ESCAP Summary of Country Submissions-edited...• PPP model for financing AP-IS – ... • Further...
Transcript of ESCAP Summary of Country Submissions-edited...• PPP model for financing AP-IS – ... • Further...
Summary of Country
Submissions
First Session of the Asia-Pacific Information
Superhighway Steering Committee, 1-2
November 2017, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
For full information of each country’s submission, refer to the meeting’s
website: http://www.unescap.org/events/first-session-asia-pacific-
information-superhighway-ap-steering-committee
AP-IS Initiative
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Identification, coordination, deployment, expansion and
integration of the regional backbone network
Establish a sufficient number of IXPs at the national and sub-
regional levels and set out common principles on Internet
traffic exchange
Regional social and economic studies
Enhancing ICT infrastructure resilience
Policy and regulations for leveraging existing infrastructure,
technology and inclusive broadband initiatives
Capacity-building
AP-IS funding mechanism based on public-private
partnerships
Strategic Initiatives 2016-2018
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Country Challenges (Focus Area) Opportunities for
Collaboration/Proposed Actions
Afghanistan • Land locked countries and
broadband expansion
• Connecting land locked countries in
our region through a terrestrial
regional network will reduce OPEX
and improve affordability. • How to deal with the
affordability challenges
• Policy and regulation
• Developing a regional OFC (optical
fiber cable) network • Funding
• How to deal with ‘right of way’
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Country Challenges (Focus Area) Opportunities for
Collaboration/Proposed Actions
Armenia • National and subnational
content development.
• Establish group of DC over the AP-IS
and IX in Armenia for enabling shortest
route to EU through Iran-Armenia-
Georgia-Sofia;
• Discover and approve mechanisms for
preferential access to the existing
terrestrial cable infrastructures in
“intermediate” countries on behalf of
AP-IS project implementation;
• Discover and introduce financing
mechanisms for regional and national
carriers if considering capacity upgrade
on behalf of AP-IS.
• PPP model for financing AP-IS –
consider mechanisms of facilitation of
private investment on national and
subregional level.
• Traffic Exchange and content
management infrastructure.
• Transnational regulation,
applicable on subnational level
• PPP model for financing of
AP-IS
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Country Challenges (Focus Area) Opportunities for
Collaboration/Proposed Actions
Bhutan Limited Domestic Fiber Optic
Network Redundancy
[AP-IS Pillar 1, 3]
Bhutan's IXP will be instituted by
November of this year. An initiative of
the stakeholders with DITT
spearheading it
Absence of Content Distribution
Networks in the region. The lack of
presence of major CDNs in the region
makes it necessary for Bhutanese ISPs to
establish POPs in distant countries like
Singapore and the UK. The presence of
CDNs in the region would help bring
down the cost of connectivity for
countries like Bhutan.
Limited International Internet
Redundancy
[APIS Pillar 1, 2, 3, 4]
Limited CDN (content distribution
network) in the Region
[AP-IS Pillar 2]
Providing affordable broadband
connectivity to all citizens
[AP-IS Pillar 1, 4]
Limited Last Mile Connectivity
[AP-IS Pillar 1, 4]
High Cost for International
Internet Bandwidth
[APIS Pillar 1, 2]
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Country Challenges (Focus Areas)
Fiji • The influx of a sudden explosion
of broadband services at
affordable prices has seen more
people using online services but
without the basic knowledge of
online threats
• Main challenge of connectivity between
the maritime islands and thus limiting
last mile connectivity to end users
• Maintaining Telecommunications
regulatory authorities for
effective regulation of ICT
services, licencing models,
standards, etc
• Existing infrastructure eg) Fibre cable
connections around the country which
becomes an issue for service expansion
to the rural areas and islands
• Establishing IXP has been seen as
a cost effective and beneficial
move for both ISPs and
consumers. Reduction in IP
transit costs, traffic routes has
largely improved the whole
experience.
• Cost to build new infrastructure is seen as
quite a considerable cost for service
providers hence the expansion of some
services is more focused on the major
areas where there's more return .
• A lot of capacity building
initiatives are required for the
growing ICT regulatory
authorities and policy makers
together with the right tools to
• Limited connectivity and bandwidth is
seen as a barrier for introducing new
technologies and services and quality of
service eg) IP/Mobile TV, e-applications,
digital learning
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Country Challenges (Focus Areas)
Fiji • Recent damages to national infrastructure has caused millions of dollars in
losses. Building into resiliency is key especially for ICT infrastructure linking
outer islands for example. Further building onto disaster recovery and business
continuity planning and mechanisms for ICT services.
• Developing Digital policies to counter threats which are evolving everyday
from online usage and building on an effective awareness campaign for end
users who don’t quite understand the risks and threats involved.
• Backhaul capacity will be improved. Less reliance on fixed microwave usage.
Fiber cables for example will bring more bandwidth for consumers and
reduction in operational costs for service providers.
Country Opportunities Proposed Actions
Fiji • Look into universal service
obligation to expand into areas
and USO classified zones and
getting basic services to such areas
• Creating platforms for e-applications
through infrastructure investments and
upgrades eg. Fire cable infrastructure, etc
• Service creation and building on
business cases to create more
demand for broadband data which
would drive more businesses, ICT
applications, e-commerce services,
digital finances, etc
• More regulation into the wholesale and
retail cost models for ICT services with the
aim to reduce costs for end users. This will
benefit consumers.
• An opportunity to expand into e-
services, getting basic services
made available online.
• Providing subsidies and grants to service
providers for expansion of ICT services to
rural and under-served areas.
• Collaborating with other
neighboring countries in the
Pacific to work in partnering
towards a common aim to build
into service expansion projects
eg. Submarine cable projects,
volume procurement of
equipment and capacity, etc
• Enabling polices to enhance
Telecommunications infrastructure and
modern services and positioning Fiji as
the ICT hub of the Pacific region.
Country Challenges (Focus Areas)
Georgia • Develop domestic fixed
broadband infrastructure
[AP-IS Pillar 4 ]
• Further development of next
generation wireless broadband
networks and services
[AP-IS Pillar 1]
• Develop open neutral Internet
exchange points for the
domestic and international
traffic exchange
[AP-IS Pillar 2]
• Use Addition frequencies (Digital
dividend) in 700 MHz for the next
generation wireless broadband
services
[AP-IS Pillar 1]
• Transitions in to the Internet
Protocol version 6
[AP-IS Pillar 3]
• Develop Digital Connectivity
between Europe and Asia through
Georgia as the shortest transit link
[AP-IS Pillar 1]
• Develop digital trade and different
electronic services
[AP-IS Pillar 1]
• Update national policies and
regulations on infrastructure
sharing
[AP-IS Pillar 4]
Country Opportunities for Collaboration/Proposed Actions
Georgia Georgia express readiness to collaborate with Asia-Pacific, European
countries and with international organizations in order to achieve above-
mentioned priority challenges.
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Country Challenges (Focus Areas)
Bangladesh • Lack of effective and adequate content availability
• Slow advancement of IT literacy and education at secondary and tertiary
level
• Reaching rural or remote areas with broadband network where business
prospective is not present [BTRC]
• Limited Broadband connection and slow speed of internet bandwidth in
the rural areas.
• Lack of online security.
• Storage capacity limitation of big data. [BSCCL]
• Difficult to deploy underground Optical Fibre for metro network.
• Lack of skilled technical manpower. [PGCB]
• Fiber/Cable Cut : Concerned authorities should notifiy BTCL during road
construction. [BTCL]
• Lack of viable business Case in terms of prospective users for broadband
internet service outside Dhaka for developing local ISP services
• Lack of localized content
• Coordination between different stakeholders under different ministry
with priorities
• Policy support for service process simplification for creating e-service.
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Country Challenges (Focus Areas)
Bangladesh • Capacity building, ICT infrastructure and security in field level offices for e-
service deployment, implementation and delivery.
• Use of advanced computing and trending technologies such as Artificial
Intelligence, Big data, IoT, Cloud computing, computer vision, robotics and
drone for rural and national development in various sectors, climate
change adaptation, disaster management and national decision making.
[DoICT]
• Installation of utility duct along all networks. [RTHD]
• Optical fiber network deployment at Cross-border areas & integration
with the regional backbone network including passive infra network.
• Superhighway building period, the domestic network may require
relocate/rebuild due to road expansion. No compensation is given for any
relocate/rebuild activities.
• Internet exchange point establishment at national & sub regional levels.
• Lack of Regulations and policy frameworks for ICT.
• Inter Govt. agencies have lack of coordination, which is impacting the
permission process of ICT infrastructure build.
• Power sector is considered as high focused area from Govt. side, same
level of focus should be given to ICT sector.
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Country Challenges (Focus Areas)
Bangladesh • In ICT sector, there is no proper price regulation & quality of service.
Outcome is low cost with compromised quality. On the other hand, high
cost with high quality, which is not affordable for generalized people.
• International internet market is dominated by few major purchasers, who
consume 2/3 of the bandwidth. [Summit]
• Policy Formation for engaging private organization
• Utilization of existing network
• Non-NTTN operators are doing Telecommunication Transmission business
in Bangladesh
• Optical fiber core Leasing Business
• Pricing issue
• Creating Awareness
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Country Proposed Actions
Bangladesh • Development of sector-specific content with sub-regional cooperation.
• Prioritizing the content deployment in native language with regional
cooperation
• Promoting job-oriented ICT learning from secondary level.
• Synchronizing wireless broadband with fiber network to reach the
remote areas for cost effectiveness and wide-coverage [BTRC]
• More Investment on the infrastructure to reach the suburb people of the
country.
• Providing IT based training to the mass people. [BSCCL]
• Establishment of colocation facility and express network for IIG, NIX, BWA,
ISP’s in outside Dhaka free for some certain periods for providing internet
services to remote areas in less costs. It will create business case.
• CDN facility in all the POI for efficient bandwidth utilization and future
preparedness for trending video based content demand and delivery.
• Establishment of free WiFi hotspots in remote areas for providing access
to underserved and free public services and content delivery.
• Connection in all educational institutes, community clinic and union level
offices with fibre optic connectivity.
• Deployment of digital repository and distribution platform for public
distribution of digital contents.
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Country Proposed Actions
Bangladesh • Support and promote service process simplification in government
services with policy, fund and knowledge.
• Establishment of national Advanced computing centre and deployment of
necessary. infrastructure in collaboration to universities for research,
promotion and expanding use of trending technologies and advanced
computing for national use.
• Provide training and IT support in field level service providing employees.
• Establishment of Enterprise network in field level offices.
• Establishment of IT operation and support centre in every upazilla.
• Comprehensive effort to establish and develop content and digital media
industry with all necessary supports and commitment. Investment for
more localised content development.
• Establishment of Digital literacy centre with connected remote education
centres in all the upazilla’s in all over the country.
• Establishment of computer labs in rural educational institutes and teacher
capacity building.
• Transform coastal islands into digital islands with policy support, fund,
connectivity, technology, capacity building, e-service, analytics, IOT and
AI. [DoICT]
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Country Proposed Actions
Bangladesh • Shall make a Master Plan for Regional Connectivity.
• Manpower/ Expertise can be exchanged within Asia Pacific Regional
Countries. [PGCB]
• ICT sector should be recognized as power sector enjoying customs duty
waive, Tax waive for importing goods and providing services.
• Fund needs to be allocated for building the ICT infrastructure. It can be a
project financing/ special purpose vehicle model, Consortium model,
Management contract/ build-operate-transfer, Donor financing etc.
Proper & immediate financing mechanism can accelerate the ICT
infrastructure implementation and development. Govt also need to
encourage private/ local business entities through low interest funding
and Tax waiver.
• Local investors should get privilege for building the ICT infrastructure in
regional, sub regional & national level.
• Inter-governmental/ ministries support (Administrative & financial) is
required to relocate/ rebuild ICT infrastructure due to road expansion for
superhighway. Necessary compensation should be provided.
• Internet bandwidth export Regulations and policy frameworks required to
export internet bandwidth immediately in neighbour countries where
demand exists.
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Country Proposed Actions
Bangladesh • For ICT infrastructure building purpose, relevant ministries support is
required for waiving road cutting compensation for underground works,
all type of bridge crossing, using Electric pole etc.
• To ensure secured and more network availability, alternative path of
upstream is required in additional routes.
• To reduce the import cost (Volume discount) of bandwidth, a forum (IIG)
can be introduced to avail bulk volume discount from carrier provider.
• To reduce the internet capacity utilization and performance
enhancement, common caching & private peering facilities needs to be
ensured.
• The co-location charge of international IX (Internet Exchange) need to be
reduced for developing countries like Bangladesh.
• Tier-1 ISPs should provide IP routing through their lowest and best path to
ensure quality. [Summit]
• Exchange of views with the appropriate stakeholders financial and
technical support from ESCAP [RTHD]
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Country Challenges (Focus Areas) Opportunities for
Collaboration/Proposed Actions
Lao PDR • Land locked country - need cross
border connection to international
bandwidth.
• To build data centre to provide services
for public and private sectors (such as
web hosting, co-location, virtual machine,
cloud, etc) to boost local contents and
bring foreign contents closer to make the
internet cheaper, provide variety of
contents for user to learn, work and
conduct business.
• The development of local contents
remain a challenge.
• Human capital development on ICT
related technology and its application
• Lack of ICT skill, therefore there is
still digital gap in ICT know how
• Encourage more investment (PPP) at the
underserve areas and infrastructure
sharing to enable people nation wide can
access to services in affordable price and
good quality.
• Several regulations need to be
improved to accommodate the
fast changing technology
• One of Lao PDR’s priority is on ICT human
resource development. We welcome
support and opportunity of cooperation
with ESCAP/ITU in technical capacity
building areas under the 4 Pillars of AP-
IS. 18
Country Challenges (Focus Areas) Opportunities for
Collaboration/Proposed Actions
Viet Nam • Large scale ICT infrastructure
Investment
• Experience about cyber
security management
• Lack of regulation for public-
private partnerships in ICT
area under Strategy Initiative 7
• Most of the terminals
manufactured before 2013,
therefor do not support new
generation standard like 4G
under Pillar 4
• Connectivity ICT Infrastructure
under Pillar 1
• Increase connectivity capacity at
national level
• Increase capacity about cyber
security management and building
regulation for PPP
• Collaborate with nations/global
stakeholder to developing broadband
infrastructure
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Country Challenges (Focus Areas) Opportunities for
Collaboration/Proposed Actions
Kiribati • Limited technical capacity on
developing cyber security
regulation.
• Lack of infrastructure to
support roll out of mobile and
internet services on all outer
islands (rural area).
• Limited internet
capacity/speed to the majority
of the population
• Limited Staff Capacity
• Inefficiency in public service
delivery
• Lack of Government
Datacentre
• Improving Government
network on the Capital city
• Increase mobile subscription
• Increase of internet penetration
(access to internet)
• Enhance national gateway bandwidth
capacity
• Increase number of islands with
access to submarine cable bandwidth
• Increase number of Government
Ministries and Offices connected to
Government Wide Area Network
• Increase number of online services
available to public
• Backup Communication System for
Disaster Recovery
• Improve telecommunication
infrastructure and connectivity on all
outer islands
• Improve internet capacity/speed to the
majority of the population
• Improve accountability, transparency and
efficiency in public service delivery
through the use of ICT 20
Country Challenges (Focus Areas) Opportunities for
Collaboration/Proposed Actions
Papua New
Guinea
Papua New Guinea has in 2015
pass a law on the Cyber Crime.
• Implement the law entrusted
to carry out the task such as:
the Police prosecution and the
Court System to understand the
background of cyber crime.
• As for Cyber security, the
agency entrusted need to step
up to protect the users and
the network from abusers
• National IXP has been installed for
effective management of national
Websites and ISP and also to screen illicit
activities.
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Country Challenges (Focus Areas) Opportunities for
Collaboration/Proposed Actions
Vanuatu • Priority is to introduce e-services
to the citizens of Vanuatu for
Agriculture, Education, Health,
Tourism, Finance, Weather,
Disaster and others.
• Cyber security Centre
• E-Government;
• Connect 2nd submarine cable
• A Bill for Cybercrime is currently
being consulted for approval by
Parliament in Q1, 2018
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Country Challenges (Focus Areas) Opportunities for
Collaboration/Proposed Actions
Tonga • High Cost for International
Internet Bandwidth
• Providing affordable
broadband connectivity to all
citizens
• Lack of ICT skill, therefore
slow implementation of
online services for citizens
and businesses.
• Limited technical capacity on
developing cyber security
strategy.
• Slow Digital Transformation
in Government and
Businesses
• Coordinate the possibility of inviting
major content plays to invest in
establishing of a content
distribution network (CDN ) services
to be local.
• Increase utilization of our
international Fibre connection with
promoting new innovative and
online services
• Build a strong cybersecurity strategy
to provide more assurance of
security to the investors and
stakeholders.
• Establish a local IXP to help drive
the internet cost down
• Improve local telecommunication
infrastructure
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Country Challenges (Focus Areas) Opportunities for
Collaboration/Proposed Actions
Samoa • Focus on cyber security
resilience and setup of CERT.
Very limited capacity in
technical knowledge as well
as tools to assess if existing
infrastructure can support a
CERT setup.
• Extend the fibre
infrastructure around the
country and get telcoms to
share existing fibre network
with each other.
• Look at ways to allow private
users to connect to
government SNBH network
to provide connectivity and in
return allows government to
get revenue from them.
• Make use of the local IXP
infrastructure in place
• Australia has indicated funds of over
AUD14 million for cyber security that
we can tap into for technical
assistance. PACSON is also well
underway.
• Encourage more regional
cooperation in cyber space as most
of our conditions and issues are the
same and its not usually just a matter
of scale
• Create and enabling environment
and build the right infrastructure to
entice the big players like Google,
Amazon to come to the pacific.
• Revisit telecom regulatory oversight
and processes to ensure that it
allows for businesses and
entrepreneurs to thrive and not be
the stumbling block.
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Country Challenges (Focus Areas) Opportunities for
Collaboration/Proposed Actions
Sri Lanka • Adoption - Promoting the use
of Public Wi- Fi by the
citizens by introducing
contents, applications and
eServices. ICTA has
introduced 50+ eServices and
other programs such as:
i. eSamurdhi – welfare
management
ii. State Land Information
System
iii. Cross-Government Digital
Documentation
iv. ePensions
v. SMART Digital Classroom 6.
eHealth Hospital
Management etc
• All these leads to: Providing
affordable broadband connectivity to
all citizens
To make this project be successful
Educational content for school children
is needed such as:
i. more content,
ii. applications and
iii. eServices developed
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Country Opportunities Opportunities for
Collaboration/Proposed Actions
Sri Lanka • Creating content with local
language and also more
eServices to attract the
citizen use LGN
• Island wide roll out of projects listed
above; Funding and procedural
bottlenecks a constraint
• Finding ways to increase
Public Wi-Fi data quota
provided to the citizens.
Currently telcoms are
providing this service free of
charge and they would not
increase the data quota for
free
• Opportunities for start ups • Ensure wider adoption by awareness
building among stakeholders.
• Empowering society,
particularly SMEs, housewives,
marginalized