| WDR e-Brief, Vol. 3, # 4 |
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| Friday, 03 December 2004 | |
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WDR / LIRNE news News from the networks Resources & events
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Q&A: WDR Asian Expert Forum and LIRNEasia Q&A is a WDR's regular feature in which WDR experts answer your questions related to the current research theme, WDR activities, or telecom regulation in general. In the latest Q&A, Rohan Samarajiva, director of LIRNEasia, LIRNE's Asian affiliate, answers questions about the WDR Asian Expert Forum held in Sri Lanka in September and about his plans and priorities for LIRNEasia. Email your questions to
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. Question: The first WDR Expert Forum in Asia was just concluded in Sri Lanka. What were your expectations and were they met? Answer: The WDR promise was true inclusivity. With our expansion into Africa in 2003-04, signified by the large number of research papers generated and the high level of participation from African stakeholders at the Cairo Expert Forum in May 2004, we took a big step; with the successful conclusion of the Sri Lanka Forum we have come closer to fulfilling the promise of inclusion. We had substantive discussion on the factors holding back desperately needed telecom investment in the South Asian region which is home to the largest concentration of poor people in the world and which is also home to exciting innovations and growth. We laid the foundation for an ongoing program of research for benchmarking regulatory efficacy. We had participation from throughout Asia, ranging from Afghanistan to Mongolia. In keeping with LIRNEasia’s plans for next year, we had substantial participation from active researchers across the region. We experimented in the use of WiFi and the web in the conduct of Expert Fora, the results of which are available at www.lirneasia.net. The presence of a Nobel Laureate in Economics was also one of our achievements. We more than fulfilled the expectation of contributing to making WDR more inclusive. The Forum also exceeded expectations in building relationships essential for LIRNEasia's work in the coming years. Read the full Q&A on the WDR site: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/225/40/ Send your comments and questions to
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___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ New WDR website The WDR website at www.regulateonline.org has been completely redesigned to better serve the regulatory community and to better reflect the global nature that the WDR network has attained over the past few years. Over the next few weeks we will be adding new information and services to the site. These include easier access to WDR research output, an improved online dialogue, more and more effective opportunities for participation in WDR research, and access online tools to support resarch and training activities related to diversifying participation in network development. New additions to the site will be announced regularly in the WDR e-Brief. ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ RIA! to host Expert Forum in Ghana The Research ICT Africa! Network will be hosting the World Dialogue on Regulation Expert Forum in Accra, Ghana, on the 31st January 2005, the day prior to the WSIS Africa Prepcom. This will be the first Expert Forum to deal with the new WDR theme, Diversifying Participation in Network Development, which encompasses the broader scope of policy and institutional rigidities as well as new forms of participation in network development by new players, forms of finance and organizational arrangements. More information: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/235/40/ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Asian Expert Forum report The final WDR Expert Forum under the 2003/04 theme, Stimulating Investment in Network Development, was held on September 17-18 in Sri Lanka. It was followed by a strategic planning workshop for LIRNEasia on September 19 and combined with the launch of LIRNEasia, the Asian affiliate of LIRNE.NET. The events brought together around 60 participants Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Uruguay. Full report of the Asian Expert Forum: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/230/40/ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ LAC research offers south-south synergies Researchers from nine Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) countries met in Montevideo, Uruguay 11 & 12 November to establish priority research themes for pro-poor strategies to address digital inclusion. According to one participant, "The concerns are often similar (to those expressed at WDR Expert Meeting in Africa and Asia), but the approaches and methodologies are unique to each region. There is excellent potential for synergies and cross-fertilisation." The meeting was hoted by the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas and is part of a global IDRC initiative on pro-poor, pro-market ICT policy. Full article at http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/226/40/ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ RIA! workshop finalises E-access project Research ICT Africa! network members held their third workshop from 8-13 November 2004 at the LINK Centre in Johannesburg. The purpose of the workshop was to finalise the E-access and Usage Index Research Project in 13 African countries. Details of the RIA! research agenda will be finalised at a February 2005 WDR Expert Meeting in Ghana. The countries in the E-access and Usage Index study are Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Worlshop report: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/228/40/ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ LIRNEasia rapid response to TRAI call for comments LIRNE.NET’s Asian affiliate, LIRNEasia is quickly making its way into the South Asian policy making process. As a part of its nascent Rapid Response Program, LIRNEasia has submitted comments on a public consultation paper issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), on rural telecommunications growth in India. LIRNEasia's comments highlighted the need for regulators to clearly indicate a preference for broadband networks, by creating the conditions for the market to provide them, rather than the alternative of allowing narrowband network deployment by the market and subsequent adaptation of the same for broadband. As a part of its evolving Rapid Response Program, LIRNEasia has also responded to a consultation paper on the Realignment/allocation of Spectrum in the 800/900 MHz Band issued by the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka in October Full article at http://lirne.net/live/content/view/72/26/ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ WDR Research Cycle II report to be published The final report of the second WDR research cycle will be published in January 2005 in both print and online formats. The report is the culmination of 18 months of research, expert meetings and online discussions on the role of telecom regulation in Stimulating Investment in Network Development. Read more about the Cycle II report: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/232/40/ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Bangladesh case study online The final paper of WDR's 2nd research cycle on Stimulating Investment in Network Development is now available for download. Regulation & Investment:Case study of Bangladesh by Harsha de Silva and Abu Saeed Khan assesses the lack of development in the Bangladesh telecom sector. Their work builds on the Telecom Regulatory Environment (TRE) assessment methodology used for the case studies of Sri Lanka and India. More information and download the paper http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/224/31/ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ LIRNE course: Transforming Law for Information Economies William Melody, Managing Director of LIRNE.NET and the World Dialogue on Regulation, gave an Intensive course on Transforming Law for Information Economies. His host during his visit was the Centre for Innovation Law and Policy (CILP), where Melody also gave a public lecture on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Efficiency in Information Economies. More information : http://lirne.net/live/content/view/73/27/ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ LINK Centre analysis of ICASA statement The South African telecommunications and broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), recently released its interpretation of the policy determinations made in September 2004 by the Minister of Communications. In an analysis of ICASA's stement, Steve Esselaar of WDR's South African partner, the LINK Centre, concludes that ICASA's decision to allow VANS (value-added network services, primarily internet service providers) to operate their own infrastructure, will be a boost for the VANS and for consumers. Analysis: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/233/32/ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ LIRNEasia to hold colloquium on benchmark indicator system On 16 December LIRNEasia will hold a colloquium to get input on a proposal being finalised for advancing better governance of the ICT sector in Sri Lanka by developing a benchmark indicator system that allows cross-country comparison. The proposal involves the collection of high quality set of data to assess the regulatory environment and to measure the performance of the ICT sector. More information: http://lirne.net/live/content/view/75/26/ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Rethinking the European ICT agenda Rethinking the European ICT agenda: Ten ICT-breakthroughs for reaching Lisbon goals - a report by Pricewaterhouse Coopers in cooperation with LIRNE experts - was the centre piece of a High Level Conference of Directors General of the 25 EU Member States on September 30 in Amsterdam. More information, download and order the report: http://lirne.net/live/content/view/69/26/ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Diversifying participation at PTC '05 Diversifying participation in network development will be high on the agenda of the Pacific Telecommunications Council annual conference, PTC '05, in Hawaii 16-19 January 2005. WDR Managing Director, William Melody will discuss the theme during a "super session" panel on Strategies for Implementing Universal Access. Rohan Samarajiva, Executive Director of LIRNEasia, will also be on the panel. More information: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/231/40/ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Latin American ICT policy strategy workshop An ICT policy workshop will be held in Rosario, Argentina 6-7 December, 2004. The workshop will bring together representatives from civil society organisations in Latin America and the Caribbean to develop common strategies and to coordinate efforts to establish and promote ICT policies and legal and regulatory frameworks which enable and foster effective, egalitarian and widespread use of ICTs for social, economic and political development, social justice, and defense of the environment. Bruce Girard, coordinator of LIRNE/WDR partner Comunica will attend. The workshop is being organised by APC's Latin American ICT Policy and Internet Rights programme. Information in English: Information in Spanish: ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Conference: Higher Education, IT and Sustainable Development How can universities play a more central role in the efforts of countries to achieve knowledge-driven growth through ICTs? LIRNE.NET Managing Director William Melody, LIRNEasia Director Rohan Samarajiva, and Luci Abrams, director of LIRNE's African partner, the LINK Centre, will speak at the conference organised by the University of Washington and De La Salle University in the Philippines to address this question. Higher Education, IT and Sustainable Development - 10-14 January 2005. More information: http://www.cis.washington.edu/manila2005/ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Questions and support ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Subscribing and Unsubscribing To unsubscribe, send a message to
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with the subject nobrief or visit the page http://regulateonline.org/mailman/options/wdr-ebrief_regulateonline.org ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Bruce Girard edits the e-Brief. ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ The purpose of the World Dialogue on Regulation is to critically examine ideas and evidence. Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in content appearing on the WDR website, the Online Dialogue and the WDR e-Brief are the personal views of the individuals submitting them. Content does not necessarily reflect the views of LIRNE.NET, infoDev, the World Bank, the International Development Research Centre or any other organisation associated with the World Dialogue on Regulation. ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ World Dialogue on Regulation ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Copyright ©2002/04 WDR ___________________________________________________ |
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