July 2022

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Recent Events

APT at ITU WTDC-22

6-16 June 2022, Kigali, Rwanda

Mr. Masanori Kondo, Secretary General of the APT, attended the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-22) held from 6-16 June 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda. It was the first WTDC to be held in the Africa. Total 2,152 delegates (1,304 physically and 848 remotely) from 150 Member States and 340 Sector members and partners attended WTDC-22.

APT held six (6) APT Coordination Meetings during WTDC-22. The objectives of the APT Coordination meetings were to ensure that the APT Common Proposals (ACPs) to the WTDC are presented timely and effectively. To facilitate smooth and timely communication among APT members prior to and during WTDC-22, APT Secretariat launched communication channels over WhatsApp mobile application in addition to email reflectors. The focal points of ACPs actively participated in the discussion of relevant Committees and other meetings during WTDC-22 and reported on progress of discussion relevant to ACPs at APT Coordination Meetings.

APT submitted 19 ACPs in 15 Addenda to WTDC-22 and majority of the ACPs were accepted in principle. APT Members took important roles during the Conference including Chair and Vice-Chairs of Committees and Chairs of Ad-Hoc Groups.

WTDC-22 adopted Kigali Action Plan, Kigali Declaration, new Regional Initiatives. It also modified 45 Resolutions, adopted 4 new Resolutions and 14 new Study Questions.

For the office bearers of ITU-D TDAG/Study Groups, two (2) Vice-Chairs of TDAG, three (3) Vice-Chairs of SG1, and three (3) Vice-Chairs of SG2 from China, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, and Republic of Korea from APT region were appointed.

During WTDC-22, Mr. Masanori Kondo, Secretary General of APT, had meetings with high-level officials of APT Members to discuss issues of interest as well as ways to enhance coordination and collaboration.

Group Photo with​ BDT Director

Meeting of the SATRC Working Group on Spectrum 

21 - 23 June 2022, New Delhi, India 

APT organized the Meeting of the SATRC Working Group on Spectrum from 21 to 23 June 2022 in New Delhi, India. The meeting was hosted by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), and attended by 50 delegates including the enlisted experts of this Working Group from 9 SATRC Members and 6 Affiliate Members of APT. 

This meeting of SATRC Working Group on Spectrum is a part of the activities of SATRC Action Plan Phase VIII (SAP-VIII) which was adopted by the 22nd Meeting of SATRC (SATRC-22) held virtually in 2021. It was the first meeting of the Working Group under SATRC Action Plan Phase VIII. The meeting discussed the Work Items assigned to the Working Group by the Council. 

The Work Items of WG SPEC under the SATRC Action Plan Phase VIII (2022-2023) are as follows: 

·         Work Item 1: Approaches towards spectrum harmonization for 5G bands 

·         Work Item 2: Evaluation of spectrum utilization in SATRC Member countries 

·         Work Item 3: Regulatory approaches for sharing, trading, and leasing of spectrum 

·         Work Item 4: Cross-border coordination for interference in SATRC countries 

·         Work Item 5: SATRC action plans for the development of spectrum management infrastructure, procedure, and tools 

The meeting discussed the assigned Work Items in detail. The delegates from SATRC Members and the Affiliate Members also presented on the Work Items for information knowledge sharing. 

The key outcomes of the meeting are as follows: 

·         Appointment of the lead/co-lead experts of the assigned Work Items. 

·         Review and adoption of the Detail Work Plan. 

·         Development of Questionnaires on each Work Items to obtain the necessary information from the SATRC member countries. 

·         A monthly/bi-monthly e-Meetings will be conducted to develop the draft SATRC Reports on the Work Items. 

The next physical meeting of the WG SPEC is scheduled to held in Q3, 2023 in Sri Lanka. 

Click here for more details.

APT Web Dialogue: EWAO Series “Standard Power 6 GHz Wi-Fi and AFC”

23 June 2022

This final episode of the APT Web Dialogue on EWAO (Expanding Wireless Access Opportunity) Series held in collaboration with the Digital in collaboration with Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) was attended by 55 participants from APT members and others.

The speakers, Dr. Xin Tang, APJ Wireless Policy Manager, HPE Aruba, and Mr. Christopher Szymanski, Director of Product Marketing, Technology Strategy for the Wireless Communications and Connectivity Division, Broadcom Inc. shared in depth information on how the Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) system can enable Wi-Fi 6E Standard Power operation to coexist with incumbent services and avoid potential interference while keeping a low coordination cost. The web dialogue concluded with the Q&A session which was actively engaged by the participants.

Click here for more details.

Upcoming Events

The 22nd APT Policy and Regulatory Forum (PRF-22)

19 - 21 July 2022, Bangkok, Thailand (Hybrid Meeting)

PRF-22 will continue to focus its work in line with the five Strategic Pillars of the Strategic Plan of the APT which serves as the guideline for APT’s activities for 2021-2023.

The PRF-22 will consist of special features as follows:

·         Special Ministerial Session: A session among Ministers and/or Vice Ministers to share insights, experiences, lessons learned, policies being implemented in their countries with regard to digital transformation and innovation strategies.

·         Regulators’ Roundtable: A roundtable among the Head of the Regulators to share their experiences and practices on regulatory issues and identify the challenges, opportunities and possible way forward towards the new concept of the regulatory framework i.e., 5th Generation (G5) of Regulation.

·         Business Dialogue: A session to provide a platform for industry representatives to discuss economic and financial approaches for sustainable 5G ecosystem. Another session will provide an opportunity to discuss the regulatory implications and impacts of emerging technologies on the economy and ICT landscape.

The 4th Meeting of the APT Preparatory Group for PP-22 (APT PP22-4)

1 - 5 August 2022, Bangkok, Thailand (Hybrid Meeting)

APT PP22-4 will be hosted by the Office of the National Broadcasting Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), Thailand.

The meeting will continue the discussion on the issues of interests addressed by APT Members
 for ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22) and is expected to develop Preliminary APT Common
Proposals for PP-22 to the extent possible.  

APT Web Dialogue:  Lessons and Opportunities for
countering dis/misinformation in the Asia-Pacific

9 August 2022, 12:00-13:30 am (Bangkok time)

This APT Web Diagloue is a collaboration between APT and Protection Group International (PGI).

This web dialogue episode will focus on building understanding and awareness of these issues, starting with an overview on the evolution of misinformation and disinformation influence operations.

Moderator: Beth Hepworth, Director of Intelligence Operations, PGI

Presenter: Mr. Patrick Wrigley, Principal Analyst ‑ Digital Operations, PGI

Panelists:

·         Mr. John Jack, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Vanuatu Government

·         Ms. Choi Eunkyoung, Professor of Video Contents, Peace Liberal Arts College, Hanshin University and Editor-in-chief of the Korean Society for Journalism & Communications Studies

·         Others from Thailand and Meta

The 4th Meeting of the APT Conference
Preparatory Group for WRC-23 (APG23-4)

15 - 20 August 2022, Bangkok, Thailand (Hybrid Meeting)

The objectives of the APG23-4 are to review the results of APG23-3 and Intercessional Working Party meetings; update APT preliminary views on WRC-23 Agenda Items based on input contributions from APT Members; consider the progress in ITU-R Study Groups in relation to WRC-23 Agenda items, and take necessary actions as appropriate; review the activities of other regional organizations, in particular their preliminary views/positions on WRC-23 with a view to fostering inter-regional cooperation; review issues related to RA-23 and develop APT preliminary views, if any; contribute, if possible and where necessary, to the activities of the APT Preparatory Group for PP-22 with respect to the issues relevant to the purview of the APG; and discuss APT preparations for the ITU Inter-regional Workshop on WRC-23 Preparations.

APT Web Dialogue: Radio Altimeters at 4200-4400 MHz band and implementation of 5G in adjacent bands

23 August 2022, 09:00-11:00 am (Bangkok time)

This APT Web Diagloue is a collaboration between APT and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

This web dialogue is intended to promote the common understanding among the spectrum regulators, and industries on the operation of Radio Altimeters in the band 4 200 – 4 400 MHz and the implementation of 5G in the adjacent bands ensuring the aviation safety in the Asia-Pacific region.

The 30th Meeting of APT Wireless Group (AWG-30)

5 - 9 September 2022, Bangkok, Thailand (Hybrid Meeting)

AWG covers various aspects of emerging wireless systems to meet the upcoming digital convergence era in the Asia-Pacific region. It also assists to provide effective radiocommunication solutions and to facilitate the transfer of technology and knowledge. In its 30th meeting, the AWG will continue to study on the existing work items, report on the progress of studies and discuss the relevant issues.

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