Telecom Regulation Essentials
Professional Development Scholarship Program
Telecom Regulation Essentials [1]
1. Study venue: Neotelis. 666 Sherbrooke West, Suite 1000, Montreal QC H3A1E7, Canada. Tel: (514) 281-1211, Fax: (514) 281-2005
2. Coordinator: Hélène Duran. E-mail: [email protected]
3. Modality: On site
4. Start and end dates: 26 September - 7 October 2011
5. Course duration: Two weeks
6. Language: English
7. Objectives: A) Provide participants with a sound understanding of the global and competitive telecommunications environment and its impact on the activities of a regulator. B) Present the fundamental concepts of regulation and the role and responsibilities of the regulator. C) Perform an in-depth review of competition policy and licensing concepts. D) Present the role and responsibilities of the regulator related to interconnection and tariffs. E) Provide an understanding of numbering and spectrum management and the challenges it represents for the regulator. F) Present the regulatory challenges and issues of VoIP and Local Loop Unbundling. G) Present the different dispute resolution mechanisms and the role of the regulator in settling disputes.
8. Course content;
Overall picture of the global and competitive telecommunications environment
· Deregulation/liberalization
· Privatization
· Globalization
· New players & services
· International trends
· Implications for regulators
Regulation
· The need to regulate
· Principles for effective regulation
· The regulator
· Role
· Responsibilities
· Organization
Competition policy
· General principles
· Fundamental concepts
· Methods of control
Licenses
· Types of licensing regimes
· Types of licenses
· Licensing procedures
· Licensing practices
· Fees
Interconnection
· Definition and importance
· Role and responsibilities of the regulator
· Reference Interconnection Offer (RIO)
· Interconnection agreement
· Interconnection charges
Costs and tariffs
· Definitions
· Types of costs
· Cost modeling
· Types of tariffs
· Methodologies for tariff-setting
· Tariff regulation
Numbering
· Numbering plan
· Allocation of numbers
· Number portability
Spectrum policy
· Spectrum allocation
· Spectrum management
· Monitoring and control
Local Loop Unbundling (LLU)
· Implementation of LLU
· Challenges & issues
Universal service and universal access
· Role of the regulator
· Universal Service Obligations (USO)
· Net cost
· Benefits
· Funding
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
· VoIP fundamentals
· Regulation of VoIP services
Dispute resolution
· Role of the regulator
· Dispute resolution mechanisms
9. Requirements:
· Citizenship or permanent residence of an OAS Member State*, with the exception of Canada since is the host country.
· Participant profile: Should have a Bachelor degree in Administration, Commerce, Economics, Engineering, Law or Science.
· At least two (2) years of telecom experience, preferably in regulation for a telecom regulator or in regulatory affairs for a telecom operator, in areas such as regulatory framework, interconnection, costs and tariffs, spectrum management, economics studies, competition policy and universal service/access.
· English proficiency. To be considered for admission, scores must be submitted from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Exceptions may be made for applicants who hold a degree from a university located in a country in which English is the official language and also the language of instruction at the university. The minimum scores for admission consideration are:
- Academic IELTS: an overall band score of 6.0 with no individual score below 5.0
- TOEFL: 550 on paper-based or 80 on Internet-based test
· Submission of completed application form by the deadline set by the National Liaison Organization (ONE) It is the candidate’s responsibility to ascertain the deadline set by the ONE in his or her country of residence
10. OAS Scholarship Selection Criteria: In accordance with article 4.2 of the Manual of Procedures of the Scholarship and Training Programs of the OAS, OAS scholarships shall be granted based on the following criteria:
· the objectives and priorities established in the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development;
· the training priorities of the member states;
· the merits and overall credentials of the candidate, including his/her academic and professional background;
· the financial need of the candidate; and
· An extensive and equitable geographic distribution for the benefit of all member states and that takes into account the greater needs of the smaller and relatively less developed economies.
11. Benefits:
For successful candidates
· OAS/PDSP will cover round trip economy class air tickets from country of origin or residence to Montréal, Canada. Funds for terminal and in-transit expenses are NOT provided [4]
· Neotelis will provide greeting at the airport and transportation from and to the airport, the training fee, training manual in paper and electronic format, lunches and coffee breaks on training days, certificate of completion of the Training Program, gifts and city tour.
12. Responsibilities of the selected candidates:
· Based on arrival date of Sunday, September 25, 2011 and departure date of Saturday, October 8, 2011 the additional amount needed for this course is approximately USD 1,750 (14 days at a three star hotel of US$ 75 per day results in a total of USD 125 per day for hotel, meals not included in the Program and other incidental expenses. Other higher rates hotels also available.)
· The selected candidates must confirm their acceptance to the OAS General Secretariat Office in their respective countries and through the ONE in order for the OAS to proceed with making the necessary travel arrangements to purchase the air travel tickets, economy class, round-trip, between their country of origin or residence and the study location or, if the scholarship is refused, to appoint another candidate.
· The selected candidates must confirm their acceptance of the scholarship by signing and returning to DHDEC their completed “form of acceptance of the scholarship award”; only after this has been done will the OAS proceed with the necessary travel arrangements to purchase the air travel tickets, economy class, round-trip, between the scholarship recipient’s country of origin and the study location.
· Upon selection, candidates must accept the scholarship by confirming their availability to follow the course during the period indicated and their acceptance of the duly provided conditions of study.
· Selected scholarship recipients are responsible for obtaining the necessary visa(s) to enter the country of study and the corresponding transit(s). The OAS will not be responsible for any costs related to obtaining visas or transfer documentation.
· Each scholarship recipient is responsible for arriving in time for the commencement of activities on the date established by the institution offering the course or program.
· If the scholarship recipient fails to travel on the scheduled dates, or change routes, after the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (GS/OAS) has purchased his/her travel ticket, he/she will be responsible for paying the difference in ticket costs in order to arrive at the course site in time. The scholarship recipient will furthermore have to reimburse the GS/OAS the total cost of the airfare for his/her travel from his/her country of residence to the site where the Professional Development Course will take place and back if, after the ticket has been purchased, he/she declines the scholarship without written authorization from the Department of Human Development.
· The latter includes any additional costs, if any, incurred by the GS/OAS, such as extra costs for accommodation during the scholarship recipient’s travel to and from the country where the course will be held.
· If the fellow declines, cancels or terminates the Scholarship after the course or program has started without providing the GS/OAS with a compelling reason, he or she will have to reimburse GS/OAS the total amount of incurred costs/expenses.
13. Certification: The participants will receive a diploma from Neotelis, Regional Training Center of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL).
14. Presentation of candidacies:
Please Notice: If you were awarded an OAS Professional Development Scholarship in the past twelve (12) months or if you currently hold an OAS Scholarship for Academic Studies, you are not eligible to apply for another Professional Development Scholarship.
REQUIRED APPLICATION DOCUMENTATION:
Once the applicant has completed the online application form and submitted it, a copy will be sent automatically to his/her e-mail account. This completed form must be printed, signed and submitted to the National Liaison Office (ONE) with all other forms in this link: (http://www.educoas.org/portal/en/oasbecas/formspd.aspx?culture=en&navid=282)
All the additional forms must be completed electronically or in typewritten format.
The following is the list of National Liaison Organizations (ONEs) in the OAS Member states: http://www.educoas.org/portal/en/oasbecas/ones.aspx?culture=en&navid=282
Please note that the official announcement is published in the language of instruction of the course and is available via the Educational Portal of the Americas Web page at: http://www.educoea.org.
Any questions regarding submission of applications for this course should be sent to: [email protected]
IMPORTANT NOTICE: THESE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS CORRESPONDING TO THE 2011 REGULAR BUDGET
[1] The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (“GS/OAS”) reserves the right to cancel this scholarship announcement at any time. Moreover, the OAS, GS/OAS, and its personnel are not liable for any actions taken in reliance on or otherwise based upon information in this announcement.
[2] On June 3, 2009, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Americas adopted resolution AG/RES. 2438 (XXXIX-O/09), which resolves that the 1962 Resolution that excluded the Government of Cuba from its participation in the inter-American system, ceases to have effect in the Organization of American States (OAS). The 2009 resolution states that the participation of the Republic of Cuba in the OAS will be the result of a process of dialogue initiated at the request of the Government of Cuba, and in accordance with the practices, purposes, and principles of the OAS
[3] The deadline for presentation of applications to the (ONE) differs from country to country and should therefore be confirmed with the relevant ONE in the applicant's country of origin or permanent residence.
[4] OAS professional development scholarships will cover up to $1,150.00 for round trip airfare to travel between member states and up to $2,500.00 for roundtrip airfare to travel from member states to observer countries.