Panel Session at Doha followed by an interview


Posted on December 23, 2014  /  1 Comments

I moderated a panel session on “Affordable International Backhaul” at ITU’s annual event in Doha on December 8, 2014. Success of a moderator solely depends on the panel members’ participation. I am truly indebted to all of them.

Doug Madory, Director of Internet Analysis, Dyn Research, pointed out, from a purely technical perspective, when it comes to creating an ICT hub, there is little difference whether a country is landlocked or on the coast.

“It is wishful thinking to design developmental projects without the regulatory framework and basic best practices which enable investment in the sector, “ said Khaled Naguib Sedrak, CEO and Founder, NxtVn.

Zaur A. Hasanov, Director, Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway Project, said “Hubs go beyond the internet to roads, trains and container shipping. If you look at a map of how things move, everything moves through the same 20 hubs around the world – whether it’s a container or a data packet, the contingency factor is the same.”

Steve Collar, Chief Executive Officer, O3b Networks said, “Getting the end user on line, starting to generate economic activity, wealth and economic independence depends on a coherent approach relying on technological advancements and regulatory framework supporting an open market,”

Siddhartha Raja, Policy Specialist, at the World Bank, stressed that the approach to open access should be different in each country, dependent on the current nature of each market and ensuring that the incentive for investment is not diminished.

Summary of my session is here followed by a brief interview with ITU TV (YouTube?) channel.

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