INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION

- 7 -

Telecommunication StandardizationBureau

Geneva, 2 December 2010

Ref:

TSB Collective letter 6/SG3RG-LAC

Tel:Fax:

E-mail:

+41 22 730 5887+41 22 730 5853tsbsg3@itu.int

To the members of the Study Group 3 Regional Group for Latin America and the Caribbean (SG3RG-LAC)

Subject:

Meeting of the Study Group 3 Regional Group for Latin America and the Caribbean (SG3RG-LAC) and the associated BDT Seminar San Salvador, El Salvador, 15-18 February 2011

Dear Sir/Madam,

1I am pleased to inform you that the Study Group 3 Regional Group for Latin America and the Caribbean (SG3RG-LAC) is to meet in San Salvador, El Salvador, on 17 and 18 February 2011, at the kind invitation of the Superintendencia General de Electricidad y Telecomunicaciones (SIGET), preceded by a two-day seminar focusing on economic and financial aspects of telecommunications. The venue of the meeting has not been decided yet. The necessary information will be published in an addendum to this Collective letter.

2The seminar, organized by the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), will start at 0930 hours on Tuesday, 15 February 2011. The meeting of the SG3RG-LAC will start at 0930hours on Thursday, 17 February and will be restricted to delegates and representatives of administrations and operating agencies of the region, in conformity with 2.3.2 of Section 2 of Resolution 1 of WTSA-08. The registration of delegates will take place in the morning of 15 February at the meeting venue as from 0830 hours.

3In agreement with the Chairman of the SG3RG-LAC, the seminar and the meeting will be conducted with interpretation English/Spanish.

4The draft agenda of the SG3RG-LAC meeting, as prepared by the Chairman of this group, is set out in Annex1 hereto. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that you might find it useful to prepare for the meeting by referring to the summary record of the previous SG3RG-LAC meeting (SG3RG-LAC R 2).

5You will shortly be receiving a letter of invitation from BDT for the Regional Seminar to be held just before the SG3RG-LAC meeting.

6All the necessary practical information may be found in Annex 2 hereto.

7I would like to urge you to pre-register for this meeting by 16 January 2011, at the latest. Please note that pre-registration of participants to ITU-T meetings is carried out online at the ITU-T website (http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/othergroups/tal/index.asp).

8A list of hotels will also be provided in due course in an addendum to this Collective letter.

9It is important to note that participants should enquire in advance whether they need a visa for El Salvador and apply to the Salvadorian consular representation that is nearer to their residence.

10Pursuant to the provisions of Recommendation A.1 of the WTSA (Johannesburg, 2008), contributions to the work of the SG3RG-LAC shall be submitted to the Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB). Please send them to tsbsg3@itu.int before 10February 2011.

We would strongly encourage you to use the set of templates that has been created to harmonize the appearance of ITU-T documents while making their production easier and hence more efficient. The ITU-T basic template is accessible from each ITU-T study group web page, under Delegate resources (http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/studygroups/templates/index.html).

With a view to settling any questions that might arise concerning contributions, the name, fax and telephone numbers and e-mail address of the person to be contacted should be indicated on contributions. Accordingly, please include those details on the cover page of all documents.

11Participants actually present at the meeting and having requested paper copies in advance by means of the registration form will receive only those documents posted on the ITU-T website as from 3 days prior to the meeting (12 February 2011) and up to the end of the meeting.

12I am pleased to inform you that ITU will provide a limited number of fellowships to facilitate participation from Least Developed or Low Income Developing Countries (one person per country). Whether they will be full or partial fellowships will depend on the number of requests and the funds available, as fellowships will be awarded on a first come first served basis. An official fax/letter must be sent to the Director of TSB requesting the fellowship and already providing the name of the intended candidate no later than 16 January 2011.

Please note that at WTSA-08, the Heads of Delegation committed that their candidate chairmen and vice-chairmen would be provided with the necessary resources to fulfill the duties of their office for the full four year term and that it was therefore recognized that the chairmen and vice-chairmen will not receive financial assistance from ITU.

Yours faithfully,

Malcolm JohnsonDirector of the TelecommunicationStandardization Bureau

Annexes: 2

ANNEX 1(to TSB Collective letter 6/SG3RG-LAC)

Meeting of SG3RG-LACSan Salvador, El Salvador, 17-18 February 2011

Draft agenda

1Opening of the meeting

2Adoption of the agenda

3Inventory of available documents

4Results of ITU-T Study Group 3 meeting and other ITU meetings

5Report of the last meeting of the SG3RG-LAC

6Review and implementation of cost models in the Region

6.1Information on cost models being used by Administrations, including practical application of economic and statistical models

6.2Basic concept of an efficient model and legal framework of the model

6.3Review of the SG3RG-LAC/TAL cost model and study of cost modelling, including NGN

7Accounting in international telephony

7.1Mobile termination charge and mobile roaming

7.2Alternative calling procedures

7.3Discussion on network externalities

7.4Incidence of telecommunication rates and costs on income distribution and international competitiveness of local products and services

7.5Cross-border connectivity for mobile

8International Internet Connection (Recommendation D.50)

9IP telephony

9.1Definition of Voice over IP

9.2Consequences of introducing VoIP in the regulatory framework of countries in the region

10Universal Service, its costs and funding

11Review of the International Telecommunication Regulations

12Results of PP-10

13Work programme and calendar

14Other business

15Closure of meeting

ANNEX 2(to TSB Collective letter 6/SG3RG-LAC)

Meeting of SG3RG-LAC and associated BDT SeminarSan Salvador, El Salvador, 15-18 February 2011

Practical information for delegates

1. Venue of the meeting

Not yet decided. Will be published in due course in an addendum to this Collective letter.

2. Hotels

The list of hotels will also be published in due course in an addendum to this Collective letter.

3. Visa and departure tax

El Salvador is part of the Agreement on the creation of the single Central American visa for the free movement of foreigners among the Republics of El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, since 2005, which defines, according to the citizenship of the traveler that wishes to visit any of these countries (CA-4), the kind of visa he/she will require. In addition, the kind of visa to request to enter El Salvador or any other CA-4 country, will depend on the kind of passport you are travelling on. In order to determine the kind of visa required from those listed below, we would advise you to contact the consular representation of El Salvador closest to your residence:

Exempt from visa (does NOT require a visa to enter the country).

Exempt from visa but obliged to pay the tourist card (which can be obtained at entrance border posts set up at the International Airport of El Salvador).

Requires a consular visa, which are awarded by the diplomatic or consular representations of El Salvador.

Requires a consular visa, which are awarded only through an authorization of the General Directorate for Migration and Foreign citizens.

Please also note that citizens from some South American and African countries will be required to present proof of vaccination against yellow fever, 10 days before travelling.

4. Transportation between airport and hotels and between hotels and the venue of the meeting

Information on transportation between the airport and the various hotels and between the various hotels and the venue of the meeting will be sent at a later stage by electronic mail to the groups mailing list, as well as to those persons having pre-registered for the meeting.

5. Taxis

Taxis may be found at all airports and main hotels. It is recommended that the rate be agreed upon before getting into the taxi, as they do not have meters.

6. Local time

El Salvador is six hours behind the Greenwich meridian (GMT -0600h), in the Pacific Central time.

7. Weather

El Salvador enjoys a tropical climate, with two seasons: the dry season or summer (November to April), and the rainy season (May to October). During the rainy season, expect rain mainly in the afternoon and during the night. Average annual temperature is 25C (77F.). Average annual rainfall is 1823 mm.

8. Medial requirements and vaccinations

The necessary vaccinations to enter the country (as at May 2010) are the following:

Compulsory: yellow fever (if you are coming from an endemic country please consult a medical service);

Recommended: Hepatitis A, Tetanus-diphtheria

It is recommended that during your stay in El Salvador you drink bottled water. It is advisable to obtain a medical insurance valid abroad to cover your stay in El Salvador, and that you take basic medication such as aspirin, antidiarrhoeal tablets, usual creams, plasters, etc.).

9. Internet connectivity at the venue of the meeting

A wireless network will be available in the meeting rooms during the event.

10. Currency

US dollar (USD).

11. Shop and office hours

El Salvador counts the largest shopping malls in the region (Metrocentro Metro Sur), particularly in San Salvador, with several international luxury shops. Goods can also be purchased from markets, including national and international supermarkets.

The large shopping malls stock the latest in international fashion, accessories & cuisine. These are generally found in the citys upscale suburbs such as Escaln, Santa Elena, and their surroundings. These shopping malls are:

Multiplaza

La Gran Va and Galeras

Hours: Monday - Thursday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Friday Saturday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm

Sunday from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm

Plaza Merlio

Hours: Monday - Saturday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm

Sunday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm

12. Electricity and sockets

Electricity in El Salvador is 115 volts, alternating at 60 revolutions per second. If you travel to El Salvador with an appliance that does not accept 115 volts at 60 Herz, you will need a voltage converter.

Sockets of the types A and B are available.

13. Languages

Spanish is the oficial language in El Salvador.

14. Tips

A tip of 10% of the total amount of the bill is suitable in most places. However, before leaving your tip, check the bill: some cafes and bars already include it in the service.

15. Prices and taxes

Most goods are taxed with 13% VAT (Value Added Tax).

16. About el Salvador

El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. It is also the only one without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea. The country is mostly mountainous with a narrow coastal belt and a central plateau. The shoreline goes from the mouth of the Paz river, in the Southwest, to the mouth of the Goascorn river, in the Southeast.

El Salvador is well-known for its volcanoes, for example the Santa Ana, the San Vicente, the San Salvador, the San Miguel and the Izalco, known until recently as the Lighthouse of the Pacific.

The country is often used as a stopover for travelers and cargo transport going from North to South America, or viceversa. The Pan-American Highway goes through El Salvador, connecting the capital, San Salvador, with the land borders with Guatemala and Honduras. Other important roads are the Coastal Road, built in the 1950s, which runs parallel to the coast, and the Northern Trunk Road, which connects the capital with the department of Chalatenango.

El Salvador is in a tropical zone and has similar temperatures all year round. However, because of the coastal belt along the Pacific Ocean, major variations in temperature occur due to the sea breeze which brings humidity and heat.

The culture of El Salvador is a mixture of the cultures of the Maya, Lenca, Nahua, Ulua, Spanish and other minority ethnical groups. The best well-known food of El Salvador is the papusas.

Izalco Volcano

San Salvador

______________

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CH-1211 Geneva 20TelefaxGr3:+41 22 733 72 56Telegram ITU GENEVEwww.itu.int

SwitzerlandGr4:+41 22 730 65 00

ITU-T\COM-T\COM03\SG3RG-LAC\COLL\006E.DOC

Place des Nations

Telephone

+41 22 730 51 11

Telex 421 000 uit ch

E

-

mail:

itumail@itu.int

CH

-

1211 Geneva 20

Telefax

Gr3:

+41 22 733 72 56

Telegram ITU GENEVE

www.itu.int

Switzerland

Gr4:

+41 22 730 65 00

Geneva, 2 December 2010

Ref:

TSB Collective letter 6/SG3RG

-

LAC

Tel:

Fax:

E

-

mail:

+41 22 730 5887

+41 22 730 5853

tsbsg3@itu.int

To the members of the Study Group 3

Regional Group for Latin America and the

Caribbean (SG3RG

-

LAC)

Subject:

Meeting of the Study Group 3 Regional Group for Latin America and the Caribbean

(SG3RG

-

LAC) and the associated BDT Seminar

San Salvador, El Salvador, 15

-

18 February 2011

Dear

Sir/Madam,

1

I am pleased to inform you that the Study Group 3 Regional Group for Latin America and

the Caribbean (SG3RG

-

LAC) is to meet in San Salvador, El Salvador, on 17 and 18 February 2011,

at the kind invitation of the Superintendencia General de Ele

ctricidad y Telecomunicaciones

(SIGET), preceded by a two

-

day seminar focusing on economic and financial aspects of

telecommunications. The venue of the meeting has not been decided yet. The necessary information

will be published in an addendum to this

Collective letter.

2

The seminar, organized by the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), will start at

0930 hours on Tuesday, 15 February 2011. The meeting of the SG3RG

-

LAC will start at 0930

hours

on Thursday, 17 February and will be restricted to

delegates and representatives of administrations and

operating agencies of the region, in conformity with 2.3.2 of Section 2 of Resolution 1 of WTSA

-

08.

The registration of delegates will take place in the morning of 15 February at the meeting venue as

f

rom 0830 hours.

3

In agreement with the Chairman of the SG3RG

-

LAC, the seminar and the meeting will be

conducted with interpretation English/Spanish.

4

The draft agenda of the SG3RG

-

LAC meeting, as prepared by the Chairman of this group, is

set out in

Anne

x

1

hereto. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that you might find it

useful to prepare for the meeting by referring to the summary record of the previous SG3RG

-

LAC

meeting (

SG3RG

-

LA

C

R 2

).

5

You will shortly be receiving a letter of invitation from BDT for the Regional Seminar to be

held just before the SG3RG

-

LAC meeting.

6

All the necessary practical information may be found in

Annex 2

hereto.

7

I would like to urge you to pre

-

reg

ister for this meeting by

16 January 2011

, at the latest.

Please note that

pre

-

registration of participants to ITU

-

T meetings

is carried out

online

at the

ITU

-

T website (

http://www.itu.int/I

TU

-

T/othergroups/tal/index.asp

)

.

8

A list of hotels will also be provided in due course in an addendum to this Collective letter.

Telecommunication Standardization

Bureau