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ITU News 8/2001 1

READER SERVICES AND ADVERTISING INFORMATION

2 EDITORIAL: Policy, regulation, cyberculture et al.

3 LICENSING 3G: Japans path to IMT-2000 (p. 3) Major players in Japans mobile market (p. 4) Mobile Internet: Precursor to 3G? (p. 6) Global circulation of IMT-2000 terminals (p. 10) A modified auction approach (p. 13)

15 MOBILE VIRTUAL OPERATORS: What are MVNOS?

19 EFFECTIVE REGULATION: Morocco country case study

23 E-CULTURE: Dealing with cyberculture

27 OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

29 PUBLICATIONS

32 DIARY

36 ITU TELECOM AMERICAS 2003

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ITU News 8/20012

EEEEEDITORIAL

Policy, regulation,cyberculture et al.

This issue focuses on ITU highlights at the tail-end of the summer.ITU Strategic Planning Workshops are doing a good job of bringingtogether recognized experts from around the world to discuss topicalissues of concern to the telecommunications community. The fifth ina series of these workshops was held in September to discuss the licensing ofthird generation (3G) mobile systems and its implications for ITU Member Statesand Sector Members. This was the first ITU meeting to focus on the policy andregulatory aspects of 3G, known internationally as IMT-2000.

A possible new role for ITU was discussed that goes beyond the traditionalareas of radio spectrum harmonization and technical standardization, cov-

ered by the present IMT-2000 project. Indeed, the Chairmans Report, which we will publish inthe November issue, concludes that: an important need will arise to assist Member States inthe migration from 2G to 3G, for instance, in helping to design the procedures for awardinglicences or in providing training programmes for regulators.

The report goes on to note that in the developing regions of the world, where national marketpotential is constrained by sparsely populated rural and remote areas or a low level of economicdevelopment, there may be a role for ITU to help Member States coordinate the introduction ofIMT-2000 on a regional basis. This may help manufacturers and operators to realize economiesof scale and offer lower prices to consumers.

A Briefing Paper, along with country case studies covering Chile, China and the Hong KongSpecial Administrative Region (SAR), Ghana, Japan, Sweden and Venezuela offer real-lifeexamples of what is going on in the 3G arena. The meeting found this wealth of informationextremely useful, especially to those currently involved in drafting national policies for future 3Glicensing. In this issue, we have selected Japan to illustrate how it blazed the trail to IMT-2000,due to be launched commercially in that country on 1 October 2001.

On the regulatory front, ITU is conducting case studies on what constitutes effectiveregulation.There is no textbook for government policy-makers to quote, chapter and verse, inestablishing an independent regulatory agency that will achieve their national goals. But asmore and more ITU Member States search for models and best practices to serve as guideposts,these case studies could pay dividends. In this issue, we put the spotlight on Morocco, whichhosted in September 2001 an ITU regional follow-up forum on telecommunication regulation.

Another important highlight was the agreement signed with Argentina on 24 September 2001to host ITU TELECOM AMERICAS 2003. ITU looks forward to bringing together in Buenos Aires allthe strategic players in the world of telecommunications, where visitors, exhibitors and speakerswill have access to the technology and ideas that will shape the future for the Americas region.

And finally, a look at cyberculture. ITU in its efforts to bridge the digital divide supports thecreation of electronic culture while protecting and conserving local cultures and values. In thisregard, ITU organized a global conference in collaboration with Cable & Wireless and the UnitedKingdom Telecommunication Academy (UKTA) on the theme of creating new leaders fore-culture. Read on!

The Editor

ITU News 8/2001 3

LLLLLICENSING 3G

A number of questions were discussedat the ITU Strategic Planning Workshop(Geneva, 19-21 September 2001) on thetheme of licensing third generation (3G) mo-bile systems. How should radio spectrum leftunused after the first round of issuing 3G orIMT-2000 licences be dealt with? What factorsshould determine the organization of subse-quent licensing rounds in order to assign theadditional radio spectrum identified at theWorld Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-2000) for IMT-2000 applications, or the addi-tional spectrum that will be needed between2005 and 2010 to accommodate the anticipatedincrease in 3G traffic?

Should national and international roaming bepart of a 3G licence condition or should this beleft to market conditions? What further regula-tory safeguards are needed to allow effective andaffordable roaming?

Given the likelihood that existing incumbentcarriers may gain control of licences to begranted, should one or more of those licencesbe reserved for new entrants? If yes, under whatconditions? What role, if any, should ITU playwith regard to the regulatory and economic is-sues raised by 3G mobile services? Is there arole for ITU in efforts to resolve 3G issues of aninternational nature, including interconnectiondisputes, roaming and global circulation of 3Gterminals?

ITU conducted a number of country casestudies and released a Briefing Paper for theworkshop. Countries were selected for theirlevel of telecommunications development,regional diversity, and recent 3G licensingactivity. This article looks at Japan and how ithas blazed the trail to be a front runner in 3Gdeployment, using an ITU standard.

Demand for IMT-2000There are three main driving forces behind

the introduction of IMT-2000 in Japan. The firstis the growing demand for multimedia serv-ices. Now that Internet and narrowband ISDNhave dominated fixed networks, the market is

Blazing the trail

* This article has been adapted from 3GMobile Policy: The case of Japan, whichforms part of a series of telecommunicationcase studies produced under the ITU NewInitiatives Programme. The case study wasprepared by Lara Srivastava (lara.srivastava@itu.int), Project Manager, ITU New Initia-tives Programme and directed by BenPetrazzini (ben.petrazzini@itu.int), Telecom-munication Policy Adviser in the Stategy andPolicy Unit. Full texts of this and other casestudies on 3G, covering Sweden, China, theHong Kong Special Administrative Region(SAR), Chile, Venezuela and Ghana, can befound at www.itu.int/3g.

Japans path to IMT-2000*

ITU News 8/20014

LLLLLICENSING 3G

starting to demand similar capabilities inmobile environments. The phenomenal successof services such as i-mode (see box on page 6)points to the need for advanced mobile appli-cations. The second force is the demand forinternational roaming. Despite being an islandcountry, a huge number of Japanese peopletravel overseas for business and leisure, creat-ing a large market for global services. The finaland perhaps most important issue is the lackof frequency caused by the dramatically unex-pected rise in the number of cellular subscrib-ers. Existing second generation (2G) frequencybands (800 MHz and 1.5 GHz) appeared insuf-ficient, and services using different frequencybands were, therefore, considered necessary.Responding to this need, the Japanese Govern-ment decided to work towards the deploymentof IMT-2000 networks.

Japans role in the internationalstandardization process

ITU began its work on IMT-2000 standardi-zation in the mid-1980s. In April 1993, JapansAssociation of Radio Industries and Businesses(ARIB), a private standardization organization,established the countrys IMT-2000 Study Com-mittee. This committee was given the mandateto study the air-interface technologies for IMT-2000. It was made up of some 90 companies,including operators such as NTT DoCoMo, KDDIand J-Phone (see box), and manufacturers,notably NEC and Fujitsu. Members of that com-mittee were responsible for proposing IMT-2000systems. At the end of its studies, the commit-tee concluded that wideband code divisionmultiple access (W-CDMA) was the most suit-able standard for Japan. W-CDMA wasaccepted by Japans Telecommunication Tech-nology Council (TTC) and proposed to ITU inJune 1998. Both Japan and Europe recom-mended different variations of W-CDMA. Onthe other hand, the United States recom-mended standards based on cdma2000 andTDMA technologies.

For fear of creating another closed domesticsystem, such as the personal handyphone sys-tem (PHS) and the personal digital cellular(PDC) system, Japan opted to switch its corenetwork to GSM technology.

Major players inJapans mobile marketThree mobile phone operator groups currentlyoffer 2G services in Japan: NTT DoCoMo,KDDI and J-Phone. All three are also entitledto offer 3G services in the future.

NTT DoCoMo was established in 1991and has its origins in the NTT mobile phonedepartment. The group has nine regionaloperators. NTTs subsidiary PHS operator, NTTPersonal, unable to reach its target subscriberbase merged with NTT DoCoMo in 1998. TheDoCoMo Group offers PDC mobile phone(800 MHz and 1.5 GHz) and PHS services.In April 2001, NTT DoCoMo had a total of36.6 million subscribers and aims to cover97 per cent of the population by March 2004,with a projected subscriber base of 6 million.The investment required for such an effort isestimated at JPY 1.1 trillion (USD 9 billion).

NTT DoCoMo will be the first operator tolaunch 3G services in Japan under the brandname FOMA (freedom of mobile multime-dia access), which is based on the ITU stand-ard W-CDMA. The full-scale commerciallaunch of FOMA was initially scheduled for30 May 2001 but was postponed to 1 October2001. Meanwhile, NTT DoCoMos introduc-tory service that is to end on 30 September2001 allowed a number of users to choose fromthree different types of handsets: standardtype (FOMA N2001), visual type (FOMAP2101V) and data-card type (FOMA P2401).

KDDI and the au brand.Two fixed-lineoperators (DDI and KDD) and one mobile-phone operator (IDO) merged into KDDI in Oc-tober 2000. At that time, IDO was offering itsmobile-phone service in the Kanto and Tokaiareas. DDI had a subsidiary mobile operatorsgroup known as Cellular Phone Group, whichoffered mobile services in seven other regions.With the exception of Okinawa Cellular Phone(in parts of the Kyushu area), the Cellular

ITU News 8/2001 5

LLLLLICENSING 3G

Phone Group operators weremerged into one operatorknown as au.

Today, KDDI offers its ownmobile-phone service in theKanto and Tokai regions whileau offers service in other re-gions (except in the OkinawaCellular Phone service area).Both companies, KDDI andau, have branded their mobileservices as au. There were11.25 million au subscribers inApril 2001.

The KDDI Group offers anarray of mobile services using the PDC andPHS technology and the cdmaOne system.

Concluding that it could not compete withNTT DoCoMos own PDC technology, KDDIadopted the cdmaOne system in 1998, bank-ing on its high quality voice service. As a re-sult, about 70 per cent of KDDI subscribersnow use the cdmaOne system.

The KDDI Group has other mobile-phoneoperators, for example the Tu-ka Group. Tu-ka launched its services in 1994 and was origi-nally owned by Nissan, the second largest carmanufacturer in Japan. But in 1998, Nissansold its stock to DDI.

Mobile-phone operators of the KDDI Group(au and Tu-ka) offer an Internet connectionservice called EZWeb. In April 2001, there were6.1 million au and 1.1 million Tu-ka EZWebsubscribers. KDDI plans to introduce 2.5G serv-ices in the autumn of 2001.

J-Phone was established in 1992 andlaunched its services in 1994. It is subsidisedby Japan Telecom, one of the countrys majorfixed-line telecommunication operators. Thegroup offers a 1.5 GHz mobile-phone service.It does not have a PHS operator. In April 2001,it had 10.2 million subscribers. Originally, thisgroup consisted of nine regional operators. In2000, operators in east Japan (Hokkaido,Tohoku, Kanto) were merged into J-phone EastJapan and those in west Japan (Kyushu,Chugoku, Shikoku, Kansai, Hokuriku) weremerged into J-phone West Japan. J-PhonesInternet connection service is called J-Sky, andhad attracted some 6.7 million subscribers byApril 2001. In March 2001, J-Phone announcedthat it would delay the launch of its 3G serviceby six months from December 2001 to June2002.

The main stockholder of J-Phone is Voda-fone, the largest mobile operator in the world.Vodafone announced its purchase of all BTowned J-Telecom and J-Phone stocks in May2001. Since August 2001, Vodafone owns 45per cent of J-Telecom stocks and 46 per centof J-Phone stocks (J-Telecom owns the other54 per cent).

Japan has taken a leap intothe future of 3G mobile

communication services.A number of selected users

have been testingNTT DoCoMos 3G

introductory service, whichended on 30 September

2001. Branded FOMA(freedom of mobile

multimedia access), thisservice will be launched

commercially in Japanon 1 October 2001

Photo: NTT DoCoMo (ITU 010067)

ITU News 8/20016

LLLLLICENSING 3G

Japan has introduced a wide array of mobileInternet services, and witnessed phenomenalgrowth in usage and subscribers. In May 2001,there were 68.4 million mobile subscribers inthe country, of which 50 per cent were usingsome kind of Internet browsing service. MobileInternet services are offered both on the PDCand PHS platforms.

The story of i-mode

Mobile browsing services began when NTTDoCoMo introduced its i-mode (information-mode) service in February 1999. Other mobileoperators also began competitive Internet con-nection services in 1999, with KDDI launchingEZWeb and J-Phone launching J-Sky.

An i-mode enabled phone allows users toaccess customized Internet content over apacket-based network. Web content for i-modeis developed using compact hypertext markuplanguage (cHTML), a subset of hypertextmarkup language (HTML) coding which is usedto create typical Web pages. These then becomei-mode compatible websites. There is also thespecial company coding that enables the crea-tion of icons representing concepts such as joy,sadness, hot spring baths, noodle shops, a par-ticular train line (for example, the Shinkansen)and Japanese holidays. The i-mode system doesnot use the open source wireless applicationprotocol (WAP) technology, but uses instead aspecial set of simplified HTML tags.

Subscribers to i-mode can download a rangeof items, including images of cartoon charac-ters, weather reports, news and entertainmentlistings. However, the most popular services arestill those that allow people to interact with eachother. Users of i-mode can send e-mail to otheri-mode users, other mobile-phone users withcompatible handsets, as well as to personal com-puters (PC). Other transactional services includemobile banking and ticket reservations. Thedata is transmitted over a packet-based networkat the transmission speed of 9.6 kbit/s, and billedon the basis of bits or packets transmitted.

Users are charged a subscription fee of JPY300 per month and are billed JPY 0.3 per packet(128 bytes). Some content providers charge anadditional fee of JPY 200 to 300 per month.There are both official and unofficial i-modesites In the case of official sites, there is a con-tractual arrangement between NTT DoCoMoand the content provider. Under this arrange-ment, NTT DoCoMo collects the content chargefor the content provider and keeps a commis-sion of 9 per cent. In the case of unofficialwebsites, users must pay the content providerdirectly. Currently, i-mode users have access tojust under 1800 official content sites and over40 000 unofficial sites.

By 10 September 2001, there were over 27million i-mode mobile Internet subscribers. Thisrepresents over 60 per cent of NTT DoCoMostotal cellular subscriber base. Todays i-modeservice is very popular among young users aged18 to 30, the heaviest users being teenage girlsand young women.

Some of the main reasons being advancedfor the success of i-mode are the packet-switched data network and billing system, theuse of compact HTML for viewing Web content,and the positioning of NTT DoCoMo as both anInternet service provider (ISP) and a mobileoperator. This means that users receive only onebill for the service and need to register onlyonce.

In an effort to extend their browser andInternet services, the incumbent operators NTTEast and NTT West (the regional fixed-lineoperators) launched an Internet service forfixed-line users in June 2001. The new L-modeservice will allow residential users to access un-official i-mode content services via special fixedtelephone sets equipped with display panels.The Ministry of Public Management, HomeAffairs, Posts and Telecommunications (MPHPT)gave its final approval for the service in April2001, after ensuring that other ISPs will beallowed to carry data traffic between a userslocal access point and NTTs Internet gateway.

Mobile Internet: Precursor to 3G?

ITU News 8/2001 7

LLLLLICENSING 3G

The charge for this service is JPY 200 per monthin addition to ISP charges. NTT hopes to attract1.5 million subscribers in the first year of theservice.

On 28 June 2001, NTT DoCoMo announcedits new location-based service, known as i-area,for its i-mode handsets. To access the i-service,users simply go to the i-mode portal site andclick i-area to view a large menu of informa-tion. Since i-mode base stations automatically

Videoconferencing

Information service(pull type)

Broadcasting(push type)

Remote medicaldiagnosis

Digitalcatalogueshopping

Hig

hD

ata

rate

Video-on-demand

Digital delivery(video

and audio)Mobile TV

Videophone Video mail Remote education

Mobile videoplayer

Advanced carnavigation

Web KaraokeDigital

informationdelivery (audio)

Mobile radio

Mobile banking Voice mailDigital

newspaperpublishing

Mobile audioplayer

Telephone E-mailDigital

informationdelivery (text)

Short message

Interactive Point-to-point One-way Multipoint

Low

Video Still image Audio data Text data Speech

source: Adapted from NTT DoCoMo.

recognize the handsets area code, users do notneed to enter their location. Initially, informationservices will include weather forecasts, localguides to shops, restaurants and hotels, detailedsearchable maps and 24-hour traffic updates. Theservice will not be subject to a subscription fee,although some content providers may levy feeson certain types of information. At the outset,i-area will not be provided for FOMA i-mode 3Ghandsets.

Figure 1 Vision of future services and applications

ITU News 8/20018

LLLLLICENSING 3G

Major steps in IMT-2000 licensingpolicy

In Japan, mobile operators are subject to theTelecommunication Business Law and theRadio Law. There were a number of importantstages in the policy-making process forIMT-2000, some of which are summarizedin Table 1. When the Ministry of Posts and Tele-communications (MPT**) released its draft

basic guidelines in July 1998 for introducing3G mobile communication systems, it received26 comments from 33 organizations, most ofwhom were mobile operators and manufac-turers. On the whole, the respondents agreedwith the substance of the basic guidelines.Among the highlights were the choice of stand-ard, technical conditions and licensing.

Eighteen of the 33 respondents commentedthat the standard to be adopted by Japan shouldnot be unique, as in the case of the second gen-eration PDC standard. Four of the respondentsexpressed concern over excluding the cdma2000system from the list of standards adopted. Onthe question of licensing, all the 20 respondentsopposed the auction method. Twelve of themrecommended comparative selection (alsoknown as beauty contest), a method wherebya government invites applications that are ratedaccording to some pre-set criteria. Licences arethen allocated to those whom the governmentbelieves best meet the stated requirements. Forexample, in Sweden where this method wasused, the initial criteria were that: sufficientcapital must be available, technical plans mustdemonstrate reliability, access, speech qualityand other service guarantees. Furthermore,business plans must be commercially feasible,and applicants must have suitable experienceand expertise.

Technical conditions for 3G mobileservices

The main elements of the report, which theTelecommunication Technology Council (TTC)submitted to MPT in September 1999 (see Ta-ble 1), are highlighted below. Typically, TTCreports provide the technical basis for ministe-rial regulation.

The frequency band to be allocated to 3Gshould be the 2 GHz band identified by ITU forIMT-2000.

Data transmission rates were to be 144 kbit/sfor vehicular (in the interim) and 384 kbit/sfor pedestrian and indoor services (also in theinterim).

Minimum bandwidth was to be 5 x 2 MHz.Allocation of frequency bands to operators

was to be: 20 x 2 MHz for a 2 Mbit/s transmissionrate. Minimum allocation was to be 5 x 2 MHz.

** With effect from 6 January 2001, the functionsof MPT were redistributed to two bodies: theMinistry of Public Management, Home Affairs,Posts and Telecommunications (MPHPT) and thePostal Service Agency.

IMT-2000 is much more than a simple mobile phone!At last you can see the face of the person you are talking to,thanks to a videophone a mobile communication servicethat uses real-time video

Photo: NTT DoCoMo (ITU 010068)

ITU News 8/2001 9

LLLLLICENSING 3G

Table 1 Major steps in the 3G licensing policy in Japan

July 1998

November 1998

March 1999

September 1999

November 1999

December 1999

February 2000

March 2000

AprilMay 2000

June 2000

MPT released for public comment its draft basic guidelines forintroducing third generation mobile communication systems (IMT-2000).

MPT released the results of the public comments.

ITUR Task Group 8/1 (TG8/1) approved the draft key characteristicsRecommendation for IMT-2000.

MPT received a report of the Telecommunication Technology Council(TTC) on the Technical conditions for radio equipment employingfrequency division duplex (FDD) using code division multiple access(CDMA). This report proposed a number of technical conditionsfor IMT-2000 radio equipment.

TG8/1 and ITUR Study Group 8 approved the draft radio interfacesRecommendation for IMT-2000.

MPT released its report on the Principles of radio station licences.Based on this report, and in order to ensure an adequate legislativeframework for the smooth introduction of IMT-2000, the Minister of Postsand Telecommunications consulted with the Radio Regulatory Council(RRC) regarding amendments to ministerial ordinances under the RadioLaw. The amended ministerial ordinances came into force in April 2000,authorizing the establishment of IMT-2000 radio stations.

MPT released its draft Policies for the introduction of IMT-2000and licensing of 3G radio stations and requested public commentson them. There were no serious objections to any of the policiesproposed by the Ministry.

Based on TTCs report, MPT revised the technical provisions of the RadioEquipment Regulations and ministerial ordinances and confirmed itslicensing policies.

Period within which operators were to apply for a licence.

MPT licensed three operators (NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and J-Phone).

Source. ITU.

ITU News 8/200110

LLLLLICENSING 3G

Radio transmission standardsto be adopted in Japan were: DS-CDMA (direct spread CDMA) andMC-CDMA (multi-carrier CDMA).

In the PHS bands, stricter spu-rious emission restriction, antennapower limitation of mobile termi-nals (less than or equal to 250 mW)and appropriate guard-band set-ting were important requirementsin order to avoid the effects frominterference.

Other ITU recommended systems(CDMA/TDD and TDMA) were notincluded in the report. However, thereport did state that if necessary,these systems would be consideredin the future.

Final IMT-2000 policiesMPT finalized its policies for the

introduction of IMT-2000 and radiostation licensing after acceptingcomments from its public consul-tation in February 2000. There wereno strong objections to any of theproposed policies. One of the con-cerns expressed related to theequitable treatment of DS-CDMAand MC-CDMA. MPT respondedthat since both systems are coveredby regulation on wireless equip-ment, treatment would not be dis-criminatory. Another concern hadto do with the lack of considerationgiven to international roaming.MPT responded that negotiationsfor roaming would only occur at alater date and that for this reason,it was not cited as a licensingcondition. Japans licensing policydoes not oblige operators to roambetween different systems becausein MPTs view, this should be leftto commercial negotiation betweenthe parties.

The policies on the introductionof IMT-2000 were finalized inMarch 2000, and fixed the numberof operators to three per region.

Global circulationof IMT-2000 terminals

In Japan, global circulation for visiting terminals iscovered under the Radio Law according to which eachradio station requires a licence to operate. Since ahandset is defined as a radio station, each handsetin Japan requires a radio licence under the Radio Law.

However, handsets canbe covered by an opera-tors comprehensive orblanket licence suchthat all the operatorshandsets in circulationare deemed to be li-censed. The compre-hensive licence is validfor a period of five yearsand for a limited numberof handsets.

The Radio Law alsocovers the issue of for-eign radio stations. Tobe granted entry tooperate within Japan,foreign radio stations,including 3G stations,must comply with thetechnical standards set

out in the Radio Law. However, the actual proceduresfor demonstrating such compliance are not yet in placeand indeed have yet to be determined. Japan isapparently hoping for the possibility of a 3G MoU (simi-lar to the GMPCS MoU), before determining whichprocedures need to be followed for foreign handsets.

In April 2001, a significant breakthrough was madewhen the European Union and Japan signed a mu-tual recognition agreement (MRA) for equipmentstandards on a limited range of products. However,the MRA only covers a few countries and does notaddress the issue of visiting terminals. Thus, consid-erable work remains to be done to enable 3G users toroam freely from country to country.

Photo: PhotoDisc (ITU 010567)

ITU News 8/2001 11

LLLLLICENSING 3G

New as well as incumbent operators were eli-gible for these three licences, with the excep-tion of fixed regional operators. Operators wererequired to cover 50 per cent of the populationin the first five years. The policies favouredapplicants with know-how of IMT-2000 tech-nologies and systems.

Licences could be granted on a regional ornation-wide basis. The policies endorsed thetechnical conditions outlined in the TTC report,thereby approving DS-CDMA (or W-CDMA) andMC-CDMA (cdma2000). Third generation mobileoperators were to be chosen through a compara-tive selection process. The forty-day applicationperiod was to begin in April 2000. Service was tobe launched sometime in 2001.

The policies on the licensing of 3G radiostations covered the comparative selectionmethod. Furthermore, the criteria below wereto be taken into account during the licensingprocess if the number of applicants exceededthree:

Suitability of services and alignment withcustomer demand.

Base station deployment plan and the fea-sibility of resizing.

Use of the spectrum to avoid or reduceinterference with existing stations, such as PHS.

Appropriateness of establishing radiostations to provide services unique to IMT-2000.

Contribution to the healthy development ofIMT-2000 through efficient utilization of radiospectrum, nation-wide services and compatibil-ity with international standards.

The licensing processMPT began accepting licence applications in

April 2000 for a forty-day period. Only the threeincumbent operators (the NTT DoCoMo Group,IDO and Cellular Group (KDDI) and the J-PhoneGroup) applied for the three available 3G licencesin each region and submitted their businessplans. The licensing procedure was the same asfor other Type 1 operators the three applicantswere required to obtain permission under theTelecommunication Business Law and a licenceunder the Radio Law. On 30 June 2000, MPTallowed changes to their status under the Busi-ness Law and granted preliminary permits fortheir radio stations under the Radio Law. Uponconstruction of their networks, these operatorswere to be duly inspected and licensed by theMinistry.

Granting 3G licences in Japan was straight-forward: the number of applicants (three)matched the number of licences. The policies

Mobile Internet users can enjoy a range of devices and services. They can download images of cartooncharacters, weather forecasts, news, entertainment, as well as local guides to shops and restaurants

Photos: NTT DoCoMo

ITU News 8/200112

LLLLLICENSING 3G

Operators

Modulationmethods

Date on whichoperator appliedfor licence

Service launch

J-Phone

DS-CDMA

19 April 2000

1 December 2001*Kanto, Tokai and Kansai **

regions

1 October 2002Hokkaido, Tohoku,

Hokuriku, Chugoku,Shikoku and Kyushu

regions

KDDI

MC-CDMA

12 May 2000

30 September 2002Kanto, Tokai and Kansai**

regions

31 March 2004Hokkaido, Tohoku,Hokuriku, Chugoku,Shikoku and Kyushu

regions

NTT DoCoMo

DS-CDMA

3 April 2000

30 May 2001*Kanto region

(Tokyo)

1 December 2001Tokai and Kansai**

regions

1 April 2002Hokkaido, Tohoku,

Hokuriku, Chugoku,Shikoku and Kyushu

regions

Table 2 Results of the licensing process in Japan (June 2000)

* Both NTT DoCoMo and J-Phone applied for an extensionof the launch date. First, J-Phone announced that it would delaythe commercial launch of its services by six months.Then, NTT DoCoMo, expected to be the first operator to launch3G services in Japan, announced that it would postpone thecommercial launch of its 3G FOMA (freedom of mobilemultimedia access) service from May to 1 October 2001.Meanwhile, it has been running an introductory FOMA servicein the Tokyo area from 30 May 2001 to 30 September 2001in order to assess system performance and provide customerfeedback ahead of the October launch.

**Kinki region is also known as Kansai.

Source: Adapted from MPHPT.

Source: Japan Information Network.

ITU News 8/2001 13

LLLLLICENSING 3G

for comparative selection weretherefore not invoked. Effec-tively, there was no contest. Aslong as the applications met thebasic requirement, 3G licenceswere granted. Table 2 summa-rizes the final licensing decisionissued by MPT in June 2000.Licensees are subject to condi-tions as set out in the relevantlegislation and in their businessplans as submitted to theMinistry.

The main reason behind thelimitation on the number oflicences was the shortage offrequencies. The regulator had atotal of 60 MHz available for 3Gservices (uplink and downlink).This meant that in order to allo-cate a minimum of 2 x 20 MHzblocks of spectrum, only 3 licen-ces could be awarded. In addi-tion, since PHS operators wereoccupying the 1.9 GHz spec-trum, there was significant con-cern regarding interference withthe 2 GHz spectrum allocated bythe ITU World Radiocommunica-tion Conference for 3G services.

Status of mobile virtualnetwork operators

A major limitation to the com-petitive landscape for 3G is thelack of additional radio spec-trum for mobile services. Theconcept of a mobile virtual net-work operator (MVNO) offers thepossibility of introducing newplayers who stimulate the devel-opment of innovative services,improved quality of service andprice competition. Mobile operators in Europe,for instance, are considering the provision ofnetwork access to MVNOs through commercialnegotiations or through regulatory measures.

An MVNO has been defined as an operatorthat offers mobile services but does not ownits own radio frequency. In this respect, it can

A modified auction approachLicensing in Hong Kong SAR througha royalty-based systemThe Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA)in Hong Kong has released the rules for the auctioning offour 3G licences in September 2001. OFTA has adopteda hybrid approach that requires bidders to pass a pre-qualification round prior to bidding for the licences. Inorder to reduce the upfront financial burden on opera-tors, the framework adopted involves a royalty-basedpayment scheme.

Each licensee would pay a percentage of its networkturnover, and would also be subject to a schedule of mini-mum payments. The initial reserve price would be 5 percent of network turnover, with an annual minimum pay-ment of HKD 50 million (USD 6.4 million) for the first fiveyears, increasing annually thereafter (i.e., from year six)for the remaining term of the 15-year licence period. Theidentity of bidders would be kept hidden during the mainbidding stage in order to minimize opportunities forcollusion.

Notably, the auction rules include the condition thatlicensees must set aside at least 30 per cent of their net-work capacity for mobile virtual network operators(MVNO). This condition caused controversy when firstannounced because operators said that no more than20 per cent of a licensees network should be reservedin order to avoid a situation whereby an MVNO couldobtain more overall capacity than a licence holder byaggregating capacity from different network owners.Another licence condition is that a 3G licence winnerwho is also a 2G operator must offer domestic roamingservices to new entrants.Source: Total Telecom, HK operators to bid for 3G licencesdespite complaints, 19 July 2001.

be a mobile service provider or a value-addedservice provider. It is to be noted that there aredivergent views on how to define an MVNO,and this is one of the current challenges facingregulators, particularly in Europe.

In Japan, the June 2001 amendments to theTelecommunication Business Law introduce

ITU News 8/200114

LLLLLICENSING 3G

the concept of wholesale telecommunicationbusinesses in an effort to create more flexiblenetworks. In other words, the new provisions al-low Type I operators to offer their network infra-structure to other Type I and II operators on awholesale basis. The only regulatory procedurerequired would be a notification to the Minister.This concept is applicable to the radio spectrum,as the legislation does not limit it to the fixed-line environment.

In fact, the studygroup which was setup in July 2000 andwhich released itsfinal report in June2001 on Businessmodels for next gener-ation mobile phones,refers to these amend-ments as creating in-centives for the intro-duction of MVNOs inJapan. This report en-dorsed NTT DoCoMosplans to open up itsnetwork to other Inter-net service providersby 2003. The reportalso mentions KDDIsplans to open its mo-bile EZWeb networkon a case-by-casebasis, albeit withoutconfirming a date.J-Phone has yet todeclare an open net-

work strategy but is looking into the possibility.The report stresses the importance of opennetwork access to the expansion and successof future mobile services. It argues that an opennetwork policy will allow new players to enterthe mobile browsing market and provide abasis for the development of MVNOs andalternative information providers.

However, the report does include the caveatthat since the concept of MVNO is not clearlydefined and can refer to various types of busi-nesses, each individual MVNO case is to beexamined carefully under the Business Lawbefore determining the appropriate set of regu-

latory measures. Before these amendmentscame into force, the United Kingdoms VirginGroup had already announced its intention toenter the MVNO market in Japan in April 2001(see box on page 18).

ConclusionThe first round of licensing 3G mobile serv-

ices in Japan was a relatively simple matter.Although only the monopoly local fixed-lineoperators, NTT East and NTT West, wereexcluded from the process, the governmentreceived only three applications for the threeavailable licences. These 3G licences wereallocated to the countrys three incumbentmobile operators (NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, andJ-Phone), covering over 90 per cent of themobile market. None of these operators hadto pay up-front fees they were only requiredto pay radio-usage fees in the region of USD 5per subscriber per year. At every stage leadingup to the granting of licences, the governmentemphasized the importance of transparencyof the process and public consultation. PHSoperators were financially constrained andthe larger PDC operators had been merged intoone of the three incumbents.

Like other regulatory authorities such as theOffice of the Telecommunications Authority(OFTA) of the Hong Kong Special Administra-tive Region (SAR) and the United KingdomsOffice of Telecommunications (Oftel), MPHPTis concerned with enhancing competition in the3G market after the licensing process. MPHPThas been exploring the possibility of allowingmarket entry to MVNOs, an idea which hasbeen endorsed by the Ministrys study groups.In order to allow new players to flourish in the3G arena, mobile operators have been encour-aged to open up their platforms for mobileInternet access and content provision.

Given the large number of mobile datausers, the focus in Japan has now shifted fromincreasing the uptake of mobile data to devel-oping the multi-purpose and multi-functionalhandset. In the future, mobile operators willhave to be more and more imaginative aboutthe purpose of the mobile phone. In this re-gard, Japan appears to be ahead of most othercountries.

Given the large number of mobiledata users, the focus in Japan

has now shifted from increasingthe uptake of mobile data

to developing the multi-purposeand multi-functional handset

Photo: Nokia (ITU 010574)

ITU News 8/2001 15

MOBILE VIRTUAL NETWORK OPERATORS

T he question of mobile virtual networkoperators (MVNO) is a fairly new one.For the first time, the benefits and pit-falls of regulating these emerging players werediscussed at the international level within thescope of the ITU Strategic Planning Workshopon licensing 3G mobile (Geneva, 19 to 21 Sep-tember 2001).

To date, there is no consensus on what con-stitutes an MVNO. Generally, an MVNO is de-fined as an operator that offers mobile servicesto end users but that does not have a govern-mental licence to use its own radio frequency.Instead, an MVNO has access to one, or intheory, perhaps more, of the radio elements ofa mobile operator and is able to offer servicesto subscribers using such elements. These ele-ments include the radio transmission link, itscontrol functions and the mobility manage-ment functions that keep track of exactly wheremobile handsets are located so that calls canbe delivered to them.

Analysts such as Pyramid Research definean MVNO as a company that provides mobilevoice and data services to end users through asubscription agreement, without having accessto the spectrum. This definition goes on to statethat through commercialagreements with licensedmobile network operators, anMVNO negotiates to buyexcess capacity for re-sale tocustomers.

The Office of Telecommu-nications (Oftel), the UnitedKingdoms regulator, definesMVNOs to cover activitiesundertaken by organizationsthat offer mobile services but

do not issue their own subscriber identity module(SIM) card. Figure 1 shows the interface betweenan MVNO and the telecommunications network.

From these definitions, MVNOs appear tovary in nature, depending on the extent towhich they rely on the facilities of the hostmobile network. So far, MVNOs that haveobtained access to host networks have doneso through commercial negotiation. For exam-ple, Virgin Mobile, which has a presence ina number of countries around the world (seebox on page 18), since its launch in the UnitedKingdom in November 1999, has not estab-lished its own mobile switching centre and doesnot have its own mobile network code but isgenerally regarded by end users as a real opera-tor and competes on a carrier-like footing withinfrastructure-based operators.

Some analysts argue that regulation shouldfacilitate the operations of MVNOs since theyoffer consumers a wider choice of services andapplications at lower prices, and thereby resultin a more efficient use of the spectrum. Othersargue that the mobile environment is suffi-ciently competitive, and that the advent of 3Goperators will further increase competition andthat regulatory intervention in support of

MVNOs is unnecessary.

Current regulatorypositions regardingMVNOs

The views of regulatorstowards MVNOs varies sig-nificantly at present. Regula-tors in many countries are stillconsidering whether (and ifso to what extent) regulatoryintervention, including the

What are MVNOs?*

*This article is based on theLicensing of third generation (3G)mobile: Briefing Paper preparedby Patrick Xavier of the School ofBusiness, Swinburne University ofTechnology, Melbourne, Australia(pxavier@swin.edu.au) ahead ofthe ITU Strategic Planning Work-shop (Geneva,1921 September2001).

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MOBILE VIRTUAL NETWORK OPERATORS

regulation of access price and conditions isnecessary.

There have been arguments both for andagainst MVNO regulation. Within the EuropeanUnion (EU), directives on telecommunicationsregulation currently do not mandate MVNOsaccess to a licensed 3G operators network.

Those in favour of regulation argue that themobile network operators control the availableradio spectrum, which is a bottleneck facilityand an entry barrier for new mobile networkoperators. Also, mobile network operators areless likely to provide MVNO access unless it is aregulatory requirement. They maintain that regu-lation of the mobile market is failing, which isanother reason why MVNO regulation maybe agood idea. Mobile operators have very high profitmargins of 25 per cent, in some cases signifi-cantly over costs. Current regulation, as inter-preted by some national regulatory authorities,already gives them the power to enforce anaccess obligation on existing operators.

Arguments against regulatory interventionare based on the fact that the benefits ofMVNOs are as yet unproven, and that there isinadequate evidence that market failure hasoccurred. The mobile market is competitive bynature and therefore does not require regula-tion. There is no industry consensus thatMVNO access is necessary, and the bleak pos-sibility that MVNOs could even discourageinvestment in mobile networks (both 2G and3G). Anti-regulatory intervention stances alsoargue that regulatory measures such as indi-rect access or 3G networks will improve thecompetitive situation.

Comparison with local loopunbundling

Those against mandating MVNO access to3G networks argue that it is not the same aslocal loop unbundling in the fixed network.Several operators and regulators have begunto think about aligning MVNO access in the

Figure 1 An MVNO customer making and receiving calls

MNO

MVNO

BS base stationBSC base station controllerMSC mobile switching centreHLR home location registerVLR visitor location register

IN VLR

MSC HLR

MSC HLR

BSC

MVNO suppliesSIM

PSTN

Out-going calls

In-coming calls

Signalling/database

Voice and signalling interface

Source: Ovum.

BS

ITU News 8/2001 17

MOBILE VIRTUAL NETWORK OPERATORS

mobile network to local loop unbundling in thefixed network. They point out that local loopunbundling was introduced to provide compe-tition to the local and access markets so thatthe incumbent would not in the long term bethe only operator (aside from cable operators) tocontrol future broadband markets. They arguethat MVNO access is a far more complex issue.

The extent of price competition resulting fromthe entry of MVNOs will depend on the termsand conditions with which MVNOs gain accessto mobile networks. It is likely that regulatoryintervention will be required in determining theprices, terms and conditions for the access byMVNOs to the networks of licensed operatorssince the early indications are that commercialnegotiation will not be easy to conclude.

Oftel recently conducted a research to obtainan up-to-date assessment of the state of policydevelopment on the MVNO concept in otherEuropean countries. Oftel found that, with a fewexceptions, it is early days for European regula-tors. Issues surrounding the MVNO concept havenot been discussed in any great detail, and hencemost regulators are not yet in a position to pro-vide categoric statements of policy. The excep-tions are the Norwegian, Danish and Swedishregulators all three have formally ruled on dis-putes relevant to the MVNO concept in responseto requests they have received from an organi-zation called Sense Communications (a Norwe-gian based service provider), according to Oftelsresearch. Sense had attempted to negotiateaccess to airtime from the existing operatorsthat were reluctant to grant it, particularly asSense wanted to use its own mobile networkcode and SIM card.

In the Hong Kong Special AdministrativeRegion, the Office of the TelecommunicationsAuthority (OFTA) has indicated that 3G net-works should be opened up to MVNOs. In ananalysis paper based on an industry-wide con-sultation, OFTA proposed a 3G licensing frame-work based on an open network requirement.Under this requirement, 3G service provisionwould be separated from network operation inorder to enhance competition in services andprovide customers with more choice and pricepackages. Successful bidders of 3G licences,planned for September 2001, will be required to

make at least 30 per cent of their network ca-pacity available to unaffiliated MVNOs andcontent and service providers. Furthermore, anysuccessful bidder that currently operates a sec-ond-generation network must agree to offerdomestic roaming service to all new entrants.

Pricing principlesThere are a number of strategies that could

be employed by an MVNO entering the 3Gmarket. At one end are MVNOs that have madesubstantial investments in infrastructure andfacilities for the provision of 3G services. SuchMVNOs would require extensive interconnec-tion with fixed and mobile networks and woulddepend on the mobile networks only for theminimum services that they would not be ableto supply themselves because they do not havelicences to use spectrum. These MVNOs wouldbe likely to require the use of the radio elementsof operators of 3G networks and such fixed partsof networks necessary to route calls betweenthe radio elements of the licensed operator anda point of interconnection from which calls canbe passed on to the MVNOs network.

At the other end are MVNOs that are prima-rily resellers of wholesale 3G network capacity.These MVNOs would have minimal investmentin network infrastructure and would concentratetheir activities and investments in marketing,customer service and billing. Licensed opera-tors would be responsible for undertaking theverification operations and database functionsrequired for the carriage of a call by an MVNOcustomer. This would include the transport anddelivery of calls to a terminating network.Licensed operators would then need to passon billing and service performance informationto the MVNO that would package this infor-mation and bill the customer accordingly.

An MVNOs ability to offer effective andsustainable competition against 3G networkproviders will be severely limited if networkproviders, who effectively control near monopolybottleneck facilities, are in a position to chargemonopoly prices for their services. Becausenetwork providers are vertically integrated intothe competitive upstream or downstream mar-kets for the provision of 3G services, they mayalso have incentives to restrict access to the

ITU News 8/200118

MOBILE VIRTUAL NETWORK OPERATORS

facilities required by competitors through theimposition of prices which make it uneconomicfor MVNOs to enter the market and effectivelycompete for 3G customers.

The pricing principles that apply to theprovision of services to MVNOs should reflectthe nature of an MVNO and the extent to whichit is engaging in interconnection or pure resaleof network capacity. MVNOs with extensive net-works of their own that make only minimum useof the licensed operators facilities are identicalto other network service providers and shouldbe entitled to interconnection on the samebasis as that adopted for licensed operators.

It has been argued that such cost-basedcharging for access to a 3G operators networkby MVNOs would become less necessary as themarket becomes more competitive. It has alsobeen claimed that cost-based access charges forMVNOs could damage incentives to invest in in-frastructure, particularly in the early stages ofinvestment in 3G systems. These argumentsshould be assessed within the context of the over-all objective of promoting and strengthening thecompetitive framework for mobile services, whichis the prime rationale for allowing MVNOs tooperate in the market in the first place.

3G mobile services resale, full network inter-connection and full facilities-based competitionare complementary rather than alternativemarket entry strategies. Market factors such aspopulation density, customer type, timing ofentry and penetration levels by new entrantswill determine which strategy is used in differ-ent areas and at different stages of marketdevelopment. Relying solely on full facilities-based competition to deliver competing 3Gservices may not provide 3G service competi-tion to all end users given the costs involved induplicating a full network throughout all areasof a country. As such, service-based competi-tion through the resale of network capacity willbe an important element of the overall state ofcompetition in the 3G market.

Currently the EU obliges companies with amarket share of over 50 per cent to open theirnetworks to other users at a cost-plus-margin-based price and for the moment, only KPNMobile is in this position. Other licensed opera-tors with market shares of more than 35 per centdo not have to charge on a cost-plus-marginbasis, so leasing from them could be moreexpensive.

Oftel takes the view that if MVNO serviceswere to be offered, the logical principle forcharging would be retail-minus. Retail-minussets an interconnection price by looking at fore-gone costs and deducting these from the retailprice. The costs foregone would be those asso-ciated with customer care, billing, provision ofvalue-added services and transportation. The3G Briefing Paper concludes that simple resaleof 3G capacity can encourage entry of efficientservice providers of retail 3G services.

Virgin MobileAn example of an MVNO

A typical example is Virgin Mobile whichemerged as a 50:50 joint venture be-tween the Virgin Group and One2One.Virgin buys airtime and network capacityfrom One2One on a wholesale basis, thenpackages and sells it to its target customerbase. Unlike a pure reseller, Virgin assumesroles and responsibilities traditionally asso-ciated with a full network operator, includ-ing SIM card allocation. Virgin Mobile offersboth traditional mobile voice and value-added services. A key factor in Virgins suc-cess has been the integrated distributionand sales platform it has built: the callcentre, the Web and numerous Virgin dis-tribution outlets.

Virgin Mobile has over 675 000 custom-ers in the United Kingdom filling about8 per cent of One2Ones network, and isseeking to expand its operations inter-nationally. Since the UK launch, a numberof operators from around the world haveapproached Virgin with a view to establish-ing joint ventures to operate in various mar-kets. Virgin Mobile has already establisheda presence in the United States, Australiaand Singapore and intends to be in all majorEuropean countries by year-end 2002.

ITU News 8/2001 19

EFFECTIVE REGULATION

Why case studies?The reform of the information and communi-

cation technology (ICT) sector has fuelled majorchanges at the regulatory and institutionallevels. One of the most striking changes has beenthe rise of the regulatory agency in the commu-nications sector. There arenow 106 telecommunicationregulatory agencies in theworld, and their number isexpected to increase to atleast 120 by year-end 2001.

It is one thing for countriesto make a policy decision tocreate an independent regu-latory agency, and quiteanother to empower theagency to act independentlyand effectively. Regulatoryagencies are not created invacuums. Inevitably, theyare the products of political,social, legal and economicconditions that exist at fixed points in time ineach country. Nor are these conditions static;regulatory approaches and policies change, andagencies change with them.

There is no textbook forgovernment policy-makers toquote, chapter and verse, inestablishing an independent

regulatory agency that will achieve their nationalgoals. The means by which each country cre-ates, structures and implements its regulatorybody is one of the most important factors in thesuccess of its reform process. Increasingly, then,newly appointed and responsible regulators are

searching for models and bestpractices as guideposts fortheir own actions.

As more and more Mem-ber States of the InternationalTelecommunication Union(ITU) ask for references andmodels in regard to the inde-pendence, effectiveness andoperation of regulatory agen-cies, the Sector Reform Unitof the TelecommunicationDevelopment Bureau (BDT)has decided to conduct fivecase studies in this area in2001. Each of them investi-gates how the country select-

ed has established its regulatory agency andassesses its effectiveness by reviewing itsstructure, its functions and powers, its financ-

ing and its degree of trans-parency, independence andfairness. This article dealswith the first case study,which is Morocco.

* Contributed by Nancy Sundberg,ITU/BDT. Tel.: +41 22 730 6100.E-mail: nancy.sundberg@itu.int).

Moroccocountry case study*

ITU News 8/200120

EFFECTIVE REGULATION

Why Morocco?Morocco is a developing country with strong

traditions and great economic and social con-trasts. It has a population of over 29 million,more than half of whom are under the age of20. Morocco has a modern Post Office andTelecommunications Act, a new CompetitionAct (which entered into force in July 2001) anda national strategy to make itself a player inthe information and knowledge society. But ithas not been an easy road.

Morocco seemedentirely appropriatefor a case study focus-ing on the first stageof the telecommuni-cation reform process,in view of the successthat the country hasachieved in this areaand the fact that anumber of its prac-tices and procedures

can serve as a useful reference for others.The sequence of events in the introduction

of reforms in Morocco has undoubtedly playedan important role in the success of this initialphase. First of all, a new law regulating the tele-

communication sector was adopted, then aregulatory agency was set up, then certain seg-ments of the market were opened up to com-petition and licences issued, and subsequentlythe traditional operator was partly privatized.In other words, Morocco made sure it had aproper legal and regulatory framework installedbefore opening up the market to competition.

In the space of three years, the national tele-communication regulatory agency (Agencenationale de rglementation des telecommuni-

cations ANRT) has establishedits legitimacy, credibility andindependence despite institu-tional and structural constraints.As soon as ANRT was set up, itsfirst task was to put in place theprocedure for awarding the secondGSM licence, which was a successin terms of its transparency andopenness and the results achieved.

The liberalization and partialprivatization of telecommunica-tions has had positive results inseveral areas. They included thesale of the second GSM licencefor USD 1.1 billion and partialprivatization of the traditionaloperator (Maroc Tlcom) forUSD 2.3 billion. These eventswere followed by a rapid increasein the number of mobile subscrib-ers, from 116 000 in 1998 to nearly

3 million by the beginning of 2001, exceedingall public and private sector estimates made atthe time when the second GSM licence wasbeing awarded. Furthermore, the number ofmobile subscribers surpassed that of fixed-linesubscribers in 2000.

How did Morocco introducethese reforms?

Implementation of the initial reforms in thetelecommunication sector did not come with-out effort. The debate that began in 1984 finallyreached a conclusion in 1996 with the adoptionof Law 24-96 on telecommunications. Under theaegis of the late King Hassan II and senior Stateofficials, this initial set of reforms was then ableto see the light of day.

In the space of three years,the national telecommunication

regulatory agency, ANRT,had established its legitimacy,credibility and independence

despite institutional andstructural constraints.

This photo shows a partialview of the ANRT Head Office

in Rabat

(ITU 010074)

ITU News 8/2001 21

EFFECTIVE REGULATION

Ministry of Posts andTelecommunications

Ministry

National Post Officeand

TelecommunicationAgency

1956

1984

1984

1997

1997

1997

December 2000

1999

At the outsetStage 1

Separationof regulatory and

operating functions

Stage 2Restructuring

Sale of a 35 per centstake in Maroc Tlcom

to Vivendi Universal

IAM S.A.(Maroc Tlcom)

Establishmentof the ANRT

Barid Al Maghrib

Stage 3Opening up the

sector to competition,and privatization

Second GSM licenceawarded to Mdi

Tlcom

Source: Adapted from ANRT.

Figure 1 Reforms and gradual deregulation in Morocco

A sweeping restructuring of the sector hasbeen carried out in three stages (see Figure 1).It essentially consisted in splitting the nationalpost office and telecommunication agency(Office national des postes et des tlcommu-nications (ONPT)), into two separate entities a telecommunication entity called Itissalat AlMaghrib S.A. (Maroc Tlcom) and a postalentity called Barid Al Maghrib (Postes Maroc) and establishing an independent regulatorybody, ANRT. Under this legislation, ANRT isnow responsible for implementing telecommu-nication policy, administering the applicationof laws and regulations with respect to all thoseinvolved in the telecommunication sector andresolving disputes.

The reforms are currently moving aheadswiftly, and will extend to all sectors of public

infrastructure (energy, postal services, transport,etc.). These reforms, including the establish-ment of a credible and independent regulatoryagency, backed by the political will that hasbeen evident in regard to their implementationand monitoring at the government level, haveenabled Morocco to take its place on the inter-national stage and gain a reputation as astable country with clear rules and a high levelof confidence. At the economic level, this hasmanifested itself in the form of major invest-ments by foreign firms in Moroccos telecom-munication market.

The results achieved so far have served toreassure anyone who at the outset might havebeen resistant to change and to the need toestablish a telecommunication regulatoryagency.

ITU News 8/200122

Now that Morocco has successfully estab-lished a regulatory agency that is effective,credible and legitimate in discharging its tech-nical regulatory functions, the country is aboutto embark on a critical stage in its development.In this second stage, ANRT will have to demon-strate its effectiveness and ability in regulatingcompetition, as basic services are liberalized(see Table 1).

ANRT How has it succeededin establishing its credibility,legitimacy and independence?

An analysis of the effectiveness of ANRT(www.anrt.net.ma) in the field of communica-tions, reviewing its organizational structure, itsfinancing, its functions, mandates, powers andcapacities from the standpoint of transparency,independence, fairness and receptivity is avail-able at www.itu.int/itu-d/treg/. This case studyprovides Moroccos reply to all the followingquestions, which apply to any regulatoryagency:

What institutional (organizational) struc-ture?

What type of institution?

EFFECTIVE REGULATION

Table 1 Plans for liberalizing the telecommunication market,and outlook for the future

Source: Adapted from ANRT.

Liberalization plans

Radio networks involvingshared resources

Local and long-distancenetwork

Extension of the fixednetwork

Local loop

International networkand third GSM licence

Timetable

End of 2001

End of 2001

End of 2001

2002

2003

Present situation(2001)

Mobile telephony:Duopoly (Maroc Tlcom

and Mdi Tlcom)

Fixed telephony:Monopoly (Maroc

Tlcom)

Outlookfor the future

By 2003, all basicand value-addedservices providedthrough both mobiletelephony andfixed telephonywill be operatingin a competitive market

What composition? What mode of operation? What mandates, functions, powers and

responsibilities? What financing? How should a clear and transparent proce-

dure for awarding licences be established? How should disputes regarding intercon-

nection and unfair competition be settled? What procedure should be followed for

recruitment and organization of work? What problems are to be expected? What is the best practice and what are the

challenges?

Moroccowill be host to theITU PlenipotentiaryConference from23 Septemberto 18 October 2002.

ITU News 8/2001 23

Dealingwith cyberculture*

Dealingwith cyberculture*

E-CULTURE

C reating new leaders for e-culture wasthe theme of a recent global conference(20 to 24 August 2001) held at theCable & Wireless Campus in Coventry (UnitedKingdom). ITU in its efforts to bridge the dig-ital divide supports the creation of electronicculture while protecting and conserving localcultures and values. This global event was onesuch effort, bringing together as it did some 200participants from 100 countries, four regionalorganizations, several non-governmental organi-zations (NGO) and UNAIDS. It was organizedby the ITU Telecommunication DevelopmentBureaus Human Resources Development Unitin collaboration with Cable & Wireless and theUnited Kingdom Telecommunication Academy(UKTA).

Participants discussed the many facets ofe-culture: e-governance, e-commerce, e-learn-ing, e-society and e-health. Above all, they

sought to identify the critical issues in themigration to e-culture and to define the roleof telecommunications and of the humanresources development function in this proc-ess. They also focused on how to prepare man-agers of communications and senior executivesfor e-culture and on finding international ormultilateral cooperation opportunities for thebenefit of developing countries. The conferencewas chaired by David Mellor, President of theCable & Wireless Virtual Academy. He was ablyassisted by two Vice-Chairmen: Idrissa Tour,Director of the Ecole Suprieure Multinationale

* This article is based on a report from BarbaraWilson of the ITUs Human Resources Develop-ment Unit, who covered the global conference oncreating new leaders for e-culture in Coventryfor ITU News. The full report is available atwww.itu.int/ITU-D/hrd.

Phot

o: A

vaya

ITU News 8/200124

E-CULTURE

des Tlcommunications (ESMT), one of the tworegional African telecommunication traininginstitutes which ITU is assisting to evolve intoCentres of Excellence, and Hctor Rodrguez,Executive Secretary of the Comisin TcnicaRegional de Telecomunicaciones Centroamrica(COMTELCA) the technical commission forCentral America with subcommittees for regu-lators and operators.

From the meeting, the challenges remainenormous but now is the time to truly preparefor that e-culture future. Louis Galea, Ministerof Education of Malta, who gave the keynoteaddress at the opening ceremony, remarked:The sad fact is that the majority of the six bil-lion people who inhabit our planet have beencompletely shut out of the digital revolution andthe promises it holds. How can telecommuni-cations be used to usher in e-culture, especially

in those areas where the most basic of es, elec-tricity, is still missing?

As part of its strategy to facilitate the inte-gration of developing countries into the infor-mation society, ITU plans to hold discussionswith a wide-range of high-level officials in de-veloping countries. A key objective is to assistsuch officials establish national strategies thataim to create an e-culture that introduces theuse of the Internet at all levels of the educationsystem and increases electronic applicationssuch as tele-education, telemedicine, telework-ing and e-commerce to benefit all segments oftheir population.

Participants were primarily from the variousbranches of the communications sector (regu-lation, finance, management, law, humanresource management and development). Botheducation and health sectors were represented.

Some 200 participants in the global conference on creating new leaders for e-culture join in afamily photo at the Cable & Wireless campus in Coventry (United Kingdom). The Conference wasorganized by the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureaus Human Resources DevelopmentUnit in collaboration with Cable & Wireless and the United Kingdom Telecommunication Academy(UKTA)

(ITU 010077)

ITU News 8/2001 25

E-CULTURE

All participants were directly concerned with theimpact and consequences of the new commu-nications environment on their communities andtheir organizations. Each day of the conferencefocused on a different aspect of e-culture.

e-governanceInformation and communication technologies

(ICT) have opened the door to new opportunitiesfor governments and citizens alike to communi-cate with each other more easily and effectively.Many governments have created websites ena-bling the public to access information theyneed in their personal and professional lives.For example, in some countries, rural inhabit-ants can now file an online building permitapplication without having to travel days to thecapital city; farmers can receive the most up-to-date vaccination alerts for their livestock;and consumers can check government vehiclesafety reports before buying a new car. All ofthis is possible from public Internet access sitesor Internet cafs. Of course, the ease withwhich official information nowflows also poses new chal-lenges, including protection ofprivacy and how to reach thosewho lack computer or languageliteracy. The discussion one-governance revolved around:

the types of interactionbetween government and thepublic that can be conductedover the Internet and how thepublics privacy can be pro-tected legally;

the policies and strategiesgovernments should adopt toensure public participation ine-governance;

the tools and resourcesthat should be made availablefor e-governance;

how ICT policy-makers canhelp non-computer orientedgovernment leaders to under-stand the opportunities andchallenges of e-governance;

what ITU can do to promotee-governance.

e-servicesThe e-culture phenomenon is a result of

the profound transformation in the ICT sector.For example, the cost of technology is falling,digital mobile technology and access tobroadband networks and services are becom-ing more widely available, and the Internet pro-tocol (IP) is emerging as the platform for deliv-ering convergent services. These changes areintroducing new challenges (as well as opportu-nities) as e-transactions are conducted acrossgeographical boundaries increasing the needfor an environment that encourages the use oftechnologies for trust and security. As leadersfrom all nations strive to be part of this digitalrevolution and as service providers seek newbusiness models and technologies to delivervalue-added e-services, it is evident that severalfactors contribute to the success of e-servicesdeployment. Participants discussed:

what needs to be done by countries tostimulate the development of the core infra-structure;

What is a socially just society?

A n interesting definition of what constitutes asocially just society emerged from theconference. A socially just society was defined asone that:

encompasses all social needs with a minimumof discrimination and inequalities;

facilitates integration, promotes social devel-opment, and strives to reduce poverty;

takes into account all aspects of real life andbeliefs;

promotes cultural change (able to adapt totechnical changes easily);

is accessible and affordable for everyone (uni-versal access);

is able to build broader communities; addresses community needs.

ITU News 8/200126

E-CULTURE

how solutions and services can be builtup to ensure security, trust and confidence ine-business transactions;

the alliances and partnershipsthat are key to delivering suc-cessful e-services with thebreaking down of barriersacross the convergentindustries of telecommu-nications, broadcastingand computing;

the role ITU can playto enable the develop-ment of e-services withinthe framework of its acti-vities to bridge the gapbetween developing andindustrialized countries innew technologies and serv-ices.

e-learningWith the rapid and funda-

mental changes occurring inthe telecommunication andeducation sectors, e-learninghas a key role to play in cop-ing with this reality. One ofthe greatest challenges fac-ing most countries is howthey can change and preparethemselves to introducee-learning and so improve theeffectiveness and efficiencyof their learning systems.Participants discussed someof the fundamental ques-tions that governments, edu-cational institutions, man-agement (including manag-ers for human resourcesmanagement and develop-ment) must address in orderto achieve their objectives toimprove learning and widenthe scope of access.

Mr Galea told partici-pants: In the midst of thisfast process of change, aca-demic institutions are being

urgently invited to assess whether their educa-tional, training, and research programmes are

in fact developing the right milieu fore-culture and e-governance to

take route and flourish. Thekey to the success of such

initiatives is in education,training, and innovationas much as it is in theraw deployment oftechnology. We are con-vinced that we can only

and truly bridge thedigital divide by going

back to basics ensurethat absolutely no childlacks the basic literacy andICT skills by the time oneends Primary School. Byway of an example, inMalta, the government hasembarked on a three-yearproject to provide a fast andefficient Internet connec-tion in all schools in thecountry.

e-society/e-healthThe contribution of e-cul-

ture to the various needs oflife is fundamental for theevolution towards a know-ledge and information soci-ety. Such evolution shoulddevelop towards a moreequitable society. Ques-tions and issues of gender,social inequalities, lack ofaccess, illiteracy, to namebut a few, should be takeninto account when definingan ICT policy and promot-ing e-culture, participantsnoted.

The knowledge and infor-mation society can andshould be a more just soci-ety where the tools providedby e-culture are used tominimize the inequalities

In the midst of this fastprocess of change, academicinstitutions are beingurgently invited to assesswhether their educational,training, and researchprogrammes are in factdeveloping the right milieu fore-culture and e-governanceto take route and flourish.The key to the success ofsuch initiatives is in education,training, and innovation asmuch as it is in the rawdeployment of technology.We are convinced that wecan only and truly bridge thedigital divide by going backto basics ensure that abso-lutely no child lacks the basicliteracy and ICT skillsby the time one endsPrimary School.Louis Galea, Minister of Educationof Malta in his keynote address tothe global conference on creatingnew leaders for e-culture

Photo: Avaya

ITU News 8/2001 27

E-CULTURE/OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

FINAL ACTS OF THE WORLDRADIOCOMMUNICATIONCONFERENCE (GENEVA, 1997)

The Government of France has approvedthe above-mentioned Final Acts.

The instrument of approval was depositedwith the Secretary-General on 6 August 2001.

CHANGESC-Cube Microsystems, Inc., which partici-

pates in the work of the TelecommunicationStandardization Sector, has changed its name.The new denomination is LSI Logic Corpo-ration.

Laboratoires dElectronique Philips (LEP),which participates in the work of the Telecom-munication Standardization Sector, haschanged its name. The new denomination isPhilips Recherche France.

Telecom Systems Division/3M, which partici-pates in the work of the Telecommunication

From official sourcesFrom official sources

Standardization Sector, has changed its name.The new denomination is 3M Telecommuni-cations.

NEW MEMBERS

Radiocommunication SectorHutchison 3G UK Ltd (Maidenhead, Berk-

shire, United Kingdom), Japan Radio Air Navi-gation Systems Association (Tokyo), MobilComMultimedia GmbH (Bdelsdorf, Germany)and Tele Norte Leste Participaes S.A.(TELEMAR) (Brasilia) have been admitted totake part in the work of this Sector.

Telecommunication StandardizationSector

Hutchison 3G UK Ltd (Maidenhead, Berk-shire, United Kingdom), Pagoo, Inc. (Apex,NC), Psytechnics Limited (Ipswich, UnitedKingdom), Tele Norte Leste Participaes S.A.(TELEMAR) (Brasilia) and Telecomunicaes

found in society today. Health is without doubtone of the basic needs of each individual andof society.

In order to draw up recommendations on thistheme, participants focused on:

what is a socially just e-culture; the strategies that should be developed to

promote the inclusion of women, youth andmarginalized groups in e-culture;

the role of telecentres in the introductionof e-culture in developing countries;

the major challenges for developinge-health;

the policies and strategies that should beadopted by national governments, health man-agers (ministries, universities, hospitals andNGOs) and education managers (ministries,universities, unions and schools);

the role of the public and private sectorsin the development of e-culture;

the various sustainable funding mecha-nisms for e-culture development.

For some of the participants, e-society bringswith it a new milieu of values, culture, behav-iour, work patterns and organizational designs with interactions within organizations andexternal to them changing beyond recognition.The real challenge is whether all people areready to change the way they do things.

The final report of the global conference hasbeen endorsed by a meeting of the SpecialGroup on Human Resources Developmentwithin ITUs Telecommunication DevelopmentSector (ITUD). This meeting that took placeright on the heels of the conference has re-quested that ITU organize conferences such asthe Coventry global event every two years. Theconclusions and recommendations of the con-ference, along with all related documents, areavailable at www.itu.int/ITU-D/hrd.

ITU News 8/200128

From official sources (continued)From official sources (continued)

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

de So Paulo S.A. (TELESP) (So Paulo, Brazil)have been admitted to take part in the workof this Sector.

Telecommunication DevelopmentSector

LOTENY TELECOM (Abidjan), TchadMobile S.A. (NDjamena) and Tele Norte LesteParticipaes S.A. (TELEMAR) (Brasilia) havebeen admitted to take part in the work of thisSector.

NEW ASSOCIATES

Radiocommunication SectorMitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. (Tokyo)

has been admitted to take part in the work ofStudy Group 1.

Telecommunication StandardizationSector

CENiX, Inc. (Irvine, CA) and Optical Solu-tions, Inc. (Minneapolis, MN) have been admit-ted to take part in the work of Study Group 15.

STRUCTURAL CHANGERepublic of the Sudan

The Ministry of Information and Commu-nications has been established following aministerial reshuffle.

VACANCY NOTICES

Circular letters (via facsimile) which havebeen sent to all Member States and SectorMembers of the Union announce the follow-ing vacancies:

one post of Head, Business Develop-ment and Marketing Division, Grade P.5, tobe filled in the General Secretariat, TELECOMSecretariat, as soon as possible for up to twoyears with possibility of extension (circular let-ter No. 136 of 7 August 2001; vacancy notice

Detailed applications with ITU per-sonal history form should be submittedto the General Secretariat of the ITU,Place des Nations, CH1211 Geneva 20(Switzerland), no later than the finaldates mentioned above.

Vacancy notices and personal historyforms are available on the ITU website://www.itu.int/employment/index.htm

No. 31-2001 ITU; final date for submission ofapplications: 8 October 2001);

one post of Public Relations and Busi-ness Development Officer, Grade P.3, to befilled in the General Secretariat, TELECOMSecretariat, as soon as possible for one yearwith possibility of extension (circular letter No.135 of 3 August 2001; vacancy notice No. 32-2001 ITU; final date for submission of appli-cations: 3 October 2001);

one post of Head of the Budget Division,Grade P.5, to be filled in the General Secretariat,Finance Department, as soon as possible forup to two years with possibility of extension(circular letter No. 133 of 3 August 2001;vacancy notice No. 33-2001 ITU; final date forsubmission of applications: 3 October 2001);

one post of Head, Buildings and Tech-nical Installations Service, Grade P.3; to befilled in the General Secretariat, CommonServices Department, as soon as possible forup to two years with possibility of extension(circular letter No. 134 of 3 August 2001;vacancy notice No. 34-2001 ITU; final date forsubmission of applications: 3 October 2001);

one post of Head, Forum Division, GradeP.5, to be filled in the General Secretariat,TELECOM Secretariat, as soon as possible forup to two years with possibility of extension(circular letter No. 137 of 10 August 2001;vacancy notice No. 35-2001 ITU; final date forsubmission of applications: 10 October 2001).

ITU News 8/2001 29

PUBLICATIONS

PUBLICATIONS

The following letters indicate thelanguages in which documents arepublished:

F for FrenchE for EnglishS for SpanishR for RussianC for ChineseA for Arabic

Prices (indicative only) are in Swissfrancs (CHF).

A comprehensive list of all ITU publi-cations can be obtained, free of charge,from the Sales and Marketing Service,Place des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 20(Switzerland). Fax: +41 22 730 5194.

TelecommunicationDevelopment Sector

Handbook on new technologiesand new servicesFascicle 2: Digital networksand services(2002, Report)Separate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19165 CHF 144

Promotion of infrastructure anduse of the Internet in developingcountries(2002, Final Report)Separate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19148 CHF 38

Handbook on disaster communica-tions(2002, Final Report)Separate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19154 CHF 98

Identify study group Questionsin the ITUT and ITUR Sectorswhich are of particular interest todeveloping countries and system-atically, by way of annual progressreports, inform them of theprogress of work on the Questionsto facilitate their contributionsto the work on those Questions aswell as, ultimately, to benefit fromtheir outputs in a timely manner(2002, Report)Separate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19145 CHF 14

Radiocommunication Sector

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 BS SeriesPart 1: Broadcasting service(sound)Separate editions in F, E, SArticle:19035 CHF 136

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 BS SeriesPart 2: Broadcasting service(sound)Separate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19038 CHF 168

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 BT Series Part 2: Broadcasting service(television)Separate editions in F, E, SArticle: 18980 CHF 168

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 BT SeriesPart 3: Broadcasting service(television)Separate editions in F, E, SArticle: 18984 CHF 168

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 F SeriesPart 2: Fixed service Frequencysharing aspectsSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19026 CHF 136

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 F SeriesPart 3: Fixed service HF systemsSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19029 CHF 136

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 P SeriesPart 2: Radiowave propagationSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 18955 CHF 200

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 RA SeriesRadio astronomySeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 18996 CHF 47

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 S Series Part 1: Fixed-satellite serviceSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 18958 CHF 200

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 S SeriesPart 2: Fixed-satellite serviceSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 18961 CHF 168

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 S SeriesPart 3: Fixed-satellite serviceSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 18964 CHF 200

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 SF SeriesFrequency sharing and coordina-tion between fixed-satellite andfixed service systemsSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19032 CHF 136

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 SM SeriesPart 1: Spectrum managementSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 18946 CHF 136

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 SNG SeriesSatellite news gatheringSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 18968 CHF 42

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 TF SeriesTime signals and frequencystandards emissionsSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 18971 CHF 76

ITU News 8/200130

PUBLICATIONS

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 F SeriesPart 1A: Fixed service Radio-relay and other systemsSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19020 CHF 220

ITUR Recommendations, Volume2000 F SeriesPart 1B: Fixed service Localaccess systemsSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19023 CHF 109

TelecommunicationStandardization Sector

ITUT Recommendations on CD-ROM(Single edition, June 2001)Separate editions in F, E, SArticle: 17599 CHF 1200

World TelecommunicationStandardization Assembly (WTSA) The Orange Book: Book 1(Montreal, 2000)Separate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19674 CHF 55

World TelecommunicationStandardization Assembly (WTSA) The Orange Book: Book 2(Montreal, 2000)Separate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19675 CHF 124

ITUT Recommendation D.000(10/2000)Terms and definitions for theSeries-D RecommendationsSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19785 CHF 12

ITUT Recommendation D.93(04/2000)Charging and accounting in theinternational land mobiletelephone service (provided viacellular radio systems)Separate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19974 CHF 17

ITUT Recommendation D.140(10/2000)Accounting rate principles forinternational telephone servicesSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 20073 CHF 12

ITUT Recommendation G.653(10/2000)Characteristics of a dispersion-shifted single-mode optical fibrecableSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19857 CHF 12

ITUT Recommendation G.654(10/2000)Characteristics of a cut-offshifted single-mode optical fibrecableSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19825 CHF 17

ITUT Recommendation G.655(10/2000)Characteristics of a non-zerodispersion shifted single-modeoptical fibre cableSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19958 CHF 17

ITUT Recommendation G.805(03/2000)Generic functional architectureof transport networksSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 20094 CHF 29

ITUT Recommendation G.827.1(11/2000)Availability performanceobjectives for end-to-endinternational constant bit-ratedigital paths at or above theprimary rateSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19866 CHF 12

ITUT Recommendation G.871/Y.1301(10/2000)Framework of Optical TransportNetwork RecommendationsSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19928 CHF 12

ITUT Recommendation G.972(10/2000)Definition of terms relevant tooptical fibre submarine cablesystemsSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19906 CHF 17

ITUT Recommendation G.976(10/2000)Test methods applicable tooptical fibre submarine cablesystemsSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19925 CHF 22

ITUT Recommendation H.324Annex H (11/2000)Mobile multilink operationSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 20070 CHF 12

ITUT Recommendation I.356(03/2000)B-ISDN ATM layer cell transferperformanceSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19773 CHF 29

ITUT Recommendation I.357(11/2000)B-ISDN semi-permanentconnection availabilitySeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19909 CHF 12

ITUT Recommendation I.371(03/2000)Traffic control and congestioncontrol in B-ISDNSeparate editions in F, E, SArticle: 19872 CHF 49

ITUT Recommendation I.731(10/2000)Types and general characteris-tics of ATM equipmentSeparate