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 NEWS  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  News  Media  contact: 
 June  15,  2000  Rosemary  Kimball  at  (202)  418-  0511 


 FCC  CHAIRMAN  KENNARD  MEETS  WITH  ARGENTINE  SECRETARY  OF  COMMUNICATIONS  HENOCK  AGUIAR 
 ON  ARGENTINE  REGULATORY  REFORMS 
 Washington,  DC  --  William  E.  Kennard,  chairman  of  the  Federal  Communications 
 Commission  (FCC),  met  on  June  14,  2000,  with  Argentine  Secretary  of  Communications 
 Henoch  Aguiar  to  discuss  recent  developments  in  the  Argentine  telecommunications  market. 


 Secretary  Aguiar  described  a  series  of  regulatory  reforms  announced  by  Argentina  this 
 week  to  ensure  that  the  introduction  of  full  competition  in  Argentine  telecommunications 
 services  in  November  2000  is  successful.  The  Secretary  stressed  his  determination  to  see  that 
 new  competitors  in  the  Argentine  market  are  able  to  compete  fairly  with  former  monopolists. 


 The  two  regulators  also  discussed  their  shared  desire  to  see  the  benefits  of  the 
 Information  Revolution  reach  previously  under-  served  parts  of  society,  and  the  importance  of  a 
 transparent  system  for  funding  universal  service  to  achieving  that  goal.  In  that  spirit,  they 
 discussed  on-  going  cooperation  between  the  two  agencies  under  Chairman  Kennard’s 
 Development  Initiative  and  explored  priorities  for  future  collaboration. 


 The  Chairman’s  Development  Initiative  is  a  program  of  intensive  regulator-  to-  regulator 
 contacts  designed  to  assist  key  liberalizing  economies  create  the  regulatory  framework  needed  to 
 develop  the  global  information  infrastructure.  Under  a  work  program  signed  by  Chairman 
 Kennard  and  Secretary  Aguiar  on  March  11,  2000,  in  Buenos  Aires,  the  FCC  and  the  Argentine 
 Secretaría  de  Comunicaciones  are  cooperating  on  the  full  range  of  regulatory  challenges  facing 
 the  region,  including  licensing  and  rule-  making,  universal  service  and  interconnection  policies. 


 Chairman  Kennard  said,  “These  are  exciting  times  for  Argentina.  Henoch  Aguiar,  a 
 leader  of  the  new  generation  of  telecommunications  policy  makers  in  the  Americas,  is 
 determined  that  reform  policies  produce  tangible  improvements  in  the  everyday  lives  of  real 
 people.  I  am  very  encouraged  by  his  progress  in  developing  a  pro-  competitive  regulatory 
 structure  for  his  country  and  look  forward  to  continuing  to  work  with  him  as  Argentina 
 implements  this  regime.  Secretary  Aguiar’s  vision  and  determination  makes  Argentina  a  natural 
 partner  for  FCC  cooperation  through  our  Development  Initiative.  I  am  pleased  to  be  working 
 with  him  as  Argentina  creates  the  regulatory  infrastructure  essential  to  reaping  the  benefits  of  full 
 compet  it  ion  for  all  its  cit  izens.” 


 -  FCC  - 
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