Robert Shaw: ICT Development

Promoting Broadband Networks

Mon, 07 Apr 2003 10:55:36 GMT

The ITU is hosting a workshop this week on the different strategies used by ITU Member States, at both local and national levels, for promoting the deployment and use of broadband networks. The key research question is why some economies have been more successful than others and whether this success can be replicated. In preparation for the workshop, the ITU Strategy and Policy Unit has now posted its workshop background paper (PDF, Word) as well as Country Case Studies for Canada (PDF, Word), Iceland (PDF, Word), Japan (PDF. Word), Republic of Korea (PDF) and Hong Kong, China (PDF).

ITU Overview and ENUM Presentation

Fri, 04 Apr 2003 07:58:36 GMT

Here's the presentation (PowerPoint, PDF) I made last week to the GAC at the Rio de Janiero ICANN meeting. It gives an overview of the ITU, changes in the telecom sector, its impact on the ITU, and ITU's activities related to IP-based networks and the Internet. I also made a presentation on ITU's perspectives on ENUM (Powerpoint, PDF) in an open ICANN session.

New Open Source Software Site for Africa

Mon, 03 Feb 2003 08:37:13 GMT

Tectonic: a relaunched news site focusing on the use of open source software (OSS) in Africa. The site is maintained and financed by owner and developer Alastair Otter [via Balancing Act]. Also see "ICT Development Activities".

Designing Next Generation Telecom Regulation

Fri, 31 Jan 2003 14:11:35 GMT

The World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies (WDR) have released their final report (PDF) on their 2002 dialogue theme: Designing Next Generation Telecom Regulation: ICT Convergence or Multisector Utility? (PDF). The report thoughtfully examines various alternatives being considered for next generation telecom regulation.

"It is apparent that national telecom policy and regulation – both the regulations and the regulators – will play a major role in implementing structural reforms. The distinctive network and public interest characteristics of the information infrastructure will require a continuing proactive role for regulation if network development objectives are to be met, and the foundations prepared for the next generation Internet services that will support new network economies (Melody 1999). What is unclear at the moment is how direct regulation by independent regulators can best facilitate the achievement of these objectives. Should industry specific telecom regulators be redesigned as convergence regulators so they can more comprehensively and systematically address the full range of next generation Internet issues? Or should they be redesigned as multisector utility regulators so they can leverage synergies across infrastructures to promote the most rapid information infrastructure network roll-out?"
"ICT convergence that is upgrading the capacity and capabilities of telecom networks to information infrastructures raises many issues that next generation policy and regulation in all countries must address. They cannot be avoided. Although the scope of regulation may vary among countries, and all responsibilities for regulation – e.g., electronic commerce, information security, consumer protection – need not be assigned to the telecom regulator, it is important that the specific role for telecom regulation in helping to manage the information infrastructure for the network economy be clearly defined, especially as many of these issues will require regional and international coordination."

In 2003, WDR's dialgoue theme will be Stimulating Investment in Network Development.

Measuring ICT Deployment

Wed, 15 Jan 2003 08:10:12 GMT

ITU's annual World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Meeting opened today. The meeting will cover topics related to the definition, collection, processing, dissemination and use of telecommunication/ICT indicators (statistics). The programme and list of documents is available.

African Internet and ICT Development Activities

Thu, 12 Dec 2002 15:34:49 GMT

On 10 December 2002, I participated (with experts from the ITU BDT) in a brainstorming session hosted at the WMO on the topic of "Triangular Cooperation for Cost Effective Access to the Internet in Africa", sponsored by the Third World Academy of Sciences and the Special Unit for Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (SU/TCDC), part of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). I made a presentation and was asked to provide some more references to related resource materials. Here are a few: ITU Workshop on Improving IP Connectivity in the Least Developed Countries, Africa and the Internet, AfrISPA: Association of African Internet Service Provider Associations, The Halfway Proposition (PDF): Proposal for African traffic aggregation and "digital arteries", Mike Jensen's site on African Internet Connectivity, Balancing Act: Newsletter covering connectivity developments in Africa, and Mike Jensen's Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Africa: A Status Report (September 2002 Word Advance Copy). As I come across materials on ICT Development, I'll post them on a general ICT Development page.