ITU's 12th Annual Global Symposium for Regulators:

Pre- eminent global gathering of ICT community

Rasika Somarathna

The International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) 12th Annual Global Symposium for Regulators got off the ground in Colombo yesterday with the participation of over 500 high-level international delegates from Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy-making bodies around the world.

The Symposium was inaugurated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Colombo Hilton yesterday morning.Participants from over 120 countries will debate how to create the appropriate market conditions for the rapid proliferation of broadband networks across a range of different market types during the next three days under the theme 'Why Regulate in a Networked Society?' A host of other topics too will be discussed.

Organised by the ITU, the specialised agency of the UN for ICT's,the meeting is the pre- eminent global gathering of the ICT regulatory and policy-making community.

It intends 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 the President Rajapaksa.

Speaking on the occasion ITU Secretary General Dr.Hamdoun I Toure said the theme of this year's event, 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, health care, 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," Dr Touré said.

Secretary to the President and TRCSL Chairman Lalith Weeratunga said "This symposium brings together some of the stalwatrs in the global telecommunication industry. Among them are inventors, academics, key industry players such as CEO's of large Teleco's and regulators who handle very tough situation in their countries. It is their thoughts view points and deliberations that will keep the entire symposium alive".

He also said the symposium will discuss many topics related to the telecommunication and ICT sectors that will have a great impact on the telecommunications offered to the people in respective countries.

Through the Global Regulators-Industry Dialogue programme, 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.

The three-day GSR 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.

Last morning's sessions began 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 Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga in the debate, included the CEO of leading network security firm Kaspersky Lab Eugene Kaspersky, Magdalena Gaj, President of the Office of Electronic Communications, Poland, VP for Global Technology Policy at Cisco Systems Robert Pepper and President of the Post and Telecommunications Authority of Algeria Zohra Derdouri.

Ministers Keheliya Rambukwella, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Dr Sarath Amunugama, Tissa Vitharana, TRCSL Director-General Anusha Palpita, and top ITU officials Houlin Zhao (Deputy-Secretary-General) and Brahima Sanou (Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau), ambassodors and High Commissioners were among the distinguished gathering present at the inauguration.