Highlights and Activities for Weeks 19 & 20

International Activities

  1. Public workshop - inventory and review of spectrum use: In accordance with the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme, the European Commission is required to create a spectrum inventory.  In this regard it tasked a group of consultants to gather detailed information on current spectrum usage in the Member States, analyse how efficiently this was being used and then identify bands where improvements could be made. An MCA representative participated in this workshop, which was organised with the objective of presenting the interim results of the activities being carried out by the consultants. 
     

  2. CEF project planning: The Commission adopted a “Connecting Europe Facility” that foresees making available funding to support investment in the delivery of broadband networks and pan-European digital services.  In this regard a framework is being formulated to regulate CEF related activities. The MCA was called upon to participate in this meeting.
     

  3. ECC Working Group Numbering and Networks: An MCA representative attended this meeting together with representatives from other CEPT countries. The working group discusses the current numbering issues together with any future numbering trends. The main outcomes of the 4th NaN meeting were the following:
     

  • Reporting on the numbering related work carried out by ETSI and ITU SG2 in the last 6 months.
     
  • The WG NaN approved the following deliverables for public consultation: 
     
a. ECC Recommendation on Best Practices in Number Portability.
b. ECC Recommendation on Numbering for VoIP services Portability.
 
  • The WG NaN approved the following deliverables for adoption: 
     
a. ECC Report on Open and Closed dialling plans.
 
  • The work programs of the PT TRIS, PT FNI and PT NP were reviewed.
     
  • The WG NaN Green Paper on Long Term Evolution in Numbering, Naming and Addressing - 2012-2022 was discussed. A workshop on the subject matter is being organized in June 2012.
     
  • Harmonisation process of national short number ranges beginning  with digits 11X was halted due to the lack of support by the CEPT countries.
 
  1. Protecting Internet Safety Globally – INSAFE: The MCA participated in the first Insafe Annual Conference that was held in Larnaca Cyprus between the 14th and 16th May. The conference attracted experts, academics, teachers and awareness-raisers, as well as parents and young people from 43 different countries who share an interest in the field of Internet safety. Emerging issues where examined and discussed and solutions where explored through a multi-stakeholder perspective and a collaborative approach.
     
  2. CERP Universal Postal Union (UPU) Meeting: The MCA participated in the third CERP UPU working group, which is responsible for the coordination of European positions in the UPU context with the aim of promoting a competitive postal environment. Amongst others, the working group commenced preparations for the 25th UPU Congress to be held between the 24th September and 15th October in Qatar.
     

 

MCA Events
 
  1. BeSmartOnline Closing conference: The use of the Internet and its applications by children and youths was discussed during the BeSmartOnline Closing Conference held on the 10th May.  The conference wrapped up 20 months of activities undertaken jointly by a consortium made up of the MCA, the Foundation for Social Welfare Services through the Agenzija Appogg, the Directorate for Educational Services, the Office of the Commissioner for Children, the Malta Police Force and the Secretariat for Catholic Education.  Various professionals and practitioners in the fields of education, social welfare and ICT participated in this event. For further information on this event, click here (http://besmartonline.org.mt/content/besmartonline-20-months-activity-safer-use-internet)
     
  2. 8th eCommerce Forum: The MCA today hosted its 8th eCommerce Forum on 16th May, maintaining its bi-annual appointment with industry players and other stakeholders. Besides establishing itself as a popular platform for discussion and networking, this forum is has quickly become a popular showcase for a number of companies to exhibit their products and services. The aim of this forum was to provide some valuable insight into the current discussions and debates taking place across Europe, whilst exploring the important developments that are shaping the future of the Internet economy. All presentations will be published shortly. 
     

Notifications

 

  1. Notification issued to postal operators: The MCA issued a notice to all authorised postal operators regarding the postal obligations and regulations in particular the "postal identifier" marks that should be unique and identify each postal operator. ( http://www.mca.org.mt/article/notice-all-authorised-postal-operators-compliance-obligation-regarding-postal-identifiers) 
 
Litigation and other legal matters
 
  1. No appeals sitting or court cases were held during this period.
     
  2. A legal representative attended a Regulator’s Forum organised by the Consumer Affairs Council. This forum was intended to co-ordinate matters between the various regulators in Malta.