Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman R.S. Sharma has said the Asia Pacific region is facing similar regulatory, legal, technological and standard issues and regulators should maintain balance between regulation and over-regulation.
He was speaking at the sixth Asia-Pacific Regulators’ Roundtable jointly organised by International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in Islamabad.
He said, “Technology is changing very fast, particularly in the field of ICTs where a quantum jump has been witnessed. 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.”
Sharma said digital footprints are traceable which is creating a huge trail of people’s activity.
“Since we do not own this data, who is going to look after it is a big question. Data is going to be the new currency. The ICT sector is moving very fast and there are regulatory, legal, technological and standard issues which are to be addressed,” he said and added that as regulators they need to keep a balance between regulation and over-regulation.
The two-day roundtable focused on new ways and means to address the issues and challenges popping up in the ICT sector of the member states. Examples were brought in during the discussions from different countries to share knowledge and prepare mechanisms in this regard.
The regulators of the Asia-Pacific region agreed to enhance mutual cooperation to put up common solutions to the newer challenges faced by the respective governments and regulators of information communication technologies (ICTs). The regulators also consented to a joint statement at the end of the roundtable.
PTA Chairman Dr Ismail Shah shared his views on how the ICT sector is being developed, encouraged and regulated in Pakistan. He said that in 2015, technology companies represented 60 per cent of the value of the top ten companies of the world. Technology is helping in connecting the societies, he said and added that smart devices are enabling greater access to services and information while new markets and economic opportunities are also being created.
ITU Asia-Pacific Regional Director Ioane Koroivuki emphasised in his address that ICTs will be critical for achieving development goals in the Asia Pacific countries and that their importance has increased manifold.
ITU Regional Office for Asia-Pacific Senior Advisor Sameer Sharma emphasised on improving the ICT development ranking of Pakistan and said they would organise a symposium with the PTA on July 25 involving national stakeholders to share the ITU methodology and to collect comprehensive ICT data.
