UAE: The United Arab Emirates, represented by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), chaired the 31st meeting of the Arab Spectrum Management Group (ASMG), which was held in Bahrain between 9-13 September 2023, as part of the final preparations for the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23), which will be held in the UAE from 20 November to 15 December 2023. 

TDRA had participated in a series of preparatory meetings at the level of global regional groups, including the Asia-Pacific Group in Brisbane - Australia, the American Group in Ottawa - Canada, the African Group in Yaoundé - Cameroon, and the meeting of the Commonwealth countries in Moscow - Russia.

During these meetings, H.E. Eng. Mohammed Al Ramsi expressed his aspiration to foster unity and collaboration among all, with the aim of addressing many of the critical issues that will shape the future of radiocommunication globally, including emerging technologies, frequency allocation, spectrum management, and satellite communications coordination, as collaborative efforts play a vital role in paving the path toward the efficient and harmonized utilization of these valuable resources and technologies.

In the coming period, TDRA will participate in the preparatory meeting of the European group, which will be held in Dublin, Ireland, in addition to the 3rd ITU Inter-regional Workshop on WRC-23 Preparation.

WRC, which is held every four years, is the supreme authority for updating the Radio Regulations, and is the only international treaty governing the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and the geostationary and non-geostationary-satellite orbits. The upcoming conference, which will be held at the Dubai World Trade Center in Dubai, UAE, will host 4,000 delegates representing government authorities and telecommunications regulatory bodies from 193 countries, as well as representatives of the radiocommunication sector and its main suppliers, to conduct critical technical regulatory discussions at the global level.

Terms:

International Telecommunication Union (ITU): It is the United Nations agency specialized in the field of information and communications technology (ICT). The ITU is committed to connecting all people in the world wherever they are and whatever means are available to them.

Radiocommunication: It is the technology of sending signals and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves that are produced through an electronic device called a transmitter connected to an antenna that emits the waves, and they are received by another antenna connected to a radio receiver.

Frequency Spectrum: The frequency spectrum refers to the invisible radio frequencies through which wireless signals are transmitted. These signals enable calls to be made via communications devices.

About TDRA:

The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) undertakes the task of supervising the telecommunications and digital government sectors in the UAE in accordance with the Telecommunications Law issued by Federal law by Decree No. (3) of 2003 and its amendments, and in accordance with Decree No. 23 issued on September 27, 2020, amending some provisions of Federal Law by Decree No. (3) of 2003 regarding the regulation of the telecommunication sector, and adding the “digital government” to the functions and name of the authority.

TDRA’s regulatory role is to ensure the provision of distinguished telecommunications services, develop the telecommunications sector, ensure the interests of the parties, apply the relevant policy and regulatory frameworks, develop human resources, and encourage research and development, to ensure the UAE’s leading regional and global position in the telecommunications sector.

In the field of enabling digital transformation, TDRA is responsible for supervising the federal digital government under Law No. 3 of 2011. Since then, TDRA has become responsible for digital transformation at the national level through two strategic goals: enhancing the smart lifestyle, and Leadership in smart technological infrastructure in the UAE.