I NTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
TELECOMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT BUREAU
Document 7-E
3 December 1997
Original: English
WORLD TELECOMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT
CONFERENCE (WTDC-98)
Valletta, Malta, 23 March - 1 April 1998
For information
Agenda item: 3.1
PLENARY MEETING
The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
Mission statement
The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is a partnership between the
governments and telecommunications businesses of Commonwealth countries, whose mission is:
to facilitate the provision of high quality telecommunications services:
•
to meet the needs and aspirations of consumers;
•
to promote the commercial interests of telecommunications businesses; and
•
to contribute to the social and economic development of member countries.
Membership
Membership is held by Commonwealth governments, but is delegated in each country to one or more
nominated "telecommunications entities" - usually telecommunications operating companies or
government departments. These represent their country on the governing Commonwealth
Telecommunications Council, are responsible for the national financial contribution and benefit from
the Organisation's programme for development and training and other technical assistance
programmes.
Other telecommunications businesses, including manufacturers, service providers, consultancies etc.
participate as associates of the Organisation.
The annual Council meeting brings together all categories of membership to develop the CTO's work
and to discuss, at senior management level, key issues of telecommunications policy, management
and technology.
Programme for development and training
The programme for development and training (PDT) provides about SDR 3 million
(UK £2.5 million) worth of training and expert assistance each year for the Commonwealth's
developing country telecommunications businesses. Since 1983, it has implemented:
•
3 000 bilateral technical assistance programmes; and
•For reasons of economy, this document is printed in a limited number of copies. Participants are therefore kindly asked •
to bring their copies to the meeting since no others can be made available.
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100 international conferences and seminars,
at a total value of over UK £20 million.
The PDT programme is funded by contributions from member telecommunications businesses - in
broad relation to turnover. Requests from developing country members are put out to competitive
tender within the partnership, and projects allocated according to the best offers received to
undertake them. This enables the world-class expertise within leading Commonwealth telephone
companies to be made available to developing country members at no additional cost to them. It also
facilitates the sharing of experience between member countries.
All project costs, including participants' travel and accommodation, are paid by the CTO, whose
in-house travel agency provides a door-to-door service for all involved.
In 1997/1998, the programme is meeting 150 training and consultancy needs identified by its
developing country members - ranging from training in exchange and network management to
studies of human resource management and support for planning processes associated with
privatization and liberalization. These include in-country training programmes, consultancy projects
and access to external training courses.
In addition to planned projects, the PDT programme sets aside enough funds to undertake 20 urgent
projects during the course of each year.
The programme for development and training is currently fully funded to 2001.
International conferences and seminars
The CTO has organized 100 conferences and seminars since 1983, and currently organizes 10 such
events a year. These provide world-class expertise on issues of telecommunications policy,
management and technology. Participants from member organizations are fully funded by the CTO,
and fee-paying places are available to other participants, including non-Commonwealth participants,
at reasonable cost. The aim is to increase understanding of key telecoms issues and to enable
participants to share experience between countries and regions.
Themes for events in 1997/1998 have included:
•
change management in telecommunications;
•
tariffs, interconnection and accounting issues;
•
private participation in telecommunications;
•
satellite earth station management;
•
network planning and management;
•
revenue generation and business development.
Themes of events planned for 1998/1999 include:
•
new satellite services;
•
investment strategies and resources;
•
fraud management;
•
telecommunications and IT requirements of small island states;
•
corporate governance and regulation;
•
the year 2000 problem in telecommunications;
•
revenue generation and business development.
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Business development network
The CTO has established a network of business development managers in Commonwealth countries,
to bring together the expertise available and share information between those responsible for the
commercial development of telecommunications and other businesses within the sector. Business
development managers participate in their own events on a regional basis, and provide a key focus
for the development of membership services. The network aims to improve business performance,
enhance and extend services, and promote revenue generation within the telecommunications
industry, in the interests of business and society alike.
Membership services
The CTO has developed and is developing a range of services on behalf of member governments and
businesses. In addition to information resources, these include:
•
the development of a programme to support performance benchmarking and management in
member countries;
•
conducting case studies of the impact of changes in international accounting rates, in
conjunction with ITU;
•
the provision of services specifically tailored in response to requirements identified by
member countries.
In addition to its programme for development and training, the CTO is able to work with
governments and the telecommunications sector to provide training courses and expert assistance,
using the resources available within its membership and associated companies. It can undertake
special projects on behalf of Commonwealth governments, telecommunications businesses and
regional organizations, using funds provided by them or other international funding sources.
The CTO's in-house technical assistance logistics team provides the logistical support for all
activities organized by or involving the CTO, including a full travel agency service.
Training and human resource managers' network and services
Information about training facilities available within the Commonwealth is provided to an established
network of training and human resource managers. The Organisation aims to coordinate its work on
training and expert assistance with other international agencies including ITU.
Additional training activities are sponsored by the Organisation, including a major Commonwealth
scholarships programme operated in conjunction with the Cable & Wireless College.
Information resources, research and other activities
The CTO provides information resources to member governments, member organizations and their
employees concerned with telecommunications issues. It also provides a wider information service to
the general public on telecommunications and development issues.
Information services include:
•
the CTO World Wide Web site - http://www.cto.int - which is being developed as a key
information site on telecommunications and development issues, with easy-to-use access to
key documents and other Web sites on telecoms and development issues;
•
dedicated information services for CTO member businesses, in particular for their training
and business development managers;
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publication of CTO discussion documents, providing background information on key issues
in telecommunications for industry personnel in all member countries;
•
publication of the periodical CTO Briefing;
•
speaking for the Commonwealth on issues relating to telecommunications and development.
Summary
The CTO has:
•
established networks of senior personnel within Commonwealth governments and
telecommunications businesses, including chief executives, training/HR managers and
business development managers;
•
an extensive network of training and consultancy providers within its membership;
•
a track record of delivering more than 150 cost-effective training and consultancy
programmes to over 30 developing countries each year for the past decade;
•
extensive experience of managing conferences and seminars on telecommunications issues,
focused on the requirements and interests of developing countries.
It is developing its work within and beyond the Commonwealth, in particular:
•
by developing new activities and services in cooperation with telecommunications businesses
other than operating companies;
•
through joint working with other international telecommunications and development
organizations, including other regional bodies.
The Organisation welcomes opportunities to work with other agencies, and can be contacted
through the contact points below:
Contact points and further information
Key CTO personnel are:
Chairman:
Mr. Bakary N'jie, Managing Director, Gambia Telecommunications Company
Vice-Chairmen:
Dato' Dr. Abdul Rahim Daud, Chief Operating Officer, Telekom Malaysia
Dr. John Prince, Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister, Trindad & Tobago
Director:
Dr. David Souter, United Kingdom.
Address:
Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
Clareville House
26-27 Oxendon Street
London SW1Y 4EL
United Kingdom
Telephone:
+44 171 930 5511
Fax:
+41 171 930 4248
Email:
info@cto.int
WWW:
http://www.cto.int
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