Telecommunications Industry Association Advocates for Including Multilateral Trade and Regulatory Principles That Will Benefit the ICT Sector, Including Technology Neutrality, the Government Procurement Agreement, and a Mutual Recognition Agreement
Washington, D.C. – The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) officially filed comments with the United States Trade Representative (USTR) supporting Malaysia in joining negotiations of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement, which includes Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
“The Asia-Pacific region is the largest telecommunications market in the world and holds tremendous opportunity for growth,” said TIA President Grant Seiffert. “TIA supports a trade agreement with the TPP countries and would like to see USTR build upon its efforts in the future and extend it to include other countries in the region, including Malaysia.”
In the filing, TIA specifically urges the TPP to include commitments by countries to sign the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Information Technology and Government Procurement Agreements, and establish an independent telecommunications regulator if one does not exist. TIA also encourages TPP countries to establish Mutual Recognition Agreements under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) framework. Supporting the inclusion of these market-oriented, technology neutral principles in the final agreement will help build a strong, global, digital economy based on quality infrastructure, network of services, and a solid legal and commercial framework.
TIA’s Trans-Pacific Partnership submission is available on its USTR filings page at tiaonline.org.
About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry through standards development, advocacy, tradeshows, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. Since 1924, TIA has been enhancing the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications. Members’ products and services empower communications in every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment and entertainment.
Join TIA at its new annual industry event – TIA 2011: Inside the Network – at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas, May 17-20, 2011.
TIA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit tiaonline.org.
TIA’s Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, AttivaCorp, Cisco Systems, Ericsson, Inc., GENBAND, Inc., Henkels & McCoy, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, Intersect, Inc., LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, OneChip Photonics, Openwave, Inc., Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Powerwave Technologies, Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc., Walkerand Associates and WirefreeCom, Inc. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates and Telcordia Technologies.
