4 October 2023
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09:30 - 10:15 IST
| Opening Session
Presentation of Saplings
Lighting of the Lamp
Welcome Address: V. Raghunandan, Secretary, TRAI Address: Shailendra Kumar Mishra, Chairman, ITU-T, FG-CD Inaugural Address : Meenakshi Gupta, Acting Chairperson, TRAI Presentation of Memento Vote of Thanks: Vandana Sethi, Advisor - International Relations, TRAI
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10:15 - 10:35 IST
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Group Photo + Coffee Break
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10:35 - 11:50 IST
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Session 1: Cost components for data services and main factors affecting the affordability of data services
Data has become the new necessity for every individual. There are various challenges in providing digital connectivity to everyone, especially in rural and remote areas. The Broadband Commission’s affordability target for entry level broadband services was set at below 2% of monthly GNI per capita for middle and low income countries by 2025 – a target which many still have not reached. In addition to the access-related issues, there are issues pertaining to the cost of data, for instance, spectrum costs, infrastructure related costs, regulatory charges etc. The problems are particularly acute for LLDCs, SIDS, and LDCs. This session provides an opportunity to address the main challenges with regards to the factors affecting the cost of data.
Moderator: Meenakshi Gupta, Acting Chairperson, TRAI - Priscila Evangelista, Head of the Economics and Analytics Division Competition Bureau, National Telecommunications Agency – Anatel: "Using regulatory tools in order to foster digital connectivity and data affordability" [Presentation]
- Luca Elmosi, Director of International Relations, GSMA : “Mobile data affordability: current trends and key considerations”. [Presentation]
- Umar SSemakula, Senior Officer, Competition and Pricing, Uganda Communications Commission: “Cost of internet competitiveness and retail price drivers in the EAC region” [Presentation]
Q&A |
11:50 - 13:15 IST
| Session 2: Best practices for cost models for data services
Cost of data services vary across different regions. This session will discuss the different cost modelling techniques used for data services in different regions, the cost components used in the cost models, impact of different economic incentives provided by governments and the lessons learned.
Moderator: Vinod Kotwal, Expert in Costing and Tariffs for multiple sectors including ICT, India Q&A |
13:15 - 14:00 IST
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Lunch Break
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14:00 - 15:45 IST
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Session 3: Evolving Internet Value Chain and implications for cost for International Internet Connectivity (IIC)
The exponential growth of digital technologies has provided huge opportunities as well as disruptions in the way in which the world was operating. This session will examine the cost components for provision of International Internet Connectivity and the challenges facing regulators in developing economies with regards to IIC. For developing regions, IP traffic may not be routed locally but might have to be transported internationally due to the lack of national IP connections. In the absence of local fixed network infrastructure, Internet traffic may have to take a far more circuitous route to reach its destination. That might well include international transit over the Internet backbone, which can impact costs due to measures imposed at international boundaries, a problem which is particularly acute for LLDCs. This session will examine some of the cost components and challenges for costing models for IIC for developing economies.
Moderator: Anuradha Mitra, Cost Accounting and Economist, India
- Thomas Volmer, Director, Head of Global Content Delivery Policy, Netflix: "Internet Interconnection economic and technical trends" [Presentation]
- Ben Roberts, Group Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Liquid Intelligent Technologies : "Localising Internet Traffic for greater Affordability – Experiences from Sub Saharan Africa" [Presentation]
- Daud Suleman, Director General, Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA): "Landlocked and Least Developed: Malawi’s Digital Economy Overview" [Presentation]
- Michael Kende, Independent Expert and Senior Advisor, Analysys Mason: "Internet global growth: lessons for the future" [Presentation]
Juan Peirano, Senior Policy Advisor, Internet Society: "Keeping traffic local - An open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy Internet for all" [Presentation]
Q&A |
15:45 - 16:00 IST
| Coffee Break
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16:00 - 17:45 IST
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Session 4: Regulatory, economic, and policy aspects impacting cost models for IIC: Lessons learned from different regions
This session will consider experience and approach undertaken by regulators from different regions with regards to their cost model for IIC and best practices that can be considered for reducing the costs of international interconnection. It will also explore the issues that are similar for groups of states, particularly SIDS and LLDCs, due to geography, which are distributed throughout different regions.
Moderator: Nick Ashton-Hart, APCO Worldwide
- Rajendra Singh, Senior Digital Development Specialist , Digital Development Global Practice, The World Bank: "Sustainability of Infrastructure Based Competition for Internet Connectivity" [Presentation]
- Annie Baldeo, Executive Officer, Policy, Planning and Economics, Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago: " Interconnection Cost Modelling – Trinidad and Tobago Experience" [Presentation]
- Manoj Misra, Vice-President, ( Economic Regulation), Bharti Airtel Limited : 'Analyzing the Influence of Regulatory, Economic, and Policy Factors on Cost Models.' [Presentation]
- Rajendra Kumar Joshi, Senior Vice President (Strategy & Planning), Jio Platforms Ltd: “Jio Success story of turning India’s internet dreams into reality by substantial cost reduction of data” [Presentation]
- Tim Kelly, Lead Digital Development Policy Specialist, World Bank Group
Q&A
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17:45 - 18:00 IST
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Closing Remarks
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Shailendra Kumar Mishra, Chairman, Focus Group on cost models for affordable data services (FG-CD)
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