FCC Chairman’s Reflections on this week's ITU discussions

Every four years, the International Telecommunication Union holds a Plenipotentiary Conference to address the strategic direction of the ITU on telecommunications issues. I have just spent several days in Busan, Korea at this year's conference, working side by side with other USG officials, including head of delegation Ambassador Danny Sepulveda from the State Department, Assistant Secretary Larry Strickling from NTIA, Assistant Secretary Andy Ozment from DHS, and my colleague from the FCC, Commissioner Mike O'Rielly.

I came away from these meetings with a few key points.

  • First, virtually every regulator emphasized how important it is to get broadband to rural and remote areas of their countries - to promote economic development, education and effective healthcare. Not just connectivity, but broadband.
  • A second shared challenge is the difficulty of freeing spectrum for more efficient uses.
  • Third, every session included a spirited discussion about the challenges regulators face as they grapple with regulatory frameworks from a circuit-switched world trying to keep up with a fast-evolving IP environment.

FCC Chairman’s Reflections on this week's ITU discussions