Deploying Internet and telephony services as widely as possible i...

communications & information policy, is member of U.S. delegation to ITU Development Section conference that also includes NTIA representatives and FCC Comr. Martin, who participated in Thurs. briefing. Since Mon., Gross and other members of U.S. group have been holding information-gathering talks with regulators and telecom ministers from other nations, and more formal bilateral sessions with ministers from countries such as Cameroon, China, Mexico, Morocco, Russia, Senegal and Uganda, Gross said. Among other topics, he said, they had discussed telecom reform efforts, universal service and access, convergence and ITU reform issues. Countries such as Mexico, which are seeing convergence of different communications technologies, are facing many of same challenges U.S. is confronting, Gross said, including how to revamp traditional “stove-pipe” regulatory model. In its discussions with Mexican delegates, he said, U.S. tried to convey importance of having independent regulators to foster competition and private sector investment. However, he said, he also emphasized that while regulation was important when one player had significant market power, “regulatory light hand” was more appropriate where competition existed. With China, Gross said, U.S. discussed importance of creating effective, independent regulator as quickly as possible and reminded Chinese delegates that model for such regulatory system already existed in Hong Kong. Delegates have offered numerous proposals for WTDC activities in coming 4 years, Gross said earlier this week (CD March 19 p6). Thurs. he said proposals now had been consolidated and assigned to various committees. Martin said one U.S. proposal was to have ITU reflect more formally idea of enforcement by regulatory authorities. Proposal isn’t tailored to any specific area of enforcement, Gross added. It simply attempts to convey idea it’s not enough for regulatory body to tell parties what they should do -- it also must have adequate tools to back up its rules, he said. WTDC could lead to national policy decisions on Internet and telecom issues, Gross said. First, he said, it provides “extraordinary opportunity” for ministerial-level representatives to exchange views on telecom reform and marketing ideas that can directly affect national policies. Nature of that dialog has changed over years, he said, to point where it’s hard to find any country that isn’t now committed to privatization, independent regulatory scheme, rule of law. “They speak the language we speak now,” he said, and challenge for everyone is how to implement those goals. In addition, Gross said, some formal resolutions will result from WTDC that will lay groundwork for action at ITU plenipotentiary session later this year. That meeting could produce treaty-based set of decisions, he said. WTDC concludes next Wed.