Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July 2011 Regulators Challenges in ICT Standardization Process in Papua New Guinea Mr. Gibson Tito, PERS, National Information and Communications Technology Authority - NICTA ITU-T Workshop on Bridging the Standardization Gap and Interactive Training Session (Nadi, Fiji, 4 – 6 July 2011 )
Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July Outline of Presentation About Papua New Guinea Brief on NICT Act 2009 Reform ICT Institutional Arrangement The ICT Licensing Regime Observation and Development Issues ICT Standardization Challenges Way Forward – Opportunities Conclusion
Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July About Papua New Guinea General Statistics Population: 6.7 million (20% urban; 80% rural) Languages: Over 820 Land mass: 463,000 square km Rugged mountains and on mainland and isolated small islands
Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July About Papua New Guinea (Cont..) Current ICT Statistics Operators: Fixed – 1; Cellular Mobile – 2; CDMA Mobile - 1; ISP – 18 (Licenses issued) Fixed Lines70,000170,000 Internet Users 115,000127,500 Mobile Subs.60,0001,600,000
Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July Brief on National ICT Act 2009 Reform Objectives: Ensure that ICT industry contributes to the greatest extent possible to the long- term economic and social development of PNG (Constitutional National Goals) Regulatory principles: To achieve the objectives of the Act, the ICT industry in PNG should be regulated in a manner that recognizes, Effectiveness & Efficiency Regulatory measures
Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July ICT Institutional Arrangement BEFORE Dual regulatory regime – PANGTEL and ICCC Vertical, service and technology specific CURRENT (As of 29 Oct, 2010 – Succession Date) Converged regulator – converged sector and specific regulator NICTA responsible for all ex ante regulations on ICT industry in PNG
Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July The Licensing Regime Old Carrier Licensing Regime - PANGTEL Dual regulatory regime – PANGTEL and ICCC New ICT Operator Licensing Regime – NICTA Horizontal and technology neutral New ICT Radiocoomunications Licenses – NICTA Spectrum license, Apparatus license, Class license
Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July Observations and Development Issues National ICT regulation and licensing is becoming consistent with the current state of ICT: CONVERGENCE National ICT legislation that promotes the growth of ICT markets and industry in PNG Part XI of National ICT Act – Regulatory Instruments, Division 5,6,&7. Universal Access Scheme Emerging communications technologies
Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July ICT Standardization Challenges – Within Methodologies of adopting standards. Maintaining and updating standards/ document archive. Standard format for drafting of respective standards and codes Audits of technical standards Criteria & procedures for discontinuing legacy standards Migration path from legacy systems to newer technologies Developing technical codes and standards for emerging technologies. e.g., GPRS & 3G, IMT 2000, BGAN, HSDPA, etc…
Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July ICT Standardization Challenges – With Industry Untimely feedback/ comments from draft public consultation technical standard and code papers Sometimes lack of compliance to technical ICT standards Requires wider consultation and collaboration with ICT industry Needs adequate human capacity in standardization arena Strengthening of partnership with other National Standard agencies. E.g. NISIT Isolated framework for collaboration/ partnership with all sector of economy.
Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July ICT Standardization Challenges – International Robust engagement with vendors to obtain industry standards system. MRA preparation/requirement for phase 1 The build up of past events 2000 – APEC MRA office set up within PANGTEL – Ground work for PHASE 1 including collation and formulation of technical standards and TA specifications
Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July ICT Standardization Challenges – International (cont..) The build up of past events (cont..) 2005 – 2007 – Project became stagnant reason being; 1. Other higher priority regulatory functions eroded management will to pursue it further 2. There was no push from Industry where they could have benefitted from quicker transfer of Telecom technology 2008 – As a means to revive and pursue it again, it was adopted into the TAPG and received management endorsement but went stagnant again for same reason.
Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July Way Forward – Opportunities National ICT regulation and licensing is becoming consistent with the current state of ICT: CONVERGENCE Build human capacity to handle the dynamic ICT sector and standardization Collaboration and partnership between all stake holders (operators/service providers, customers, regulator) Participate in standards and other working group of ITU and Regional ICT Standardization Committee
Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July Conclusion NICTA needs to develop clear strategies, action plans and an implementation ICT Standardization framework to suit the new ICT Licencing Regime We are pleased to announce our official engagement with TTA on ICT Standardization Consultation & Collaboration Program for this year…
Nadi, Fiji, 4-6 July Questions???? Any Questions can be forwarded to Mr. George Alokaka and me VINAKA