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U.S. Officials To Pitch Telecom Ideas
by William New
U.S. officials preparing to attend a series of key meetings on international telecommunications policy are focused on implementing core policy positions that increasingly are accepted worldwide, according to David Gross of the State Department, who is the coordinator of international telecom programs for the government.
The core principles include instating independent regulators in countries without them, privatizing telecom markets and establishing the rule of law. "We continue to believe they are critically important," Gross said. One of the new challenges is how, in light of the global economic situation and lower telecom investment, to get countries to "continue down the path to accepting those core principles," he said.
The upcoming meetings of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) include the World Telecommunications Development Conference (WTDC), from March 18-27 in Istanbul, Turkey. While the WTDC is not a treaty-based meeting, it is considered important for reaching out to scores of developing countries on telecom issues.
More than 100 countries have adopted the independent regulator concept, some to greater degrees of independence than others. But they realize that in order to attract investment, they need to follow the core principles.
The Geneva-based ITU has 189 members, the majority of them developing countries. It is not a regulatory body for the Internet, despite interest on the part of some ITU members for it to become one.
The other two key upcoming meetings are the ITU plenipotentiary meeting next fall, for which the United States likely will submit a proposal in the coming weeks, and the World Radio Conference next year.
The United States recently submitted a proposal on how to make the ITU development sector more effective. The proposal focused on three areas: making the development sector (known as ITU-D) more flexible, with better coordination; facilitating discussion of ways to implement national telecom policy and regulation; and specific actions the WTDC can take to encourage implementation of telecom development.
One debate that could arise at the WTDC regards the International Charging Arrangement for Internet Services (ICAIS). The question is whether Internet traffic flow is sufficiently balanced so that it does not give an unfair advantage to U.S. providers.
The United States holds a strong position of non-intervention by governments in the pricing and distribution of the Internet, Gross said. "We think the marketplace has developed quite nicely on its own," he said.
The WTDC is a forum for addressing the global "digital divide," which Gross insists should be called "digital opportunities." In many countries, addressing the divide really means addressing deeper, longstanding issues, he said. "We think the opportunities in the developing world are really quite extraordinary."
"I have no doubt that the digital revolution continues to be much more of a bridge than a divide," Gross said.
Europe Provides Model For Data Transfers
The European Commission this week adopted model contracts for the transfer of personal data from Europe to data processors in countries not recognized by the European Union as providing "adequate" protection for the data. Such countries include U.S. companies not adhering to the "safe harbor" privacy principles issued by the Commerce Department.
While use of the contracts is voluntary, they will ease the process of complying with the European data-privacy directive, which requires personal data sent out of the European Union to receive an adequate level of protection. EU member states must recognize the contracts as providing adequate protection.
"This is an additional practical measure making it easier for companies and organizations to comply with their obligation to ensure 'adequate protection' for personal data transferred from the EU to the rest of the world while safeguarding individuals' right to privacy," Frits Bolkestein, the European internal market commissioner, said in a statement.
The European Union previously adopted model contracts for "controllers," parties that determine the purposes and means of processing data. The model contracts are not necessary for transfers of personal data within the European Economic Area, the 15 EU states plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. They also are not necessary for transfers to countries recognized by the European Union as meeting its standards, which so far includes Switzerland, Hungary and Canada.
Also at the European Union, a new initiative on high-speed Internet connections will be unveiled "soon," according to a spokesman for Erkki Liikanen, the European commissioner for enterprise and information society. The initiative then will be presented at the European leaders' summit in Barcelona in mid-March.
Separately, a status report on the European Union's eEurope program is due out Feb. 5, he said.
USTR Slaps Piracy Sanctions On Ukraine
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has decided to impose trade sanctions on Ukraine for the piracy of optical media such as compact discs in an attempt to force it crackdown on the practice, AP reported.
The decision comes despite an effort by the Ukraine government to prevent sanctions, to stop the manufacturing and trafficking of pirated CDs. U.S. industry expressed disappointment with Ukraine's effort, which they said would not go far enough.
The sanctions may cost Ukraine some $470 million annually, AP said.
China Places Demands On Internet Providers
The Chinese government has issued an order that Internet service providers must screen private e-mail for political content under threat of liability for any subversive items on those Web sites.
According to AP, the regulations also insist that foreign software makers state in writing that their products do not have hidden programs that would allow spying or listening. It also requires all computers to use only software made in China.
Elsewhere in Asia, the Korean Ministry of Information and Communication this week announced a clampdown on unsolicited commercial e-mail, instant messages, phone calls and faxes. Violations could carry monetary or criminal sanctions, the Korea Herald reported.
U.N. Panel Cites Steep Drop In Foreign Investment
The U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released a report on foreign direct investment (FDI) this week that predicts the 2001 economic decline will be reversed as the result of consumer confidence, though not this year.
"This is because the key to restoring FDI flows worldwide is economic growth, while the basic factors determining FDI flows -- such as the quality of infrastructure, the availability of skills and technological capacity in host countries -- remain the same," UNCTAD said. A significant portion of FDI went toward the high-tech sector in developed countries.
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