Canadian official defeated in ITU election

Canada has lost its election bid to become director of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Radiocommunication Bureau. The Wire Report reported in January that Veena Rawat, president of the Communications Research Centre (CRC) at Industry Canada, had put forward her candidacy as radiocommunication director at the ITU. The ITU’s Radiocommunication Bureau manages the international distribution of spectrum and the allocation of satellite orbits. But on Oct. 7, Rawat withdrew her candidacy after obtaining 36 votes in the first round. Canada had fallen behind Brazilian candidate Fabio Leite, who received 48 votes, and French candidate François Rancy, who won 72 votes in the first round. On Friday, in a second round of voting, Rancy won the election with 90 votes, beating Leite by 23 votes. Rancy is also the director-general of the French National Frequency Agency. His term as director of the Radiocommunication Bureau will last four years for a maximum of two terms. The director of the bureau will play a critical role in the organization of the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) in 2012, where member states will review the union’s international framework for radio communications. Also up for discussion at the conference will be spectrum freed up by the transition to digital television and the identification of available spectrum resources. But Rawat’s defeat in the election hasn’t diminished Canada’s influence at the ITU, Keith McIntosh, director of regulatory affairs at the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), said in an interview. “In terms of whether or not we expect Canada’s interests to suffer, we wouldn’t think so,” he said. “We do have strong representatives . Certainly industry takes a very active role in ITU meetings. Industry Canada also has a very strong presence there, and we would expect that to continue.” McIntosh added that Canadian industry players are now meeting in preparation for the WRC meeting in 2012. Still, McIntosh said the election results are disappointing. “I think we felt had a lot to offer, proven leadership and certainly a strong understanding of the industry’s needs when it comes to radio regulation,” he said. McIntosh said that Rawat’s chances of winning may have been hurt by having another candidate from the Americas, which split the votes for the region. “That certainly contributed something,” he said. In an interview with ITU News in September, Rawat said one of the Radiocommunication Bureau’s main challenges in the years to come will be global demand for spectrum. “A key role for ITU will lie in meeting the growing demand for spectrum and orbital resources, and harmonizing spectrum to the maximum extent possible through regulations and standards,” she said. “At the same time, these rules must address the needs of developing countries in order to provide the flexibility they require to introduce wireless solutions when they need them, and at a cost that is manageable.” Rawat’s campaign also gathered high-level support from Helen McDonald, assistant deputy minister of spectrum, information technologies and telecommunications at Industry Canada; CWTA president and CEO Bernard Lord; Industry Minister Tony Clement; and Canada’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Marius Grinius. Rancy also received a letter of support from French Prime Minister François Fillion. The elections were held at the ITU plenipotentiary conference in Guadalajara, Mexico, from Oct. 4 to 22. In an address delivered on Oct. 5 at the conference, McDonald said ITU member countries increasingly face the challenge of adapting to digital economies, which she said will intensify demand for improved radio frequency spectrum management and the allocation of satellite orbits. “Canada believes that these pressing challenges and opportunities will be successfully addressed in the years to come by a senior management team at the ITU, a team with substantial knowledge and experience in radio communications and wireless technologies, but also with an in-depth understanding of the industry, of its future, and of the synergies we require moving ahead,” she said. Industry Canada did not comment Wednesday. kfournier@thewirereport.ca

Canadian official defeated in ITU election

News | October 13, 2010

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