Sixth Asia-Pacific Regulators’ Roundtable concludes

Telecom regulators vow to overcome tech challenges

ISLAMABAD: Telecom regulators of the Asia-Pacific region have decided to formulate counterstrategies to deal with the challenges related to the information and communication technologies. 

The regulators consented to this joint statement at the end of the ‘Sixth Asia- Pacific Regulators’ Roundtable’, jointly organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

The two-day roundtable focused on the new ways and means to address the issues and challenges popping up in the information and communication technology (ICT) sectors of the member states. 

Meanwhile, a three-day International Training Programme (ITP), organised by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, began on Wednesday. Delegates from the Asia-Pacific region countries are participating in the ITP.

Chairman Ismail Shah at Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, speaking to the gathering, said technology companies represented 60 percent of the value of the top 10 companies of the world in 2015. 

Shah said the technology is connecting the societies. Smart devices are enabling greater access to services and information, while new markets and economic opportunities are being created.

Regional Director Ioane Koroivuki at ITU Asia-Pacific said ICTs will be critical for achieving development goals. The importance of ICTs has increased manifold, Koroivuki said.

Chairman RS Sharma at Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of India said all the countries in the region face similar problems.  “While technology is changing very fast, particularly in the field of ICTs, quantum jump is witnessed,” Sharma said.

“Today’s democracy is digital democracy and because of information highways everybody has equal information. However, we are also faced with challenges such as cyber security and net neutrality.”

The Indian regulator said digital footprints are traceable, creating huge trail of human beings activity. “Since we do not own this data, who is going to look after this data is a big question. Data is going to be new currency,” he said.

“information and communication technology sector is moving very fast and there are regulatory, legal, technological and standard issues, which are to be addressed. We have to maintain balance between regulation and over regulation.”