1.      BACKGROUND

The Initiative for the Regional Integration of South American Infrastructure (IIRSA)[1] is the main forum where to discuss a regional agenda aimed at promoting the physical integration of South America through its infrastructure.

The Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL)[2], entity of the Organization of American States, is the main telecommunication forum in the Hemisphere, where governments and the private sector meet regularly in order to coordinate regional efforts designed to develop a Global Information Society in line with the mandates given by the Heads of State and Government in the Summit of the Americas.

On November 7th, 2008, the first Executive Technical Group (GTE) of the IIRSA project “Roaming in South America” took place in Bogota, Colombia. Regulators, mobile operators, industry groups, regional or international organisms of the telecommunications sectors, ministries of communications and regional and international institutions and national coordinatos of the member states of the IIRSA initiative took part in this meeting, which had the following objectives:

(i)        Present the advances of the “Regional Study on the South American Roaming Services Market”;

(ii)       Discuss the analysis presented in the study, with special focus on regulation, taxation and tariffs, and technical aspects and fraud prevention;

(iii)      Define the guidelines for the action plan for the project, to define the agenda for the Second Executive Technical Meeting of the IIRSA project “South American Roaming Agreement”.

The next step in the development of the project is having the “International Roaming Services: Regional action plan and lessons learnt” (CITEL Workshop /Second IIRSA Executive Technical Group) to be held on May 4, 2009 in Cusco, Peru within the framework of the PCC.I meeting of CITEL.

2.      OBJECTIVE OF THE MEETING

The meeting “International Roaming Services: Action plan and lessons learnt“(CITEL workshop /Second IIRSA Executive Technical Group) will have the following objectives:

(i)          To present the conclusions of the First Technical Working Group on the project “Implementation of a Roaming Agreement in South America,” and to update participants on the latest developments with the project, which was developed under the IIRSA initiative;

(ii)          To discuss measures proposed by regulators, operators, government bodies and entities engaged in the issue, with a view to improving the operation of the Roaming Market;

(iii)         To consider a Plan of Action for the project, for implementation in the 2009-2010 period, involving all sectors engaged in the operation of this service market, using as a point of departure the feasibility study on the implementation of each of the proposed measures. The conclusions of the workshop will be applied in other countries of the Americas, beyond the IIRSA area.

3.      PARTICIPANTS

The meeting will be oriented to the participants of the PCC.I of CITEL, IIRSA National Coordinators that may contribute to the discussion.

4.      MEETING STRUCTURE

The Workshop will be structured around the following roundtables: tariffs and taxation, technical aspects and fraud prevention and regulations. The three roundtables will provide the participants with the opportunity to discuss the measures needed to improve the market of roaming services in the Americas, in particular in South American countries, and approve a preliminary action plan for the project.

5.      AGENDA

Opening

09:00 – 09:15    Welcome words and opening

Guillermo Thornberry, president of the OSIPTEL executive committee

09:15 – 09:30    Meeting Objectives

Presidency of the PCC.I of CITEL and presidency of the IIRSA Executive Steering Committee

09:30 – 10:00     Status of the IIRSA Project “South American Roaming Agreement”

IIRSA Technical Coordination Committee

Workshop 1: Tariffs and taxation

10:00 – 10:30    Problems in the definition of the prices of the roaming market: tariffs, taxations and information transparency.

IMOBIX / Value Partners, consultants of the Regional Study of the South American Roaming Market

10:30 – 10:45 Break

10:45 – 12:30    Proposals to solve the commercial and taxation problems of the South American Roaming Market.

Open Discussion and workshop

12:30 – 14:00 Lunch

Workshop 2: Technical aspects and fraud prevention

14:00 – 14:30      Technical problems not solved in the roaming market: long distance call, fraud, prepaid roaming and border roaming

IMOBIX / Value Partners, consultants of the Regional Study of the South American Roaming Market

14:30 – 15:45    Technical proposals to solve the technical problems of the South American Roaming Market.

Open Discussion and workshop

15:45 – 16:00 Break

Workshop 3: Regulation

16:00 – 16:30     How can regulation help to improve the regional roaming market?

To be defined

16:30 – 17:45     Proposals from regulators to solve the problems of the South American Roaming Market.

Open Discussion and workshop

Closure

17:45 – 18:30     Summary of the meeting: Proposal of a work plan for the IIRSA roaming project.

Secretary of the IIRSA Technical Coordination Committee

6.      DOCUMENTATION AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For additional information on the events, and to receive the documents that will be presented and discussion in the meeting, please access the following link: http://www.iirsa.org/roaming.asp. Also, please find attached an executive summary of the IIRSA project “South American Roaming Agreement”.

For additional information on the meeting or on the IIRSA Project, please refer to the technical contact in the IIRSA Initiative.

Jose María Díaz Batanero
Inter-American Development Bank
[email protected] / (+1) 202 623 1650

Name
Title
Entity