Regulators and policy-makers in the Asia-Pacific region discuss new trends
in information and communication technologies
Waseda University (Japan) was the recent venue of a workshop on new trends in
information and communication technologies (ICT), where an array of issues were
discussed from the perspective of regulators, policy-makers, academics,
operators and other key industry players in the Asia-Pacific region. The
workshop was organized jointly by the ITU Asia-Pacific Centre of Excellence (ITU
ASP CoE) and Waseda University in Tokyo from 12 to 25 November 2001, and
included a videoconference hookup with the Office of the Telecommunications
Authority (OFTA) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China) and the
Australian Communications Authority (ACA). This event follows a Memorandum of
Understanding signed in August 2001 between ITU and Waseda University to enhance
technology transfer in the Asia-Pacific region.
Auraphan Suwanrat, Director General of Thailand’s Post and Telegraph
Department says that: “Above all, regulators and policy-makers had gathered to
share knowledge, ideas and useful experiences in their respective countries on
strong and weak points of various regulatory schemes.” Ms Suwanrat goes on to
add that “participants can use the knowledge gathered to select the most
appropriate way of setting regulatory policies in their countries”.
She believes that cooperation and collaboration are key elements in achieving
development, and should be promoted at all levels and in all sectors. “Collaboration
from the private sector is the most important driving force for achieving ICT
development goals, and this was evident throughout the workshop. In addition,
both government and the private sector should enhance their cooperation with
academic institutions and provide more support and funding for university
research work.” For many participants, the Japanese experience in formulating
ICT policy and regulations and in developing, commercializing and utilizing ICT
technology provided them valuable knowledge.
Bob Horton, Deputy Chairman of the Australian Communications Authority notes
that “the current complexity and developments in ICT raise a huge challenge
for policy-makers and regulators, given the climate of competition and
deregulation in which we operate today.” He explains that “the single factor
limiting the ability of regulators to rise to the challenge and assist in
creating a regulatory climate of confidence and support for industry development
is the level of relevant human resource skills within regulatory bodies. He also
believes that collective gathering and sharing of experiences and information on
a regional basis allows regulators to leap-frog the learning curve. “And for
many, it offers the flavours of consistent thinking and implementation, which
should benefit industry and service developments throughout the region,” Mr
Horton says.
ABU and AIBD launch Virtual Learning Centre
This VLC will form part of the ITU Asia-Pacific Centre of Excellence
which has been up and running since 1999
The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) and the Asia-Pacific
Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) have launched a Virtual
Learning Centre (VLC) to meet the growing demand for skills development in
the field of broadcasting. Rapid developments in technology are presenting
challenges for broadcasters in developing countries with risks of falling
further behind if they are not able to embrace digital technology.
This VLC will form part of the ITU Asia-Pacific Centre of Excellence
that has been up and running since 1999. It will provide training in all
aspects of broadcasting to the broadcasting community in the region. |
Anthony S.K. Wong, Director-General of Tele-communications at OFTA remarks
that “ICTs are an exciting development, and policy-makers and regulators are
expected to provide a favourable and fair environment to benefit the general
public and the industry.” He goes on to add that “it is useful and
constructive to have a gathering such as the workshop in Waseda University to
share experience and thoughts. I encourage more similar gatherings and certainly
recommend more participants to join.”
It was clear from the workshop that cooperation between industries,
institutions of higher learning and regulators is one of the critical success
factors in promoting new ICTs in society. Professor Toshio Obi-Nakamura, who is
a member of the ITU ASP CoE Steering Committee, notes that this is a significant
step forward, creating collaboration
between ITU and a major university for human resources development in the ICT
sector, breaking new ground. “I am sure that there are tremendous needs and an
increasing role for universities in both developed and developing countries for
human-capacity building as a useful solution to the digital divide issue.”
For Sugat Ratna Kansakar, Regional Director and Board Director of Nepal
Telecommunications Corporation: “The workshop succeeded in covering a whole
gamut of ICT matters, giving an overview of emerging technologies, future trends
in regulation and, above all, the daunting future challenges for incumbent
operators and new private operators alike.”
Mr Kansakar notes that while it is true that “a low teledensity and a
chronic digital divide exist in vast rural areas of under-developed countries,
it is equally true that even least developed countries such as Nepal need the
latest technologies and new services to cater for the ever-increasing demand
from the urban population, especially from the trade and industry sector, which
is the main driving force for the overall uplifting of society”.
So, forums such as the ITU/Waseda University workshop are, in the words of Mr
Kansakar, “quite beneficial for countries like Nepal, where the biggest
challenge is the balancing act between minimum infrastructural requirements in
rural areas and ‘high-tech’ demand from the trade, industry and tourism
sector, especially in the context of the globalization phenomenon engulfing the
whole world.”
In his concluding remarks, Masato Shinagawa, President of the ITU Association
of Japan, said that the workshop programme was a step towards bridging the
digital divide and creating digital opportunities.
He called for the establishment of ITU Associations in countries represented
in the workshop.
The Waseda workshop came up with a number of recommendations that are likely
to be tabled at the forthcoming World Telecommunication Development Conference
in Istanbul (18 to 27 March 2002).
ITU Arab Regional Office opens library in Cairo
ITU recently opened a library in Cairo for the Arab region. The
Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), Hamadoun
I. Touré, was on hand to launch the collections (see photos below).
Mr Touré (centre) and the ITU Arab Regional Office staff in Cairo
(ITU 020007)
(ITU 020006)
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