CTO secures Malta's Tsunami relief funds

As the Malta summit of the Commonwealth Heads of Government (chogm) enters its final lap, key protagonists are already in top gear to provide meaningful input. The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is actively engaged in making an effective impact.

It is carefully seeking to implement its strategic direction and consolidating its role as the flag-bearer of ICT development in the Commonwealth environment and beyond. More importantly, the CTO is preparing for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis, the Commonwealth ICT Ministers Summit in the Cameroon and CHOGM.

It is therefore not surprising to record the myriad initiatives taken by the organisation, directly and indirectly, in the past fortnight, including the preparations for the Commonwealth Secretariat meeting held in Malta last week.

Tsunami Relief Fund

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday announced the CTO's successful bid to secure a contract to use the Tsunami Relief Fund, created by the Government of Malta, to implement a rural connectivity project in Sri Lanka called Rural Teleco-op.

This was one of the main highlights of the strategic operational activities of this organisation, which is chaired by Anthony De Bono, who is well known in the international telecommunications environment.

The CTO, which is more than a century old, is an international development partnership between the British Commonwealth countries, non-Commonwealth governments, business and civil society organisations. The membership of the CTO consists of ministers in charge of Communications and other high-level policy makers, regulators, chief executive officers and other business leaders.

It provides the international community with an effective means to help bridge the digital divide, while achieving social and economic development. Its governing council is made up of representatives appointed by the full member countries, who meet once a year where the chairman, two vice-chairmen and the executive committee with two members representing developing partners and the industry are elected.

The last Council meeting, held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2004, just before the Tsunami disaster, elected Mr De Bono as chairman.

The Tsunami that so tragically affected Sri Lanka also highlighted the need for proper communications with which the damage would have been minimised and the reconstruction been rendered much easier. In fact, the proposed early warning system would not be effective without a communication component to deliver the warning to the masses.

Undoubtedly, such communication links would contribute to the general economic development of the under-developed areas and would provide the marginalised communities with a means to participate fully in the democratic process. Sri Lankan society, which has seen a number of civil uprisings, could definitely benefit from this project.

The project, which is now approved by the Committee entrusted by the Government of Malta and chaired by President Emeritus Dr Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, entails the empowerment of the rural communities up to a maximum of 1,000 subscribers to build and operate mini-telephone networks, connected to the national backbone, by using different technologies selected according to the suitability to address the topography and other requirements.

The community itself contributed to the capital through their savings and loan schemes. The fund is only the seed capital to pay for the equipment which has to be bought. Any work that can be carried out by intended beneficiaries, such as civil works, will not be paid for by the fund but be procured through their capital and labour.

These wireless local loop, CDMA and GSM solutions have already proved successful in similar projects in India, ensuring rural telephony can be developed rapidly.

Mr De Bono confirmed that the CTO is always keen to work alongside other multilateral agencies, which could contribute to the success of any project it undertakes. In this project the CTO would engage the Commonwealth Network of Information Technologies for Development (COMNET-IT), an organisation headquartered in Malta and other communications operators would be approached to join forces.

Keynote address in Cyprus

The past fortnight's events show the CTO's drive to multiply and diversify its relationship with potential partners. Some of these efforts have been in Brussels; others in another CTO and EU member country - Cyprus.

As Mr De Bono explained: "This is partly to debunk the misconception that the CTO is dedicated only to the needs and priorities of its developing member countries.

"It is true that the majority of the CTO's member countries are from the developing world and that the CTO is very much concerned about their priorities. Most of the CTO's work programme is dedicated to issues of the digital divide, national e-strategy planning, rural communications and so on, but it as important to underline the fact that the CTO is as much an equal opportunity membership organisation which does its best to reflect as much as possible the varied priorities and needs of its member organisations.

"So here in the Mediterranean it is important that we establish that the CTO is as much as European and Mediterranean organisation as it is in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean or the Pacific."

Mr De Bono made this statement in his keynote address during a conference organised in Cyprus by the CTO as part of the CTO's new orientation of broader collaboration with the International ICT community in the use of ICTs as a means to accelerate social and economic development globally.

The conference, which was also addressed by the Cypriot Minister of Communications and Works, Harris Thrassou, had the theme 'Billing and Revenue Assurance 2005', addressing the difficulties operators face in collecting much-needed operational funds.

As multi-operator and competitive environments become the norm in the respective countries, revenue losses can prove a far more important impediment to growth. So one of the challenges facing operators is that of identifying systems and processes that optimise payments collection and minimise deficits due to revenue leakages.

Sea Gateway roadshow in Brussels, Cyprus

It was in Cyprus that the CTO showcased its ambitious Sea Gateway project, a next-generation maritime security and monitoring system, which takes advantage of numerous advances in land-based monitoring systems, to the Cypriot national maritime authorities, ship management companies, and the chairman and board of directors of the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority.

A number of CEOs from the industry were also presented with the benefits that this project will eventually offer.

The same trend was followed in Brussels during the meetings held with Cabinet members of EU Commissioner Dr Joe Borg at the European Commission's offices, throughout the annual conference of the European Telecommunications Networks Operators, at the meeting with the secretary general of the European Satellite Operators Association and right through the encounter with the directors of the European Telecom Information Society (ETIS), with whom the CTO signed a memorandum of understanding to promote co-operation.

Throughout the meeting with the Chef de Cabinet of Commissioner Borg, Mr De Bono emphasised the critical role that the Sea Gateway project will play in the maritime industry. Sea Gateway will be the most comprehensive way to access critical, useful information on the state of a shipping fleet, including cargo load, on a global scale.

Sea Gateway is a channel of information that enables financial savings, improved maintenance and contributes to increased global maritime security. The opportunity of meeting Commissioner Borg's Cabinet leadership could not have been more appropriate for the CTO since Dr Borg's Commission is currently preparing to strengthen the regulatory management of the maritime industry.

The Sea Gateway solution is, in fact, aiming at becoming a key measurement and regulating tool hopefully to be mandatory for the maritime industry international security code as for any other security requirement that US and European authorities may enforce.

ETNO annual conference

The ETNO annual conference with the theme 'New Generation Networks: The next Telecom Revolution' was held in Brussels, with the EU Commissioner for Information and the Media, Viviane Reding, delivering the keynote address. This was the precursor to the launch of Commissioner Reding's first policy initiative under the new Lisbon Strategy for jobs and growth - the i2010 initiative.

The CTO took the opportunity to make the acquaintance of Commissioner Reding and to project its profile by joining the ETNO leadership in endorsing the move towards IP (Internet protocol)-based next generation networks and enabled new services.

Next generation networks are underpinning the next revolution in the telecoms sector, driving all future growth prospects. ETNO members and likewise the CTO leadership are optimistic that these will bring tremendous opportunities for users, citizens and businesses.

These networks will allow the industry to boost the level of innovation and knowledge leading to a more inclusive society, improved competitiveness and economic growth. It is true that next generation networks require significant investment and entail important risks.

Consequently, the CTO strongly supported ETNO in its drive to ensure that the application of regulatory frameworks for e-communications both removes existing barriers to innovation and avoids creating new obstacles to the deployment of innovative networks and services.

ETNO and the CTO are now finalising details of a memorandum of understanding, which will bring the two organisations even closer in their ambitions to secure a forward-looking regulatory environment which encourages investment.

More importantly, the CTO's newly amended constitution now provides for new categories of sector membership. Under these new arrangements it is possible not only for the main fixed-line and incumbent telecom operators in each of the member countries to become part of the CTO, but also for companies in the mobile sector, Internet and cable sectors and equipment manufacturers.

The i2010 initiative

Mr De Bono and CTO CEO, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, were also actively involved during the press conference held by Commissioner Redding following the formal adoption of her 'i2010' initiative by the Commission.

The CTO is heavily involved in assisting member countries develop national ICT development plans and they considered it vital to support the broad objectives of this initiative, which, in the main, is aimed at providing a new impetus to enable society as a whole to benefit from digital convergence.

The importance of this experience, therefore, merits underlining the critical elements in Commissioner Reding's statement, which highlighted that the sector was on the eve of major transformations with the convergence of three major industries: content, e-communications and electronic devices.

Convergence of technologies requires convergence of policies and Commissioner Reding's initiative set priorities for the next five years to boost the development of the ICT sector.

It is based on three major pillars:

A combination of all regulatory instruments related to the development of the ICT sector. Commissioner Reding insisted on the rapid development of technologies to modernise the regulatory framework and possibly abolish out-dated rules. In this context the review of the regulatory framework foreseen in 2006 should encourage further investment in high-speed infrastructure. Mrs Reding also announced a revision of broadcasting rules and a new radio spectrum policy.

The reinforcement of research and development instruments to ensure technological leadership of Europe in ICT. Her i2010 initiative proposes an increase of EU research funding for ICT of 30 per cent.

The promotion of an inclusive information society. Several initiatives will be launched in the coming five years in the fields of e-health, e-government, e-learning; Commissioner Reding mentioned concrete projects such as use of ICT to help caring for the elderly, contribute to safer cars and digital libraries.

Looking ahead

This dynamic period of the CTO's drive to secure international visibility for its membership will continue this month as it prepares to attend the High Level Forum at Marlborough House, the Commonwealth Headquarters in the UK, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, specifically for Government representatives to review and endorse the Commonwealth Action Plan for the Digital Divide report for CHOGM 2005.

The forum is expected to be chaired by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo. The plan will eventually be fine-tuned by the Commonwealth ICT Ministers which the CTO is tasked to convene in Yaoundé, Cameroon, next September just before November's CHOGM in Malta.