By Delly Waigeno – EMTV News, Port Moresby
A three-day forum has brought together over 100 telecommunication and ICT policy makers and regulators from the Pacific region to discuss the issues they face.
Some of these challenges include international connectivity for the Pacific, high mobile roaming charges and cybercrime and Internet policy.
Minister responsible, Jimmy Miringtoro, said many of the issues relate to our governments’ policy objectives.
It’s the first time PNG has hosted the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Policy and Regulation Forum For Pacific. The Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1979. PNG joined the APT in 1993.
The objective of this forum is to bring together the telecommunications and ICT policy makers and regulators from the Pacific region for a dialogue on issues faced by them.
APT Secretary General, Areewan Haorangsi, said the policy and regulatory issues faced by the Pacific are unique.
“As we are aware, the policy and regulatory issues faced by the Pacific are unique. This region requires its own platform to deal with issues including international connectivity for the Pacific islands, cyber security and internet policy, emergency communications and ICT for disaster risk reduction, and sharing infrastructure in the Pacific, to name a few,” Haorangsi said.
Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Jimmy Miringtoro, said PNG has embarked on a number of policies and projects that are aimed at addressing some of the issues that would be discussed in the forum. These are the Cybercrime Bill that is ready to be tabled in parliament, and the compulsory SIM card registration regulation.
“In the next few days, you will be discussing issues that directly relate to most of our governments’ policy objectives; to ensure that the ICT services are made available and accessible to our people at an affordable rate; those services meet a minimum quality standard; and that our people as well as the systems we deliver are protected against cyber threats. These are the bottom line issues,” Miringtoro said.
This ninth Policy and Regulation Forum for Pacific is being hosted by the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA) and supported by extra budgetary contributions from Australia and Japan.
The three-day forum, which began today, will conclude with a Way Forward for the Pacific on Thursday.
