Program

Morning

08:30 – 09:10

Registration and welcome coffee

09:10 – 10:30

Session 1: Keynote Presentations

Ivar A H Hartmann, Professor/Research Project Coordinator, FGV Brazil

09:10 – 09:30

Keynote Presentation

Oscar Leon, Executive Secretary, CITEL

09:30 – 09:50

Keynote Presentation

Maximiliano Salvadori Martinhao, Secretary of Telecommunications , Ministry of Communications (Brazil)

09:50 – 10:10

Keynote Presentation

Luis Fernando Lopez, General Director for Digital Inclusion of the Viceministry of Communications Undersecretary of Communications, Secretariat of Communications and Transportation

10:10 – 10:30

Discussion with this morning’s speakers

10:30 – 10:50

Morning coffee break

10:50 – 12:30

Session 2: WRC15 – regional positions, likely outcomes and implications for the Americas

With the Radiocommunication Assembly now just a week away and WRC-15 due to start a week later, this session will offer a final chance to hear from those responsible for developing the Inter Americas common positions and understand their proposals, aims and objectives. Comparing these to the positions that have emerged elsewhere and exploring where there is consensus and where there are differences, it will look at what this is likely to mean for discussions at WRC, and at the likely outcomes across the key agenda items.

What positions have the Americas and other regions taken on the key agenda items?
Are there any surprises in the positions put forward, or are there any areas in which further changes or surprises are likely?
Where is there consensus and where are there differences?
What is the situation in the region and elsewhere regarding the 470-698 MHz band, the C-Band and the other IMT candidate bands?
When considering common regional positions and policy objectives, how can it be ensured that the long term objectives of all stakeholders are being considered and a balanced and future-proof approach is achieved?
What are the likely outcomes on some of the key decisions, and how could these affect mobile, satellite and broadcasting spectrum allocations in the region, as well as the frequencies used for public protection and disaster relief (PPDR)?


Moderator: Maximiliano Salvadori Martinhao, Secretary of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications

10:50 – 11:10

Keynote Presentation

Hector Bude, Chairman, WG for preparation of WRC-15, CITEL

11:10 – 12:30

Panel discussion

Fabio Leite, Global Spectrum Regulatory Policy, ESOA
Paulo Ricardo H. Balduino, Director General, Asociacao Brasileria de Emissoras de Radio e Televisao
Ven Sampath, Director, Regulatory Affairs & Standard Policy, Ericsson
Luis Lara, Director, Government Affairs, Spectrum and Regulation LATAM, Motorola Solutions

Afternoon

12:30 – 13:35

Lunch break

13:35 – 17:30

Session 3: Beyond WRC-15: Policy & technology options to increase efficiency and find the required spectrum

13:35 – 15:35

Session 3i.: Additional options to meet the growing spectrum requirements for mobile broadband

Agenda Item 1.1 at WRC-15 is focusing on identifying additional bands for mobile broadband, and alongside the additional capacity provided by refarming the 700Mz band (which will be discussed tomorrow), this will go some way to meeting growing consumer demand for mobile broadband in the region. However it can still arguably only be part of the solution. In order to both tackle bottlenecks in urban centres and also ensure the roll-out of broadband in rural areas, there is still a need to also find additional capacity, and this session will examine other options to secure this. It will look at possibilities to find additional bandwidth in both higher and lower frequency bands, at innovative new approaches that are being seend and at the role that other technologies can play in taking the strain of mobile networks by ‘offloading’ traffic. It will also look at the challenges faced by mobile operators looking to balance and manage frequency portfolios across a high number of different bands, and at how these can be overcome.

Moderator: Graham Johnson, Partner, Aetha Consulting

13:35 – 13:45

Introductory Presentation from Moderator – Changing consumer behaviours and delivering connectivity in a new, converging environment

Graham Johnson, Partner, Aetha Consulting

13:45 – 14:00

Keynote Presentation: Meeting spectrum requirements for mobile broadband in Mexico

Commissioner Mario Fromow, Commissioner, IFT

14:00 – 14:15

Presentation: LTE 450 MHz technology – what potential for delivery of broadband services in rural and remote areas?

JD Fouchard, CEO, AINMT Holdings

14:15 – 14:30

Presentation: Addressing Unprecedented Data Demand in a Hyper-connected World

Mazen Chmaytelli, Senior Director of Business Development , Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

14:30 – 14:45

Presentation: The role of offloading & other technologies

Fabio Franco Costa de Alencar, Vice President, ABRASAT

14:45 – 15:00

Presentation: Broadband connectivity to underserved communities via solar planes

Chris Weasler, Director of Global Connectivity, Facebook

15:00 – 15:35

Panel Discussion and Q&A

15:35 – 16:00

Afternoon coffee break

16:00 – 17:30

Session 3ii.: What is 5G and how can WRC-19 deliver spectrum requirements to maximise its potential across the LatAm region?

What are going to be the key bands in order to deliver 5G, and what is the shape of the 5G spectrum landscape likely to be post WRC-19?

Moderator: Agostinho Linhares, Manager of Spectrum Orbit and Broadcasting Division, ANATEL

16:00 – 16:15

Presentation: Delivering the 5G vision in Latin America: Spectrum Requirements & Recommendations

Agenda item 10 at WRC-15 has the objective of recommending items for inclusion in the agenda for the next WRC, and a big part of this (and more generally of long-term discussions on spectrum demand around the world) is focussed on meeting the needs of 5G and related LTE-A and IoT technologies. With 5G technology expected to deliver speeds several 100-times faster than fourth-generation networks, there will be a need to work efficiently and innovatively if these spectrum needs are going to be met. This session will focus on the spectrum requirements of 5G technologies and as focus already starts shifting towards WRC-19, the key band plan decisions that are set to be discussed there as we look to deliver the spectrum to deliver 5G and ensure its benefits are fully achieved.

What is 5G and what will its requirements be?
How is 5G set to affect how we use spectrum, and what decisions and changes need to be made over the next few years and at WRC-19 to ensure that its benefits are maximised?
What current spectrum strategies are being seen across the region as we move towards 5G, and what goals and priorities are Governments and regulators looking to achieve?
How can the transition between 4G and 5G be managed to ensure that the requirements of all spectrum users and the essential services that they provide are met across the region in both the short-term and the long term?
What technologies and bands offer the best solutions to meet the spectrum requirements of 5G and how can regulators and industry work together to create an environment that encourages the required investment in these?
To what extent can the millimeter bands above 6Ghz be part of the solution?

Jose Luis Ayala, Head of Government and Industry Relations, Latin America, Ericsson

16:15 – 16:30

Presentation: To what extent can spectrum above 6Ghz be part of the solution?

Jacqueline Lopes, Institutional Relations Supervisor for Latin America, Samsung Electronics

16:30 – 16:45

Presentation: Regulatory Perspective

Diana Tomimura, Project Manager, Ministry of Communications (Brazil)

16:45 – 17:00

Presentation: Ensuring the right technology mix to maximize the benefits of 5G for all

Gerson Souto, Global Spectrum and Regulatory Policy, , ESOA

17:00 – 17:30

Panel Discussion and Q&A

17:30 – 17:40

End of day 1

Morning

08:30 – 09:00

Registration and welcome coffee

09:00 – 10:40

Session 4: Digital switchover – current state of play across the region

The digital switchover in the Latin American region is ongoing, with countries at various stages in the switchover process as they look to meet their planned targets for the transition to digital broadcasting by 2024. This session will provide an update of the current situation in different countries and at the challenges that lay ahead. It will also look at the targets and deadlines that have been set and how realistic these are By taking examples from countries and regions that are already advanced in the digital switchover process, look at what lessons can be learnt and best practice in achieving a smooth transition to digital.

- What is the current situation in countries across the region, and what are the planned switchoff dates in different countries?
- How realistic is it that these targets for analogue switch-off can be met, and what implications will there be if they are not?
- How can the potential of interference be tackled and avoided?
- What issues are caused by the re-allocation of digital dividend frequencies if dates of switchover in neighboring countries vary greatly, and how can this be managed?
- How best can the ‘simulcast’ period of both analogue and digital services be managed, and what challenges does this raise?
- What options are available to ‘fund the switchover, and what strategies have been seen so far?
- How can regulators ensure that citizens in low income areas have access to equipment to receive digital services prior to switchoff?


Moderator: Ricardo Castro, Partner, Catalitica

09:00 – 09:15

Introduction from moderator: The state of play of switchover across the region

Ricardo Castro, Partner, Catalitica

09:15 – 10:40

Panel discussion

Rodrigo Zerbone Loureiro, Commissioner & President, Executive Group for Digital TV Transition, ANATEL
Andre Felipe Seixas Trindade, Communications Engineer, ABRATEL
Gunnar Bedicks, Technical Director, EAD
Augusto De Albuquerque, Counsellor for information Society and Media, Delegation of the European Union to Brazil
Ricardo Casteneda Alvarez, Director General of Engineering and Technical Studies, IFT

10:40 – 11:00

Morning coffee break

11:00 – 12:40

Session 5. Releasing the potential of the 700Mhz band in Latin America – awards and approaches

Whilst the analogue TV switchover is continuing, at the same time, countries across Latin America are already starting to make the first moves in refarming the 700Mhz band to mobile services. A number of awards of the Digital Dividend spectrum have now taken place, and national strategies and plans for licensing and launching networks in the 700Mhz band are starting to emerge. This session will look at the various approaches that have already taken place and those which are being proposed, and as the future shape of the 700Mhz band across the region starts to become clearer, look at the best way forward in unlocking the full economic and social benefits of this valuable spectrum.

What awards in the 700Mhz band have taken place to date, and what outcomes have been seen?
What plans and strategies are in place in countries in which the awards process has not yet begun?
What is the value of spectrum in the 700Mz band, and how can it be ensured that the prices that operators are paying for licences in the band are fair and reasonable?
Is there a link between high spectrum prices and investment in mobile broadband, and where does the balance lie in the objectives to raise revenue from licencing of spectrum and promoting investment?
What progress has been made in Mexico with regards to the roll-out of their open-access (wholesale) network, and how is it likely that this will work in practice?
Does the wholesale approach provide the best option for providing low-cost broadband access, and how does it compare with the traditional approach of competing networks?
What work has been done and needs to continue to be done across the region in order to ensure the future of the 700Mhz band is maximized?

11:00 – 11:15

Introductory Presentation – 700Mhz awards and approaches in the region

Moderator: Richard Marsden, Senior Vice President, NERA Economic Consulting

11:15 – 11:30

Case study – The wholesale approach to the 700Mhz band in Mexico

Luis Fernando Lopez, General Director for Digital Inclusion of the Viceministry of Communications Undersecretary of Communications, Secretariat of Communications and Transportation

11:30 – 11:45

Case study – Chile

Raul Lazacano, Chief of the Legal Divsion, SUBTEL

11:45 – 12:00

Case study – Plans and strategies for the 700Mhz band in the Caribbean

Christa Leith, Head, Regulatory & Policy Affairs, Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago; & Member, Regulatory Committee,, The Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organizations (CANTO)

12:00 – 12:05

Video Case Study - Colombia

Martha Suarez, Acting Director General, ANE

12:05 – 12:20

The view from industry - making the most of the 700Mhz band

Ximena Barberena Nisimblat, Vice President Legal, AVANTEL

12:20 – 12:45

Panel Discussion and Q&A

Afternoon

12:45 – 13:55

Lunch break

13:55 – 15:45

Session 6: Spectrum Auctions, Awards and Valuation: Best practice for a competitive, sustainable and innovative market

There have been a number of important spectrum awards across the region recently, and many more expected in the near future. With a number of different approaches, valuations and results seen, this session will offer the opportunity to hear from 3 experts on key issues, such as best practice in auction design, valuing and awarding AWS spectrum, and when (if ever) specific licence conditions or constraints should be used in spectrum awards in order either promote competition (eg spectrum caps) or to ensure quality of service. Following this, we will hear a response from an industry and regulatory point of view, before a final interactive discussion looking at developing a best practice for a competitive, sustainable and innovative market.

Moderator: Richard Marsden, Senior Vice President, NERA Economic Consulting

13:55 – 14:35

i. Expert corner – presentations from 3 experts on important and topical issues

13:55 – 14:15

Presentation: Best practice in auction design

Scott McKenzie, Director, Coleago

14:15 – 14:35

Presentation: Best practice in auction conduction

Josef Svrcek, CEO, Specure

14:35 – 15:10

ii. Stakeholder Response

14:35 – 14:55

Response from industry

Catherine Bohill, Directora, Telefonica

14:55 – 15:10

Response from national regulator

Guillermo Montenegro, Director of Technologic Planification, AFTIC

15:10 – 15:30

Panel Discussion and Q&A with speakers from the session

15:30 – 15:45

Afternoon coffee break

15:45 – 17:30

Session 7: Measuring and Promoting Spectrum Efficiency

As we saw yesterday, WRC-15 will see a big push from various stakeholders looking to secure more spectrum. Alongside this however, an equally important factor if the Americas region is going to maximize the social economic potential that spectrum offers is to increase the efficiency of existing spectrum, both in terms of usage and cost. This session will look at methods of measuring efficiency and at how efficiently spectrum is currently used across the region. Moving forward it will then look at innovative options that are available to improve this and how these can best be implemented.

How efficiently is spectrum currently being used in different bands and countries across the Americas?
What metrics and tools are available for judging spectrum utilization efficiency, and what challenges and considerations need to be taken into account when defining how efficient spectrum is being used?
How can it be ensured that spectrum is being used efficiently by all users, including the military and public sector?
What technological and policy options are available to improve spectrum efficiency?
What is the future of spectrum sharing and what potential does this have in reality as a tool to open up access to more spectrum and support innovation?
What are the respective advantages of sharing on a licensed, license exempt and dynamic spectrum access basis, and what challenges does each approach provide? Which has the potential for promoting the most efficient spectrum use?

Moderator: Elena Scaramuzzi, Principal Analyst, Cullen International

15:45 – 16:00

Presentation: Measuring the efficiency of current spectrum usage across Latin American and Caribbean Countries

Robert Thelen-Bartholomew, COO, LS telcom Inc

16:00 – 16:15

Presentation: Authorized Shared Access

Francisco Giacomini Soares, Senior Director of Government Affairs, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

16:15 – 16:30

Presentation: Dynamic Spectrum Access

H Nwana, Executive Director, Dynamic Spectrum Alliance

16:30 – 16:45

Presentation: Network Sharing

Cristina Gavazza, Innovation and Partnerships Master Specialist, TIM Brasil

16:45 – 17:00

Increasing efficiency and maximizing the potential of L-Band Spectrum

Tim Miller, Partner, Plum Consulting

17:00 – 17:30

Panel Discussion and Q&A

17:30 – 17:40

Conclusions and end of conference