Some people celebrate 25 years of anything: dead marriages, inert regional groupings, just occupying space.
We don’t. SAARC must be assessed by its fruits. On internal connectivity it fails. Here’s the evidence, carried in op-ed articles in Bangladesh’s Daily Star, Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror and also in a PTI dispatch:
It is always easier to do things within one’s own country than outside, or at least it should be. One does not need a passport or a visa to travel inside one’s country, but those formalities are required when one ventures out. Telephone calls within one’s own country are cheaper than to foreign countries. The same logic can be extended to a regional grouping such as SAARC which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
If none of these conditions are satisfied, one has to conclude that the regional grouping is not real; that it has been more an opportunity for mutual ego-stroking for the region’s leaders, than something yielding tangible benefits to South Asia’s people; that there is little to celebrate after 25 years.
Given the reality of cross-border terrorism and paranoid security policies, it will be some time before lines outside SAARC-country consular offices disappear. But cheaper telecom connectivity within SAARC is eminently achievable.
The PTI story, carried in MSN India starts thus:
Low and uniform telecom tariffs across SAARC nations will help improve trade relations between member countries, as well as bolster regional cooperation, says a study.
“The government must, through telecom operators, provide low and uniform telecom tariff across SAARC nations. As of now one is spending 64 times more if using the roaming phone within the SAARC nations,” Sri Lanka-based non-profit research organisation LIRNEasia said in a report on Information and Communication Technologies and Services Trade within the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
3 Comments
Niranjana V. Raveendranath
Dear Prof. Samarajiva,
What is your opinion about the TRCSL’s new broadband QoS monitoring program and its directive to the operators recently?
Rohan Samarajiva
This is not the right thread for this topic. Please see new post.
Niranjana V. Raveendranath
Prof. Samarajiva,
Thanks.
LIRNEasia is hiring: Senior Researcher
LIRNEasia is looking for an experienced individual to fill the position of Senior Researcher. The full job description is available here.
LIRNEasia at IGF Sri Lanka 2024: Bridging the digital divide
The Internet Governance Forum Sri Lanka (IGF Sri Lanka) 2024 took place in Colombo in December 2024, marking a significant step in Sri Lanka’s journey toward inclusive and collaborative Internet governance. Hosted by the Lanka School of Internet Governance (LKSIG), this two-day event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, civil society, academics, and the technical community to discuss critical aspects of Internet policy, accessibility, and governance.
2025 – Wishing a year of impact!
In 2024, we proudly celebrated 20 years of impactful work— advancing research, catalyzing policy change, and improving lives across Asia and the Pacific through innovative solutions and technology. Our journey continues as we embrace new challenges and opportunities to create even greater impact.
Links
User Login
Themes
Social
Twitter
Facebook
RSS Feed
Contact
12, Balcombe Place, Colombo 08
Sri Lanka
+94 (0)11 267 1160
+94 (0)11 267 5212
info [at] lirneasia [dot] net
Copyright © 2025 LIRNEasia
a regional ICT policy and regulation think tank active across the Asia Pacific