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Book: ICT INFRASTRUCTURE IN EMERGING ASIA


ICT INFRASTRUCTURE IN EMERGING ASIA: Policy and Regulatory Roadblocks
Edited by Rohan Samarajiva & Ayesha Zainudeen
Published by SAGE Publications & IDRC , ISBN 978-0-7619-3673-2

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This edited volume, based on LIRNEasia ‘s 2004-2006 research program brings together scholars, practitioners, former regulators and policy makers to address the problem of expanding information and communication technology (ICT) connectivity in emerging Asia. It centrally engages the widespread claim that technology by itself—independent of policy and regulatory reform—can improve access to ICTs. In doing so, it shows that while complex workarounds are possible, they are significantly less effective than the appropriate policy and regulatory reforms.

This book can be purchased from SAGE Publications here (Asia) or here (Europe)

The key features of the volume are:

  • It examines how theoretically optimal concepts actually get implemented in the hard terrain of emerging Asia.
  • It gleans lessons from five Asian countries—Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal and Sri Lanka—based on their experiences with expanding ICT connectivity.
  • It reports the findings of a cutting-edge 3,000+ sample demand-side survey of telephone use at the ‘bottom of the pyramid’ in India and Sri Lanka.
  • It considers the problem of expanding connectivity from different angles: that of the user, the operator, the policy maker, the regulator, and civil society.
  • It sheds light on a range of situations and technologies, like telephone use in post-conflict regions of Sri Lanka, Wi-Fi deployment in Indonesia, and universal service obligations in India.This well-structured volume is of great value to those seeking to implement policy and regulatory reforms and improve ongoing reforms.Table of Contents:
    SECTION 1: DEMAND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID
    Introduction | Rohan Samarajiva
    Chapter 1: What do Users at the Bottom of the Pyramid Want? | Ayesha Zainudeen
    Chapter 2: Strategies on a Shoestring |Ayesha Zainudeen and Tahani Iqbal
     Chapter 3: I Just Called to Say: Teleuse Under a Ceasefire | Rohan Samarajiva , Mariam Hameed and Ayesha Zainudeen
    SECTION 2: ACCESS, AGAINST ALL ODDS
    Introduction
    Chapter 4: Geektivism | Tahani Iqbal and Onno W. Purbo
    Chapter 5: Making a Business Out of a Village Phone | Malathy Knight-John
    Chapter 6: Wi-Fi: The Network Fix | Divakar Goswami
    SECTION 3: REGULATION: TO STIFLE OR ENABLE?
    Introduction
    Chapter 7: One Backbone, or Two? | Harsha Vardhana Singh and Rohan Samarajiva
     Chapter 8: The Dumbing-down of Smart Subsidies | Harsha de Silva
     Chapter 9: Universal Service Obligations: To Incumbents? | Payal Malik
     Chapter 10: Access Deficit Tax? | Harsha de Silva
     SECTION 4: WHAT COULD BE…
    Introduction
    Chapter 11: High AMPU from Low ARPU | Mahinda B. Herath
    Chapter 12: Regulating for the Next Billion | Rajendra Singh and Siddhartha Raja
    Chapter 13: … Through the Markets | Visoot Phongsathorn

    This book can be purchased from SAGE Publications here (Asia) or here (Europe)

    The book was launched on 16 December 2007 at CPRsouth2, in Chennai.
    See media coverage

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