SAMENA Council: amendments to ITRs treaty at WCIT 2012 in Dubai could potentially restrict global telecommunications investment and growth

The SAMENA Telecommunications Council today voiced genuine concerns regarding a number of proposed amendments to the United Nations ITU International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs). 

The SAMENA Council is currently reviewing the various proposed revisions. Certain key recommendations raise potentially significant concerns for member countries and their operators, including: 

- Ceding certain authority to the ITU over national regulatory bodies

- Changing the status of certain ITU-T recommendations from voluntary to mandatory;

- Adding specific technologies  to a currently technology-neutral based treaty;

- Assigning the ITU authority over private operator disputes;

- Extending the ITU’s role in Internet governance; and

- Changing the basis for international traffic settlements. 

The SAMENA Council’s CEO, Thomas Wilson, has expressed concern that: “Potential changes to the ITRs could lead to new regulations that inhibit future investment in broadband infrastructure and economic growth.” 

According to the SAMENA Council, the ITRs should promote international cooperation and support the unprecedented transformation that is underway within the ICT industry. The amended ITRs should also reflect high-level principles and should be stable and enduring to reduce the need for frequent future updates. 

At the ITU’s World Conference on International Telecommunications - 2012, the United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) ITRs Treaty will go through its final amendment process. SAMENA’s 94 member organizations from across the SAMENA region, comprising the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa, believe that once the ITU adopts its recommendations in December, the telecoms and regulatory landscapes could change to the detriment of many regional and global telecom operators.