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Topic Name: Singapore shares ICT development experience
Category: Telecommunication
Research persons: Dr Kim Eun-Ju, Ms Angeline TAN
Location: 8 Temasek Boulevard #14-00, Suntec Tower 3, Singapore 038988, Singapore
Details
Senior ICT policy makers and regulators from developing countries are in
Singapore to attend a five-day executive programme on information and
communication technology (ICT) development, entitled "Enabling Frameworks for
ICT Development — The Singapore Experience".
The programme, offered by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
(IDA) in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU),
will provide an opportunity for participants from Asia Pacific, Africa and Arab
States to study and analyse Singapore’s model as a means to catalyse ICT
progress in their own countries. The participating countries include Bhutan,
Brunei, Kenya, Kiribati, Maldives, Mongolia,
Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Thailand,
United Arab Emirates and Viet Nam.
This follows an agreement reached between ITU and IDA in June 2007 to provide
a training programme for senior ICT and telecom officials that would foster the
development of ICT frameworks in their countries to enable fair, effective and
sustainable competition in a multi-operator, multi-network environment.
The Executive Training Programme is one example of action taken to implement
the ITU Regional Initiative on Telecommunication/ICT Policy and Regulatory
Cooperation in the Asia Pacific Region, which was adopted by the 4th
World Telecommunication Development Conference held in Doha, Qatar in 2006.
Liberalizing the telecom sector
Participants will engage in an interactive learning experience led by
practitioners from the IDA and featuring guest speakers from ITU and the ICT
industry. They will learn about Singapore’s experience in ICT policy-making and
regulating in a fully liberalized, multi-operator telecom sector. This includes
covering topics like competition management, licensing frameworks, dispute
resolution procedures and interconnection.
The five-day programme, the first of a series, will be conducted at
Singapore’s e-Government Leadership Centre. The programme aims to train at least
30 participants annually over the next three years.
"We appreciate IDA’s response to ITU’s call for cooperation through this
Executive Training Programme," said Mr Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Director of
ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau. "Singapore has one of the best
regulatory models in the world, an experience which can be shared by other
regulators. This is particularly relevant in developing countries, which are
coping with a number of current policy and regulatory issues."
Deputy Chief Executive and Director-General (Telecoms) of the IDA, Mr Leong
Keng Thai said, "Singapore embarked on its ICT development journey 25 years ago,
and ICT has contributed greatly to Singapore becoming the confluence of
business, culture and advanced infrastructure today. We are truly pleased for
this successful collaboration with ITU that allows us to share the Singapore
model with developing countries and facilitate their efforts in harnessing ICT
for economic and social growth. We look forward to conducting more of such
sessions."
During their stay, participants
will get first-hand experience
with Singapore’s recent ICT initiatives, such as Wireless@SG.
Wireless@SG is the Singapore Government's wireless broadband programme that
aims to extend broadband access to all public places. Since its launch in
December 2006, the Wireless@SG network has 3'400 hot spots spread across the
island and 428'000 subscribers. It is part of the Next Generation National
Infocomm Infrastructure that Singapore is building, which is expected to be
completed by 2012 and will also comprise an ultra high-speed wired network.
ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication
technology issues, and the global focal point for governments and the private
sector in developing networks and services. For more than 140 years, ITU has
coordinated the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoted international
cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, worked to improve telecommunication
infrastructure in the developing world, and established the worldwide standards
that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems.
ITU also organizes worldwide and regional exhibitions and forums bringing
together the most influential representatives of government and the
telecommunications industry to exchange ideas, knowledge and technology for the
benefit of the global community, and in particular the developing world.
From broadband internet to latest-generation wireless technologies, from
aeronautical and maritime navigation to radio astronomy and satellite-based
meteorology, from phone and fax services to TV broadcasting and next-generation
networks, ITU continues to play a central role in helping the world communicate.
www.itu.int.
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) is committed to growing
Singapore into a dynamic global infocomm hub. IDA uses an integrated approach to
developing infocommunications in Singapore. This involves nurturing a
competitive telecoms market as well as a conducive business environment with
programmes and schemes for both local and international companies. For more news
and information, visit
www.ida.gov.sg.
The e-Government Leadership Centre was set up in August 2006 as a partnership
of three key institutions in Singapore: IDA, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public
Policy, and the Institute of Systems Science. It is an educational centre set up
to provide executive development programmes to train leaders responsible for
driving e-Government initiatives in their respective countries. Url:
www.egl.sg
For ITU
Dr KIM Eun-Ju
ITU Regional Office (Bangkok)
Tel: +662 574 85 65/85 72/93 26
Fax : +662 574 93 28
Email:
aspregion@itu.int
For IDA Singapore
Mr Ho Ka Wei
Manager, Corporate & Marketing Communication
Tel: 6211 0273
Fax : 6211 2227
Email:
ho_ka_wei@ida.gov.sg
Ms Ho Hwei Ling
Assistant Director, Corporate & Marketing Communication
Tel: 6211 1996
Fax : 6211 2227
Email:
ho_hwei_ling@ida.gov.sg
Related links:
About Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
About Singapore e-Government Leadership Centre
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