Will industry complacency lose us spectrum?
The acting director general recently sent out invitation letters to the telecommunication and broadcasting industry to join the WRC-1 Industry Preparatory group.
Telecommunication in developing countries does not necessarily have the same dynamics as those of the developed world, yet major efforts of the International Telecommunication Union seem to reside with the developed world.
It is true that they may have the expertise and experience but often lack the knowledge of what is needed to drive telecommunication in the developing world. And we are part of that world. Our needs are different from that of the Europeans.
For the 2007 conference an industry preparatory group was formed under the DOC umbrella which participated in developing a South African position on the various agenda items. Although some industry players have been part of the South African delegation to WRC since 1995, this was the first serious attempt to involve a wider spectrum of industry and to overcome the lack of participation from certain key players. However, some major industry players were noticeably missing from WRC09. Can we afford the lack of serious industry participation? The answer is simply “NO” in capital letters.
ITU processes are involved and often long-winded. To arrive at decisions that affect the whole world is an arduous task and involves many experts assembled from around the world in study groups. The long drawn-out processes on the one hand ensure inclusivity but at other times result in decisions that are superseded by developments.
A classic example is in the case of broadcasters. A decision was made that shortwave broadcasters would adopt Single Side Band(SSB) as a standard to reduce bandwidth and increase their efficiency. Because of the need to give the world time to change over to a new technology up to seven or more years will lapse before a new standard is implemented. SSB for shortwave broadcasting was superseded by DRM, a digital service that has just been introduced by some of the larger broadcasters in Europe.
Decisions made at the ITU WRC affect every user of the radio spectrum from broadcasters to astronomers, from telecommunication companies to radio amateurs. ICASA develops and promulgates many of its regulations based on determinations made at the WRC.
Because ITU processes are long-winded many companies consider it a waste of resources, yet if decisions do not go the way they would like to see, they become critical of South Africa’s delegation to the conference. It is thus of utmost importance for industry to get involved and share their particular experiences and expertise for the good of the country. The time for complacency is over.
WRC11 will take place for four weeks during October and November 2011 and while it may seem a long way away, there is much work to be done. (European countries commenced with their preparations for WRC-11 in February 2008.)
A South African position must be developed for each of the close on 40 agenda items. We must ensure that our future needs are taken care of and lobbied with SADC and the African Telecommunications Union so that we may have a strong voice at WRC-11.
Loading ...