*Pages 1--5 from Microsoft Word - 5940.doc* PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S. W. Washington, D. C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418- 0500 Fax- On- Demand 202 / 418- 2830 TTY 202 / 418- 2555 Internet: http:// www. fcc. gov ftp. fcc. gov DA 01- 56 January 9, 2001 COMMISSION STARTS PLANNING FOR 2003 WORLD RADIOCOMMUNICATION CONFERENCE; PUBLIC MEETING TO BE HELD JANUARY 30 TO DISCUSS PREPARATIONS The FCC has started its preparations for the next World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-03) scheduled to convene in June 2003. Today, the FCC's International Bureau announced that: x The charter of the Advisory Committee to the 2000 World Radiocommunication Conference has been amended and renewed to serve as the Advisory Committee charter for the 2003 World Radiocommunication Conference. x The initial meeting of the WRC- 03 Advisory Committee, which is open to the public, will be held on January 30, 2001, from 10: 00 am to 12: 00 noon, in the Commission Meeting Room (Room TW- C305, 445 12 th Street, S. W., Washington, DC. x The International Bureau's Planning and Negotiations Division will once again have primary responsibility for leading the FCC’s WRC efforts. Julie Garcia will direct the FCC's WRC- 03 preparatory activities and serve as the Designated Federal Official to the Advisory Committee. x Brian Fontes, Vice President for Federal Regulation at Cingular Wireless, and Jennifer Warren, Senior Director for Telecom Trade and Regulatory Affairs at Lockheed Martin Corporation, will serve as Chair and Vice- Chair, respectively, of the Advisory Committee. x Guiding Principles (attached) for the FCC's WRC- 03 preparatory activities have been adopted. x A new WRC- 03 Internet site has been established. Like previous WRCs, WRC- 03 will address issues critical to U. S. industry. Particular emphasis will be placed on: IMT- 2000; Terrestrial Wireless Interactive Multimedia Services, Sharing between different services in the 40 GHz band; Aeronautical Mobile- Satellite Services; Public Protection and Disaster Relief; Broadcasting- Satellite inter- regional sharing issues; Amateur and Amateur- Satellite Services, High Frequency Broadcasting Service, and regulatory procedures for satellite networks. These and any other issues on the WRC- 03 agenda will be considered by the WRC- 03 Advisory Committee. 1 International Bureau Chief Donald Abelson stated that "our priority during this WRC cycle is to successfully complete the domestic preparatory process in a time frame that allows the U. S. to be a leader at regional and international meetings.” The Advisory Committee to the FCC, which provides a public forum in which proposals for WRC- 03 can be developed, is an integral part of the U. S. domestic preparatory process. The draft Agenda for the initial meeting of the WRC- 03 Advisory Committee is attached. Additionally, the Commission has established a new WRC- 03 world wide web site at: http:// fcc. gov/ wrc- 03. Comments may be presented at the Advisory Committee meeting or by email to this web site. For additional information please contact Julie Garcia, Director of the FCC's WRC- 03 Prep Team, at 418- 0763 or Rick Engelman, Chief of the International Bureau's Planning and Negotiations Division, at (202) 418- 2150. 2 AGENDA First meeting of the WRC- 03 Advisory Committee Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S. W., Room TW- C305 Washington, D. C. 20554 January 30, 2001; 10: 00 am - 12: 00 noon 1. Opening Remarks 2. Approval of Agenda 3. Report on Suggestions for Improving the WRC Preparatory Process 4. Outline of WRC- 03 Preparatory Process 5. Advisory Committee Structure and Meeting Schedule 6. Report on Recent International Telecommunication Union meetings 7. Other Business 3 Federal Communications Commission WRC- 03 GUIDING PRINCIPLES As we prepare for the 2003 World Radiocommunication Conference, we will: • Promote the principles of competition, community, and common sense We will strive for competition that benefits consumers. We will take steps to ensure that the benefits of the communications revolution reach everyone within every community. We will adopt policies and positions that are practical, easy to understand, and reflect an understanding of the markets and businesses they affect. • Conduct a fair and open process We will perform all preparatory activities in a fair and open manner. We will actively solicit ideas and proposals from the broadest range of parties. We will attempt to address the needs of all parties, including consumers, industry, and government. • Search for global solutions that meet domestic needs We recognize that the telecommunications industry is increasingly global in nature. We will pursue global approaches that build upon and expand the global opportunities provided to U. S. interests by the commitments taken by U. S. trading partners in the World Trade Organization's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). We will also search for opportunities to bring services and capabilities available outside the U. S. into our marketplace. • Participate at the ITU as a global partner We will work closely with other countries in the Americas and elsewhere to develop common positions and joint proposals, and will attempt to harmonize differing views and pursue global agreement whenever possible. • Work as a team We will work closely with all interested Bureaus and Offices in the FCC and Executive Branch agencies such as the Department of State and the Department of Commerce (particularly the National Telecommunications and Information Administration) in our discussions and processes. We will work closely with industry and create an environment that promotes teamwork. • Meet our commitments We will strive to meet our milestones and we will provide timely briefings and information to the Commission, U. S. government, and industry. 4 5