Public-private collaboration and ICT capacity building will be priorities of GSMA participation in the regional organisation.
The GSMA (worldwide association of the mobile ecosystem) today became an observer member of Central American telecoms commission COMTELCA, the integration body that coordinates and harmonises the development of the telecommunications and ICT industry. The GSMA’s mission in COMTELCA will be to contribute the vision of the mobile ecosystem and its impact on socioeconomic development in Central America and the Caribbean.
A regional body governed by international public law, COMTELCA unites Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic. Its key objective is to promote and harmonise public policy for the telecommunications and ICT sectors to ensure the population receives the best services in the best conditions.
“Given the particular impact of the mobile industry on socioeconomic development, and based on the model of multiple stakeholders contributing to public policy making, COMTELCA is honoured to have the GSMA participating as an Observer Member starting this year,” said Allan Ruiz, Executive Secretary of COMTELCA. “We’re aware of the value added and the benefits that incorporating the GSMA as a member will bring to our countries; this reaffirms our pledge to ongoing improvement and the need to seek resources for efficient spectrum use, especially now when we’re gearing up for 5G and the impact it will have on the digital economy and the fourth industrial revolution,” Mr Ruiz said.
Sebastián Cabello, Head of Latin America, GSMA, commented: “Public-private collaboration is fundamental in achieving a thriving digital economy to facilitate regional development. It’s a significant step for the GSMA to join COMTELCA because we’ll be close to its members, seeking partnerships and agreements that will help us leverage mobile technology to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.
“SDG 10 aims to reduce inequality among countries, and at COMTELCA we’re developing a detailed, ambitious plan to help deliver on this goal; by including the GSMA among our members we’ll benefit from the experience of other regions in implementing programmes for financial inclusion, education, health and reduction of the gender gap,” said Edwin Estrada, Costa Rica’s Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and President of COMTELCA.