The International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (ITSO) is looking to play a more active role in representing the interests of the wider satellite industry, according to its director general Jose Toscano.
The future of ITSO, the…
The International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (ITSO) is looking to play a more active role in representing the interests of the wider satellite industry, according to its director general Jose Toscano.
The future of ITSO, the intergovernmental organisation that was formed following Intelsat’s privatisation in 2001, was discussed at the Assembly of Parties in Uganda back in July 2012.
The parties, representing more than 80 countries, agreed that the rationale for ITSO’s existence – ensuring that Intelsat meets its public services obligations – remained as strong as ever and that the function of the organisation would be reassessed in eight years time.
Speaking to SatelliteFinance, Toscano, who also had his mandate extended through to July 2017, said that he was committed to making the organisation become a more powerful advocate for the interests of the global satellite sector.
He said: “The mandate was not changed this summer; it is the same as it was in 2001. However, it is broad enough to allow us to do more, to look beyond Intelsat’s public service commitments and do more for the wider satellite industry.
“We would love to work with them if they think we can help them. Our advantage is that our members are governments, so we have good access to them and can provide some strategic value.”
To that end, Toscano said that he is currently in talks with a number of different industry representatives, from international trade bodies such as the SIA and ESOA to individual companies, to discuss ways in which ITSO can help them.
He added that he hoped to organise an informal satellite industry gathering soon to outline the best ways ITSO could help. One of Toscano’s first tasks under his renewed mandate is to develop a strategic plan for 2014 to 2017.
For Toscano, one of the organisation’s most successful policies has been its capacity building and regulatory guidance sessions. Here, relevant executives and civil servants from member countries are invited to speciality training sessions focussed on better informing them about the benefits of satellite in providing universal broadband and communications.
To fund its activities, ITSO has utilised an annuity established back in 2001. This will continue to fund the organisation through to July 2013. After this, Intelsat has agreed as part of the public services agreement, which was entered into between the two entities following the privatisation in 2001, to cover ITSO’s future funding requirements on an annual basis. This is to be determined based on the final year of funding provided by the annuity, which was set at US$1.8m.
