WASHINGTON-Federal Communications Commission Chairman Bill Kennard vowed to support telecommunications development in Africa, a continent with emerging markets that is looking to wireless technology to leapfrog into the 21st century.
“I want to work as a partner with you for the simple reason that we cannot have a Global Information Infrastructure without an African Information Infrastructure. And there can be no GII without an AII,” said Kennard in prepared remarks to the AFCOM ’98 conference in Arlington, Va.
Kennard said African nations, following the U.S. model that Vice President Gore called on the world to emulate four years ago in Buenos Aires, have created independent regulatory bodies and fostered competition in cellular and value-added services.
President Clinton reached out to Africa in his March visit and the GOP-led Congress is considering an Africa trade bill.
The FCC lends its expertise to Africa and other countries through its Visitors Program, which has hosted forums for regulators from more than 100 countries in recent years. At these events, the FCC said it discussed creating competitive environments, spectrum management, regulatory reform and universal service.
Earlier this year, the FCC, State Department, Agency for International Development and National Telecommunications and Information Administration conducted workshops for telecom regulators from 40 countries, including seven from Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana and South Africa.
The FCC said it is advising the World Bank on legislative changes and telecom policy on Kenya and Uganda as well.
“As we continue these efforts, we must not forget that the prime goal must be to attain universal access-to bring the benefits of telecommunications in order to improve the lives of the people,” said Kennard. “This objective must drive our efforts as policy makers’.”
Kennard has applied this philosophy to U.S. wireless telecom regulation, which he maintains requires a careful balancing of industry and public interests. In recent weeks, Kennard has returned criticism leveled at him by some in the industry for dragging his feet on deregulation.
The FCC chief emphasized the importance of regulatory stability. “We must renew our commitment to structuring our legal and commercial environments so that universal access will be achieved and not obstructed,” said Kennard.
And in a not-so-subtle allusion to legal battles stemming from the 1996 telecom act implementation, Kennard urged attendees “to be bold and not be overly concerned with whether our decisions to expand competitive opportunities might be challenged by the incumbents … You must be prepared to fight for the opportunity for new entrants to compete.”
A federal appeals court three weeks ago overturned a lower-court ruling that had struck down FCC rules governing local Baby Bell entry into the long-distance telco business.
