Sri Lanka hosts world’s leading global telecom regulatory gathering

• Policy experts to tackle challenges, opportunities of broadband-driven ICT development in Colombo during 3-day forum

Over 500 high-level international delegates from Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy-making bodies around the world are gathering this week in Colombo, to debate how to create the appropriate market conditions for the rapid proliferation of broadband networks across a range of different market types.

The ITU Global Symposium for Regulators, which has earned a reputation as the pre-eminent global gathering of the regulatory and policy-making community, is intended to foster multi-stakeholder dialogue between regulators, industry leaders and other key ICT stakeholders.

Chaired this year by Lalith Weeratunga, Chairman of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), the event is hosted by ITU and TRCSL under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who presided over yesterday’s ceremonial opening.

In his address to delegates from some 100 countries worldwide, President Rajapaksa said: “Sri Lanka recognises the need for rapid progress in the field of ICT, a technology that is racing ahead with innovations and new applications that make our world smaller each day. It opens pathways to progress to the people, breaking down the barriers of race, ethnicity, community, faith and geography… We see how mobile communications can bring revolutionary changes to the lives of people in new life skills, new employment opportunities, and new links to markets in one’s country and abroad. It can bring new educational opportunities, expand health and healing services, have a positive impact on sustainable development, increase production in agriculture, and expand the market potential of small industry.”

President Rajapaksa was joined on the podium by Dr. Touré, Weeratunga, Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Minister of Media and Information Keheliya Rambukwella, Minister of Science and Technology Prof. Tissa Vitarana, Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Director-General of TRCSL Anusha Palpita, and top ITU officials ITU Deputy-Secretary-General Houlin Zhao and ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau Director Brahima Sanou.

Dr. Touré said the theme of this year’s event, ‘Why Regulate in a Networked Society?’ focuses on the critical role of regulators worldwide in facilitating the rapid roll-out of broadband, particularly in low-income countries where high-speed networks can serve as effective conduits for essential public services.

“Broadband is a transformational technology, and nowhere is this truer than in the developing world, where it will help connect disadvantaged and isolated communities to services that are often chronically lacking, such as education, healthcare, financial services and access to government information. This meeting is the place where experts will forge the innovative funding and implementation policies that will help make high-speed networks a reality for all the world’s people,” said Dr. Touré.

Speaking of the challenges to be addressed by this year’s symposium, Weeratunga emphasised the importance of ICTs to socioeconomic development. “This symposium brings together some of the stalwarts in the global telecommunications industry. Among them are inventors, academics, key industry players such as CEOs of large telcos, and of course the regulators who handle very tough situations in their respective countries… It is their thoughts, viewpoints and deliberations that will keep the entire symposium alive,” he said.

Weeratunga also praised ITU as a role model for public-private partnerships in today’s multi-stakeholder markets. Unique among UN specialised agencies, ITU membership comprises not only 193 Member States, but over 700 private sector members, who play an active role in ITU’s technical standardisation, spectrum management and development work.

Through the Global Regulators-Industry Dialogue program, a new component of the event for 2012, public and private sector participants will together debate the challenges of meeting new national broadband goals, promoting affordable access and ensuring safe and secure digital opportunities for all.

Taking place at the Colombo Hilton Hotel, the three-day GSR program spans a wide range of compelling issues, including net neutrality, spectrum policy, international roaming, cloud computing, data protection and privacy, international and regional IP interconnection, and public-private-partnerships to foster network investment.

Sessions began this morning with an interactive High-Level Segment focusing on transnational regulatory issues in a converged digital era. Moderated by BDT Director Brahima Sanou, participants joining Dr. Touré and Weeratunga in the debate included Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of leading network security firm Kaspersky Lab; Magdalena Gaj, President of the Office of Electronic Communications, Poland; Robert Pepper, VP for Global Technology Policy at Cisco Systems; and Zohra Derdouri, President of the Post and Telecommunications Authority of Algeria.

The meeting continues until Thursday 4 October, culminating in a series of regulatory Best Practice Guidelines. Outputs from the meeting will also be incorporated into ITU’s annual regulatory report, Trends in Telecommunication Reform.