A delegate of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Egypt (NTRA), headed by NTRA’s Executive President, Eng. Hossam El-Gamal, took part in the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference’s (WRC) Preparatory Meeting (PM) held recently in Geneva, Switzerland. On the PM’s sideline, Eng. Hossam El-Gamal met Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, the ITU Secretary-General, where cooperation aspects between NTRA and ITU in all fields were discussed by both parties during meeting. They also tackled the final preparations which are underway for the Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-23) hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt in Sharm El-Sheikh, from June 5-8, 2023.
Eng. Hossam El-Gamal also met Mr. Mario Maniewcz, the Director of ITU’s Radiocommunication Bureau (BR) as they both discussed significant topics expected to be tackled during WRC-23, such as radio spectrum regulation and how to make the best use of it, being a vital and scarce resource. They also tackled how to use radio spectrum in the future telecom generations, e.g. fifth and sixth generations (5G & 6G), in addition to satellite telecom services and recent updates. Eng. Hossam El-Gamal expressed at the end of meeting NTRA’s full willingness to pass on Egypt’s experience to WRC-23 organizers in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, to showcase Egypt’s leading and successful role in holding major telecommunications events like WRC-19, which was held back in 2019.
Moreover, Eng. Hossam El-Gamal had a meeting with Ms. Mutinta Choloy- Chairperson of African Regional Group of CPM for WRC-23. Cooperation between both parties and matters of mutual interest for African states were tackled during meeting, especially after the Egyptian African Telecom Regulatory Center (EG-ATRC), subordinate to NTRA, was accredited by ITU as of the ITU Academy’s authorized international training centers. Maximum utilization of the African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education (ARCSSTE), based in Egypt, was also researched during meeting.
On the other hand, Eng. Hossam El-Gamal met Dr. Cosmas Zavzava- Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) – where Egypt’s pioneering experience in rural areas development “Haya Karima” and provision of telecom services in these areas where reviewed. Cooperation topics in the field of smart cities was also researched and light was particularly shed on the New Administrative Capital, being Egypt’s milestone in this domain. Building African capacities in digital development was also tackled during meeting.
So as to be mentioned, NTRA’s Executive President, Eng. Hossam El-Gamal, had a meeting with Eng. Tareq Al-Awadhi, the Chairman of Arab Spectrum Management Group (ASMG) at the League of Arab States. Both parties shared views regarding the methods to achieve a unified vision between Egypt and the Arab states in terms of regional technology matters, like 5G, and the integration of aerial and satellite radio services. Eng. Hossam El-Gamal again confirmed that Egypt is totally ready to pass on its experience of holding WRC-19 to the organizers of WRC-23 in Dubai, the Arab United Emirates.
At the CPM’s final session, NTRA’s Executive President, Eng. Hossam El-Gamal, gave a speech in which he stated his happiness to take part in the CPM for WRC-23. In his speech, Eng. Hossam El-Gamal congratulated the participants on the massive outputs produced during the CPM. He also invited the participants to take part in GSR-23 which will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from June 5-8, 2023, being a chance to discuss the challenges faced by telecom regulators as well as a platform to exchange views and expertise.