APT Initiatives on Regulatory Capacity Building

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APT Initiatives on Regulatory Capacity Building

• Presented by
• R.B.Kumarapathirana
• Director Project Development
• Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT)
• E-mail kuma_at_aptsec.org

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Asia-Pacific Telecommunity

• ASIA PACIFIC TELECOMMUNITY (APT) PROMOTES
• AND FACILITATES THE DEVELOPMENT OF
• TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION
• AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
• IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION.
• APT ENJOYS THE REPUTATION OF BEING THE
• LEADING REGIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS
• ORGANIZATION AND IMPLEMENTS SEVERAL
• PROGRAMS ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND
• INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
• TECHNOLOGY IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION.

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Membership

• MEMBERSHIP IN THE APT IS OPEN TO ANY STATE
  WITHIN THE REGION WHICH IS A MEMBER OF THE UNITED
  NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA
  AND THE PACIFIC (ESCAP)
• ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP IN THE APT IS OPEN TO
  ANY TERRITORY, PART OR GROUP OF TERRITORIES
  WITHIN THE REGION WHICH IS AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF
  THE ESCAP
• AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIP OF THE APT IS OPEN TO
  ANY ENTERPRISE, AGENCY, INSTITUTE, ORGANISATION,
  ASSOCIATION OR OTHER UNDERTAKING, ENTITY OR
  PARTICIPANT, WHETHER PRIVATE OR GOVERNMENT OWNED,
  COMMERCIAL OR NOT-FOR-PROFIT, ACTIVE IN
  TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES OR INFORMATION
  INFRASTRUCTURE WITH A SUBSTANTIAL PRESENCE IN,
  AND COMMITMENT TO THE REGION.

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Membership

• MEMBERS 33
• ASSOCIATE MEMBERS 4
• AFFILIATE MEMBERS 102

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Role of Asia-Pacific Telecommunity

• FOSTER THE DEVELOPMENT OF ICT INFRASTRUCTURE,
  APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES FOR THE WELFARE OF THE
  PEOPLE
• ASSIST MEMBER COUNTRIES IN BRIDGING THE DIGITAL
  DIVIDE
• DEVELOP REGIONAL COOPERATION IN AREAS OF COMMON
  INTERESTS
• PROMOTE COOPERATION IN CAPACITY BUILDING AND
  TECHNOLOGY IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

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Main Programs

• HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT(HRD)
• APT CONFERENCE PREPARATORY GROUP FOR WRC (APG)
• APT WIRELESS FORUM (AWF)
• APT STANDARDIZATION PROGRAM (ASTAP)
• STUDY GROUPS (SG)
• APT TELECOM ICT DEVELOPMENT FORUM(ADF)
• ASIA PACIFIC POLICY AND REGULATORY FORUM (PRF)

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WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, SYMPOSIUMS, FORUMS,
MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES ARISING OUT OF THE MAIN
PROGRAMS AND PROPOSED BY MEMBERS
Other Programs
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Key Regulatory Issues

• LICENSING
• SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT
• QoS
• CONSUMER PROTECTION
• INTERCONNECTION
• TARIFF REBALANCING
• USA/USO
• NUMBERING
• NUMBER PORTABILITY
• ACCESS TO BROADBAND

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• Behaviour of Incumbent Operators

• Control of Essential Facilities
• Use of market power
• Monopolising established National
• Networks
• Control over Network Standards and
• Development
• Cross-subsidies
• Inertia to change
• Late to adopt new technologies

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• Need to Regulate Multi-Operator Environment

• License new competitors and existing operators
  to
• attract investment.
• Ensure proper Interconnection of networks and
• services to resolve the related disputes in
• order to provide an uninterrupted service.
• Prevent incumbent operators from abusing their
• dominant position.
• Prevent dominant operators from charging
• excessive prices.
• Prevent anticompetitive practices
• To ensure that universality objectives are
  achieved
• in a competitive environment.

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• Role of APT Towards Multi-Operator Environment

• Asia Pacific Forum on Telecommunications
• Policy and Regulation organized by APT
• every year.
• Focus on key regulatory issues within the
• Multi-operator environment under SATRC
• APT Study Groups on Policy and Regulation
• covering the Multi-Operator scenario
• Regulatory liaison Group under ASTAP

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• Role of APT Towards Multi-Operator Environment
  (Contd)

• Studies on Interconnection Models
• Expert missions on Interconnection and
• Licensing
• Working Groups on Interconnection,
• Licensing and Convergence
• Study visits
• WTO Doha Round Trade in Telecom
• Regulatory Capacity Building Workshops
• for the Pacific

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Consumer Protection
Consumer Protection involves a set of laws,
regulations and practices that protect consumers
against fraud, malpractices, help ensure the
respect of a nations economic interests, and
educate them about their rights, risks and
responsibilities when they engage in a variety of
transactions and ensure them a service that is
worth their money.
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Common Consumer Complaints

• SALES
• Misleading sale practises
• Promises not honoured
• High pressure tactics by agents and customer
  service representative
• Withheld essential information from customers
• BILLING
• Unauthorized Charges/Switch
• Charges after disconnection
• Lack of Notice
• Unilaterally changed rates and terms during a
  contract

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Common Consumer Complaints (Contd)

• SERVICE QUALITY
• Service doesnt work
• Unreliable
• Unresponsive customer service
• TERMINATION
• Unjustified
• No notice of impending termination
• Refusal to terminate service after requested by
  customer
• Refusal to transfer service to competitor
• Security deposit overcharges

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Consumers Needing Protection

• People in the higher age group having
• fixed income who will use phones only in
• emergency and not likely to buy enhanced
• services.
• People with Disabilities.
• People living in the remote areas with less
• affordability
• Less income generating areas

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Role of APT in Consumer Protection

• Discussed as one of the key Issues in the
• Telecom Policy and Regulatory Forum.
• Consultative Group on Regulation
• Regional Consultation Papers and Opinion
• Documents

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Tariff Rebalancing

• Long history of Cross-Subsidized pricing
• Low prices set for monthly rentals and local
• calls
• Higher than actual cost set for Long
• Distance and International Call charges
• Incumbent operators will run a risk of
• reducing subsidies as new operators enter
• the Long Distance and International
• Markets.

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Present Scenario in Telecom Sector

• Introduced Competition
• Privatised State Owned operators
• Regulation
• Technology
• Losing revenues
• Equipment cost
• IP Services

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Objectives of Ideal Tariff Policy

• Encourage New Entrants
• Encourage Optimum Use of Facilities
• Tariff Should be Related to cost
• Generate sufficient Revenue for the
• Investors
• Assist in economic growth
• Have Social Considerations

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Role of APT in Tariff Rebalancing

• SATRC Working Group on Tariff Rebalancing.
• Recommendations and Regional Action
• Plan covering Tariff-Rebalancing and
• other key regulatory issues.
• Development of a APT Consultation Paper on
  
• Asymmetrical Call charging within the SATRC
• members.

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Outcome of the PRF 2005

• Election of Chairman and 4 Vice Chairpersons
• Future direction
• Number portability
• Security and Spam
• Dispute resolution
• Interconnection
• VoIP
• Technology for Rural Services
• Legislative Frameworks

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HRD Activities Towards Regulatory Capacity
Building

• TRAINING ON TYPE APPROVAL PROCEDURES ON
  TELECOMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT
• TRAINING ON SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT
• TRAINING ON CRM
• TRAINING ON TELECOM REGULATION
• EXPERT MISSIONS
• STUDY VISITS

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Outcome of the APT-PITA Meeting for the Pacific
2005 on Spam and Security

• The issues surrounding Spam and security require
• International, regional, sub-regional Country
  to country cooperation
• Cooperation at Ministry, industry, regulatory,
  operational standards development levels
• Initiatives undertaken in each country need to
  be shared openly and discussed
• ISP to ISP cooperation essential including ISPs
  in other Pacific nations

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Activities Proposed For 2006

• Asia Pacific Forum on Telecommunications Policy
  and Regulation (Macao)
• Workshop on Telecommunications Trade Rules
  Regulatory Disciplines for Asia Pacific countries
  (Thailand)
• Policy and Regulation meeting for Pacific (Papua
  New Guinea)
• Workshop on Policy including USO/USF for Greater
  Mekong Sub-Region (GMS)
• Workshop on Regulatory Capacity Building (India)

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THANK YOU