Highlights and Activities for Weeks 11 & 12

 

International Activities

1. Frequency bi-lateral meeting: MCA representatives participated in a meeting with Italian officials from the AGCOM, the MCA’s counterpart, regarding interference locally, caused by Italian broadcasting transmissions. The meeting established a framework for the co-ordinated develelpment of digital television transmissions.
    
2. Government Advisory Committee (GAC) of the Internet Corporation for Assigned names and Numbers (ICANN): This meeting was held in Costa Rica between the 10^th and 16^th March. Although representatives from the MCA could not physically be present for this meeting, they did however participate in a conference call held with European GAC members in preparation for this meeting. This communiqué highlights the key issues emanating from the meeting. 
    
3. Radio Spectrum Committee (RSCOM): MCA participated in this meeting held between 20th and 21st March 2012,. The following are some of the topics of discussion and outcomes from this meeting:
   1. Discussed the review of the EC Decisions on Short Range Devices (2006/771/EC) and on the 169 MHz band (2005/928/EC);
   2. Amended the Rules of Procedure of the Committee;
   3. Adopted a mandate to CEPT to undertake studies on amending the technical conditions regarding spectrum harmonisation in the 3400 – 3800 MHz band;
   4. Adopted a mandate to CEPT on ultra-wideband technology to clarify the technical parameters inview of a potential update of Commission Decision 2007/131/EC;
   5. Discussed a draft Commission Decision on the paired sub-bands of the terrestrial 2 GHz band; and
   6. Discussed a required of the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme (RSPP) on the implementation of a spectrum inventory.
       
4. COCOM Working Group on the Implementation of the Framework for Pan-European Systems Providing Mobile Satellite Services: MCA also participated in the 9^th Meeting of this working group held on 22^nd March 2012.

 

Events

1. Get Online Week: Malta is one of 50 countries across Europe, Eurasia and Africa, that will be organising activities to mark ‘Get Online Week’, which is an initiative of the Telecentre-Europe AISBL and supported by the European Commission together with a number of other international organisations. These activities will be held between Saturday 24th and Wednesday 28th March. The MCA will be organising an exhibition stand in Valletta, in front of the Law Courts, where a number of computers will be made available for use thus presenting the opportunity to the public, to discuss any difficulties, with qualified tutors who will be present during the events.  Interested individuals may also apply for basic and more advanced ICT courses, which are being organised by the MCA. The aim of the campaign is to encourage more people to get online and start using the Internet, particularly those individuals over 45 years’ of age.
    

Media Participation

1. Representatives from the MCA participated in a TV programme on the national TV station ‘TVM’, in which two current consultations were discussed, namely, the consultation on the Broadband Internet Quality of Service Framework and the consultation on the information to be included in subscriber contracts.
   
   [View these consultations]
    

Litigation

1. Melita Plc filed an appeal before the Communications Appeals Board contesting MCA’s regulatory decision titled “Retail Access to the public telephone network at a fixed location – identification and analysis of Markets, determination of Market power and setting of remedies.”
    
2. Two sittings were held in front of the Communications Appeals Board.
   1. The first was a continuation of an appeal relating to Global Parcels Limited, whereby it contested an MCA decision which requires it to have an individual licence to provide postal services.
   2. The second related to an administrative fine of €1000 imposed on Melita Plc for having failed to notify MCA prior to the removal of channel from its channel line-up.