UNITED STATES - MEXICO
HIGH LEVEL CONSULTATIVE COMMISSION ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Seventh Meeting, Mexico City
July 26-27, 2005

JOINT STATEMENT

The delegation of Mexico chaired by Mr. Jorge Alvarez Hoth, Under Secretary of Communications of the Ministry of Communications and Transportation accompanied by Mr. Jorge Arredondo Martínez, Chairman of the Federal Telecommunications Commission, Mr. Leonel López Celaya, Director General of Telecommunications Policy and Mr. Jorge Rodríguez Castañeda, Director General of Radio and Television Systems, and the delegation of the United States headed by Ambassador David Gross, United States Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy, Department of State, accompanied by Mr. Kevin J. Martin, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission and by Mr. John M. R. Kneuer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Deputy Administrator, having met in Mexico City on July 26 and 27, 2005 to hold the Seventh Meeting of the United States-Mexico High Level Consultative Commission on Telecommunications (HLCC), we state that:

We recognize that the exchange of views and perspectives regarding topics of common interest on broadcasting and telecommunications are necessary for the support and mutual advancement of the peoples on both sides of the border;

We also recognize that, along the common border, we need to coordinate sharing of the radio frequency spectrum in an equitable and expeditious manner in order to ensure the efficient development and the adequate functioning of diverse radiocommunication systems that operate on both sides of the common border;

Taking into account the analysis of the following topics:

• Satellites - Establishment of Mexico's Broadcast Satellite Service at the 77° W.L. orbital location;
• Broadcasting - Coexistence of TV Channel 6 and certain FM broadcast stations; low power television stations (LPTV); terrestrial digital sound broadcasting; modifications to existing television agreements;
• Spectrum policy - New services and new applications in the 700 MHz frequency band; sharing the 406.1-420 MHz and 380-399.9 MHz bands; and
• New Technologies and Services - Convergence of wireless technologies, convergence of telecommunications services, regulation of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Rural Wireless Broadband Services;

We reiterate our common desire and intention to continue the dialog under the HLCC for the purpose of promoting cooperation, coordination and solution of problems that may arise in the operation of broadcasting and telecommunication services along the common border, and that may arise in the operation of satellite services, as well as for the purpose of review and updating of existing Agreements;

We reaffirm ourdesire to continue coordinating our work at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and, when in the interests of both Parties, to coordinate our positions for the Meetings of the ITU Council and for the Conferences and Assemblies of the ITU sectors as well as in the preparatory work of the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission (CITEL) for the Conferences, Assemblies and Meetings of the ITU. We reaffirm that we will push for the consolidation of the community connectivity indicators adopted in the ITU World Workshop that was held in 2004;

We take note of the promising on-going work of the United States, Mexico and Canada in the North America Security and Prosperity Partnership to increase cooperation in the three countries;

We further reaffirm the general principle that the HLCC should meet once per year, and in case that a face-to-face meeting cannot be held, that a video conference will be arranged as a timely alternative;>

We sign the following documents:

• Protocol Concerning the Allotment and Use of the 406.1-420 MHz Band for Fixed and Mobile Services Along the Common Border, and
• Protocol Concerning the Allotment and use of the 380-399.9 MHz Band for Fixed and Mobile Terrestrial Non-Broadcasting Services Along the Common Border;

We adopt the following document:

• The Directory of Bilateral Issues 2005-2007, which consists of the following sections: satellites, broadcasting, radiocommunication, international issues and other telecommunications matters. The Directory contains the topics that will be addressed by the staff of the Bilateral Working Level in advancing its work. The staff of the Bilateral Working Level should report the advances and completions of this work annually to the HLCC;

Once again we instruct the staff of the Bilateral Working Level in charge of administering the matters of the bilateral agenda to hold at least one meeting per year to review the full bilateral agenda, on dates that they find mutually acceptable. Bilateral Task Groups, such as the one on broadcasting issues, may meet without addressing the full bilateral agenda as often as necessary on mutually acceptable dates;

We intend to present a report on activities regarding the work of the HLCC to the United States - Mexico Binational Commission that will meet at the end of this year; and

Finally, in order to continue with our agenda, to deal with difficult situations that may arise in the common border area and to strengthen our bilateral relations, we state that we intend to hold the Eighth Meeting of the HLCC in the United States during 2006.

Signed in Mexico City, the twenty-seventh day of July 2005.