5:00 p.m.
Location: UCSD, Institute of the Americas Complex, Weaver Center
Open to: Public

Event co-sponsored with the IR/PS Global Leadership Institute.

Reception will take place after the event

Donald Abelson is an expert in global communications and international trade strategy. His consulting company, Sudbury International, LLC, serves a global client base, offering advice on such issues as regulatory policy, spectrum  management and communications-related trade strategy. Mr. Abelson worked in U.S. Government for 30 years, most recently serving as the Chief of the International Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), where he directed the FCC’s international activities. He also managed the FCC’s provision of technical advice to developing countries on regulatory matters and to the U.S. Executive Branch regarding trade negotiations and the activities of the International Telecommunications Union and the OECD.

Mr. Abelson came to the FCC with extensive experience in international communications trade and regulatory issues. In 1998 and 1999, he served as an Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, during which time he led USTR’s effort to facilitate global electronic commerce over the Internet. Prior to that assignment, Abelson was the lead U.S. negotiator of the WTO’s Basic Telecommunications Agreement which resulted in a precedent-setting accord on global local, long-distance and international services delivered by wire, wireless and satellite technologies. In previous assignments at USTR, Abelson led the U.S. team that secured trade deals on telecommunications terminal attachment practices with Japan and Europe.