Cablegate: Brazil Demarche Delivery: United States Compromise

VZCZCXRO9796
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #1471 3180959
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130959Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2845
INFO RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 6847
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 3032
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 8674

UNCLAS BRASILIA 001471

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

STATE FOR WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC, EEB/CIP/MA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECPS ECIP ECON BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL DEMARCHE DELIVERY: UNITED STATES COMPROMISE
PROPOSAL ON ITU-R STUDY GROUP 5 RESTRUCTURING

REFTEL: STATE 113818

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In response to reftel points, the Brazilian
National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL) raised concerns that
consolidating working party activities could diminish focus on
international mobile telecommunications work. ANATEL looks forward
to discussing these issues further with USG in Geneva this week. END
SUMMARY

2. (SBU) On November 6, 2008 Econoff delivered reftel demarche to
the Brazilian National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL). Mr.
Marcos de Souza Oliveira, ANATEL's manager of spectrum engineering,
received the document regarding the department's compromise proposal
of restructuring the study groups within the International
Telecommunication Union- Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) Study
Group (SG) 5 that will be discussed at the ITU-R meeting in Geneva,
Switzerland November 10-11.

3. (SBU) While Oliveira applauded the U.S. compromise reversing
its previous position to eliminate working party (WP) 5D within the
SG 5 and instead proposing to transfer only the sub working group
spectrum sharing aspect from WP 5D to WP 5A, Oliveira voiced
concerns about potentially diminishing WP 5D's important work in
International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), arguing for a
continued separation between WP 5D's IMT studies and WP 5A's land
mobile services work. Oliveira rejected the U.S. opinion that
inevitable convergences between IMT and general land mobile service
technologies warranted this change, arguing instead that IMT issues,
as a direct by-product of increased globalization, should continue
to have its own forum within ITU-R's SG 5 and said proposals should
not be solely inspired by cost cutting measures, as Oliveira
suggested this proposal was.

4. (SBU) Oliveira expressed appreciation for continued U.S. efforts
to streamline ITU-R WP structures and would welcome future U.S.
proposals. He also noted that Mario Antonio Tavares, ANATEL's
representative for the ITU meeting in Geneva this week, looks
forward to meeting with Ambassador Gross to discuss this and other
telecommunication related issues.

SOBEL

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