Organization of American States Department of<br />Human Development
Competition Policy for Telecommunications

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OAS Professional Development Scholarship Program

Competition Policy for Telecommunications[1]
        
                                                                                                                                        OAS/DHDEE/CIR.081/2016

1. Study venue: United States Telecommunications Training Institute, 1150 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20036, United States of America

2. Offered by: USTTI in conjunction with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Department of Justice, the Washington, DC Legal Community and USTTI Board Member Corporations.

3. Coordinator of the course: Jim O’Connor, USTTI Senior Curriculum Coordinator, Email: [email protected] Phone: (202) 785-7373, Fax: (202) 785 1930

4. Modality of the course:                         On site

5. Start and end dates of the course: July 25 to July 29, 2016

6. Course duration:                                     Five (5) days

7. Language of instruction:                      English

8. Course Objectives: 1) To understand the changing regulatory philosophy as we participate in the dynamic worldwide telecommunications environment, including development of the necessary considerations that need to be given in responding to those changes; and 2) to develop, with high-level regulatory managers from developing nations, methods of grappling with privatization and other related deregulatory issues in managing their organizations in an effective, efficient market driven manner.

9. Course Content:

The first part of the course will be conducted by recognized competition policy and antitrust experts from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Washington, DC legal community and will address basic aspects of competition policy, particularly as applicable to telecommunications industries. The discussion will focus on three interrelated aspects of competition policy:

To what extent (and with what qualifications and exceptions) can we anticipate that freely functioning private markets will satisfy consumer-citizens, needs, enhance society’s wealth, and provide opportunities for workers and owners to increase their wealth? How do these principles apply to telecommunications markets?

What laws and legal institutions, especially anti-trust law and agencies regulating telecommunications firms, have proved beneficial in protecting and fostering market performance in those areas where reliance on marketplace forces and market decisions appears warranted? 

 What kinds of legal oversight of private behavior are necessary in cases where markets either will fail to operate optimally or cannot provide what society desires? For example, why does competition policy not fully embrace unregulated private markets for telecommunications services?

The second part of this course, taught by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Bureau-level policy managers, offers executive-level telecommunications policy personnel a broad overview of telecommunications policy-making considerations in a dynamic and competitive environment. With the rapidly changing regulatory environment predominant in so many countries, regulatory bodies are confronted with new challenges as they attempt to assimilate modern telecommunications technology.

The course describes the US regulatory structure including the legislative authority, the FCC organizational structure and an outline of the regulatory philosophy affecting the major services. The changing regulatory structure, which reflects current technological developments, and influences the need for competition and privatization, as mandated by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, is presented. Discussion of the FCC decision-making process, a site visit to the Washington, DC headquarters of the Intelsat Global Service Corporation, and a roundtable discussion concerning the changing global telecommunication environment, with class members, government, and industry representatives as participants, will be included to enhance the learning process.

10. Eligibility requirements:

  • Be a citizen or permanent resident of an OAS member state[2]/ (Residents must send in a copy of their visa);
  • Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Law or Engineering.
  • Participant profile: Policy makers and regulatory managers working in aspects related to the program of the course with at least three (3) years of experience.
  • 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:

o Academic IELTS: an overall band score of 6.0 with no individual score below 5.0

o TOEFL: 550 on paper-based or 80 on Internet-based test.

  • Submission of completed online application form by the deadline set by the National Liaison Organization (ONE).[3] It is the candidate’s responsibility to ascertain the deadline set by the ONE in his or her country of residence
  • In addition to the OAS online application, applicants must also submit a formal application through the USTTI. Applications may be filed through USTTI’s web site: http://ustti.org/courses/apply.php3

Please Note: 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.

11. OAS Scholarship Selection Criteria: Scholarships shall be awarded as provided for in the Manual of Procedures for Scholarships and Training Programs[4].

12. Scholarships benefits:

  • For successful candidate: OAS/CITEL will cover round trip economy class air ticket from country of origin or residence to Washington, DC, United States of America[5] . Funds for terminal and in-transit expenses are NOT provided.
  • USTTI will provide: a) a stipend of $400.00 to offset hotel and living expenses; b) waiving the $150.00 administrative fee; c) Health insurance with international coverage for the duration of the course in Washington DC which includes emergency medical evacuation, repatriation of remains, and emergency medical meetings.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: THESE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS CORRESPONDING TO THE 2016 REGULAR BUDGET

13. Responsibilities of the scholarship recipients:

  • Based on shared accommodations and an arrival date of Sunday, July 24th, 2016 and departure date of Saturday, July 30, 2016 the additional amount needed for this course is USD$ 477.00 as the total estimated hotel and living expenses amount to USD$877.00 and there is a USTTI stipend of USD$ 400.00 Please be advised that this corresponds to:

o Hotel estimate = USD $507.00

o Living expenses = USD $300.00 (The living expenses are calculated based on US $50.00 per day and an additional USD $70.00 for ground transportation (to and from the airport).)

  • If single accommodations are requested, an additional amount of USD$507.00 will be required.
  • In order to become scholarship recipients, the selected candidates must confirm their acceptance of the scholarship by signing and returning to Department of Human Development and Education-DHDE-their completed “form of acceptance of the scholarship award”;
  • If after accepting the scholarship, the scholarship recipient for whatever reason cannot attend the course, he or she must immediately notify the Department of Human Development and Education of the OAS to see if there is an alternate scholarship recipient;
  • Scholarship recipients must communicate in writing to the OAS/DHDE on which dates they will be able to travel;
  • 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 on time for the commencement of activities on the date established by the institution offering the course or program;

14. Certification: The participants will receive a diploma from the United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI), regional Training Center of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL).

15. Submission of applications:

  • Fill out the application form.

  • After filling out the application form, click "Enviar/Send” at the end of page 5.

  • A copy of the application form will be automatically sent to your email address.

  • Print and sign the application form sent to your email.





Any questions regarding submission of applications for this course should be sent to: [email protected]



[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.

[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] Pursuant to Article 4.2 of the Manual of Procedures for Scholarships and Training Programs, OAS scholarships shall be granted on the basis of the following criteria: the objectives and priorities established in the OAS 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 that takes into account the greater needs of the smaller and relatively less developed economies.

[5] The Department of Human Development, Education and Employment will defray up to $ 1,350.00 in round trip air fares between member states


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