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ITU-TRAI Asia-Pacific Regulators’ Roundtable: Addressing Regulatory Challenges in Digital Societies

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ITU Information Paper 'The Challenge of Managing Digital Content'​

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) jointly organized the "ITU-TRAI Asia-Pacific Regulators' Roundtable" and the "ITU-TRAI International Training Program (ITP) 2017" during 21-22 August and 23-25 August 2017 respectively in New Delhi, India.

For over seven years, the  Regulators' Roundtable​ has provided telecommunication/ICT regulators in the Asia-Pacific region with a platform that fosters dynamic and strategic discussions, sharing of information, relevant experiences and practices as well as conclusively debate on possible solutions and opportunities for potential collaboration to address emerging regulatory issues and challenges.

Interested participants are requested to complete the registration form and submit to ITU no later than 31 July 2017. Please note that participation in the Regulators' Roundtable​ is limited to senior representatives of telecommunication/ICT policy making and regulatory agencies only. The meeting will be conducted in English and will be paperless.

ITU provided one full fellowship to one participant duely authroised by the respective ITU Administration from Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and low-income countries with a per capita Gross Domestice Product (GDP) not exceeding USD 2'000 from the Asia-Pacific region, subject to available budget. The deadline for fellowship applications is 21 July 2017. ​

Mr. Sameer Sharma of the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (telephone: +66 2 575 0055, email: sameer.sharma@itu.int) and Ms. Porntip Modethes (email: porntip.modethes@itu.int) are at the disposal of participants who require assistance for the Regulators' Roundtable​ and the International Training Program​.​

Considering the wide participation, it is envisaged that many regulators or officers may want to have bilateral discussions at the sidelines of the conference. To facilitate this, TRAI has made special arrangements with the hotel Claridges to have a separate meeting rooms at the venue. These meeting rooms will be made available on all five days and the same can be booked online using the link, http://115.113.49.153/ems/. ​

Tentative Agenda

​​​The need for continuing dialogue and experience sharing amongst Information and Communications Technology (ICT) regulators and policy-makers has been consistently expressed in various ITU fora particularly as we are in the midst of increasingly converged smart digital societies. This Regulators’ Roundtable is the 7th edition of the Asia-Pacific Region initiative to organize an annual Roundtable to provide telecommunication/ICT regulators in the region with a platform that fosters dynamic and strategic discussions, as well as sharing of information, relevant experiences and practices and to conclusively debate on possible solutions and opportunities for potential collaboration to address emerging regulatory issues and challenges.

​​Day 1: 21 August 2017​​ ​

08:30 - 09:30​Registration​
09:30 - 09:45​
Welcome Remarks by Mr. R S Sharma, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
09:45 - 10:00​Opening Remarks by H.E. Mr. Manoj Sinha, Minister of Communications​​
10:00 - 10:15​Keynote Address by ​Mr. Brahima Sanou, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU​
10:15 - 10:30​Group Photo and Coffee Break​

10:30 - 12:00​

SESSION 1: Digital Identities: Creating Digital Opportunities

 
Session Moderator: Mr. Ram Sewak Sharma, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), India​ [Bio]
 
This Session will exchange views and experiences on current challenges faced in development and deployment of digital identities for transaction of digital services while examining the following: 
  • Need for digital identities in promoting e- government and citizen services 
  • What are the current regulatory barriers? 
  • How secure are current authentication mechanisms? 
  • Standards and interoperability requirements and regional cooperation mechanisms
Session Interveners:
  • Datuk Seri Dr. Halim Shafie, Chairman, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Malaysia [Bio] [Presentation​​​]
  • Dr. Shahjahan Mahmood, Chairman, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Bangladesh [Bio] [Presentation]
 
Open Discussion and Wrap Up  
12:00 - 13:30​Lunch Break​

13:30 - 15:00
​

Session 2: Addressing the barriers for development of Digital Infrastructure

 
Session Moderator: Mr. Richard Bean, Acting Chairman, Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), Australia [Bio]
 
The Session aims to cover the following: 
  • What comprises digital infrastructure? 
  • Current barriers in developing digital infrastructure and relevant policy / regulatory enablers? 
  • What tools to enhance affordable ICTs for SDGs? (international/national connectivity and strategies to leverage financing for ICTs across the sectors, models to Bridge the digital / broadband divide )
       o Best practices and developmental models
       o Investment opportunities for private sector with incentive regulatory approach
 
Session Interveners: 
  • ​Mr. Digambar Jha, Chairman, Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), Nepal
    [Bio] [Presentation]
  • Ms. Sun Weimin, Director, Information Center, MIIT China [Bio​] [Presentation] [Summary​​]
  • Mr Tran Duy Hai Deputy General Director Vietnam Telecommunication Authority (VNTA), Vietnam ​​[Bio] [Presentation​]
Open Discussion and Wrap Up ​​
15:00 - 15:30​Coffee Break​

15:30 - 17:00
 

​

Session 3: International Mobile Roaming (IMR): A Tool for cross-border opportunities for business and consumers

 
Session Moderator: Dr. Shahjahan Mahmood, Chairman, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Bangladesh [Bio] [Presentation]
 
The Session will examine and debate on: 
  • High roaming charges for voice and data services 
  • Prevailing successful models and regulatory practices including ex-ante , ex-post 
  • Commercial agreements / bilateral negotiations 
  • Fostering sub-regional and regional cooperation
Session Interveners:
  • Dr Syed Ismail Shah, Chairman, Pakistan Telecom Authority, Pakistan​ [Bio​]
  • Mr. Chencho Dorji , Director General, Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA), Bhutan​ [Bio​]
  • Mr. Vutha Im, Member, Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia (TRC) 
    [Bio] [Presentation]
Open Discussion and Wrap Up ​​

​​ ​End of Day 1​

 

​​​ ​​Day 2: 22 August 2016​

09:00 - 10:30​

SESSION 4: Challenge of managing Digital Content!

 
Session Moderator: Mr. Ilyas Ahmed, Chief Executive, Communications Authority of Maldives, Maldives [Bio]
 
The session aims to discuss and address the following concerns: 
  • ​How social media is disrupting the traditional content delivery models? 
  • How does the APP economy create real opportunities?
      o Opportunities for empowerment of consumers creating an inclusive society
      o Regulatory dilemma and possible options to create win-win situation for investors and
         consumers 
  • ​Sharing approaches and experiences to regulate digital content?
ITU Information Paper “The Challenge of Managing Digital Content”​​: Mr. Sameer Sharma, Senior Advisor, ITU​ [Bio​] ​[Presentation​]

Session Interveners: ​​
  • Ms. Dalsie Baniala, Regulator, Telecommunication and Radiocommunication Regulator (TRR), Vanuatu [Bio​] [Presentation​​]
  • Mr. Rony Mamur Bishry, Commissioner, Indonesian Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, Indonesia  [Bio] [Executive Summary] [Presentation​]
10:30 - 11:00​Coffee Break​

11:00 - 12:30​

​

SESSION 5: Ensuring trust and confidence in digital content delivery

 
Session Moderator: Ms. Unutoa Auelua Fonoti, Regulator, Office of Regulator, Samoa
[Bio]
 
This interactive debate will see panelists share their views on privacy, trust and cybersecurity – the foundation for the development of our smart society (e.g., securing e‐commerce/ financial transactions, digital identity): 
  • ​New technologies and drivers including IOT, Cloud Computing, OTT, AI etc. 
  • Challenge of network and personal security 
  • Privacy and IPR issues 
  • Legal and regulatory framework & National Cybersecurity Strategies 
  • Child Online Protection
Session Interveners:
  • Mr. Richard Bean, Acting Chairman, Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), Australia [Bio]
  • Mr. Shivnesh , Acting Chairman, Telecommunications Authority of Fiji
  • Ms. Chaymaly Phakasoum, Director, Telecommunication Regulatory Division, Lao Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, Lao PDR​ [Bio] [Presentation​]
 
Open Discussion and Wrap Up ​
12:30 - 14:00​Lunch Break​

14:00 - 15:30​

SESSION 6: Digital Financial Inclusion – How to include the unbanked and unconnected in today’s smart society

 
Session Moderator: Mr. Ram Sewak Sharma, Chairman of TRAI – India​
 
The session will explore and exchange views and experiences on: 
  • Latest technology trends and innovations which are likely to impact the digital financial services sector and providers ability to reach the poor in a sustainable and scalable manner and the challenges facing this sector; 
  • Opportunities and challenges of mobile payment to stimulate the financial services and financial inclusion, 
  • Role of mobile technologies in the development of digital financial systems, 
  • Need for harmonized regulatory frameworks for digital financial services and financial inclusion; 
  • Share best practices in areas of consumer protection, interoperability, access to infrastructure and security and risk management
Session Interveners:
  • Mr. Ilyas Ahmed , Chief Executive, Communications Authority of Maldives, Maldives
    [Bio]
  • Mr. Dashzeveg Sereedorj, Vice Chairman Communications Regulatory Commission of Mongolia [Bio] [Presentation​]
Open Discussion and Wrap Up ​
15:30 - 16:00​Coffee Break​

16:00 - 16:30​

SESSION 7: WAY FORWARD

 
Session Moderator: Datuk Seri Dr. Halim Shafie, Chairman, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Malaysia [Bio]
 
This session will brainstorm on: 
  • ​The key ideas and outcomes that have emerged through knowledge/experience sharing in previous Sessions. 
  • Explore and exchange views and experiences on latest issues being faced by Regulators worldwide such as: IOT, Public Wi-Fi models, complaint-redressal mechanisms, data speeds, cloud sourcing models for regulatory interventions, block chain, etc. 
  • Examine the principles, practices and recommendations that will assist regulators in the Asia-Pacific region in addressing the telecommunication/ICT regulatory challenges.
 
Session Interveners:
  • ​Mr. Ram Sewak Sharma, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) ​[Bio]
  • Mr. Rony Mamur Bishry, Commissioner, Indonesian Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, Indonesia [Bio]
  • Mr. Richard Bean, Acting Chairman, Australian Communications and Media  Authority (ACMA), Australia 
  • Dr. Shahjahan Mahmood, Chairman, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Bangladesh​​
 
Open Discussion and Wrap Up ​​

16:30 - 17:00​

CLOSING SESSION 

 
Closing Remarks by:
o Mr. Ioane Koroivuki , Regional Director ITU Asia-Pacific
o Mr. R S Sharma, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) ​

​​ End of Meeting​

 

Organizers

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    TRAI LOGO.jpg

Supp​​orted by

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Date: 21-22 August 2017​

Venue: New Delhi, India

Registration Deadline: 31 July 2017

Fellowship Deadline: 21 July 2017

Contact:

Mr. Sameer Sharma
Email: sameer.sharma@itu.int

 

Booking for Bilateral Meetings Rooms http://115.113.49.153/ems/  

Administrative Documents

​RR Outcome 2017

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