The Minister of Telecommunications and E-Commerce Friday convened a two-day Industry Consultation Roundtable to elicit the views of Bermuda?s licensed telecommunications operators on subjects ranging from licensing to interconnection to consumer protections.

This initiative launched the first stage of the Ministry?s process to review its regulatory practices with the objective of revising the regulatory framework and updating Telecommunications Legislation as may be required.

Operators were invited to submit their written views on a number of subjects for MTEC to consider in advance and during the Roundtable itself, operators presented these views to Minister Michael Scott, the Telecommunications Commission, officials of the Ministry of Finance and the Attorney General?s Chambers, as well as specialist consultants who are assisting the Ministry in its review.

With regard to regulatory reform, Minister Scott said his Ministry had taken the added step of seeking the experience of Bermuda?s neighbours: US Federal Communications Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy, who provided the keynote address on Thursday morning and shared her perspectives on US regulatory reform and the efforts of regulators globally to confront similar challenges.

Ms Abernathy told ministry officials and telecommunications providers that regulators are facing similar issues around the world. She also shared her perspective on regulation reforms that the US has undergone.

The Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union, Bernadette Lewis, gave a presentation on the experience of Caribbean nations in their drive to reform.

Minister Scott said his Ministry would take into account the views of industry and invited participants when it releases a Green Paper as the basis of a broader public consultation.

In an open and transparent process, the Ministry will seek responses to the Green Paper from the industry, consumer groups and the broader public,? Minister Scott said.

Following the public consultation process it is anticipated that the final stage will result in revisions to the policies, legislation and procedures that comprise the telecommunications regulatory process.

MTEC?s initiative is in step with the efforts of an increasing number of telecommunications regulators world-wide to consider the regulatory challenges presented by new and converging technologies and to secure the gains made from liberalisation.

Minister Scott said he believes his forward-looking approach embraces not only these global concerns, but those particular to Bermuda: promoting telecommunications as an engine of local economic development and of social enterprise.

One of the issues facing the telecommunication industry in Bermuda is that technology has advanced but regulations have not.

Bermuda has three classifications for communications companies; internet service providers, international carriers and mobile carriers.

However, new products and advancements mean that companies have the capability to offer more than one service, but do not have the license to do so.

Telecommunications Minister Michael Scott said the forward-looking and transparent approach his Ministry has undertaken will allow Bermuda to deal with global concerns and implement policy revisions