ITU International Telecommunication Union : Spectrum Management for Digital Transformation discussed in the Americas

The ITU Regional Radiocommunication Seminar 2018 for the Americas (RRS-18-Americas) was held in San Jose, Costa Rica from 24 to 28 September at the kind invitation of the Ministerio de Ciencia Tecnologia y Telecomunicaciones of C​osta Rica (MICITT) and in cooperation with the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) and the Comisión Técnica Regional de Telecomunicaciones (COMTELCA).

The seminar was followed by a forum on 'Spectrum Management: Challenges Ahead', drawing over 60 industry experts and stakeholders, including ITU Member States and Sector Members, regulators, and representatives of the telecommunication industry, operators, international organizations, associations and academia from 13 countries and 3 international organizations from the Americas region.

Participants discussed the future spectrum requirements for radiocommunication systems, in particular the challenges and opportunities for spectrum monitoring, national plans and regulatory and market aspects of spectrum management in the context of the upcoming ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19).

'ITU Regional Radiocommunication Seminars, like this one organized in San Jose, Costa Rica, are an important step in preparing national and international spectrum management decisions of the region for the efficient use of spectrum/orbit resources which is a key enabler of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda,' said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao.

The seminar discussed matters related to spectrum management and telecommunication infrastructure as tools for creating smart, connected societies in which all inhabitants enjoy a better quality of life regardless of their status or where they live. In the words of the First Lady of the Republic of Costa Rica, Claudia Dobles Camargo, 'This Government aspires to have communities that make extensive use of telecommunications - smart cities - and to achieve this we must determine the type of changes we must make and the resources we will require for it. These are matters involving economic, social, political and technological considerations for research and development.'

'This event is of the utmost importance to Costa Rica as it will produce extremely useful inputs, based on the experience of international experts and all the countries represented, for the action to be taken to achieve a connected society,' said Edwin Estrada, Vice-Minister for Telecommunications.

According to the Minister for Science, Technology and Telecommunications, Luis Adrián Salazar, the discussions held in Costa Rica provide inputs to the Digital Transformation Strategy, which is being prepared further to instructions issued by the President of the Republic Carlos Alvarado Quesada who, along with the First Lady, has a very clear idea of the role played by information and communication technologies in the development of the country and its inhabitants. 'We at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications are committed to the Bicentenary Digital Transformation Strategy - a strategy which addresses development issues at the level of information systems and by generating international synergies in what we call the 5G Route - Ruta 5G - for which telecommunications are indispensable', he said.

The Seminar also discussed best practices regarding the use of spectrum for both terrestrial and space services, including basic training on ICT tools developed by ITU for frequency assignment notifications for these services, as well as the challenges ahead in regard to spectrum management, and other topics relating to radiocommunications.

'ITU's 2018 Regional Radiocommunication Seminar for the Americas has significantly contributed to the dissemination of information and capacity-building in the region and to the regional preparation for the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19),' said François Rancy, Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau.

Miguel Alcaine, Head of the ITU Area Office stressed that the importance of the seminar lies in capacity building for sound spectrum management on the part of the different entities and administrations of each country to take maximum advantage of the spectrum in the short, medium and long term.

The seminar ended with a renewed commitment to collaboration and capacity-building programmes among all stakeholders in the region.

More information about this seminar and the presentations are available at:
https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/seminars/rrs/2018-Americas/Pages/default.aspx