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Plan of Action for the Americas

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XIII Meeting of PCC.I will be held in Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina from August 5 to 8, 2008

1. Introduction:

During the last ten years, the debate on the importance of telecommunications to improving quality of life has made clear that telecommunications is more than simply a technology. Telecommunications has become an even more important issue since the initiative to establish a hemisphere-wide free trade zone by the first decade of the 21st. century began to take shape. The essential role of telecommunications to any economic, social-cultural or political proposal that is initiated on a national, or in this case, hemispheric, level cannot be denied.

Major development declarations, including the ITU Maitland Report of 1984, the ITU Declaration of Acapulco of 1992, the ITU Declaration of Buenos Aires of 1994, as well as the 1994 Declaration and Plan of Action of the Summit of the Americas, make clear the growing importance of telecommunications. The Declaration and Plan of Action of the Summit of the Americas, given its political importance, provides the general mandate to develop this Plan of Action for the telecommunications sector in the Americas.

This Plan of Action recognizes that in the Americas there are different levels of economic development in the countries in the region and that these differences are substantial. These differences also manifest themselves in the telecommunications sector and should be progressively reduced so that the participation of all countries in the future Free Trade Area of the Americas be beneficial.

2. Vision of the Sector

We share a common vision of telecommunications, informatics, and audiovisual media for all, anywhere, at any time.

3. Strategic Mission of the Sector:

Taking into account the Declaration of the Senior Telecommunication Officials Meeting, we also share a common strategic mission of promoting economic development, hemispheric integration, and modernization of the telecommunications infrastructure of the region by:

3.1. Meeting communication and information needs under equitably conditions and at reasonable cost;

3.2. Using appropriate technologies;

3.3. Developing an environment of fair competition; and

3.4. Encouraging participation by a broad spectrum of groups in the decision-making process.

4. Overall Objectives for the Sector:

Implementation of the overall objectives and related undertakings in this Plan of Action will be conditioned by the national law, development priorities, and interests of each country.

In this setting the Senior Telecommunication Officials will endeavor to:

4.1. Promote measures to meet in a timely manner the demand for all telecommunications services at reasonable rates, and seek universal access and service;

4.2. Put in place flexible regulatory frameworks that can easily adapt to rapid change in technology and innovation in telecommunications markets and that facilitate implementation of the Global Information Infrastructure;

4.3. Support training of human resources for the sector;

4.4. Develop a legal framework to protect the rights of users;

4.5. Encourage the use of telecommunications to support education and health care;

4.6. Seek efficient use of the radio spectrum;

4.7. Encourage fair competition among providers of services and interconnection, according to the principles of transparency and nondiscrimination;

4.8. Promote common positions among CITEL countries for world conferences;

4.9. Promote the use of telecommunications to preserve human life and for public safety in case of emergencies and natural disasters; and

4.10.Promote regional coordination in the areas of value-added services, equipment certification, and coordination of standards.

5. Plan of Action:

5.1 Promote measures to meet in a timely manner the demand for all telecommunications services at reasonable rates, and seek universal access and service.

Commitments:

The telecommunication authorities undertake to seek to:

Promote the establishment of mechanisms for increasing telephone service density andcoverage in rural areas and for low-income groups;

Devise specific policies concerning rural telecommunications, such as investment, subsidies and the use of market mechanisms or other applicable national models;

Promote access to the global information network.

Seek the adoption of regulatory frameworks that increase the availability of allservices and universal service

Promote the use of wireless services in rural and remote areas.vi) Examine the introduction of new global satellite services and urge nationalregulatory authorities to give special attention to the results of world telecommunications policy fora on this subject

5.2. Put in place flexible regulatory frameworks that can easily adapt to rapid change and innovation in telecommunications markets and technology and that facilitate their implementation of the Global Information Infrastructure.

Commitments:

The telecommunications authorities undertake to seek to:

Promote among telecommunications and cable television operators, insofar as the relevant legal regulatory framework allows, the installation of network systems using the latest technology, and ensure its operability.

Encourage national meetings that include the administration, the private sector, and other governmental and nongovernmental institutions, to expedite the start-up of networks using the latest technology in those countries.

Seek adoption, in countries that are transitioning to market-based, customer-focused telecommunications regimes, of flexible regulatory frameworks that promote innovation, encourage private sector investment and foster competition and universal service.

5.3. Support training of human resources for the sector.

Commitments:

The telecommunications authorities undertake to seek to:

Encourage operators, the academic sector, and other official institutions to establish programs for training human resources in the sector.

5.4. Develop a framework to protect the rights of users;

Commitments:

The telecommunications authorities undertake to seek to:

implement user protection mechanisms.

use appropriate mechanisms to make the benefits of the information infrastructure accessible to the population.

promote means, where appropriate, for broad public participation in issues in thetelecommunications sector.

5.5. Encourage the use of telecommunications to support education and health care.

Commitments:

The telecommunications authorities undertake to seek to:

Encourage educational and health institutions to install suitable telecommunications and informatics infrastructure, especially in institutions located in rural areas and low-income communities.

Promote the use of more advanced technologies (satellites, fiber optics, DTH, radio, etc.) for distribution and interaction with educational and health products.

Cooperate in the development and exchange of viable tele-education and tele-medicine programs.

Promote installation of networks and systems that provide by electronic means interaction between citizens and Government and, internally, among state agencies at the various levels.

5.6. Seek efficient use of the radio spectrum.

Commitments:

The telecommunications authorities undertake to seek to:

Promote application of the latest technologies and harmonization of the use of the radio spectrum at the hemispheric level.

5.7. Encourage fair competition among providers of services and interconnections, according to the principles of transparency and nondiscrimination.

Commitments:

The telecommunications authorities when developing national policies undertake progressively to:

Promote flexible regulatory frameworks that allow such competition and regulate in an impartial manner matters related to interconnection and, where applicable, numbering plans.

Promote policies that include interconnection safeguards, cost-oriented rates, equitable access charges and account settlement rates that stimulate demand fortelecommunications services and foster competition.

Share, when appropriate information and views on accounting rates. Work together,when appropriate on issues relating to the movement of accounting rates towards costs in a spirit of mutual respect between parties.

5.8. Promote common positions among CITEL countries for world conferences.

Commitments:

The telecommunications authorities undertake to seek to:

Develop common positions, as appropriate, among the countries of the region in advance of important international meetings held under the auspices of the ITU, including the World Telecommunications Policy Forum, WRC-97, and the World Telecommunication Development Conference.

5.9. Promote the use of telecommunications to preserve human life and for public safety in case of emergency or natural disasters.

Commitments:

The telecommunications authorities undertake to seek to:

Establish mechanisms for emergency telecommunications in the Americas, pursuant to Resolution 36 of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (1994, Kyoto) and the subsequent Council decisions in support of the negotiations of an International Convention on Disaster Communications.

5.10 Promote regional coordination in the areas of value-added services, equipment certification, and coordination of standards.

Commitments:

The telecommunications authorities undertake to seek to:

Approve the CITEL guidelines on value-added services, equipment certification processes, and promote coordination of standards.

Promote the adoption of specific measures to implement the principles set forth inthe aforementioned guidelines.

Promote value-added services to encourage investment and trade in these services.

Promote and strengthen relations between CITEL and regional and subregional telecommunication organizations in the Americas, in particular to achieve regionalcoordination in the areas of value-added services, equipment certification and standard coordination.

v) Recommend that the countries of the region examine the possibility of developing regional, subregional or bilateral agreements on value-added services and mutual recognition agreements on equipment certification.

6. Implementation of the Plan

The guidelines set forth in this Plan of Action will guide the pursuit of the stated objectives on the basis of joint efforts by the public and private sectors in the OAS member states.

CITEL is requested to examine and consider this Plan of Action with a view to its follow-up and implementation to help fulfill its objectives and commitments.