CRC establishes forum for NGN deployment

Colombia’s telecoms watchdog, the Comision de Regulacion de Comunicaciones (CRC) has formed an industrial group to oversee the deployment of the country’s next generation network (NGN). The group intends to provide an open platform for discussion and promote cooperation between the sector’s players for the development of a nationwide NGN. Representatives of Avantel, Colombia Movil, Comunicacion Celular (Comcel), CT&T, Edatel, Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogota (ETB), Telebucaramanga, Telefonica Moviles Colombia (Movistar), Telmex Colombia and Une-EPM were all in attendance at the first meeting, although the group’s constitution entitles all providers of telecoms services or networks and, at the request of any member of the group or the CRC, any ‘supplier or agent of the sector or government representative’, to attend sessions in which their participation is of interest. Also, given Colombia’s telecommunications and ICT cooperation agreement with Mexico, signed in August this year, it is likely that the CRC will invite representatives of that country’s telecoms sector to contribute to the group’s discussions.