​The Regional Radiocommunication Seminar and Forum 2016 for the Asia and Pacific Region (RRS-16 Asia Pacific), held 19-22 September in Apia, Samoa, successfully generated a renewed commitment to collaboration and capacity-building programs for the region.

"Radiocommunication is uniquely powerful in bringing information and knowledge—and social and economic progress—to disadvantaged peoples everywhere," said Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary-General. "Regional capacity building in ICTs is an important step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals."

Jointly organized by ITU and the Pacific Islands Telecommunication Association (PITA), in collaboration with Samoa's Ministry of Communication and Information and Technologies, and the Office of the Regulator, the seminar was attended by 65 participants from 15 countries representing a wide range of stakeholders from all around the Asia and Pacific region.

"RRS-16 Asia Pacific will significantly contribute towards the dissemination of information and capacity-building in the region and will assist the development of regional positions and contributions towards World Radiocommunication Conference in 2019 (WRC-19)," said François Rancy, Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau.

The first day of the seminar covered the general concepts and current regulatory framework related to spectrum management procedures necessary for recording frequency assignments for satellites and terrestrial stations in the Master International Frequency Register (MIFR) and the ITU-R Recommendations relating to the best practices in spectrum management. It also included a review of the modifications to the Radio Regulations, and associated WRC and ITU-R Resolutions decided by the last World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) and Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-15), along with the agenda of the next World Radiocommunication Conference to be held in 2019 (WRC-19).

The second day of the seminar focused on the process of coordination and notification of frequency assignments to ITU for space and terrestrial services. This provided hands-on experience on the means available to ensure the international protection and recognition of the use of spectrum in the Asia Pacific region.

The RRS-16-Asia Pacific Seminar was followed by a three-day Forum on "Bridging the Digital divide on the region: role of Radiocommunication Technologies". The Forum focused on the challenges and opportunities for spectrum harmonisation in the Asia Pacific region to prepare for key upcoming spectrum management decisions about the adoption and deployment of radiotelecommunication technologies. Topics addressed were: the transition to Digital Terrestrial Television, the Digital Dividend, International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), C-Band based and other satellite services, and the gathering of national experiences. The Forum also discussed the role radiocommunication systems play in bridging the Digital Divide through Mobile, Fixed Wireless, High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS), Satellite, Unlicensed Devices Access and White space technologies. The last day concluded with a round table featuring members of the PITA Spectrum Management Group.

"We gather here today to share experiences and develop partnerships for new strategies and initiatives related to the use of ICT innovations in the areas of education, employment, agriculture, healthcare and rural economic development, using radiocommunication technologies," said Mr. Afamasaga Lepuia'i Rico Tupa'i, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Samoa. "The tremendous development of ICTs will accelerate the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through e-education, e-health, e-agriculture, e-commerce, smart grid and smart cities among other innovations."