenipotentiary Conferences (PP)” to specify on which conference it is focusing its activities, including as well updating the working group’s mandate and structure, which is attached to the present resolution.
Furthermore, the Ad Hoc Group on amendments to the CITEL Statute and Regulation was established to examine and submit to the 38 COM/CITEL meeting possible amendments to CITEL’s Statute and Regulation, in particular those relative to dealing with passive associate members and their impact on CITEL’s financial and legal framework.
Finally, the resolution to start up preparations for the Eighth Regular Meeting of the CITEL Assembly, to be held in February 2022 in Colombia, was approved.
10 3.2 Permanent Consultative Committee I: Telecommunications/ICTs (PCC.I)
Officers:
Chair: Mr. Diego Eloy Carrillo Purín (Peru) Alternate Chair: Mr. José Aguilar Reátegui (Peru) Vice-Chairs: Mr. Juan Carlos Duarte Dure (Paraguay) Ms. María Lily Escobar (El Salvador) Alternate Vice-Chair: To be determined (El Salvador)
The Permanent Consultative Committee I (PCC.I) serves as the advisory body of CITEL in the area of telecommunications/ICTs, especially with regard to matters of telecommunication/ICT policies, regulatory aspects, standardization, cybersecurity, international Internet-related public policy matters —insofar as those matters involve telecommunication networks or ICT infrastructure—, universal service, economic and social development, environment and climate change, infrastructure development, and new technologies.
Main ongoing activities and new initiatives:
This year, because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the activities of PCC.I were conducted entirely using online platforms, taking into consideration priority issues and activities that required decision-making to proceed with the work plan. PCC.I meetings in 2020 were held as follows: 11
• 36 Meeting of PCC.I (April 20 to 24, 2020, virtual meeting, host: Peru) • First Special Meeting of PCC.I (2 sessions: September 11 and October 2, 2020) • 37 Meeting of PCC.I (October 26 to 30, 2020, virtual meeting, host: Colombia)
For the 36 meeting of PCC.I, which was scheduled to be held onsite in Lima, Peru, less than one month after the lockdown was declared, priority was given to the activities of the Working Group for the Preparation and Follow-up of WTSA, WCIT, and WTDC (WGCONF). For the first time, an entirely virtual meeting of this Permanent Consultative Committee was organized and held, thanks to steps taken by the CITEL Secretariat. It was proposed that the seminars on “Connecting to unconnected in rural and remote areas” and “5G: Opportunities and challenges in the Americas” scheduled for the 2020 calendar would be held in 2021.
For the initial activities for this period in PCC.I, first and foremost was the adaptation of the procedure for approving inter-American proposals electronically, making it possible to move forward with CITEL’s preparatory work for the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-20) under these new conditions and that this new methodology is to be used for the next meeting(s) of PCC.I, only if the health conditions and threats produced by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continue, pursuant to the provisions of the CITEL Statute and Regulation, in the framework of the functions and activities set forth in the operational and strategic plan of CITEL.
During this 36 meeting of PCC.I, member states reached a consensus to approve 29 inter-American proposals (IAP) that would be submitted to the WTSA-20 whereas the discussion and negotiation of 5 draft inter-American proposals (DIAP) remained pending, as well as 1 individual contribution.
The changes in the dates of the various regional, international, and global assemblies and meetings triggered a series of changes in the timetables and, as a result, the deadlines set for the submittal of contributions and/or proposals in general. Because of this, PCC.II convened a special meeting for the purpose of having the Working Group for the preparation and follow-up of WTSA, WCIT, and WTDC (WGCONF) proceed with CITEL’s preparations for the meetings of the working group of the ITU Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG).
Considering the extraordinary circumstances that we are experiencing with the pandemic and the proximity of the deadlines set for sending the contributions to the working groups of the TDAG and pursuant to Article 69 of the Regulations for PCC chairs (Duties of the Chair of a PCC), in accordance with Article 85(11) of CITEL Regulations: “PCCs are allowed to change and adapt their work methods to most efficiently meet the needs of their members, provided they do not contravene the provisions of the CITEL Statute and Regulations,” this special meeting scheduled two working sessions which were held virtually, using a virtual platform and with simultaneous interpreting, on September 11 and October 2, 2020, approving the exceptional procedure for adopting inter-American contributions (IACs) because of special circumstances for the purpose of submitting an IAC to the ITU, in line with established standards, deadlines, and procedures, making it possible to send on time and in due form one (1) IAC to the Working Group of the TDAG on the preparations for the WTDC (TDAG WG-Prep).
The focal points that were designated for these meetings and to represent CITEL in the TDAG workings groups are as follows:
• TDAG Working Group on the preparations for WTDC (TDAG WG-Prep): Daniel Carletti (Argentina) and Andrea Grippa (Brazil)
12 • TDAG Working Group on WTDC resolutions, declarations, and thematic priorities (TDAG WG- RDTP): Xiam Persaud (Bahamas) and Kelly O’Keefe (United States of America). • TDAG Working Group on strategic and operational plans (TDAG WG-SOP): Michele Wu-Bailey (United States of America) and Víctor Martínez (Mexico).
In addition, taking the new date proposed for holding the WTSA, a resolution was approved to hold the 37 meeting of Permanent Consultative Committee I: Telecommunications/Information and Communication Technologies exceptionally by virtual means on October 26-30, 2020 for the purpose of adapting the time- limits in connection with CITEL’s preparations owing to this new scenario.
The activities of this Committee concluded this year with the holding of the 37 meeting of PCC.I using virtual means and taking up again the activities of all the working groups and rapporteurships, focusing its agendas on the definition of priorities, rescheduling of activities and tasks, in addition to updating adjusting the work plans in the pandemic scenario.
Likewise, WGCONF continued preparing CITEL for WTSA-20, and it was possible for member states to approve 10 new inter-American proposals (IAP) for a total of 29 inter-American proposals (IAP) in the framework of this meeting. Discussion and negotiation of 6 draft inter-American proposals (DIAP) and 1 individual contribution remained pending.
In addition, one of the activities developed by the Rapporteurship on broadband, universal access, digital inclusion, and gender equality came to an end, after hard work at PCC.I meetings and various virtual sessions to gather information and practices aimed at “Improving coverage of and universal access to ICT/telecommunication services and identifying the development of models to bridge the digital divide by connecting the unconnected in unserved or underserved rural areas,” a job that the 25 OAS member states have been doing together with associate members of CITEL and organizations of the Americas.
The objective of this report is to identify the development of models that make it possible to bridge the digital divide by connecting the unconnected in unserved and underserved rural area, including a list of possible actions to be taken by member states and for which there are universal service funds and all of their implications. Various programs were also identified in the region on connectivity and rural access currently under way, which technologies are used to connect said areas, and which business and sustainability models are currently available.
At the 37 meeting of PCC.I, the above-mentioned report was approved, entitled as “Improving coverage and universal access to telecommunication/ICT services and identifying the development of models to bridge the digital divide by connecting the unconnected in unserved or underserved rural areas,” as well as a recommendation containing “Initiatives to expand telecommunications/ICT in rural areas and in unserved and underserved areas” which were referred to PCC.II and thereafter to COM/CITEL to assess the submittal of said recommendations to the OAS General Assembly.
In addition, in follow-up to the actions, the OAS resolution AG/RES. 2935 (XLIX-O/19) “HEMISPHERIC EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE USE OF MOBILE TERMINAL EQUIPMENT THAT WERE STOLEN, LOST, OR TAMPERED WITH,” which was adopted on June 27, 2019 at the forty-ninth OAS General Assembly, a virtual seminar to be held in the first quarter of 2021 was approved. Its purpose is to build capacities enabling member states to learn about tools, best practices, and relevant information on the adoption or strengthening of monitoring measures to follow up on the activities set out in the roadmap drawn up by the Rapporteurship on this matter.
13 Likewise, on the basis of a decision, the Rapporteurship on conformance, fraud and illegal or irregular mobile terminal devices control shall mainstream the issue of combating hacking audiovisual contents and television signals in its work plan, for the purpose of preparing a draft recommendation for the next PCC.I meeting so that it can be referred to a second instance, to the OAS Assembly, in order to help member states adopt measures to combat this kind of fraud.
Furthermore, a decision was approved for PCC.I to start working on developing a recommendation on a reference regulatory framework to accommodate the use of stratospheric platforms to bridge the digital divide and improve emergency preparedness.
For 2021, we expect that the 38 meeting of PCC.I, as well as the ITU regional preparatory meeting for WTDC-21 for the Americas (RPM-AMS) to prepare CITEL for WTDC-21, shall be held virtually until global health conditions improve in order to return to attending face-to-face meetings.
3.3 Permanent Consultative Committee II: Radiocommunications (PCC.II)
Officers:
Chair: Mr. Mario Germán Fromow Rangel (Mexico) Alternate Chair: Mr. José Arias (Mexico)
Vice Chairs: Mr. Héctor Budé (Uruguay) Mr. Agostinho Linhares de Souza (Brazil) Mr. Carlos Eduardo Valle (El Salvador)
Permanent Consultative Committee II (PCC.II) serves as an advisory Committee of CITEL, promoting the planning, coordination, harmonization, and efficient use of the radio spectrum, and of the geostationary and non-geostationary satellite orbits for radiocommunication services including broadcasting.
Main activities in progress and new initiatives:
This year, because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, PCC.II’s work was entirely conducted by distance, taking into consideration the priority issues and activities that required decision-making to proceed with the work plan. The meetings of PCC.II held in 2020 were as follows:
• 35 meeting of PCC.II (May 11, 2020) • 36 meeting of PCC.II (November 30 to December 4, 2020)
14 After the success obtained by the region with its large number of proposals made by CITEL at WRC-19, the Committee’s work this year focused on reviewing the structure of the Working Group for Preparations for World Radiocommunication Conferences to respond to the agenda of WRC-23, as well as the procedure for preparing inter-American proposals and the role of the rapporteurs. Despite the pandemic, CITEL was the first regional organization to successfully hold preparatory meetings for WRC-23.
As a result of the work done in 2020, PCC.II made a series of recommendations on the radio spectrum for OAS member states that wish to develop projects or initiatives for the expansion of telecommunications / ICT in rural areas and in unserved or underserved areas.
PCC.II also made recommendations for the countries of the Americas on relevant actions that must be kept in mind when drawing up regulatory policies for telecommunications/ICT during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. ACTIVITIES OF THE SECRETARIAT
The Secretariat has the following objectives and duties: acting as CITEL’s permanent central and administrative body; coordinating the administrative services needed to implement the decisions of the CITEL Assembly, COM/CITEL, and the Permanent Consultative Committees; and discharging the duties assigned to it by these bodies. In that respect, it is indispensable to ensure the best performance of the CITEL Secretariat in fulfillment of its mandate:
• The CITEL Secretariat has a team that is highly committed to its work, with admirable dedication, and that is working at an increasingly faster pace because of the large volume of meetings that are held in the framework of the bodies of CITEL and ITU. • It is worth noting the demands of various preparatory processes, which are carried out on a parallel basis in many different forums, and for which CITEL staff must be careful to deliver results on time regarding all matters. • In view of this reality, all member states are cordially invited to contribute additional specific funds or the allocation of staff from their respective government on secondment to support the CITEL Secretariat. Associate members are also invited to join, with specific projects, the alliances promoted by CITEL to bridge the digital divide and to contribute additional financial resources that would make it possible to strengthen the assistance in telecommunications/information and communication technologies that countries are requesting from the CITEL Secretariat.
4.1 2030 ICT Alliance for the Americas
Background The 2030 ICT Alliance is an initiative of the OAS General Secretariat, aimed at promoting the region’s development through ICTs. This public-private partnership was signed in the Dominican Republic on June 14, 2016 at the OAS General Assembly for the purpose of securing resources and concrete outcomes that would contribute, among others, to promoting digital training to raise the quality of education in the Americas and to develop talent for the new digital economy.
The Alliance recognizes the need to support OAS member states in their efforts to mainstream ICTs into their national policies in the framework of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
15 Development, which recognizes that world interconnection offers major possibilities to speed up human progress, reduce digital divides, and develop knowledge societies.
Members The original signatories were Telefónica, Millicom, CISCO, and América Móvil. In 2019, the following joined this initiative: ISOC, ViaSat, and Facebook. In 2020, AT&T and the International Scientific Research Center and Creation in Telecommunications, Information and Communication Technologies (CITIC-Ecuador) signed their adherence.
Objectives of the Alliance 1. To work jointly to contribute to the global target of connecting 1.5 billion persons online for the year 2020 throughout the world. 2. To ensure that all public schools in the Americas are connected to Internet before the year 2030 and to create relevant local contents. 3. To promote digital training to contribute to raising the quality of education and to develop talent for the new digital economy. 4. To build up democratic participation in the Americas through ICTs.
On August 20, the virtual Forum on Progress of the 2030 ICT Alliance was held with the participation of high-level authorities, associate members, and bodies from the region, where the allies indicated the progress they have made with their actions to fulfill their commitments and specifically highlighted the efforts, developments, projects, and/or testimonies that are being made through this initiative as members of this Alliance.
The panelists shared their points of view on the key elements to continue driving and promoting the 2030 ICT Alliance recognizing that the new challenges appearing because of COVID-19 have impacted fulfillment of the goals and objectives that had been planned. They also stressed the opportunities that are available to continue moving forward, innovating, and creating strategically so that this initiative can continue under the new conditions associated with the pandemic.
Advances
a) PROFUTURO FOUNDATION (TELEFÓNICA). On the basis of the joint work to contribute to the global goal of ensuring online connection for 1.5 billion people by the year 2020 throughout the world, connectivity has been taken to more than 1.6 million (May 2020) through the Internet for All in Peru, which is aimed at benefiting 2.3 million persons by December 2020 and the rollout of 1,077 4G sites.
As for digital capacity building, ProFuturo has brought benefits to more than 5.8 million children in 23 countries of Latin America, Africa, and Asia, on the basis of activities that include technological equipment, training, and digital education contents to ensure equitable access to ICTs. It has operations in 9 countries of South America, 5 in Central America, and 5 in the Caribbean, as a result of which it brought benefits to 4.3 million children trained and more than 194,000 teachers trained as well.
The OAS-ProFuturo program in the Caribbean provided technological equipment, including laptops, tablets, projectors, and routers, to 36 primary schools in The Bahamas and St. Lucia, and supplied academic digital content in innovation and ICT integration in education. Together with the 56 schools in Barbados, Belize, and Guyana that received
16 equipment, this Program has equipped a total of 92 schools in the five participating countries.
Furthermore, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the teacher-training component of the program was expanded to all OAS member states. This enabled over 11,700 teachers from 26 OAS countries to access 40 online courses to improve their capacity to deliver quality virtual education. Over 3,530 teachers in the region have completed at least 10 hours of training.
Likewise, the program “Conecta Empleo” was launched, leading to more than 498,000 participants in nine countries who benefited from both face-to-face and online training in issues such as social entrepreneurship, programming, technical skills, and soft skills.
Finally, this year the tenth installment of the prize awards program “ConectaRSE para crecer” (Connect to Grow) was conducted, involving the training of more than 5,000 rural entrepreneurs, with a potential of 1,100 entrepreneurial projects identified in areas such as education, health, the environment, and women entrepreneurs, among others.
This year, although fraught in uncertainty, Telefónica helped various initiatives in the countries of Latin America by providing free-of-charge access to educational platforms and contents such as those provided by ProFuturo and promoted the training of teachers and zero rating access to pages with educational contents and other solutions adapted to students.
b) MILLICOM: The targets and advances for each one of the commitments have been as follows: 17
COMMITMENT 1: For the year 2020, to implement a volunteer program for sustainability in all the markets where Millicom is operating, with one central pillar of participation to provide digital education to underserved vulnerable groups.
A volunteer program has been implemented in the framework of the regional project “Conéctate Segur@” (Get Connected Safely) whereby training is provided on the safe and responsible use of Internet for children, teachers, and parents.
“Conéctate Segur@” has reached more than 340,000 beneficiaries by training 231,790 children and adolescents, 8,444 teachers, and 100,405 parents and tutors. Now, work continues to boost achievements to 2023, with the proposal of reaching 70,000 teachers, 200,000 parents and custodians, and 700,000 children and adolescents, which includes 120,000 hours of volunteer work.
COMMITMENT 2: For the year 2020, in all the countries where Millicom operates, there will the Child Online Protection program. This educational program is aimed at promoting and training children, parents, teachers, and our customers to be safe online. The context of COVID-19 has made it possible for them to explore the cooperation with other stakeholders such as the connected teacher organization and UNICEF to move forward on this issue.
COMMITMENT 3: By the year 2030, connect 2,100 community educational institutions in Latin America, including youth centers and public schools and equip educators in these institutions with online safety programs for children and young people. In 2020, it was possible to achieve the connection of more than 533 schools, universities, and public institutions, leading to a cumulative total of 2,790 connected educational institutions. c) VIASAT joined the Alliance and proposed the following objectives: - In 2020, to provide connectivity to 8,000 schools in marginalized schools. - To foster STEM education programs with the education ministries of five low-income countries in Latin America, including the supply of materials for the development of satellite broadband and a traineeship program. - To provide vocational training to persons in the region, for the purpose of helping them to earn income as a result of the rollout of telecommunication networks. - To permit connectivity in a series of experimental sites in the OAS region, for the purpose of creating “connected villages” which would synchronize and accelerate the adoption of digital technologies.
To date, in Mexico, more than 2,500 WiFi Community sites have been rolled out, and in every state of the country there is at least one of these sites which, together, provide coverage to 1.8 million people in Mexico, with more than 150,000 users per month. In Brazil, work is being done to launch sites in each one of the states of the country.
Among the plans for 2020, there was the one to start operations in Central America and Colombia, but because of the situation of the pandemic, these rollouts have been delayed. Nevertheless, it is expected that once the situation has returned to normal, the plans for Colombia, Guatemala, and Jamaica can begin.
Programs supporting education: - In Brazil, more than 12,000 schools have been connected between 2019 and 2020, impacting about 3 million students.
18 - In Mexico, the program is at a standstill because of financial reasons pertaining to the government, but a long-term solution is being sought to uphold connectivity. d) ISOC, in response to its commitment to the 2030 ICT Alliance for the Americas, had proposed a commitment in the framework of the rollout of community networks in rural, remote, or underserved areas for the installation of 12 community networks by the year 2020.
Regarding this, we are pleased to report that the commitment has achieved more than planned, as there are now 15 community networks operating since August 2020.
At the same time, it was proposed that the adoption of multi-stakeholder processes would be strengthened in order to tackle the challenges of access to Internet in the Americas so that, by 2020, at least three countries of the region would adopt policies for an environment conducive to providing access to Internet. In this sense, it is a pleasure to inform that there are efforts in four countries of the region (Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Brazil) where policies have been adopted promoting the access to Internet via community-based networks, including innovative spectrum licensing and access processes.
Finally, in view of the commitment to raise awareness and share best practices, an event was held on November 4 in the region to provide common knowledge for capacity building to implement the conditions needed to implement community networks. e) FACEBOOK: - Facebook actively collaborated with A4AI and other institutions on the document “Rural Broadband Policy Framework: Connecting the Unconnected.” The document makes four specific recommendations: 1) digital literacy, 2) protecting security and privacy, 3) promoting the development of local contents, and 4) boosting demand by promoting and providing e-government services. Published in March 2020.
- Internet for All: o It is rolling out broadband mobile infrastructure to provide coverage to 6 million persons in Peru (18% of the population) who did not have mobile coverage or only had the 2G service. It shall provide coverage to 45% of those who are currently not covered. o Start of operations in May 2019. o At present, more than 1.5 million users in rural areas in Peru are receiving services through their wholesale network. - Express Wi-Fi: o Wi-Fi programs have already rolled out 3,700 access points in rural areas of Brazil and Mexico. They are also in Colombia and Peru. o Each access point connects to about 500 persons. o Users can have access at speeds of up to 50 Mbps. o These programs are offered in association with satellite and fixed operators in the region. - Discover: o Next generation service that makes it possible to have access to all of the content available on Internet in a lighter version. o It was introduced to the Peruvian market in May 2020 through four mobile operators of the country.
19 f) AT&T joined this Alliance at the beginning of 2020 on the basis of the following commitments:
SCHOOL +: The program intends to help provide services to 50% of the expected rural schools in Latin America by the year 2030 (60,000 schools). SCHOOL + Academy: We shall support the professional development of teachers in Latin America with investment in the SCHOOL + Academy training resource, annually delivering face- to-face training for 15,000 to 20,000 teachers of rural and vulnerable schools and supporting more than 60,000 teaching professionals with online training and other teaching resources. In addition SCHOOL + Academy shall produce support materials / handbooks for teachers on the audiovisual contents provided.
SCHOOL + Channel + Content: On the basis of original productions and the collaboration of partners, SCHOOL + shall deliver hundreds of new hours of educational content for classroom use and participation, as well as for professional pedagogical development. g) CITIC joined this Alliance in mid-2020 and made the following commitments for the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Awareness-raising and training via Internet on the following issues: climate change, carbon quota regulation, waste management and circular economy, education in the areas of EAC creation, open data innovation, cyberdefense, cybersecurity, and cyberintelligence, policy, public speaking, and reasoning, telemedicine and cyberhealth, labor tsunami owing to the impact of telecommunications and ICTs, as well as other current issues associated with ICTs. - Supporting the development of relevant local contents via public and private academic institutions through the CITIC partnership – Oracle Academy. - Promoting digital training. o Free basic and mid-level training of 500 teachers, 10,000 students from 20 institutions of higher learning and 50 elementary and secondary schools. o Advanced training: through the Program Supporting “Capacity Building of the Labor Force” o Training through the Program for Education in Areas of Creation (EAC) for 20 persons and the Program for Data-based Innovation for 20 persons. - Training in knowledge about cyberspace and cybersecurity.
The International Center for Scientific Research and Creation in Telecommunications and Information and Communication Technologies (CITIC) in its commitment with the 2030 ICT Alliance for the Americas to enhance and accelerate the pace of digital transformation and exponential transformation through knowledge services, data-based innovation for economic development, and education in areas of creation (EAC), is promoting collaborative work between the academic sector, research centers, the state, and the community, as well as capacity building, by granting scholarships for seminars and courses on telecommunications/ICTs and motivating open free-of-charge participation in webinars, conferences, debates, forums, and talks in the region. CITIC held six virtual seminars with open, cost-free participation for participants who registered, granting 1,037 scholarships. These virtual seminars lasted one (1) hour and were broadcast via Zoom and Facebook Live.
It is expected that it will continue in 2021 working on awareness raising and training with the series of cost- free virtual seminars for participants on issues that are relevant and of current concern for the region, supporting the development of local contents through public and private academic institutions on the basis of the free Program of the CITIC – Oracle Academy Alliance, promoting digital training with the Program of the CITIC Oracle University Alliance, fostering Creativity and Innovation on the basis of Education in Areas of Creation (EAC), and providing training on knowledge of data management and processing for
20 innovation and capacity building of economic development, promoting telemedicine and cyberhealth, as well as cyberspace and security in telecommunications and ICT networks, in order to analyze and strengthen the study of virtual territory and democratic participation using telecommunications and ICTs.
4.2 Rural Women’s Alliance: EMPOWERING RURAL WOMEN THROUGH ICT
The Rural Women’s Alliance: Empowering Rural Women through ICT is an initiative of CITEL in line with the Buenos Aires Declaration, which recognized the need to adopt public policies in order to resolve the problems affecting our peoples. It is aimed at fostering the adoption of specific actions to improve the connectivity of remote or underserved rural areas and developing digital services and capabilities that would facilitate the use of ICTs, in particular by women and girls, thus reducing the digital divide.
Members
The initial member states and institutions signing this Alliance on December 18, 2018 in Mar del Plata, Argentina, were: • Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Paraguay, and United States of America; • CCAT-LAT, CITEL, COMTELCA, GSMA, Internet Society, and VIASAT.
Thereafter, the following joined: • Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, and Uruguay; • ITU, Hispasat/Hispamar, OneWeb, ASIET, Telefónica, WebFoundation, American Tower Corporation, Cabase, Copaco, Facebook, and Huawei.
Objectives of the Alliance
The ICTs can provide big opportunities for gender equality by allowing everybody to have access to the same online resources and opportunities. They enable women to gain a stronger voice in their communities, their government, and globally. ICTs can also provide new opportunities for women’s economic empowerment by creating business and employment opportunities for women as business owners and project managers to which they gain access through ICTs, as well as employees of new companies.
It is worth mentioning here some of the specific goals of this Alliance:
• implementing programs that provide connectivity in rural or underserved areas; • establishing sustainable community network projects to be operated by women wherever possible; • building up digital ecosystem capacities for women and girls in rural areas, focusing on enhancing the development of the economies and production processes of those areas; • promoting training in the use of ICT in those areas making it possible to replicate what was learned among other women; • developing repositories with local contents that can be used by the community; • training women entrepreneurs from the areas identified for commercial development through ICT; • among others.
21 On September 30, a virtual event was held, the Forum on Progress of the Rural Women’s Alliance: Empowerment of rural women through ICT with the participation of high-level authorities, associate members, and regional organizations, including the noteworthy attendance of His Excellency Carlos Alberto Raimundi, Argentina’s Ambassador to the OAS, who delivered the opening remarks.
This forum was aimed at learning about the progress made by the Rural Women’s ICT Alliance and the actions that were taken to ensure their empowerment through ICT based on its commitments and specifically highlighting the efforts, developments, projects, and/or testimonies that are being made through this initiative as members of this Alliance.
The guests panelists had the opportunity to expound and share their viewpoints about the key elements to continue driving and promoting the Rural Women’s Alliance, learning about the new challenges that are being tackled and they also stressed the opportunities available to continue moving forward, innovating, and creating strategically so that this initiative can continue its course of empowering women through ICT under the “new normal.”
4.3 CITEL’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
The Secretariat of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) joined the actions undertaken by the OAS to prevent the COVID-19 from spreading. As a result, telecommuting was implemented for CITEL’s entire staff, using VPN connections, to ensure the continuity of the activities of the Secretariat’s staff.
Likewise, a forum was opened on the CITEL webpage to provide information about the actions carried out by the various telecommunication stakeholders to share their experiences and a communiqué was posted on best practices implemented by authorities and enterprises to address this contingency.
In a joint initiative with Internet Society (ISOC), it was decided to conduct a series of dialogues on the basis of eight round tables among experts on the strategic actions that the various stakeholders of the telecommunications and Internet sector implemented to keep ICT services operating, for the purpose of sharing experiences that could serve as a guide for eventual similar situations.
The dialogues were divided into five main strategic actions, namely: 1. Speeding up actions to boost expansion of Internet and other telecommunication coverage services, especially in areas that have no access. 2. Giving priority to the connectivity of strategic points in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 3. Promoting actions to foster the rational use of Internet. 22 4. Granting priority to support, operation, maintenance, and rollout activities for additional telecommunication network capacity. 5. Continuing maintenance and monitoring of both physical and virtual telecommunication infrastructure.
As a result of this exchange of experiences in the series of round tables, which gradually led to greater openness on the part of the countries, it was decided to hold a forum for the purpose of creating opportunities for exchange where participants can share experiences to examine procedures and practice that promote a comprehensive and shared vision of regulatory policies and the adjustment process required for them during the pandemic, as well as policies, regulations, or necessary measures of greater flexibility to tackle the new post-COVID-19 challenges.
The report stemming from this forum, along with the minutes of the series of eight round tables held by CITEL, were the basis for a proposed recommendation to be reviewed by CITEL bodies.
4.4 Administrative and budgetary issues
The CITEL Secretariat duly conducted a follow-up on the progress achieved in negotiating the resolution on the Program-Budget of the OAS for 2020.
At the 50 Regular Session of the General Assembly of the OAS on October 20, 2020, by means of Resolution AG/RES. 2957 (L-O/20) – PROGRAM-BUDGET OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR 2021, at its first plenary session, the Organization’s budget was adopted, highlighting that the budget pertaining to the Regular Fund allocated to CITEL for administrative overhead (not staff) of CITEL, including the Fund for Indirect Cost Recovery (ICR) and meetings of the CITEL Assembly, amounted to a total of US$629,819. Furthermore, the allocated Program-Budget that was adopted at the OAS General Assembly for the year 2021 amounted to US$669,600, making it possible to continue hiring two consultants to provide support to value-added activities, such as the projects promoted by CITEL and agreed upon in the 2030 ICT Alliance for the Americas.
As part of this budget adopted for the year 2021, from the Fund for Indirect Cost Recovery (ICR), US$26,400 were approved, compared to US$14,000 for 2020, which partially mitigates the impact of the cutback in the Regular Fund for Subprograms 34F and 34G. Three posts under staff salaries are being kept for 2021 (see details under item 9.1 of the present report).
4.5 Representation of CITEL in other forums
OAS/CITEL was represented at the meetings indicated below.
Meeting: Com-ITU Meeting of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT)
Date: January from 21 to 23, 2020 Place: Copenhagen
Spokesperson: • Mr. Oscar Avellaneda (Canada)
Observer: • Ms. Aimee Meacham (United States of America)
23 Meeting: First CPG 23 Meeting of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT)
Date: March 31 to April 4, 2020 Place: Dublin, Ireland
Observers: • Mr. Dante Ibarra (United States of America) • Mr. Charles T. Glass (United States of America)
Meeting: Second Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) Preparatory Group for ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2020 (APT WTSA-20.2)
Date: April 8 to 10, 2020 Place: Virtual meeting
Spokesperson: • Mr. Oscar Avellaneda (Canada)
Observers: • Mr. Franz J. Zichy (United States of America) • Ms. Vernita Harris (United States of America) • Ms. Ena Dekanic (United States of America)
Meeting: Com-ITU Virtual Meeting of the European Conference on Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT)
Date: May 27 to 29, 2020 Place: Virtual meeting
Spokesperson: • Mr. Oscar Avellaneda (Canada )
Observer: • Ms. Aimee Meacham (United States of America)
Meeting: First Virtual Meeting of the CPG-23 from the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT)
Date: June 22 and 23, 2020 Place: Virtual meeting
Spokesperson: • Mr. Víctor Martínez Vanegas (Mexico)
Observers: • Mr. Dante Ibarra (United States of America) • Mr. Charles Glass (United States of America) • Ms. María José Franco (Uruguay) • Mr. Waldon A. Russell (The Bahamas) • Ms. Xian Lee Persaud (The Bahamas) • Ms. Mavis Johnson (The Bahamas) • Mr. Tarcisio A. Bakaus (Brazil) Meeting: Third Meeting of the Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) Preparatory Group for the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2020 (APT WTSA-20.3) 24
Date: July 13 to 17, 2020 Place: Virtual meeting
Spokesperson: • Ms. Ena Dekanic (United States of America)
Observers: • Mr. Oscar Avellaneda (Canada) • Mr. Victor Manuel Martinez Vanegas (Mexico) • Ms. Diana Haidee Gomez Gallardo (Mexico) • Ms. Kelly E. O’Keefe (United States of America)
Meeting : First Meeting of the Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) Preparatory Group for ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference 2021 (APT WTDC-21.1)
Date: July 24, 2020 Place: Virtual meeting
Observer: • Mr. Victor Manuel Martinez Vanegas (Mexico)
Meeting: Third Preparatory Meeting of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) for ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 20 (APM20-3 for WTSA-20)
Date: July 27 to 30, 2020 Place: Virtual meeting
Spokesperson: • Ms. Kelly O’Keefe (United States of America)
Observers: • Mr. Oscar Avellaneda (Canada) • Mr. Waldon Russell (The Bahamas) • Ms. Xian Persaud (The Bahamas) • Ms. Ena Dekanic (United States of America) • Ms. Tyronda Brown (United States of America) • Ms. Aimee Meacham (United States of America)
Meeting : First Preparatory Meeting of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) for the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) and Radiocommunication Assembly 2023 (RA-23)
Date: August 3 to 7, 2020 Place: Virtual meeting
Spokesperson: • Mr. Victor Manuel Martinez Vanegas (Mexico)
Observer: • Ms. Martha Suarez (United States of America) • Mr. Jose Otero (United States of America) • Mr. Konstantinos Stefanidis (United States of America)
25 Meeting: First Interregional Preparatory Meeting of the Arab Group for WTDC- 2021
Date: August 27, 2020 Place: Virtual meeting
Spokesperson: • Ms. Kelly O'Keefe (United States of America)
Observers: • Mr. Daniel Carletti (Argentina) • Ms. Xian Persaud (The Bahamas) • Ms. Andrea Grippa (Brazil) Meeting: Meeting of Com-ITU in preparation for the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-20) of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT)
Date: September 8 to 10, 2020 Place: Virtual meeting
Spokesperson: • Mr. Oscar Avellaneda (Canada)
Observers: • Ms. Aimee Meacham (United States of America) • Ms. Kelly O’Keefe (United States of America) • Mr. Andrew Pegues (United States of America) • Ms. Andrea Grippa (Brazil) Meeting: First Meeting of the APT Preparatory Group for the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) and Radiocommunication Assembly 2023 (RA-23)
Date: September 24 and 25, 2020 Place: Virtual meeting
Spokesperson: • Mr. Víctor Martínez (Mexico)
Observers: • Mr. Konstantinos Stefanidis (United States of America) • Mr. Dante Ibarra (United States of America) Meeting: First African Preparatory Meeting for ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference 2021 (WTDC-21.1)
Date: October 11 to 13, 2020 Place: Virtual meeting
Spokesperson: • Ms. Kelly O’Keefe (United States of America)
Observers: • Ms. Tyronda Brown (United States of America) • Ms. Roxanne McElvane (United States of America) • Ms. Diane Steinour (United States of America) • Ms. Doreen McGirr (United States of America) • Mr. Matthew Gerdin (United States of America) • Mr. Mark Urban (Red Clara, Uruguay) 26 • Mr. Luis Cadenas (Red Clara, Uruguay)
Meeting : Extraordinary Meeting of the APT Preparatory Group for ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference 2021 (APT WTDC-21.1)
Date: November 12, 2020 Place: Virtual meeting
Spokesperson: • Ms. Ena Dekanic (United States of America)
Observers: • Ms. Tyronda Brown (United States of America) • Ms. Diane Steinour (United States of America) • Mr. Max Scott (United States of America) • Mr. Kanchana Sthanumurthy (United States of America) • Ms. Doreen McGirr (United States of America) Meeting: Fourth Meeting of APT Preparatory Group for ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2020 (APT WTSA-20.4)
Date: November 16 to 20, 2020. Place: Virtual meeting
Spokesperson: • Ms. Ena Dekanic (United States of America)
Observers: • Ms. Kelly O’Keefe (United States of America) • Mr. Oscar Avellaneda (Canada) Meeting: Accesible Americas 2020
Date: November 25, 26 & 27, 2020 Place: Virtual meeting
Spokesperson: Ms. María Celeste Fuenmayor, Telecommunications/IT Specialist, Secretariat of CITEL Meeting: Fourteenth International Congress on Telecommunications and Information and Communication Technologies organized by CITIC- Ecuador Date: Place: December 2, 2020 Virtual meeting Spokesperson: Ms. María Celeste Fuenmayor, Telecommunications/IT Specialist, Secretariat of CITEL Meeting: CPG23-2 Meeting of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT)
Date: December 8 to 11, 2020 Place: Virtual meeting
Spokesperson: • Mr. Víctor Martínez Vanegas (Mexico)
27 Observers: • Mr. Kevin Godínez Chávez (Costa Rica) • Mr. Kostantinos Stefanidis (United States of America) • Mr. Dante Ibarra (United States of America ) • Mr. Charles Glass (United States of America) • Mr. Tarcisio A. Bakaus (Brazil)
5. MAINSTREAMING GENDER IN THE WORK OF CITEL
In 2020, the Rapporteurship on broadband, universal access, digital inclusion and gender equity, whose mandate is to examine and research the principal problems relative to the digital divide and universal access to broadband in order to promote actions and best practices aimed at achieving inclusion and the social appropriations of telecommunications/ICT, bearing in mind gender equality and the needs of minorities or vulnerable social groups, participated in “A dialogue on gender equality in specialized events” on November 11, 2020 focusing mainly on presenting the “Guide supporting the adoption of equality practices at forums, events, congresses, and panels,” which was aimed at consolidating the commitment of organizations to promote equality in the participation of experts in specialized events.
The CITEL Secretariat continued to consolidate its ties with the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), as well as joint activities and the coordination needed to tackle solutions for the empowerment of women and girls with the positive use of information and communication technologies (ICT). In that regard, CITEL’s Executive Secretary attended the “Meeting of Experts: COVID-19 and the Rights of Women” held on September 30, at which perspectives were presented from the standpoint of technology in order to identify key recommendations to prevent the pandemic from widening gender gaps and vulnerabilities.
In the framework of the “Connect to Grow” competition, CITEL’s Executive Secretary participated as a voting jury member to promote initiatives for the category of Rural Woman Entrepreneur. This event awarded the first prize to AYRUCCIONES PERU, in which Ms. Anyela Gómez González brought benefits to more than 20 families in rural areas by developing natural organic drinking straws, where by the families were able to increase their income earnings by 316%.
From the standpoint of PCC.II, supporting the implementation of the Network of Women (NOW) for WRC- 23 (NOW4WRC23) at the 2020 World Radiocommunication Seminar (WRS-20), held on November 30 to December 11, 2020, appointed the co-chair for the Americas region. The main objectives of the NOW4WRC23 initiatives are threefold: fighting for gender balance among the delegations, preparing women delegates for key duties at the next World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23), and giving impetus to an increasingly larger community of women working as radiocommunication experts.
6. COOPERATION RELATIONS WITH REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Cooperation by CITEL with international and regional organizations is a means to improve efficiency, avoid duplication of effort, and reduce dispute resolution time by considering different issues at an early stage. Likewise, on the basis of these agreements, preparatory work for international conferences is facilitated, because CITEL also participates in inter-regional meetings with the criterion of strengthening dialogue with the representatives of regional telecommunication organizations worldwide on matters 28 addressed in international telecommunication organizations, such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
6.1 CITEL and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
CITEL participates as an observer at ITU, in view of the importance of keeping ongoing communication and coordination and consolidating the work that is being done in both ITU and CITEL. This has made it possible to steer the efforts of the hemisphere so that they can be harmonized and create synergies with respect to ITU’s work.
It is noteworthy that, in the context of the Agreement with ITU, PCC.I has established cooperation channels with the ITU Regional Office in order to hold international forums related to implementation policies and strategies for social inclusion of persons with disabilities on the basis of the accessibility of telecommunications, as well as the participation of ITU-T and ITU-D staff at the meetings and activities of this committee.
In 2020, ITU-R staff attended the meetings of PCC.II and presented the status of preparations for the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference.
Finally, it must be highlighted that the work of the CITEL Secretariat with the ITU Regional Office has been strengthened in terms of training for the purpose of:
• Joining efforts to provide training in the region and avoid overlapping.
• Aligning the interests of the CITEL Training Centers with those of the ITU Centres of Excellence.
• Strengthening the promotion and supply of training activities in telecommunications and ICTs to meet the needs of the countries.
• Incorporating issues prioritized by the PCCs into the above-mentioned training.
CITEL and ITU continue to consolidate their cooperation ties by holding seminars, training sessions, workshops, and other types of events, in which it is expected that the participation and support of subregional organizations in telecommunication matters shall be incorporated.
Use of ICTs for emergency and disaster situations in the Americas Region
In the framework of the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference, on October 12, 2017, a Letter of Intent was signed by the ITU, CITEL, and subregional telecommunications organizations of Central America (COMTELCA) and the Caribbean (CTU) in order to “Establish an Agreement on the Use of ICTs for Emergency and Disaster Situations in the Americas Region.” Its purpose was to reaffirm the importance of developing a cooperation mechanism among the signatories to implement projects to use ICTs for emergency and disaster situations in the Americas.
As a result of the Letter of Intent signed by ITU, CITEL, COMTELCA, and CTU, a pilot project for the establishment of an Alternative Regional Emergency Telecommunication Network in the Region of COMTELCA to help the beneficiary countries to enhance their emergency telecommunication capacities and to improve emergency and disaster response is already being implemented in the beneficiary countries. ITU has allocated up to now a total amount of US$168,000 for the project’s development. This year, PCC.II 29 approved the use of US$10,000 for implementation of the project’s third phase, which includes Caribbean countries that had not been included originally, but because of the COVID-19 situation, these actions have been postponed to 2021.
It is noteworthy that these projects are directly related to Regional Initiative 1 of the Americas, approved at the WTDC-2017 based on the needs identified by the countries requesting assistance in all phases of disaster management.
The solution consists of providing the Emergency Operations Center (COE) with the equipment needed to connect to the amateur radio network Winlink 2000 (www.winlink.org), under redundancy characteristics. It is important to have redundancy in the coverage, because if one (or more) of the countries is hard hit by a natural disaster (earthquake, hurricane, etc.), the equipment in the remaining countries can support the affected countries.
Winlink 2000 is a world system to send and receive data (including emails) by means of amateur radio frequencies. This system is also used by international rescue groups. Just like regular emails, Winlink messages are sent to a specific address and can contain attached files such as images, meteorological maps, spreadsheets, ICS forms, etc. Emails can be sent between Winlink stations and normal SMTP / POP3 and email servers such as gmail.com
Winlink’s capacity to transfer messages between the system with various capacities (VHF / UHF, HF and standard email) hugely increases interoperability in an emergency system.
It addition, it makes it possible to identify the location of users. Moreover, because Winlink is a storage and delivery system, the stations do not have to establish simultaneous connections. This eliminates time constraints in communication.
It is also possible to establish direct peer-to-peer connections between two customer pieces of equipment (radio stations) that are within the radio propagation range without passing by an RMS. There are various situations in which peer-to-peer connections are useful:
(1) In an important emergency operation, the traffic through the Winlink system can be very heavy, as a result of which a direct connection between the two stations reduces the load in RMS and the Winlink system.
(2) A station equipped with only VHF/UHF could make a peer-to-peer connection to a station with a VHF/UHF and HF capacity, and the second station could therefore resend the message to the Winlink system using HF.
The countries benefiting from this project are: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama in Central America; Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Granada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean.
The technical specifications have been established thanks to the cooperation of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) of the Americas region, through experts on Winlink.
The implementation of these projects shall help beneficiary countries increase their level of preparation for the management of emergencies or disasters (before, during, and after), but above all to save lives, especially by using telecommunications / ICTs. It shall contribute to a better national response to
30 emergencies and disasters, because of the need of administrations to coordinate national actions with existing disaster response agencies or entities. These projects shall also exert a positive impact on regional coordination for a better regional response to disasters when national capacities are overburdened.
6.2 Organizations with which CITEL has signed a Cooperation Agreement
The table at the end of this section shows the 26 government agencies, international organizations, associations, associate members, and other institutions with which CITEL has signed cooperation agreements. It is noteworthy that, every year, cooperation agreements must be entered into with the Regional Training Centers for which CITEL offers scholarships, which are not included in this table.
NUMBER SIGNED ORGANIZATION SCOPE 1. May 16, 1969 International Telecommunication An international organization of the United Nations system, Union (ITU) in which governments and the private sector coordinate global telecommunications networks and services. An agreement was signed between the ITU and the OAS, not with CITEL in particular, in 1969.
In April 2004, an agreement specific to the training program was signed with the ITU Centre of Excellence. To complement this Agreement, a specific tripartite agreement was concluded between CITEL, the ITU, and the Regional Training Centers that offer the courses, indicating a number of aspects, among them: each organization’s responsibilities, number of scholarships, copyright, and evaluation of the quality of the material. These agreements normally remain in force until the conclusion of the different courses.
A cooperation agreement on “Bridging the ICT Standardization Gap for the Americas region” was signed on August 20, 2007. 2. November 15, 1996 Hispano-American Association of An association of research centers and telecommunication Research Centers and companies whose purpose is to promote and cooperate in the Telecommunications development of various technical, administrative, and Companies (AHCIET) training aspects in the telecommunications area, with a view to optimal promotion of the areas of research, study, and company administration. 3. July 17, 2001 European Telecommunications Carries out pre-standardization and standardization activities Standards Institute (ETSI) in areas common to telecommunications, information technology, and sound and television broadcasting, and produces European standards in the telecommunications area. 4. August 20, 2001 Telecommunication Industry Pre-standardization and standardization activities in areas Association (TIA) (USA) common to telecommunications, through a consensus-based process that includes all interested parties. It has been accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and has ensured TIA’s compliance with ANSI’s rules for openness and balance. TIA’s objective is to contribute to worldwide standardization at the international level and it works very closely with European and Asian standards organizations. 5. August 24, 2001 Alliance for Telecommunication Establishes standards for planning, designing, and the Industry Solutions (ATIS) Committee operation of global end-to-end telecommunications and T1 (USA) related telecommunication services 6. December 14, 2001 Andean Community An international organization with broad experience in the Telecommunications Enterprises telecommunication area Association (ASETA)
31 NUMBER SIGNED ORGANIZATION SCOPE 7. March 21, 2002 European Conference of Postal and An independent organization that cooperates with the Telecommunications Administrations European Union and the European Free Trade Association, (CEPT) other pertinent inter-institutional organizations, and other organizations associated with postal services and electronic communications 8. May 29, 2002 Postal Union of the Americas, Spain An intergovernmental organization whose mission is to and Portugal (UPAEP) coordinate the regulation of postal activity and postal policy in general among its member states to ensure that universal service is provided on an equal access basis as a means of ensuring quality of service and safeguarding customer’s rights. 9. August 14, 2002 Regional Commonwealth in the Field Created by the communications administrations of the states of Communications (RCC) indicated in the agreement establishing a Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications (December 17, 1991), with the aim of ensuring broad cooperation and carrying out coordinated activities among these states in the area of postal communications and telecommunications.
(Azerbaijan Republic, Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Turkey, Turkmenistan, Republic of Uzbekistan, Republic of Ukraine) 10. August 16, 2002 Caribbean/Latin American Action An independent private organization for the promotion of (C/LAA) private sector-led economic development in the Caribbean area and throughout the Hemisphere 11. June 13, 2003 African Telecommunications Union An agency of the African Union (AU) established by the (ATU) fourth regular meeting of the Plenipotentiary Conference of the African Telecommunications Union as the successor to the Pan-African Telecommunications Union (PATU). Its objective is to promote the rapid development of info- communication in Africa in order to achieve, in the most efficient manner, universal service, universal access, and full inter-country connectivity 12. August 25, 2003 International Astronautical Federation A nongovernmental, non-profit organization for the (IAF) advancement of knowledge of space and the development and application of space resources to benefit mankind. 13. October 1, 2003 Global VSAT Forum An independent non-profit organization that promotes private sector-led economic development worldwide, including the Americas. 14. October 21, 2003 CDMA Development Group (CDG) A consortium of companies that have joined together to provide leadership in the adoption and evaluation of CDMA systems worldwide. 15. August 31, 2004 3G Americas To encourage and facilitate the deployment of GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and UMTS (WCDMA) in the Americas 16. January 9, 2008 ICANN ICANN, a non-profit public-interest entity, is the international organization responsible for managing and supervising coordination of the Internet domain name system and its unique identifiers.
ICANN was created through a Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Department of Commerce and ICANN to manage the transition of the Domain Names System (DNS) from the Government of the United States into the global community. The most recent version of the Memorandum of Understanding is meant to be the final text and sets forth a series of objectives for ICANN which, when they are achieved, will lead to a totally independent ICANN organization.
32 NUMBER SIGNED ORGANIZATION SCOPE 17. October 2, 2008 Internet Society (ISOC) An international organization whose mission is to provide world coordination and cooperation in connection with the Internet. 18. November 23, 2009 Francisco José de Caldas District State or public institution of higher education, classified as a University, Bogotá, Colombia. District University, established by Agreement No. 010 of February 5, 1948.
The University’s objectives include democratization of knowledge in order to regulate and guarantee, on behalf of the state, the societal right to critical and rigorous higher education of quality, on the basis of social equity and competitiveness, through research, teaching, and services to communities in local, national, and international contexts. 19. May 19, 2011. Caribbean Telecommunications The CTU was established in 1989, in Nassau, The Bahamas, Union (CTU) by treaty. It was established by the Heads of CARICOM governments. In fulfillment of its objectives, the CTU may, inter alia: (i) promote and assist in the formulation and implementation of bilateral or multilateral telecommunications programs within the Caribbean Region in cooperation with appropriate international or regional organizations; (ii) organize conferences, seminars and workshops; and (iii) provide a forum for the discussion and resolution of telecommunications issues concerning the Region. 20. February 2016 (in Memorandum of Understanding Technical cooperation force for four years) National Spectrum Agency of the Regulatory framework with respect to cooperation Republic of Colombia mechanisms between the Parties on radio spectrum issues to promote the development of the telecommunications and ICT sector in the Americas Region. 21. February 2016 (in Memorandum of Understanding Technical cooperation force for four years) Dominican Telecommunications Regulatory framework with respect to cooperation Institute of the Dominican Republic mechanisms between the Parties on telecommunications and ICTs to promote the development of the telecommunications and ICT sector in the Americas Region. 22. April 27, 2016 (in Memorandum of Understanding Technical cooperation force for three years) Ministry of Information and Regulatory framework with respect to cooperation Communication Technologies of mechanisms between the Parties on telecommunications and Colombia ICTs to promote the development of the telecommunications and ICT sector in the Americas Region. 23. February 10, 2017 to Memorandum of Understanding Establish a regulatory framework for the implementation of February 9, 2019 (in ProFuturo Foundation the ProFuturo Digital Classrooms Project in some of the OAS force for two years) OAS General Secretariat (CITEL member states, aimed at improving the quality of education Executive Secretary and Executive using digital education in highly vulnerable environments, in Secretary for Integral Development) fulfillment of the commitments and objectives of the 2030 ICT Alliance for the Americas. 24. October 26, 2019 Addenda to the Cooperation Replace the definition of “Geographical Sphere”: St. Lucia, Agreement Guyana, Belize, Barbados, and Bahamas.
ProFuturo Foundation Change the development period: From October 16, 2018 to OAS General Secretariat (CITEL December 31, 2019. Executive Secretary and Executive Secretary for Integral Development) 25. November 8, 2019 Cooperation Agreement Establish a new regulatory framework with respect to the joint implementation and dissemination of distance learning National University for Engineering courses in telecommunications/ICT to be provided by of Peru, through the National INICTEL-UNI, including the joint sponsorship of total Telecommunication Research and scholarships for said courses. Training Institute (INICTEL-UNI)
33 NUMBER SIGNED ORGANIZATION SCOPE 26. December 22, 2020 Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) Regulatory framework) to promote the use of telecommunication / ICT services, collaboration and harmonization between members in Americas region and Asia-Pacific, especially the issues related to ITU conferences.
6.3 Memorandum of Understanding with member states
This year, CITEL is in the process of negotiating the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) to promote the use of telecommunication / ICT services, collaboration and harmonization between members in Americas region and Asia-Pacific, especially the issues related to ITU conferences.
This draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was worked on in coordination with the Chair of COM/CITEL, the OAS Department for Legal Affairs, and the CITEL Secretariat, along with the APT, in line with the standards and regulations set between the parties. It was also sent to the members of COM/CITEL for their comments but no opposition or editorial changes were made by any of the member states.
NUMBER SIGNED ORGANIZATION SCOPE 1. July 11, 2019 Cooperation Agreement – Barbados Dissemination, development, and implementation of the PROFUTURO Education Program in Barbados PROFUTURO Foundation OAS General Secretariat (CITEL Executive Secretary and Executive Secretary for Integral Development) and Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training of Barbados
2. September 19, 2019 Cooperation Agreement – Belize Dissemination, development, and implementation of the PROFUTURO Education Program in Belize PROFUTURO Foundation OAS General Secretariat (CITEL Executive Secretary and Executive Secretary for Integral Development) and Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture of Belize
3. October 29, 2019 Cooperation Agreement – St. Lucia Dissemination, development, and implementation of the PROFUTURO Education Program in St. Lucia. PROFUTURO Foundation OAS General Secretariat (CITEL Executive Secretary and Executive Secretary for Integral Development) and Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development of St. Lucia
34 7. STATUS OF INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS SPONSORED BY CITEL
7.1 Lima Convention
The Inter-American Convention on Amateur Service was adopted in Lima, Peru, in 1987, at the Fifth Inter- American Telecommunication Conference [CITEL/RES. 130 (V-87)], and amended in 1988, at the First Special Meeting of CITEL [CITEL/RES. 141 (I/E-88)] to permit and facilitate full participation by member states of CITEL. This Convention provides for the use of amateur radio service by nationals of a member state in the territory of another member state.
This Convention came into force on February 21, 1990. The OAS General Secretariat is the depository for the original instrument and for the Convention’s instruments of ratification and accession.
Signatory country Date of RA/AC/AD Date of deposit signature of instrument Argentina 08/14/87 RA 03/11/90 12/06/90 Bolivia 08/14/87 Brazil 08/14/87 Canada AD 04/06/89 05/18/89 Chile 08/14/87 Colombia 08/14/87 Guatemala AD 12/05/89 01/22/90 Haiti 08/14/87 Mexico AD 03/13/89 06/21/89 Paraguay 09/07/95 RA 05/24/95 09/15/95 Peru 08/14/87 Suriname 08/14/87 United States of America 08/14/87 AC 02/21/91 03/20/91 Uruguay 08/14/87 Venezuela AD 10/14/88 11/30/88
RA= ratification AC= acceptance AD= accession
Signatures that are not subject to ratification, approval, or acceptance (under Articles 7.a and 10 of the Convention, these countries are Parties to the Convention) are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Haiti, Peru, and Suriname.
The signatures subject to ratification, approval, or acceptance (under Article 7.b of the Convention) are: United States of America and Uruguay.
7.2 Inter-American Convention on an International Amateur Radio Permit (IARP)
This Convention was adopted at the Second Meeting of CITEL’s Permanent Executive Committee, held in December 1994 [COM/CITEL RES. 5 (II-94)]. It was subsequently adopted in Montrouis, Haiti at the 25 Regular Session of the General Assembly [AG/RES. 1316 (XXV-O/95)].
This Convention provides for temporary operation of amateur radio stations in a member state by persons holding IARP permits issued by another member state without need for further review. Any member state may issue permits to its citizens to operate in another member state. The IARP Convention came into force 35 on February 23, 1996. The OAS General Secretariat is the depository for its instruments of RA, AC, and AD.
Signatory country Date of signature RA/AC/AD Date of deposit of instrument Argentina AD 01/29/97 03/03/97 Brazil 01/24/97 RA 08/19/99 09/28/99 Canada 09/27/95 AC 09/27/95 09/27/95 El Salvador 03/18/99 RA 02/08/02 03/08/02 Panama 04/09/02 RA 02/03/03 03/27/03 Paraguay AD 06/20/06 11/21/06 Peru 09/15/95 RA 12/28/95 01/24/96 Trinidad and Tobago AD 07/13/01 08/16/01 United States of America 06/08/95 Uruguay 06/08/95 Venezuela 02/05/95
7.3 Protocol of Amendment to the Inter-American Convention on an International Amateur Radio Permit (IARP)
At its 33 Regular Session, the OAS General Assembly, in resolution AG/RES. 1947 (XXXIII-O/03), adopted the Protocol of Amendment to the Inter-American Convention on an Amateur Radio Permit, intended to grant holders of the Radio Amateur License of the member countries of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) that have implemented CEPT’s Recommendation T/R 61-01, “CEPT Radio Amateur License” the same rights and privileges granted to IARP holders of CITEL member states that become States Parties to the Protocol, while CEPT extends to holders of IARPs the same privileges and exemptions granted to holders of CEPT Radio Amateur Licenses of the member countries of CEPT that have implemented the aforementioned Recommendation.
This new procedure will reduce the countries’ workload and, therefore, the costs involved, and will be of fundamental importance, particularly in emergencies. The OAS General Secretariat is the depository for instruments of RA, AC, and AD.
Signatory country Date of RA/AC/AD Date of deposit of signature instrument El Salvador 07/21/10 09/15/10 Panama 11/21/06 RA 01/02/08 02/05/08
This Protocol came into force on the thirtieth day after the date on which the two States became Parties to it.
7.4 Amending the Inter-American Convention on an International Amateur Radio Permit (IARP)
On June 4, 2018, by means of Resolution AG/RES. 2918 (XLVIII-O/18), the General Assembly of the OAS adopted the Amendment to the IARP Convention, converting it formally into an international treaty. This amendment to the Convention combines the texts of previous versions of the Convention and its Protocol and updates it in line with the current reality of technology, thus establishing a new instrument.
36 The purpose of the amendment to the IARP Convention continues to be the same as that of the original, that is, to regulate temporary operations permits for amateur radio stations under the authority of a state party, to persons benefiting from an IARP from another state party, without any further examination.
This review of the IARP has the potential of increasing the integration of the continent’s countries by means of radiocommunications and increasing the number of amateur radio operators who will be receiving benefits so that their national permits will be recognized abroad.
Signatory countries Date of signing RA/AC/AD Date instrument deposited Dominican Republic 06/04/18 Argentina 06/05/18 Chile 01/15/19
This amendment to the Convention shall come into force on the thirtieth day as of the date on which two states have become parties to it.
If a country is interested in signing this treaty, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs must do the legal paperwork to grant full powers to its representative to the OAS or another official authorizing him or her to sign. According to the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, except for Heads of State, Heads of Government, and Ministers of Foreign Affairs, all other government officials shall need to present the respective full powers in case they wish to sign the amendment. For this purpose, the Permanent Mission to the OAS of the interested country must remit the originals of said full powers by means of a verbal note addressed to the OAS Department of International Law of the Secretariat for Legal Affairs. For any further information on the above-mentioned procedures for the signing and powers, please contact the Department of International Law ([email protected]).
Text of treaty: http://www.oas.org/es/sla/ddi/tratados_multilaterales_interamericanos_A- 71_reforma_permiso_internacional_radioaficionado.asp
Status of treaty: http://www.oas.org/es/sla/ddi/tratados_multilaterales_interamericanos_A- 71_reforma_permiso_internacional_radioaficionado_firmas.asp
*NOTE: Regarding this, OAS member states are urged to proceed forward with becoming states parties to the Convention’s Amendment, rather than the original version of 1994 or the Protocol of Amendment of 2003, because the present Amendment of 2018 not only merges the above but also updates the consolidated texts.
8. TRAINING ACTIVITIES SPONSORED BY OAS/CITEL
The CITEL’s Coordination Center for the Development of Human Resources, in coordination with the CITEL Secretariat, has the principal objective of building CITEL’s efforts in terms of scholarships and training for courses of interest to the member states of OAS/CITEL, in compliance with CITEL’s program of courses for 2020, adopted at Buenos Aires at the 36 meeting of COM/CITEL, by means of resolution COM/CITEL/RES. 306 (XXXV-19). At present, CITEL provides most of its training via distance-learning with a tutor and it is aimed at professional development through the courses/scholarships offered by the Centre of Excellence of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the OAS Professional 37 Development Scholarships Program (PDSP), the Program of Alliances for Education and Training (PAEC), and associate members who have signed the 2030 ICT Alliance and the Rural Women’s Alliance.
In short, a total of 2,666 scholarships were granted for the benefit of students/participants from 31 OAS/CITEL member states (Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, Uruguay, and Venezuela) broken down as follows:
• 169 scholarships for ITU/CITEL distance learning courses through the ITU Academy. • 309 scholarships for Internet Society (ISOC) distance learning courses through the 2030 ICT Alliance. • 890 scholarships for webinars through CCATLAT. • 1,037 scholarships for webinars through CITIC. • 261 scholarships for virtual seminars on specific issues for CITEL members.
A table providing statistical information on the courses provided by CITEL in 2020 is presented below:
TABLE 1
Courses/Scholarships granted by CITEL (2020)
Name of Course Regional Training Modality Langua Date of Course Number Beneficiaries of Center and/or of Course ge of of each CITEL Institution Course scholar- course by ships country of origin offered in 2020 WEBINAR: 5G CCAT-LAT Distance Spanish March 18, 102 Argentina, THE FUTURE IS learning 2020 Bolivia, Chile, NOW (online) Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela Others: Spain Webinar: IoT – CCAT-LAT Distance Spanish April 15, 2020 83 Argentina, Brazil, “Things” and their learning Chile, Colombia, Security (online) Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador,
38 Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay Others: Ireland Webinar: CCAT-LAT Distance Spanish May 13, 2020 93 Argentina, Blockchain – Much learning Bolivia, Brazil, More than (online) Chile, Colombia, Cryptocurrencies Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela Other: India Advanced Course on ITU Distance Spanish May 18 to July 50 No information Regulating ICTs in learning 3, 2020 available Latin America (online) (ITU/CITEL) Webinar: How does ICANN Distance Spanish May 21, 2020 57 No information the Domain Name learning /English available System (DNS) (online) Work? COMTELCA CITEL Distance Spanish June 18, 2020 30 Costa Rica, El Training on learning Salvador, Preparing CITEL (online) Guatemala, for WTSA-20 Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua Webinar: E-Health, CCAT-LAT Distance Spanish June 17, 2020 128 Argentina, IoT, and the learning Bolivia, Brazil, Collateral Effects of (online) Colombia, Costa the Fourth Rica, Ecuador, El Industrial Salvador, Revolution Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela Others: Uganda
39 Webinar: Labor CITIC Distance Spanish July 1, 2020 97 Argentina, Brazil, Tsunami because of learning (Part I) Colombia, the Impact of (online) Dominican Information July 7, 2020 Republic, Technologies (Part II) Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, United States of America, and Uruguay Others: Germany Webinar: CCAT-LAT Distance Spanish July 15, 2020 109 Argentina, Cooperative learning Bolivia, Brazil, Regulation: How to (online) Chile, Colombia, Promote ICT Costa Rica, Development in the Ecuador, Americas Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay, and Venezuela Other: Spain Online Course on ITU Distance Spanish July 20 to 80 Argentina, Brazil, Women’s learning August 14, Chile, Colombia, Leadership in the (online) 2020 Costa Rica, Telecommunication Dominican and ICT Sector Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela Webinar: Risks and CITIC Distance Spanish July 23, 2020 125 Argentina, Brazil, Opportunities of learning Costa Rica, Telemedicine and (online) Dominican Cyberhealth Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay
40 ICANN: ICANN CCAT-LAT Distance Spanish August 19, 56 Argentina, Policymaking learning 2020 Bolivia, Brazil, Processes (online) Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay
Cyberspace and CITIC Distance Spanish August 27, 366 Argentina, Security on learning 2020 Bolivia, Brazil, Telecommunication (online) Chile, Colombia, Networks Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay Course on Building ISOC Distance Spanish September 14 309 Antigua and Wireless learning /English to October 25, Barbuda, Community (online) 2020 Argentina, Networks Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America,
41 Uruguay, Venezuela Others: Anguilla, Turks and Caicos Islands Woman ISOC/CITEL Distance Spanish 1 Telefónica Entrepreneur learning Competition Category (Connect (online) Winner: Ayru, to Grow) natural organic drinking straws, Peru Webinar: Routing CCAT-LAT Distance Spanish September 17, 98 Argentina, Security (MANRS) learning 2020 Bolivia, Brazil, (online) Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay Other: Spain Risks and CITIC Distance Spanish September 24, 135 Argentina, Opportunities for learning 2020 Bolivia, Brazil, Telecommunica- (online) Chile, Colombia, tions, ICTs, and Costa Rica, Climate Change Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay Other: Germany Online Course on ITU Distance Spanish October 9 to 39 Argentina, Brazil, Women’s learning November 2, Colombia, Costa Leadership in the (online) 2020 Rica, Ecuador, Telecommunication Mexico, and ICT Sector Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela State of the Art of CCAT-LAT Distance Spanish October 14, 112 Argentina, Satellite learning 2020 Bolivia, Brazil, Technologies (online) Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, 42 Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela Others: Angola Innovative Models ISOC/LACNIC/ Distance Spanish November 4, 174 Argentina, for Connecting the ITU/CITEL learning /English 2020 Bolivia, Brazil, Unconnected in (online) Canada, Chile, LAC Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, Uruguay Others: Curaçao, United Kingdom Data: The New CITIC Distance Spanish November 12, 253 Argentina, Petroleum for learning 2020 Bolivia, Brazil, Economic (online) Chile, Colombia, Development Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela Others: Germany, Spain Triple-Play: CCAT-LAT Distance Spanish November 18, 109 Argentina, Starting with Traffic learning 2020 Bolivia, Brazil, Exchange Points – (online) Chile, Colombia, Network Supporting Costa Rica, Internet Access, Dominican Television, and Republic, Telephony Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, 43 Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay Others: Spain Education in the CITIC Distance Spanish December 4, 61 Colombia, Costa Areas of Creation learning 2020 Rica, Ecuador, El (EAC) (online) Salvador, Peru, United States of America Others: United Kingdom
9. BUDGET OF CITEL
9.1 Budget and Execution for 2020 including Regular Fund (Sub-Program 34F, Sub- Program 34G, and Indirect Cost of Recuperation (ICR):
Modified Appropriation (*) Expenses (in US$1000s) Up to 10/31/20 REGULAR FUND (Sub-Program 34F) 1. Executive Secretariat Staffs 423.7 423.6 2. Administrative Scholarships 0.0 0.0 Travels 11.3 0.2 Document preparation 1.2 0.0 Office equipment and supplies 1.5 2.2 Contract services (Translators, interpretes, Support 118.3 33.8 staffs) Other costs 10.0 3.5 Sub-Total: 142.3 39.7 TOTAL REGULAR FUND (Sub-Program 34F): 566.0 463.3 INDIRECT COSTS OF RECUPERATION (ICR): 14.0 53.0 REGULAR FUND (Sub-Program 34G): 52.3 0.0 GENERAL TOTALS: US$ 632.3 468.3
(*) Modified Appropriation: It is the Modified Appropriation by the General Secretariat of the OAS after the Budget approved during its General Assembly in 2019. Only the part of the Staff Salaries is adjusted and not the Administrative.
44 9.2 Budget for 2020
The Original Appropriation to CITEL from the OAS Regular Fund for 2021 is US$669,600
Modified Appropriation for Original Appropriation for 2020 (in US$1000s) 2021 (in US$1000s) Staff costs 423.7 453.4 Activity costs 208.6 216.2 TOTAL: US$ 632.3 669.6
(*) Details of following items:
Sub-Program 34F: 1. Personnel (CITEL Staff salaries): 453,400 2. Administratives: 140,200 ICR: 25,700
Sub-Program 34G: Administratives: 49,600 ICR: 700 TOTAL APPROVED 2021: US$ 669,600
9.3 Scholarships
Because of budget cuts for CITEL in the Regular Fund since 2019, CITEL did not allocate any budget under the item for Scholarships. Therefore, for 2020 a budget was not assigned for this item either.
9.4 External funds
Any incorporated agency, organization, or institution related to the telecommunication industry may, with the approval of the corresponding member state of CITEL, become an associate member of a Permanent Consultative Committee. Applications from entities wishing to become associate members of a PCC are forwarded by the member state together with notification of the contributory unit selected. Since January 1, 2017, the value of the contributory unit has been US$6,000 for each Permanent Consultative Committee, adopted by Resolution COM/CITEL. RES.8 (III-E-16) and approved Ad referendum to next Ordinary Assembly of CITEL in March 2018: A. The value of the contributory “unit” of the Associate member is equivalent to 1 unit and set at US$6,000.00 for each Permanent Consultative Committee in which they participate for permanent member states of the OAS, 1.5 equivalent unit set at US$9,000.00 for observer member states of the OAS, and finally, 0.5 equivalent unit set at US$1,500.00 for the Academia and NGOs.
Associate members shall contribute to the funding of their respective PCC, voluntarily choosing the level of contribution. The minimum contributory level shall be “a quarter” of a unit for associate members belonging to academia for both PCC; “one” unit for associate members with legal personality in one of the member states and “one and one half” units for the others. All these contributions may be increased in minimum “one half” unit levels
At December 31, 2020, CITEL had received from its associate members a total of US$552,474 equivalent to 95% of the estimated amount to be received for 2020, distributed as follows:
45
PCC.I PCC.II 2020 190,099 353,169 2019 6,724 2,482 TOTAL: 196,823 355,651
At December 31, 2020, a total of US$83,402 in contributions for 2020 between years 2019 and 2020 remains unpaid.
PCC.I PCC.II 2020 28,981 22,981
CITEL has 96 associate members. Arrears in payment of contributions from previous years, for which there are scant expectations of reimbursement or payment, are as follows:
PCC.I PCC.II TOTAL 2019 12,000 19,440 31,440
The following table in U.S. dollars shows how, at December 31, 2020, external (specific) funds had been used by each PCC:
COMMITTEE INCOME EXPENDITURE OBLIGATIONS BALANCE
PCC.I Income at 12/31/20 196,823 150,290 4,602 41,931
PCC.II Income at 12/31/20 355,651 71,153 67,173 217,325
TOTAL AT 12/31/2020: US$ 552,474 221,443 71,775 259,256
46 10. PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS OF CITEL FOR 2020-2021
Meeting Date Place Second Inter-regional Meeting for the Preparation of January 8, 2021 Virtual WTSA-20 Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group January 11 to 18, 2021 Virtual (TSAG) ITU Council Working Groups and Expert Group January 25 to February 5, Virtual 2021 Virtual seminar on hemispheric efforts to combat the ** Virtual use of stolen, lost, or tampered mobile terminal devices ITU-D Study Groups March 15 to 26, 2021 Geneva, Switzerland Radio Regulations Board (RRB-21.1) March 22 to 26, 2021 Geneva, Switzerland 28 Radiocommunication Advisory Group (RAG) March 29 to April 1, 2021 Geneva, Switzerland 37 Meeting of PCC.II April 5 to 9, 2021 Virtual
ITU Regional Preparatory Meeting (RPM) April 26 to 27, 2021 Virtual
38 meeting of PCC.I April 26 to 30, 2021 Virtual
Seminar on Connecting the unconnected in rural and April 28, 2021 Virtual remote areas Forum of the World Summit on the Information May 17 to 21, 2021 Geneva, Society 2021 (WSIS Forum 2021) Switzerland Sixth World Telecommunication/ICT Policy Forum May 21 to 23, 2021 Geneva, (WTPF-21) Switzerland Telecommunications Development Advisory Group May 25 to 28, 2021 Geneva, (TDAG) Switzerland 2021 Session of the ITU Council June 8 to 18, 2021 Geneva, Switzerland Mobile World Congress June 28 to July 1, 2021 Barcelona, Spain
51 General Assembly of the OAS June 2021** Guatemala
Radio Regulations Board (RRB-21.2) July 12 to 16, 2021 Geneva, Switzerland ITU Council Working Groups and Expert Group September 20 to October Geneva, 1, 2021** Switzerland 47 Meeting Date Place 39 meeting of PCC.I August 16 to 20, 2021 Brazil
Seminar on 5G: Opportunities and challenges in the August 16, 2021 Brazil Americas 38 meeting of PCC.II August 30 to September 3, Mexico 2021 Radio Regulations Board (RRB-21.3) November 1 to 5, 2021 Geneva, Switzerland Working Group for the preparation and follow-up of November 7 to 19, 2021 Addis Ababa, WTSA, WCIT, and WTDC (WGCONF) Ethiopia World Telecommunication Development Conference November 8 to 19, 2021 Addis Ababa, (WTDC-21) Ethiopia First ITU Inter-regional Workshop on Preparing for November 29 and 30, Geneva, WRC-23 2021 Switzerland 38 meeting of COM/CITEL December 1 to 3, 2021 Argentina 2022 ITU Council Working Groups and Expert Group January 6 to 17, 2022** Virtual January 10 to 21, 2022** Forum of High-Level Authorities February 16, 2022 Colombia
Eighth Regular Assembly of CITEL February 16 to 18, 2022 Colombia 39 Meeting of COM/CITEL February 18, 2022 Colombia
Working Group for the preparation and follow-up of February 28 to March 11, Hyderabad, India WTSA, WCIT, and WTDC (WGCONF) 2022** Global Standardization Symposium (GSS-20) February 28, 2022** Hyderabad, India
World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly March 1 to 11, 2022** Hyderabad, India (WTSA-20) 2022 Session of the ITU Council March 22 to April 1, Geneva, 2022** Switzerland 2022 Session of the ITU Council before PP22 September 24, 2022 Bucharest, Romania 2022 Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22) September 26 to October Bucharest, 14, 2022 Romania
CITEL meetings
ITU meetings
Other meetings ** to be confirmed 48 11. DRAFT RESOLUTIONS FOR THE 50TH OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY a) At the 50 Regular Session of the General Assembly of the OAS held in October 2020, two draft resolutions relative to CITEL were adopted: Resolution AG/RES. 2953 (L-O/20) LEADING ROLE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES IN DEVELOPING TELECOMMUNICATIONS / INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH THE INTER- AMERICAN TELECOMMUNICATION COMMISSION (CITEL) and Resolution AG/RES 2957 (L- O/20) PROGRAM-BUDGET OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR 2021.
49
ANNEXES
A. Associate Members including Incoming and Retired Associates
B. List of Meetings CITEL Held in 2020
C. Quantifiable Results of CITEL for 2020
D. Titles of Resolutions, Recommendations, and Decisions Adopted in 2020
50
ANNEX A
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS LIST OF ASSOCIATE MEMBERS OF PCC.I: TELECOMMUNICATIONS/ICT (At December 31, 2020)
Nr. Country Company’s name No. Units 1 Argentina CAMARA ARGENTINA DE INTERNET (CABASE) 1.0 2 Argentina NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS ARGENTINA S.A. 1.0 3 Argentina EMPRESA ARGENTINA DE SOLUCIONES SATELITALES S.A. (AR-SAT) 1.0 4 Argentina GOOGLE ARGENTINA SRL 1.0 5 Argentina TELECOM ARGENTINA S.A. 1.0 6 Argentina TELEFÓNICA DE ARGENTINA 1.0 7 Belgium MOBILE & WIRELESS FORUM (MWF) 1.5 8 Brazil QUALCOMM SERVIÇOS DE TELECOMUNICAÇÕES LTDA. 1.0 9 Canada ERICSSON CANADA 1.0 10 Colombia ATC SITIOS DE COLOMBIA, SAS (AMERICAN TOWER COLOMBIA) 1.0 11 Colombia BRANCH OF MICROSOFT COLOMBIA INC. 1.0 12 Colombia UNIVERSIDAD DISTRITAL FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE CALDAS 0.3 13 Costa Rica INSTITUTO COSTARRICENSE DE ELECTRICIDAD (ICE) 1.0 14 Costa Rica ASIET 1.0 15 Mexico HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES DE MÉXICO, S.A. DE C.V. 1.0 16 Mexico ORGANIZACIÓN DE TELECOMUNICACIONES DE IBEROAMÉRICA 1.0 17 Panama DIGICEL (PANAMA), S.A. 1.0 18 Paraguay COMPAÑIA PARAGUAYA DE COMUNICACIONES S.A. (COPACO S.A.) 1.0 19 Paraguay TELEFÓNICA CELULAR DEL PARAGUAY (TIGO PARAGUAY) 1.0 20 Uruguay REGISTRO REGIONAL DE DIRECCIONES DE INTERNET PARA AMERICA LATINA Y CARIBE (LACNIC) 1.0 21 Uruguay COOPERACIÓN LATINOAMERICANA DE REDES AVANZADAS (CLARA) 0.3 22 Uruguay CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS PARA EL DESARROLLO DE LAS TELECOMUNICACIONES Y EL ACCESO A LA SOCIEDAD DE LA INFORMACIÓN DE AMÉRICA LATINA (CERTAL) 0.3 23 U.S.A. AMERICAN REGISTRY FOR INTERNET NUMBERS (ARIN) 1.0 24 U.S.A. ATIS 1.0 25 U.S.A. AT&T 1.0 26 U.S.A. CISCO SYSTEMS INC. 1.0 27 U.S.A. FACEBOOK INC. 1.0 28 U.S.A. GSMA LATIN AMERICA 1.0 29 U.S.A. INTERNET SOCIETY (ISOC) 1.0 30 U.S.A. IRIDIUM COMMUNICATIONS INC. 1.0 31 U.S.A. LOON LLC 1.0 32 U.S.A. QUALCOMM, INC. ROBERT BOSCH LLC 1.0 33 U.S.A. ROBERT BOASH LLC 1.0 34 U.S.A. SES AMERICOM 1.0 35 U.S.A. VERIZON COMMUNIACTIONS 1.0 36 U.S.A. ViaSat, INC. 1.0
Total units: 34.4
51
LIST OF ASSOCIATE MEMBERS OF PCC.II: RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS (As of December 31, 2020)
Nr. Country Company’s name Nr. Units 1 Argentina EMPRESA ARGENTINA DE SOLUCIONES SATELITALES S.A. (AR-SAT S.A.) 1.0 2 Argentina TELEFÓNICA DE ARGENTINA 1.0 3 Argentina INTERNET SOCIETY (ISOC) 1.0 4 Brazil ASSOC. BRASILEIRA DAS EMPRESAS DE TELCOM. POR SATÉLITE (ABRASAT) 1.0 5 Brazil ASSOCIAÇÃO BRASILEIRA DE EMISSORAS DE RADIO E TELEVISÃO (ABERT) 1.0 6 Brazil CLARO S.A. 1.0 7 Brazil EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE AERONAUTICA S.A. (EMBRAER S.A.) 1.0 8 Brazil GSMA BRAZIL (formerly GLOBAL MOBILE ASSOCIATION (GSMA)) 1.0 9 Brazil HISPAMAR SATELITES S.A. 1.0 10 Brazil INTEL SEMICONDUCTORES DO BRASIL 1.0 11 Brazil QUALCOMM SERVIÇOS DE TELECOMUNICAÇÕES LTDA. 1.0 12 Brazil SES DTH DO BRASIL LTDA 1.0 13 Canada LS TELCOM LTD. 1.0 14 Canada TELESAT CANADA 1.0 15 Costa Rica INSTITUTO COSTARRICENSE DE ELECTRICIDAD (ICE) 1.0 16 Colombia BRANCH OF MICROSOFT COLOMBIA INC. 1.0 17 Colombia GOOGLE COLOMBIA 1.0 18 Colombia TES AMERICA ANDINA LTDA. 1.0 19 Colombia UNIVERSIDAD DISTRITAL FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE CALDAS 0.3 20 México APPLE 1.0 21 Mexico HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES DE MÉXICO, S.A. DE C.V. 1.0 22 Mexico ERICSSON TELECOM, S.A. DE C.V. 1.0 23 Mexico EUTELSAT AMERICAS (formerly SATÉLITES MEXICANOS, S.A. DE C.V. (SATMEX) 1.0 24 Mexico MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS DE MÉXICO S.A. 1.0 25 Mexico QUALCOMM INTERNATIONAL, INC. 1.0 26 Paraguay COMPAÑIA PARAGUAYA DE COMUNICACIONES S.A. (COPACO S.A.) 1.0 27 United Kingdom GLOBAL MOBILE SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION (GSA) 1.5 28 Uruguay ASOCIACION INTERNACIONAL DE RADIODIFUSION (AIR) 1.0 29 U.S.A. 5G AMERICAS 1.0 30 U.S.A. ACCESS PARTNERSHIP, LLC 1.0 31 U.S.A. AMAZON.COM SERVICES, INC. 1.0 32 U.S.A. AT&T 1.0 33 U.S.A. CISCO SYSTEMS INC. 1.0 34 U.S.A. CTIA 1.0 35 U.S.A. DYNAMIC SPECTRUM ALLIANCE 1.0 36 U.S.A. ECHOSTAR CORP. 1.0 37 U.S.A. ELEFANTE GROUP, INC. 1.0 38 U.S.A. FACEBOOK INC. 1.0 39 U.S.A. GLOBAL VSAT FORUM (GVF) 1.0 40 U.S.A. GLOBALSTAR, INC. 1.0 41 U.S.A. GSMA LATIN AMERICA 1.0 42 U.S.A. INMARSAT GLOBAL, LTD. 1.0 52
43 U.S.A. INTELSAT US LLC 1.0 44 U.S.A. IRIDIUM SATELLITE LLC 1.0 45 U.S.A. LIGADO NETWORKS 1.0 46 U.S.A. LOCKHEED-MARTIN CORP. 1.0 47 U.S.A. LOON LLC 1.0 48 U.S.A. NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS 1.0 49 U.S.A. OMNISPACE LLC 1.0 50 U.S.A. QUALCOMM, INC. 1.0 51 U.S.A. ROBERT BOSCH LLC 1.0 52 U.S.A. SES AMERICOM 1.0 53 U.S.A. SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP. (SpaceX) 1.0 54 U.S.A. SWARM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 1.0 55 U.S.A. THE BOEING COMPANY 1.0 56 U.S.A. LYNK GLOBAL, INC. 1.0 57 U.S.A. UTILITIES TELECOM COUNCIL (UTC) 1.0 58 U.S.A. ViaSat, INC. 1.0 59 U.S.A. VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS 1.0 60 U.S.A. WorldVu Development, LLC 1.0
Total units: 59.8
MOVEMENT OF INCOME ASSOCIATE MEMBERS AS December 31, 2020
Nr. Country Company’s name Committee Admission date 1 U.S.A. LOON LLC I Jan-1-2020 2 U.S.A. SWARM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. II Jan-17-2020 3 U.S.A. AMAZON.COM SERVICES, INC. II Feb-5-2020 4 U.S.A. ViaSat, Inc. I Jul-15-2020 5 United Kingdom GLOBAL MOBILE SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION (GSA) II Jul-20-2020
MOVEMENT OF RETIRED ASSOCIATE MEMBERS AS December 31, 2020
Nr. Country Company’s date Committee Admission date 1 Nicaragua NICASAT II Jan-1-2020 NORTH AMERICAN BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION 2 Canada (NABA) II Jan-1-2020 SOCIÉTÉ INTERNATIONALE DE 3 U.S.A. TÉLÉCOMMUNICATIONS AÉRONAUTIQUES (SITA) II Jan-1-2020 COMPAÑIA ANONIMA NACIONAL TELÉFONOS DE 4 Venezuela VENEZUELA (CANTV) I y II Jan-1-2020 5 Brazil SINDITELEBRASIL II Apr-16-2020 6 U.S.A. MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC. II Aug-12-2020 7 Brazil MOTOROLA DO BRASIL II Aug-12-2020 8 Brazil AL YAH SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS (YAHSAT) II Sep-27-2020 9 Brazil SAMSUNG ELECTRÔNICA DA AMAZÔNIA LTDA. I y II Oct-29-2020
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ANNEX B
LIST OF CITEL MEETINGS HELD IN 2020
Meeting Date Place First 2020 Cluster of ITU Council Working Groups February 3 to 14, 2020 Geneva, Switzerland
Informal Experts Group on the World February 10 and 11, 2020 Geneva, Switzerland Telecommunication/ICT Policy Forum (IEG-WTPF-21) Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group (TSAG) February 10 to 14, 2020 Geneva, Switzerland
Expert Group on the International Telecommunication February 12 to 13, 2020 Geneva, Switzerland Regulations (EG-ITRs) ITU-D Study Groups February 17 to 28, 2020 Geneva, Switzerland
2020 World Mobile Congress February 24 to 27, 2020 Barcelona, Spain (cancelled) Special General Assembly to elect the Secretary General and March 20, 2020 OAS headquarters, Assistant Secretary General of the OAS Washington, D.C. Radio Regulations Board (RRB-20.1) March 25, 2020 Virtual
Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG) March 24 to 27, 2020 Virtual
World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2020 (WSIS September 7 to 10, 2020 Virtual Forum 2020) Radiocommunication Advisory Group (RAG) April 6 to 9, 2020 Virtual
Seminar on 5G: Opportunities and challenges in the Americas April 20, 2020 Postponed to 2021
Seminar on Connecting the unconnected in rural and remote April 21, 2020 Postponed to 2021 areas 36 meeting of PCC.I April 20 to 24, 2020 Virtual 35 meeting of PCC.II May 11 to 15, 2020 Virtual 27 meeting of the Radiocommunication Advisory Group May 25 to 27, 2020 Virtual (RAG) Virtual consultation of Councillors (replacing the ITU June 9 to 12, 2020 Virtual Council 2020) Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group (TSAG) July 6 to 10, 2020 Virtual
Radio Regulations Board (RRB-20.2) July 6 to 15, 2020 Virtual
Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-20) July 30, 2020 Virtual
Progress of the 2030 ICT Alliance August 20, 2020 Virtual
World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2020 (WSIS September 7 to 10, 2020 Virtual Forum 2020) First special meeting of PCC.I (2 sessions) September 11 and October 2, Virtual 2020 54
Meeting Date Place Second 2020 Cluster of ITU Council Working Groups** September 14 to 25, 2020 Virtual
Informal Experts Group on the World Telecommunication September 14 to 16, 2020 Virtual Policy Forum (I EG-WTPC-21) Expert Group on the International Telecommunication September 17 and 18, 2020 Virtual Regulations (EG-ITRs) Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group (TSAG) September 21 to 25, 2020 Virtual
TDAG Working Group on WTDC Preparations (TDAG-WG- September 30, 2020 Virtual Prep) Forum on Progress of Rural Women’s ICT Alliance September 30, 2020 Virtual
TDAG Working Group on Strategic and Operational Plans October 1, 2020 Virtual (TDAG-WG-SOP) Radio Regulations Board (RRB-20.3) October 19 to 27, 2020 Virtual
TDAG Working Group on WTDC Preparations (TDAG-WG- October 20, 2020 Virtual Prep) TDAG Working Group on WTDC Resolutions, Declarations October 21, 2020 Virtual and Thematic Priorities (TDAG-WG-RDTP) 50 General Assembly of the OAS October 20 and 21, 2020 Virtual
ITU Regional Development Forum for the Americas Region October 26, 2020 Virtual (RDF-AMS) 37 meeting of PCC.I October 26 to 30, 2020 Virtual
TDAG Working Group on Strategic and Operational Plans November 9, 2020 Virtual (TDAG-WG-SOP) Second virtual consultation of Councillors November 16 to 20, 2020 Virtual
Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG) November 23, 2020 Virtual
36 meeting of PCC.II November 30 to December 4, Virtual 2020 Working Group for the preparation and follow-up of WTSA, November 15 to 27, 2020 Hyderabad, India WCIT, and WTDC (WGCONF) (postponed to 2022) Global Standardization Symposium (GSS-20) November 16, 2020 Hyderabad, India (postponed to 2022) World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly November 17 to 27, 2020 Hyderabad, India (WTSA-20) (postponed to 2022) 37 meeting of COM/CITEL December 10 and 11, 2020 Virtual
CITEL meetings ITU meetings
Other meetings
55
ANNEX C
QUANTIFIABLE RESULTS OF CITEL FOR 2020
December 31, 2020
Item Achieved
0 Number of face-to-face meetings organized by CITEL in 2020 54 Number of preparation virtual meetings organized by CITEL in 2020 983 Number of participants in meetings in 2020 1,121 Number of documents processed in meetings of CITEL in 2020 13 Number of resolutions approved by the Committees 5 Number of recommendations approved by the Committees 23 Number of decisions approved by the Committees 96 Number of associate members as of December 31, 2020 Number of associate members who entered their membership as of October 31, 2020 5
Number of associate members who retired as of December 31, 2020 9
2 Number of cooperation agreements signed as of October 31, 2020 (The Agreements with the Regional Training Centers are not included)
56
ANNEX D
TITLES OF RESOLUTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND DECISIONS ADOPTED IN 2020 (Date: From January 1 to December 31, 2020)
D.1 PERMANENT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF CITEL (COM/CITEL):
RESOLUTION COM/CITEL/RES. 310 (XXXVII-20) COURSE PROGRAM OF CITEL FOR THE YEAR 2021 COM/CITEL/RES. 311 (XXXVII-20) ADOPTION OF THE OPERATIONS PLAN FOR 2021 COM/CITEL/RES. 312 (XXXVII-20) DRAFT AGENDA, SITE AND DATE FOR THE 38 MEETING OF COM/CITEL COM/CITEL/RES. 313 (XXXVII-20) PREPARING FOR THE EIGHTH REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITEL ASSEMBLY COM/CITEL/RES. 314 (XXXVII-20) MODIFICATION OF THE NAME OF THE CONFERENCE PREPARATORY WORKING GROUP TO ADDRESS REGIONAL PREPARATIONS FOR WORLD CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS, AND UPDATING ITS MANDATE AND STRUCTURE
RECOMMENDATIONS
No Recommendations were approved in this period
DECISIONS COM/CITEL/DEC. 106 (XXXVII-20) FORWARDING THE DRAFT RESOLUTION TO THE OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY THE UNDERLYING ROLE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES/ TELECOMMUNICATIONS THROUGH THE INTER-AMERICAN TELECOMMUNICATION COMMISSION (CITEL) COM/CITEL/DEC. 107 (XXXVII-20) CREATION OF AN AD HOC GROUP ON MODIFICATIONS TO THE STATUTE AND REGULATIONS OF CITEL COM/CITEL/DEC. 108 (XXXVII-20) FORWARDING THE DRAFT RESOLUTION TO THE OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY “INITIATIVES TO EXPAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS/ICTS IN RURAL, UNSERVED OR UNDERSERVED AREAS” COM/CITEL/DEC. 109 (XXXVII-20) FORWARDING THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE OAS ENTITIES “IMPORTANT ISSUES TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN MAKING REGULATORY TELECOMMUNICATION POLICIES DURING AND FOLLOWING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC”
57
D.2 PERMANENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE I: TELECOMMUNICATIONS/ INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (PCC.I)
RESOLUTION PCC.I/RES. 306 (XXXVI-20) APPROVAL OF INTER-AMERICAN PROPOSALS (IAPs) BY ELECTRONIC MEANS PCC.I/RES. 307 (XXXVI-20) AGENDA, SITE, AND DATE OF THE 37 MEETING OF PCC.I PCC.I/RES. 308 (XXXVII-20) VIRTUAL SEMINAR HEMISPHERIC EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE USE OF MOBILE TERMINAL DEVICES THAT HAVE BEEN STOLEN, LOST, OR TAMPERED WITH OAS RESOLUTION AG/RES. 2935 (XLIX- O/19) PCC.I/RES. 309 (XXXVII-20) WORKSHOP “CONNECTING THE UNCONNECTED IN RURAL AND REMOTE AREAS” PCC.I/RES. 310 (XXXVII-20) SEMINAR ON 5G: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN THE AMERICAS PCC.I/RES. 311 (XXXVII-20) APPROVAL OF INTER-AMERICAN PROPOSALS (IAPs) BY ELECTRONIC MEANS PCC.I/RES. 312 (XXXVII-20) AGENDA, SITE, AND DATE OF THE 38 AND 39 MEETING OF PCC.I
RECOMMENDATIONS PCC.I/REC. 30 (XXXVII-20) INITIATIVES TO EXPAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS/ICT IN RURAL AREAS AND IN UNSERVED OR UNDERSERVED AREAS PCC.I/REC. 31 (XXXVII-20) ITU GUIDELINES AND RECOMENDATIONS AGAINST THE USE OF ILEGAL DEVICES PCC.I/REC. 32 (XXXVII-20) FRAMEWORK FOR STRENGTHENING THE EXPANSION OF DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE
DECISIONS PCC.I/DEC. 306 (XXXVI-20) TRANSMIT RESULTS OF PCC.I PREPARATIONS FOR WTSA-20 WITH OTHER REGIONS PCC.I/DEC. 307 (XXXVII-20) CIRCULATION OF THE DRAFT REPORT OF THE CITEL FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY WORKING GROUP PCC.I/DEC. 308 (XXXVII-20) QUESTIONNAIRE ON INNOVATION IN MEASURING QUALITY OF SERVICE PCC.I/DEC. 309 (XXXVII-20) SUBMIT TO THE PCC.II AND COM/CITEL THE REPORT “IMPROVING COVERAGE, UNIVERSALIZING TELECOMMUNICATION/ICT SERVICES, AND IDENTIFYING THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODELS FOR REDUCING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE BY CONNECTING THE UNCONNECTED IN UNSERVED OR UNDER-SERVED RURAL AREAS” AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS “INITIATIVES TO EXPAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS/ICT IN RURAL AREAS AND IN UNSERVED OR UNDER-SERVED AREAS” PCC.I/DEC. 310 (XXXVII-20) CONSULTATION TO INDUSTRY REGARDING IMEI RELIABILITY
58
PCC.I/DEC. 311 (XXXVII-20) QUESTIONNAIRE INFORMATION MECHANISMS AND TRAINING OF TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICE USERS PCC.I/DEC. 312 (XXXVII-20) IDENTIFYING TRAINING NEEDS OF MEMBER STATES FOR PROTECTING USER RIGHTS PCC.I/DEC. 313 (XXXVII-20) INCLUSION OF THE SUBJECT OF PIRACY OF TELEVISION CONTENT AND SIGNALS ON THE WORKPLAN OF THE RAPPORTEURSHIP ON CONFORMANCE, FRAUD AND ILLEGAL OR IRREGULAR MOBILE TERMINAL DEVICES CONTROL PCC.I/DEC. 314 (XXXVII-20) INITIATION OF THE WORK TOWARDS A PCC.I RECOMMENDATION ON THE USE OF STRATOSPHERIC PLATFORMS PCC.I/DEC. 315 (XXXVII-20) CANCELLATION AND CLOSING OF TECHNICAL NOTEBOOKS NO. 17 AND NO. 18 OF THE WORKING GROUP ON DEPLOYMENT OF TECHNOLOGIES AND SERVICES (WGDTS) PCC.I/DEC. 316 (XXXVII-20) TRANSMIT RESULTS OF PCC.I PREPARATIONS FOR WTSA-20 WITH OTHER REGIONS
D.3 I SPECIAL MEETING PERMANENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE I: TELECOMMUNICATIONS/ INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (PCC.I)
RESOLUTION PCC.I/RES. 1 (I-E-20) EXCEPTIONAL PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTING INTER-AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS (IACs) IN EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES
RECOMMENDATIONS
No Recommendations were approved in this period
DECISIONS No Decisions were approved in this period
D.4 PERMANENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE II: RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS (PCC.II)
RESOLUTIONS PCC.II/RES. 135 (XXXV-20) AGENDA, VENUE AND DATE OF THE 36 MEETING OF PCC.II PCC.II/RES. 136 (XXXV-20) WORKSHOP “DYNAMIC SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT: BEST PRACTICES AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES” PCC.II/RES. 137 (XXXVI-20) AGENDA, VENUE AND DATE OF THE 37 AND 38 MEETINGS OF PCC.II
RECOMMENDATIONS PCC.II/REC. 62 (XXXVI-20) IMPORTANT ISSUES TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN MAKING REGULATORY TELECOMMUNICATION POLICIES DURING AND FOLLOWING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC 59
PCC.II/REC. 63 (XXXVI-20) INITIATIVES IN THE MATTER OF RADIOELECTRIC SPECTRUM TO EXPAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS/ICTS IN RURAL, UNSERVED OR UNDERSERVED AREAS
DECISIONS PCC.II/DEC. 210 (XXXV-20) RECOGNITION OF THE CHAIRS, VICE CHAIRS, AND COORDINATORS OF THE WORKING GROUP FOR THE PREPARATION OF CITEL FOR THE 2023 WORLD RADIOCOMMUNICATION CONFERENCE PCC.II/DEC. 211 (XXXV-20) CIRCULATION OF THE DRAFT REPORT OF THE CITEL FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY WORKING GROUP PCC.II/DEC. 212 (XXXVI-20) POSTPONEMENT OF WORKSHOP “DYNAMIC SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT: BEST PRACTICES AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES” PCC.II/DEC. 213 (XXXVI-20) ESTABLISHING AN AD HOC GROUP TO REVISE THE PROCEDURE FOR THE PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF INTER-AMERICAN PROPOSALS AND THE SELECTION OF CITEL SPOKESPERSONS FOR WORLD RADIOCOMMUNIATION CONFERENCES PCC.II/DEC. 214 (XXXVI-20) CREATION OF A PCC.II MENTORING PROGRAM PCC.II/DEC. 215 (XXXVI-20) CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF MR. JUAN MASCIOTRA PCC.II/DEC. 216 (XXXVI-20) TRANSFER TO COM/CITEL OF RECOMMENDATION PCC.II/REC. 63 (XXXVI-20) “INITIATIVES IN THE MATTER OF RADIOELECTRIC SPECTRUM TO EXPAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS/ICT IN RURAL AREAS AND IN UNSERVED OR UNDERSERVED AREAS” PCC.II/DEC. 217 (XXXVI-20) TRANSFER TO COM/CITEL OF RECOMMENDATION PCC.II/REC. 62 (XXXVI-20) “IMPORTANT ISSUES TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN MAKING REGULATORY TELECOMMUNICATION POLICIES DURING AND FOLLOWING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC”
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ANNEX E.
A. DRAFT RESOLUTION FOR THE 51th OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Leading Role of the Organization of American States in Developing Telecommunications / Information and Communication Technologies through CITEL
DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
FORWARDING THE DRAFT RESOLUTION TO THE OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY THE UNDERLYING ROLE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES/TELECOMMUNICATIONS THROUGH THE INTER-AMERICAN TELECOMMUNICATION COMMISSION (CITEL)
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
RECALLING:
Resolution AG/RES. 2953 (L-O/20), “The Leading Role of the Organization of American States in Developing Telecommunications/ Information and Communication Technologies through the Inter- American Telecommunication Commission,” adopted on October 20, 2020; and,
Resolution AG/RES. 2957 (L-O/20), “Program-Budget of the Organization for 2020,” adopted on October 20, 2020, as regards the mandates relating to Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL);
NOTING:
Resolution CITEL/RES. 80 (VII-18), “Strengthening CITEL within the OAS,” adopted by the seventh regular meeting of the CITEL Assembly, in which CITEL invites the OAS General Assembly to renew its commitment to the financial sustainability of CITEL; and,
CONSIDERING:
That telecommunications and information and communication technologies (ICTs) are key enabling tools for social, economic, cultural, and environmental development and, therefore, for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
That CITEL is the specialized agency of the OAS for telecommunications and ICTs and, as such, effectively contributes to the implementation of the four OAS pillars and the mandates and initiatives of the Summits of the Americas, to which end it has encouraged, along with the region’s political leaders, actions such as the launch of the public-private 2030 ICT Alliance for the Americas, calls for greater investment in broadband infrastructure, the promotion of broadband access in the interests of social inclusion, and the Rural Women’s Alliance – Empowering Rural Women Through ICTs;
That, reflecting its unique membership-based role and its ability to bring academia, the private sector, the technical community, and government together, CITEL promoted the interests of the entire Hemisphere at the World Telecommunication and Radiocommunication Assemblies and Conferences of 61 the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) through the adoption of more than 300 inter-American proposals;
That according to the ITU, a third of the region’s people currently have no access to broadband connectivity, and that it is important to continue strengthening CITEL as the crucial arena for cooperation in communications and ICTs in the Americas, most particularly in its role in discussing and reaching agreements on digital inclusion, the development of telecommunication infrastructure, radio spectrum use, and the creation of an enabling environment for investment in ICTs;
That the exchange of experiences, as a result of the series of round tables and forums coordinated by the CITEL Secretariat, made a positive contribution to the responses of OAS member states to better address the inequalities arising from COVID-19 from the standpoint of telecommunications/ICT and helped in the drafting of recommendations on relevant aspects that must be kept in mind when drawing up regulatory policies for telecommunications during and after the COVID-19 pandemic;
That it is necessary to improve coverage and identify models to bridge the digital divide, CITEL made recommendations for expanding telecommunications/ICT in rural areas and in unserved or underserved areas;
That CITEL undertook actions in coordination with ITU, CTU, and COMTELCA to improve communications and response capabilities with a view to building resilience to disasters and emergency situations in the region; and
That, having assessed the positive results of the work it has been doing, CITEL needs to be made financially sustainable in order to ensure that it is equipped with the tools required to continue with its tasks and to implement its 2018–2022 Strategic Plan in line with the Organization’s Comprehensive Strategic Plan,
RESOLVES:
1. To encourage OAS member states to intensify horizontal cooperation and the exchange of information, experiences and best practices among them in the area of telecommunications and information and communication technologies (ICTs), with the support of the Executive Secretariat of Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL).
2. To encourage OAS member states to implement activities in their countries and in the region to advance connectivity and broadband access as key drivers of sustainable development, and to invite them to participate in the various activities organized by CITEL.
3. To request that in the draft program-budget for 2022 for consideration by the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs and adoption by the General Assembly, the OAS General Secretariat continue taking into account the financial needs of CITEL in keeping with resolution CITEL/RES. 80 (VII-18), adopted at the seventh regular meeting of the CITEL Assembly, and with resolution AG/RES. 2957 (L-O/20), “Program-Budget of the Organization for 2020,” adopted at the fifty regular session of the OAS General Assembly, so the Commission can continue fulfilling its goals and mission and functioning optimally.
4. To request that the CITEL Secretariat report to the OAS General Assembly at its fifty- second regular session on the implementation of this resolution, execution of which will be subject to the availability of financial resources in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources. 62
ANNEX F.
F. DRAFT RESOLUTION FOR THE 51th OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Initiatives to expand Telecommunications / ICT in rural, unserved or underserved areas
DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
“INITIATIVES TO EXPAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS/ICT IN RURAL, UNSERVED OR UNDERSERVED AREAS”
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
CONSIDERING: a) That telecommunications/ICT are an essential tool for people to carry out their daily activities and exert a direct impact on the economic, social, and cultural environment of countries; b) That the global telecommunication/ICT infrastructure is essential and indispensable for world and national economies and for the well-being of all societies; c) That the participation of communities, NGOs, and local government is key to the success of a rural connectivity initiative; d) That the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference Resolution 200 (Rev. Dubai, 2018) on the “Connect 2030 Agenda for global telecommunication/information and communication technologies, including broadband, for sustainable development,” especially target 2, relative to “reducing the digital divide and achieving universal access to broadband”; e) That World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) Recommendation ITU-D 19 (Rev. Buenos Aires, 2017) on “Telecommunication for rural and remote areas” establishes that telecommunication services and ICT applications contribute significantly to improving the quality of living of the population, optimizing social well-being, boosting productivity, saving resources, and contributing to safeguarding human rights; f) That CITEL Resolution PCC.I/RES. 268 (XXVIII-16) mentions ensuring the equitable implementation of telecommunications/ICT, as they foster the sustainable socioeconomic development and minimize the poverty and social inequalities of remote rural and indigenous communities; g) That CITEL Recommendation PCC.I/REC. 28 (XXXIII-18) recommended that member states must facilitate the development of regulatory models that promote the deployment of infrastructure in remote or underserved rural areas, identifying necessary changes in: a) regulatory policies and b) models to achieve universal access; and f) That new alternatives must be found to resolve, over the short term, the absence of connectivity and telecommunication/ICT services in areas that do not have them or for which they are not affordable,
63 g) That it is necessary for the Member States to promote urgent actions to facilitate technological development and connectivity to broadband networks, which should be affordable to benefit all sectors of the population.
RECOGNIZING: a) That the experiences shared in the document on “Best practices for bridging the digital divide by connecting the unconnected in unserved or underserved rural areas” presented at the 37 Meeting of PCC.I by the Working Group on Policies and Regulation (WGPR) are a key contribution to compiling and reviewing the status related to connectivity in rural areas in the region; b) That deploying more infrastructure can provide access to services, education, and jobs; c) That enhanced access to telecommunication and ICT services can provide economic and social inclusion and gender equality; and d) That the innovations being seen in the regulatory and technological field can accelerate the bridging of the digital divide,
RECOGNIZING FURTHER: a) That as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need to accelerate the implementation of connectivity solutions to serve all citizens. b) The importance of technological neutrality. c) That the availability of spectrum and orbit resources are an extremely important input to bridge the connectivity divide and should be developed as recommended by the ITU-R and other similar organizations. d) That the administrations may have different priorities, legal and regulatory requirements, social and economic-financial conditions and availability of radioelectric spectrum. e) That it is necessary to consider new alternatives, technologies, means of access, and services that can solve in the short term the lack of connectivity and Telecommunication/ICT services in areas that do not have them or that are not affordable.
INVITES THE MEMBER STATES:
That CITEL administrations that wish to develop projects or initiatives for the expansion of Telecommunications/ICTs in rural, unserved or underserved areas, observing the regulatory provisions applicable in each country, consider the followinginitiatives:
1. Promoting the use of universal service funds or assistance funds for connectivity projects aimed at remote or underserved rural areas and ensuring they have the facilities that would make it possible for them to gain access to all kinds of operators.
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2. Fostering and supporting the implementation of business models that motivate the entry of new economic agents and promote their financial sustainability.
3. Encouraging the discussion, in the region’s countries, of the analysis of fiscal measures to favor connectivity.
4. Rural connectivity policies should give priority to technologies and projects that show sustainability, efficiency, and rapid implementation in rural areas.
5. Boosting public and private investment, as well as public-private ventures, partnerships, and the sharing of infrastructure in rural areas.
6. Promoting local innovation ecosystems, as well as strategies for ownership of technology in rural areas.
7. Providing incentives for the participation of small and community operators in providing services to unserved areas, through specific licensing measures, access to key infrastructure, and social coverage promotion programs.
8. Promoting cooperation and dismantling barriers to the deployment of infrastructure between central and local government to resolve the issues of permits and rights of way.
9. Promoting the drafting of Guides on Best Practices for the deployment of infrastructure, as well as the standardization of local requirements and regulations.
10. Periodically examining the regulation applicable to rural connectivity in order to respond quickly to the specific demands and needs of connectivity in rural areas.
11. Adapting minimum standards of service quality, speed, and continuity of service in rural communities.
12. Promoting specific incentives for rural areas (investment, rates, contributions, etc.).
13. Continually measuring the progress of projects in order to foster connectivity, publishing their reports systematically and continually, measuring their impact, and adopting necessary corrective measures, if any.
14. Fostering the development of a connectivity mapping system that identifies the places where there is installed infrastructure and connectivity.
15. Creating a regulatory environment that fosters innovation and investment for technological development, analyzing all the technological offers for connectivity in accordance with the needs of each country.
16. Analyzing the relevance of allowing operators to allocate partially or totally the due contribution amount to access and universal services funds for rural connectivity projects defined by connectivity policies in accordance with the needs of each country.
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17. Considering the possibility, if the policies and laws of the country allow it, for enterprises that have deployed connectivity in rural areas to be exempted from the mandatory contribution to the universal access and service fund.
18. Consider incentives for suitable use of the radioelectric spectrum to expand the coverage of affordable, quality Telecommunication/ICT services, implementing flexible regulatory frameworks that facilitate access to service and the use of radioelectric spectrum, in order to encourage investment in these areas and promote compliance with service coverage obligations.
19. Consider alternative, innovative models for assignments, licensing and payment for the use of radioelectric spectrum that aim to facilitate the expansion of coverage.
20. Consider policies to promote targeted investments aimed at satellite, and terrestrial solutions including, aeronautical and stratospheric platforms, among others that could provide Telecommunication/ICT services in the short term.
21. Consider implementing new technologies and techniques for dynamic management of licensed and license-exempt radioelectric spectrum to enable its flexible or shared use.
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