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MUMBAI:
The regional body of the national frequency spectrum regulators
in the Asia-Pacific, the Asia Pacific Telecomunity (APT) and the
professional association of free-to-air broadcasters in the Asia-Pacific,
the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), have agreed to cooperate
with each other on frequency spectrum issues that affect users of
the radio frequency spectrum for broadcasting services in the Asia-Pacific
region.
To
this effect an MOU was signed on 22 January 2009 by the respective
Secretaries-General of the two organisations.
Both
these industry bodies have been working together on broadcasting
spectrum issues since 1995. The ABU has been contributing to the
work of the APT on these issues. This cooperation has already been
productive in relation to the studies that are carried out in preparation
for the International Telecommunication Union’s World Radiocommunication
Conferences.
The
decisions taken at these conferences play an important role in ongoing
radio communication operations as well as their future development.
The cooperation between the APT and the ABU on broadcasting spectrum
issues has provided several dividends, including the planning procedure
for shortwave radiofrequency spectrum (in 1997), replanning of broadcasting
satellite services (2000), protection of terrestrial TV broadcasting
(2007) and inclusion of two important broadcasting related agenda
items for the next conference in [year].
The
MOU will help to put the relationship between the two organisations
on a firm footing. The MOU will facilitate participation in meetings
and exchange of information and documents between two organisations.
It also provides for an exchange of memberships between the two
organisations wherein the APT will be admitted to the ABU as an
Institutional Member and the ABU will be admitted to the APT as
an international organisation.
Referring
to the MOU, the ABU Secretary-General, David Astley said, “The
MOU builds upon the ongoing relationship that the ABU has with the
APT on matters of mutual interest. Both organisations will now be
able to work more productively to address spectrum issues that relate
to the broadcasting industry in this region. This will benefit the
broadcasters and help their efforts at the ITU. We are happy to
have the APT as an Institutional Member of the ABU.
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