@LIS

@LIS (Alliance for the Information Society) is a five-year (2002-2007) co-operation programme between Europe and Latin America whose overall objective was to 'promote the Information Society and fight against the digital divide throughout Latin America'. It was formally launched during the EU-LA ministerial meeting on Information Society in Seville in April 2002.

Adopted by decision of the European Commission on 6th December 2001, the @LIS programme was allocated a budget of 77.5 million Euros of which € 63.5 million were financed by the European Commission.

The programme involved 18 countries in Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Five Project Areas were identified:

I - Dialogue on Policy and Regulation
II - Dialogue on Standardization issues
III - Stakeholders networks
IV - Interconnection of Research networks
V - Demonstration projects.

ETSI was in charge of elaborating the Dialogue on Standardization Issues (@LIS action 2) and implementing it.

The operational project started up on the 19th of July 2003 and ended on the 31st of March 2007. @LIS action 2 'Dialogue on Standardization' had an initial budget of 4 million Euros. The following report gives account of the four-year @LIS Dialogue on Standards project. It includes the project's objectives, activities and results throughout the four years, its impact for the Latin American community on ICT issues, along with some lines on the project's sustainability after its conclusion. The key message of the Dialogue on Standards is the critical role played by standards and Interoperability with regards to supporting the development of a global and inclusive Information Society as well as contributing to reduce the digital divide in Latin-America.

@LIS programme global architecture

Setting objectives and positioning the Dialogue on Standards

The overall objectives of the Dialogue on Standards were to:

  • Increase cooperation with ICT players from Latin America
  • Promote the use of ETSI standards and services
  • Promote the EU standards making model
  • Increase bilateral workflow.

Yet, those objectives were to be set in the overall context of the Alliance for the Information Society, which intends to 'help bridge the digital divide and build an inclusive information society'.

In order to cater to this context, ETSI positioned its activities on the theme of 'Open standards, key enablers to build services and applications bridging the digital divide'. In addition, a series of sub-themes were selected to highlight the raison d'etre of technologies and standards in this context: connectivity, mobility, accessibility, interoperability, security, sustainability.

Within those sub-themes a series of standards and technologies ETSI works on were selected as priorities for cooperation and promotion activities in Latin America: mobile communications -including DECTTM -, digital audio and video broadcast, TETRA, satellite communications (DVB-RCS), HF related work as well as ETSI interoperability services (protocols and conformance testing, validation, interoperability testing).

Building teams

The @LIS 'core team' within the Secretariat was 3 people altogether: the global coordinator, a project officer (STF contract) and an assistant.

The @LIS dialogue on standards was an ambitious project that necessitated deep knowledge on market(s) and technology deployment in Latin American countries, as well as being able to deploy adequate resources for the activities planned. So a key success factor of the project was to convince the ETSI 'galaxy' (Secretariat, technical bodies, membership at large and partner organizations) of the benefits of the project, in order to get their support and involvement to unfold the activities.

Therefore, the core team connected with ETSI technical bodies, technical officers and built a network of partners with industry forums: 3G Americas, OSA/Parlay, IPv6 Forum, UMTSTM forum, DVB project, World DAB, TETRA MoU, DECTTM forum, etc.

After a few months of activities, this network of contacts grew richer with contacts in Latin American countries, both from member companies and local organizations. Today, the @LIS dialogue on standards has a database of over 1500 useful contacts in Latin America and EU counterparts (industry, regulatory bodies, CITEL, governments, trade associations etc).

The toolbox

  • Technical and institutional meetings with local partners
  • Connecting with LA Industry in key areas
  • Connecting with institutions
    • Regional (CITEL, COPANT)
    • Sub regional (Andean, Mercosur)
  • Connecting with R&D labs (e.g. CPqD, Conacyt)
  • Connecting with NRAs (directly or w/Regulatel)
  • Trade shows, events (w/pre-conf. WS)
  • Web site, literature, press, white papers...

'Life is what happens while you are busy making plans': the @METIS initiative

  • Latin American countries do produce ICT standards
    They are just not called that way
  • Services and applications first > Interoperability 'ex post'
    IOP between building blocks from heterogeneous origins
  • The public sector is at the forefront (and walks the talk)
    ICT for economic development-PPPs for SW development
  • Straight (and fast) to the top
    No legacy of standards making in the lower layers.

 @METIS: enriching the Dialogue on Standards with new topics

  • Goals
    • Bridge EU and Latin America 'Interoperability profilers'
    • E-gov.
    • Enable the development of joint IOP projects (strategic and/or technical).
  • Ways and means
    • ETSI a go-between
    • @LIS seed money.

 

Dialogue: a conversation between two or more persons.
 
For a successful dialogue, the partners must achieve a workable balance of contributions (Wikipedia).

More information on @LIS can be obtained by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .