From: JaniceB@edc.org (JaniceB)
Subject: First International Conference on Rural Telecommunications
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GKD members may be interested in this Conference:
Subject: Your Invitation to the First International Conference on Rural
Telecommunications
Author: INTERNATIONAL at
Internet Date: 8/5/98 5:11 PM
Apologies for Cross-Postings
Dear Telecommunications Development Colleagues,
The National Telephone Cooperative Association and the World Bank, under the
Global Knowledge Partnership, are pleased to invite you to participate in the
First International Conference on Rural Telecommunications, which will be held
November 30-December 2, 1998 in Washington, D.C., USA.
(If you would prefer to receive a printed invitation rather than this e-mail
invitation, please send your name and address to: international@ntca.org).
Finding ways to serve rural people is one of the most critical concerns in
international communications technology development. By bringing together the
world*s rural telecommunications practitioners and policy makers, this
conference is intended to stimulate new ideas, working partnerships, resource
sharing and information exchange on:
Policy conducive to rural telecommunications development;
Technology choices appropriate for rural areas;
Models for serving rural and isolated communities; and
Financial tools for rural telecommunications deployment and expansion.
Presenters will include many established *names* in international rural
telecommunications, plus many new faces and fresh voices.
This conference will be interactive and participatory to the greatest extent
possible. We all have something to share, and we all have something to learn.
Since we announced this conference in April, we have been joined by presenters
from many organizations and institutions. A partial listing includes:
African Advanced Level Communications, Kenya
Australian Commonwealth Department for Communications and the Arts
Australian Rural Telecentres Association
Bell Atlantic Plus
Cabinet Information and Decision Support Center, Egypt
Center for Telecommunications Management and Studies, India
Ecole des Sciences de l*informacion, Morocco
Foundation for Agrarian Development Research, Russia
Foundation for Rural Service
Ghana Telecom Center
Grameen Bank, Bangladesh
Grameen Telephone Company, Bangladesh
Hughes Network SystemsIDRC/Uganda
Institute of Telecommunications, Poland
International Telecommunications Union
Ministry of Communications, Guatemala
The Mountain Institute
National Communications Commission, Argentina
National Exchange Carrier Association
Open Society Institute/Soros Foundation
Philippine Association of Private Telephone Companies
Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative
South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority
South Pacific Centre for Communication & Information Development, Papua New
Guinea
Sunplus, Ltd., Ghana
SR Telecomm
Summit Strategies, Kenya
Telecommunications Investment Supervisory Body, Peru
Uganda National Council for Science and Technology
UNDP
Universal Service Agency of South Africa
University Hospital of Tromso, Norway, Department of Telemedicine
University of Guelph, Canada
University of San Francisco, Telecommunications Management & Policy Program
University of Valladolid, Telecommunications Engineering Department, Spain
VITA
There will be no manufacturers* expo at this meeting. This is designed to be an
opportunity to share and learn. Here are just some of the case studies, lessons
learned, etc. to be presented:
POLICY
Universal service and universal access: Practical and feasible practices and
case studies that promise the greatest chances of success; lessons from South
Africa, Chile, Peru, Argentina, the U.S. and others.
Legal and regulatory policy: Elements most conducive to rural telecommunications
development; the important components of a multi-provider network; the results
of Eastern European experiments in licensing small, rural telephone companies.
Privatization and exclusivity: Disadvantages and advantages for rural areas.
Spectrum allocation and frequency: The issues affecting rural service. Lessons
from Guatemala, South Africa and others.
RURAL MODELS
Community-owned systems: Success stories from Poland, Argentina,
Bolivia and the U.S.
Agriculture: the Internet*s impact on production and local economies.
Mobilizing the community: The *bottom-up* approach to planning, financing and
managing rural systems.
Telecenters: Case studies from South Africa, Uganda, Ghana, Haiti and Australia.
Economic and Social Impact on Communities: Lessons from Papua New Guinea,
Poland, the U.S. and others.
Telemedicine: A cooperative project between Norway and Russia.
FINANCE
Bilateral and multilateral donors: Their assessments of the importance of rural
telecommunications, and programs available to support rural telecommunications
development.
Funding mechanisms: Argentinean, Peruvian, South African, Guatemalan and U.S.
funding models for universal service.
International accounting rates: The effect of recent and future structural
adjustments.
Private investment: Attracting the private sector to rural areas.
TECHNOLOGY
Internet: From telephony to e-mail, from access to impact: practical ways to
provide rural service. Case studies from Tanzania, Russia, Australia, South
Africa and others.
Terrain challenges: Serving deserts and mountainous areas in Papua New Guinea,
Canada, the U.S. and Egypt.
VSAT: Its impact in Gabon, Egypt, and Thailand.
Wireless systems: Lessons from Malawi, Tanzania, Haiti and Ecuador.
REGISTRATION
Because we want to foster dialogue and interaction, we are limiting this
conference to the first 500 registrants. There are many people whom we can reach
only via fax and mail, and who will thus receive an invitation after you. We
need to set aside places for them, and so we are able to guarantee spots for
only the first 250 registrants responding to this e-mail message.
Due to security considerations, we are not accepting financial information via
e-mail. Please print out the registration form below and fax or mail it back to
us at:
NTCA International Conference
2626 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20037-1695 USA
FAX: +1 (202) 298-2317 or 298-2320
Thank you for your time. We look forward to seeing you in November!
WHO WE ARE
The National Telephone Cooperative Association
NTCA is a major telecommunications trade association representing some 500
locally owned and operated small and rural cooperative and commercial telephone
systems in 46 U.S. states. Other members include, 40 rural telephone systems
headquartered in Poland, the Philippines, Micronesia, Bolivia, Canada and
Mexico; 56 state telephone associations; 300 manufacturers and suppliers to the
US rural telecommunications industry; and 100 cable, cellular and DBS subsidiary
companies.
E-mail: international@ntca.org
Internet: http://www.ntca.org
TEL: (+1) 202-298-2369
FAX: (+1) 202-298-2317 or 298-2320
The World Bank and Global Knowledge
Global Knowledge is an ongoing worldwide dialogue on how to harness knowledge
and information as tools of sustainable and equitable development.
Its focal point was an international conference, Global Knowledge for the
Information Age, which took place in Toronto in June 1997 and which was hosted
by the World Bank and the Government of Canada, in cooperation with a broad
range of public and private partners.
Those partner organizations and institutions now comprise The Global Knowledge
Partnership (http://www.globalknowledge.org). The Partnership*s Secretariat is
located within the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank.
CONFERENCE E-MAIL REGISTRATION FORM
Please Print or Type
_________________________________________
Last name
__________________________________________
First name, middle initial
__________________________________________
Title
___________________________________________
Organization
___________________________________________
Mailing address
___________________________________________
Mailing address
___________________________________________
City
___________________________________________
State / Province
___________________________________________
Country
__________________ _________________________
Telephone (including country / city codes)
____________________________________________
Fax (including country / city codes)
____________________________________________
E-mail address
CONFERENCE FEE
Conference Registration is U.S. $795 per participant (includes conference
materials, three breakfasts, three luncheons and reception.) This is payable
only in U.S. Dollars.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancellations received by September 30, 1998 will be refunded in full.
Cancellations received between October 1-31, 1998 will receive $495. No refund
will be made for cancellations received on or after November 1, 1998. All
cancellations must be received in writing via fax, e-mail or postal service.
METHOD OF PAYMENT
1. You may submit a check or money order made out to NTCA, sent via mail.
2. You may pay by credit card
(Check one) MasterCard______ or Visa______
Credit Card Number______________________ Expiration Date______________
Signature of Cardholder_______________________________________________
3. You may choose to do a wire transfer (please contact us directly for
information on this.)
Registrations Will be Processed when Payment is Received.
Payment Must Be in US Dollars
HOTEL ACCOMMODATION
The official Conference hotel is the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill
400 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001 USA
Tel: +1 (202) 737-1234
Fax: +1 (202) 942-1576
Special Conference Rate: $165.00 per night
Participants should contact the Hyatt directly to make reservations. Please ask
for the NTCA International Conference rate when making reservations.
Please mail or fax to:
NTCA
First International Conference on Rural Telecommunications
2626 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20037-1695 USA
Fax: +1 (202) 298-2317 or 298-2320
Additional information can be obtained by calling 202-298-2369 or by E-mail:
international@ntca.org