The mission of ITSO, as set forth in Article III of the ITSO Agreement, is to ensure, through the Public Services Agreement (PSA), that Intelsat provides, on a commercial basis, international public telecommunications services, in order to ensure the performance of the three Core Principles identified in the ITSO Agreement, namely (i) to maintain global connectivity and global coverage; (ii) to serve its lifeline connectivity customers; and (iii) to provide non-discriminatory access to the Intelsat system. Additionally, consistent with the mandate provided by Article X(j) of the ITSO Agreement, ITSO shall consider all issues related to the Parties’ Common Heritage.
The Core Principles of the Organization include:
- Maintaining global connectivity and global coverage for any country or territory that desires to connect with any other country or territory within and between the five regions of America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia.
- Providing public telecommunications services, including capacity and price protection guarantees, to customers identified as, and connecting with, “Lifeline Connectivity Obligation” (‘LCO’) customers.
- Providing domestic public telecommunications services between areas separated by geographic areas not under the jurisdiction of the State concerned, between areas separated by the high seas, or between areas that are not linked by any terrestrial facilities and which are separated by natural barriers of such an exceptional nature that they impede the establishment of terrestrial facilities.
- Ensuring non-discriminatory access to Intelsat, Ltd.’s communications system.
In accord with its mission, the Organization encourages the creation of a favorable technical and regulatory environment for commercial satellite communications. The Organization coordinates its actions with other intergovernmental organizations such as the ITU, regional telecommunications organizations, as well as telecommunications operators and their associations.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (2008-2013)
The Thirty-Second Meeting of the Assembly of Parties (AP-32) in October 2008 approved “ITSO’s Goals and Objectives (2008-2013)” (Attachment No.1 to document AP-32-18), as a basis for a Strategic Plan for ITSO. The Thirty-Fourth meeting of the Assembly in June 2010 adopted the Strategic Plan for ITSO (as contained in document AP-34-16).
OBJECTIVE 1: Maintain the continuity of the provision of public telecommunications satellite services.
OBJECTIVE 2: Protect the Common Heritage orbital locations and associated frequency assignments.
OBJECTIVE 3: Contribute to the promotion of a global information and communications infrastructure.