SERVICES: SYMPOSIUM — 22 MARCH 2012

Symposium on International Mobile Roaming Organized by the delegation of Australia

The Australian Mission hosted a Symposium on International Mobile Roaming on 22 March to provide Members with more ample information on industry trends and regulatory solutions currently being sought to address high mobile roaming charges. Telecommunications companies, user groups and national regulators as well as international organizations made presentations on the activities and initiatives they have undertaken on roaming. Over the past year, the Council for Trade in Services has begun to discuss the possible relevance of GATS commitments and disciplines to international mobile roaming charges. The Symposium was aimed and providing a backdrop to these talks.

Background 

Roaming charges, both wholesale and retail, have for some time remained at what are often considered to be exceedingly high levels. A variety of national and regional studies and regulatory solutions were described at the Symposium. An international users group highlighted the problems that high costs can pose for business users and how it can affect international trade.  A mix of large and small telecom companies operating around the world offered their perspectives on current market trends, and how they, in some cases, are trying to meet demand for lower roaming rates. The ITU and OECD reported on formal recommendations their members have negotiated to encourage governments to address the issue with a mix of regulatory and market incentives.

For each session, the programme of speakers, their presentations, and background papers can be found below.

 

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Programme  

Thursday, 22 March 2012

09h00

Welcome and Introduction — Ambassador Tim Yeend
> Speech

Chair — George Mina, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia

  

09h15    Stakeholder  Perspectives — Industry & Consumers:
 


—   Global Overviews  

Moderator, Mr. Vincent Affleck, Office of Communications (OFCOM), UK and Chair, Communications and Infrastructure Services Policy Committee, OECD
> Biography

GSM Association
Mr. Antony Srzich, Regulatory Director, International Roaming
> Presentation   > Biography   > Background document

International Telecommunications Users Group (INTUG)
Mr. Nick White, Executive Vice President
> Presentation   > Biography   > Background document
  

—   Industry Players

Moderator, Mr. Tony Shortall, Director, TELAGE, Brussels
> Biography

Vodafone Group
Mr. Richard Feasey, Public Policy Director
> Biography   > Background document

Austria Telekom
Dr. Oliver Kaliski, Senior Analyst, Telekom Austria Group
> Presentation   > Biography
         
Turkcell
Dr. Tayfun Çataltepe, Vice President, Regulation & Wholesale & Roaming
> Presentation   > Biography

Digicel
Mr. Donald Connor, Vice President of Legal and Regulatory Affairs
> Presentation   > Biography

Skype
Mr. Jean-Jacques Sahel, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs Europe, Middle-East and Africa
> Presentation   > Biography

THREE-UK
Mr. Hugh Davies, Director, Corporate Affairs
> Presentation   > Biography

  

12 h 25

International Organizations — Activities and Perspectives

 

  
Moderator
Mr. Vincent Affleck, Office of Communications (OFCOM), UK and Chair, Communications and Infrastructure Services Policy Committee, OECD
> Biography

ITU
Ms. Xiaoya Yang, Head, WTSA Programmes Division, Standards Bureau
> Remarks   > Biography   > Background document

OECD     
Mr. Agustin Diaz-Pines, Communications and Infrastructure Policy Division, Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry
> Presentation   > Biography   Background document: EN  FR

WTO
Ms. Lee Tuthill, Counsellor, Trade in Services Division
> Remarks   > Biography   Background document: EN  FR  SP

  

14 h 30 Regional Initiatives and National Experiences
 

  
Moderator
Ms. Randi Hovde, Senior Adviser, Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
> Biography

EU Roaming Regulation — towards structural solutions
Mr. Peter Stuckmann, Policy Officer, European Commission, Directorate-General Information Society and Media
> Presentation   > Biography

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative
Ms. Maitha Ali Jaffar, Senior Economist, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Sultanate of Oman
> Presentation   > Biography

SADC/CRASA Home and Away Roaming Project
Mr. Christian Mhlanga, Senior Manager, Markets and Competition, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)
> Presentation   > Biography   > Background document

Australia-New Zealand Initiative
 Mr. Richard Windeyer, First Assistant Secretary, Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy,  Australia
> Biography
         
Initiatives in Brazil and South America
Diogo Barcellos Ferreira, Public Policy and Management Advisor, Telecommunications Services and Universalization Department, Ministry of Communications
> Presentation   > Biography   > Background document

National Experience
 Mr. CAI Xiongshan, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China
> Presentation  

Swiss Perspective
Mr. René Dönni Kuoni, Deputy Head of Telecoms Division, OFCOM and
Ms. Olga Voiteshenko, Expert on International Roaming, OFCOM
> Biography, Mr. René Dönni Kuoni
> Biography, Ms. Olga Voiteshenko
> Presentation
Background documents:
> International Roaming BEREC Benchmark Data Report
> International Roaming National and international Comparisons

  

17 h 40

Wrap Up – Australia

 

  
Other background documents

> Estudio sobre el estímulo de la armonización de servicios de roaming en telefonía móvil para Centro América (Resumen preparado por la BDT como contribución a los trabajos del Grupo LAC de la Comisión de Estudio 3 de la TSB Buenos Aires)

> International Mobile Roaming: Competition, Economics and Regulation

> A Review of International Mobile Roaming to December 2011