View from PI States

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View from PI States
ITU-T FORUM ON IMPLEMENTATION OF WTSA-08
DECISIONSAND WORKSHOP ON BRIDGING THE
STANDARDIZATION GAP (Nadi, Fiji, 16-17
September 2009)

• Joseph Kim,
• PANGTEL PAPUA NEW GUINEA

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Presentation

• Introduction
• What is Standardization Development Gap (SDG)?
• Why is SDG important for PNG?
• Impact of SDG on PNG
• ITU ICT standardization ladder
• Standards issuance process in PNG
• What can LDC do?
• Conclusion
• Way forward

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Introduction

• Standardization development gap exists in PNG and
  manifests itself in various forms
• Within the ICT/Telecommunication sector but more
  so in the other social economic sectors
• Challenges in ensuring compatibility,
  interoperability, and migration to newer/proven
  technologies

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WSIS (World Summit on Information Society)

• The WSIS has the challenge to harness the
  potential of ICT to promote MDGs
• Doha Action Plan of ITU-D (Resolution 52)
  e-strategies and ICT applications where
  developing countries are encouraged to use ICT
  based products, networks, services and
  applications to realize social economic benefits
  and improve quality of lifeultimately closing
  the digital divide

Still an issue for Papua New Guinea
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Why is it important?
Standards ensure connectivity and
interoperability of ICT technologies hence,
enabling service and content relevant to MDG
goals

ADB report March 2003, notes that PNG lags in
achieving most of the MDGs
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What is the Standardization Development Gap?

• The Standardization Development Gap may be
  defined as disparities in the ability of
  representatives of developing countries, relative
  to developing ones, to access, implement,
  contribute to and influence international ICT
  standards, specifically ITU recommendations
  (ITU-T). Moreover, the standardization
  development gap is both a cause and a
  manifestation on the wider digital divide within
  jurisdictions owing to geographic and demographic
  challenges. But internationally the digital
  divide is expressed in terms of the gaps in
  levels of ICT access among countries at their
  respective stages of economic and social
  development.

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ICT industry in PNG
Long distance
international
Local
GreenCom
Mobile
Internet
3ABN
Kundu TV
TV BC
Unlicensed VSATs
MMDS
RADIO
CATV
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Standard development process in PNG
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Why is standardization important for PNG?

• SDG is a factor in unequal access to technology
  in PNG
• sustains digital divide issues in PNG
• Denies the opportunity to develop skills for the
  technology
• Chronic shortage of bandwidth

• Suppress demand/desire for newer/proven broadband
  technologies
• Denies technology and skills transfer to industry
  and technical regulator and
• Ease of migration from legacy to newer/proven
  technologies

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Why is standardization important for PNG?

• Help develop ICT as a sector
• ICT as an enabler to social and economic sector
  development strategies
• Globalization challenges and opportunities
  (skills empowerment)
• Climate change challenges and opportunities and
• others

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ICT standardization ladder

• Where to start?
• Needs clearly sound management, properly trained
  and motivated representatives even in a LDC like
  PNG
• Not necessary to cover all rungs, for the case of
  ICT end user like PNG
• Awareness on the convenience of TIES account is
  vital

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What to do?

• Build and strengthen national capacity on
  standards
• Strengthen collaboration between ministry,
  regulatory, standards body, industry, academia
• Participate in regional program such as ASTAP

• Have a voice in ASTAP and form alliances to get
  support on your countrys special needs
• Attend ASTAP preparatory meetings to bring issues
  to the WTSA
• Remember PI is important to manufacturers who
  sell their products, stand up for your rights

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Impacts of SDG on Papua New Guinea

• Lack of enjoyment of a wider range of ICT
  services
• Sustainability issues
• Can not fulfill MDG
• Impede social economic development

• Food security issues
• Crime rate (CCTV)
• Low health levels
• Numeracy literacy improvement
• Denial of access to information

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Conclusion

• SDG remains an issue for PNG but she has to help
  herself before she can be helped
• Strengthened domestic institutions
• Promote use of TIES to access ITU
  Recommendations

• Active participation in APT activities
• Bring issues to APT preparatory meetings and
  lobby support from colleague members

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Way forward for Papua New Guinea

• Act now and do not delay
• Build necessary clear legislative goals that are
  supported by coherent policy
• Build domestic alliances partnerships

• Identify issues and/or potential agenda in
  advance
• No country is too small to bring issues to
  APT/WTSA/ITU
• PARTICIPATE AND SPEAK OUT!

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Thank you

• jkim_at_pangtel.gov.pg