Tag Archive for ‘telecom services’ at LIRNEasia

Tag Archive for 'telecom services'

“Environment conservation levy” targets households with fixed telephones and possibly all handsets

on March 18, 2008

The government promised a broad-ranging environmental levy in the last budget speech. Some sensible people inside government appear to have defanged what could have been a very nasty piece of legislation.

The Bill that is scheduled to be debated in Parliament on the 19th of March makes provision for the levy to collected by telecom operators and paid to the Telecom Regulatory Commission and then to the Environmental Conservation Levy account of the Consolidated Fund. The other levy collector is the customs. The removal of the complex collection procedure mentioned in the Budget Speech is definitely an improvement.

As is common with present-day legislative drafting, this is a very poorly crafted bill. For example, it includes a definition of a motor vehicle that excludes two-wheel vehicles,…

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Tags: Consolidated Fund, finance, Sri Lanka, Telecom Regulatory Commission, telecom services.

LIRNEasia at International Communication Association Conference

Nirmali Sivapragasam

on March 11, 2008

LIRNEasia researchers will participate at the International Communication Association conference in Montreal, Canada, May 21-26, 2008.

Rohan Samarajiva will present a paper based on LIRNEasia’s study on the gendered aspects of telecommunications use in emerging Asia, entitled, ‘Who’s Got the Phone? The Gendered Use of Telephones at the Bottom of the Pyramid‘.

Abstract: ‘Much has been said about women’s access to and use of the telephone. Many studies conclude that a significant gender divide in access exists particularly in developing countries. Women are also said to use telephones in a different manner from men –making and receiving more calls, spending more time on calls, and using telephones primarily for ‘relationship maintenance’ purposes, while men make fewer calls, shorter calls and use telephones primarily for instrumental purposes. However, much…

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Tags: Asia, Canada, India, International Communication Association, Montreal, Pakistan, Rohan Samarajiva, Sri Lanka, telecom services, telecommunications, telephone users, Thailand, the Philippines.

Coverage for LIRNEasia book

Rohan Samarajiva

on December 31, 2007

Click on the links to see the full articles covering LIRNEasia’s book, ICT Infrastructure in Emerging Asia: Policy and Regulatory Roadblocks.

‘BSNL’s monopoly over infrastructure a hindrance to growth’ - Financial Express (India)

Rural connectivity is now the focus of every telecommunication player in the country. Almost all stakeholders, from handset manufacturers to service providers, believe that the next wave of growth is in the rural areas.”However, India’s roll out (of telecom services) in rural areas has been slow. BSNL has the backbone infrastructure but is not yet ready to share it with private players,” he added.

1 Comment
Tags: access networks, Ashok Jhujhunwala, Asia, ATM, Ayesha Zainudeen, backbone infrastructure, Bangladesh, cellular telephone, Chennai, Department of Telecommunications, Financial Express, GSM, Harsha de Silva, IDRC, India, Jhunjhunwala, LIRNE asia, Madras, mobile phones, Pakistan, Rohan Samarajiva, rural telephony, Social Science Research Council, Sri Lanka, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, telecom services, telephony, Yahoo Tech Group.

Teleuse on a shoestring: Poverty reduction through telecom access at the bottom of the pyramid

Ayesha Zainudeen

on December 3, 2007

by Harsha de Silva & Ayesha Zainudeen
In Does inequality matter? Exploring the links between poverty and inequality (p. 135-167), Edited by Prashan Thalayasingam & Kannan Arunasalam. Published by CEPA, Colombo, 2007

Pre-publication version available for download. The paper was presented at the Centre for Poverty Analysis Annual Symposium on Poverty Research in Sri Lanka (6-7 December 2007, Colombo)

Introduction:
Much has been said of the benefits of access to telecommunication especially at the ‘Bottom of the Pyramid’.

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Tags: Ayesha Zainudeen, Centre for Poverty Analysis Annual Symposium, Colombo, communication technologies, Harsha de Silva, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, telecom services, telephone ownership, Thailand, the Philippines.

Hoarding USO funds in India

Rohan Samarajiva

on July 17, 2007

LIRNEasia research on Telecom Regulatory Environment (where India gets the lowest scores on the USO dimension) shows that Indian USO policy and implementation are flawed. LIRNEasia research on teleuse at the Bottom of the Pyramid shows clearly that lowering connection charges and keeping the use charges low are critically important in connecting the next billion. The policy recommendation that flows from this, made at meeting of regulators in New Delhi on the 15th of July, is that the USO levy should be phased out and the existing funds be disbursed as quickly as possible. But it appears that the Department of Telecommunications and the new Minister think otherwise:

The Hindu Business Line : Raja rejects telecom industry plea to cut USO levy

Operators had said that since the…

1 Comment
Tags: Broadband, CDMA, Department of Telecommunications, important tool, India, New Delhi, Rs, Rs 80, telecom services.

BOP Families To Trigger Mobile Penetration in Asia

Ayesha Zainudeen

on March 28, 2007

Sonal Desai | CXOToday.com

Mumbai, Mar 27, 2007: Mobile penetration will penetrate the homes of bottom or pyramid (BOP) families in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, a study instituted by LIRNEasia has found.

Titled, “Teleuse on a Shoestring- A Study of the Financially Constrained in Asia,” it interviewed and maintained diaries of respondents from Thailand and Philippines besides the above mentioned countries. A C Nielsen conducted the fieldwork. International Development Research Center (IDRC), Canada funded the research.

3 Comments
Tags: Asia, Asia-Pacific, Canada, cellular telephone, China, GSM, GSM Association, Harsha de Silva, India, Indonesia, International Development Research Center, LIRNEasia, mobile phones, MUMBAI, Pakistan, Philippines, SMS, Sri Lanka, telecom services, Thailand, the Philippines, travel time, USD.

Choices: Calls or gold?

Ayesha Zainudeen

on March 10, 2007

By Rohan Samarajiva
LBO >> Choices : Priceless Link
08 March 2007 08:26:29

http://www.lbo.lk/fullstory.php?newsID=2020236857&no_view=1&SEARCH_TERM=24

March 08 (LBO) - Indonesia, like Sri Lanka, sends its women to foreign lands to work as housemaids. The numbers may be larger, though the proportion is smaller.

Telecom networks are expanding fast in both countries, Indonesia faster. The telecom sector is attracting massive investments in both countries as operators scramble to meet the burgeoning demand.

Generally, politicians and officials responsible for a sector are happy when it grows. Therefore, I was surprised to hear several senior telecom officials in Indonesia express concern about lowered gold sales supposedly caused by excessive use of calling cards by expatriate housemaids.

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Tags: Asia, Asia-Pacific, brother-in-law, Central Bank, Colombo, communication technologies, consumer finance survey, ephemeral products, Hambantota, India, Indonesia, International Telecommunication Union, Jaffna, Kofi Annan, Middle East, mobile phones, OECD, Rohan Samarajiva, SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, SMS, society lacking insurance, Sri Lanka, telecom services, Thailand, the Philippines, United Nations, USD.

100,000 ADSL connections? How about speed?

Rohan Samarajiva

on May 28, 2006

The following news item talks about SLTL’s plans to give 100,000 ADSL connections (more than the total number of main lines in 1990!). This is good news indeed. But it would be even better news if the network were to be properly dimensioned so that customers could get the speeds they pay for.

:: Daily Mirror - FINANCIAL TIMES ::
SLT is also shifting its focus to non-voice data services and delivering broadband technologies.

“SLT Chief Corporate Officer Mrs. Pat Abeysekara stressed that plans are underway to roll out 100,000 ADSL connections in all 32 regional telecommunications areas. A request for a tariff revision for ADSL has also been submitted to the TRCSL.

Trials will also be conducted with newer technologies like IP TV (Internet protocol TV allowing users…

55 Comments
Tags: ADSL, broadband technologies, Colombo, Internet protocol TV allowing users, IP, Kandy, Pat Abeysekara, telecom services, telecommunications areas.

Strategic use of telecom services on a shoestring

Ayesha Zainudeen

on February 10, 2006

As a part of LIRNEasia’s Telecom Use on a Shoestring project, the use of ’strategic’ behaviour to curb communication costs amongst the financially constrained in Sri Lanka and India was explored. The findings relating to such ’strategic’ behavior are available for comment in the following paper:

~~Telecom use on a shoestring: Strategic use of telecom services by the financially constrained in South Asia (V2.0 for comment) (February 2006)~~

Telecom use on a shoestring: Strategic use of telecom services by the financially constrained in South Asia (V2.1 for comment, March 2006)

The Authors invite comments and discussion.

Abstract:

When one talks of a ‘shoestring’ budget, it is understood that reference is being made to constrained finances, where individuals make attempts to cut costs through various methods without harming utility. This paper…

5 Comments
Tags: India, Sri Lanka, telecom services.

NEWS RELEASE: Telephone use on a shoestring in Sri Lanka and India – Men’s use of telephones no different from women’s

Sriganesh Lokanathan

on January 24, 2006

Colombo, Sri Lanka, 19 December 2005: Men and women in Sri Lanka and India engage in similar levels of telephone use in low-income settings, according to a recent study carried out by LIRNEasia.

A study conducted by LIRNEasia, an Asian research organization based in Colombo, explores the use of telecom services amongst people whose incomes are less than approximately USD 100 per month in Sri Lanka and India. The study provides evidence that there are few significant differences between men and women in the use of fixed, mobile or public phones at these income levels. These results challenge the findings of several prior and well-established studies……..

English Press Release: Telephone use on a shoestring in Sri Lanka and India - Men’s use of telephones no different from…

4 Comments
Tags: Colombo, India, LIRNEasia, Sri Lanka, telecom services, telephone use, USD.

NEWS RELEASE: Low-income telephone users uncounted, but spending more than expected

Sriganesh Lokanathan

on January 10, 2006

Colombo, Sri Lanka, 19 December 2005: A recent study has shown that fifty-eight per cent of low-income telephone users are absent from conventional telecom indicators. The study also shows that they are spending more of their monthly incomes than expected on telecom services. The study supports C.K. Prahalad’s claim that there is a fortune to be made at the ‘bottom of the pyramid,’ not only at the top.
Decisions in the telecom sector are frequently made based on the number of telephone subscribers per 100 population, an indicator called teledensity. A path-breaking study of telecommunication use by people in Sri Lanka and India with incomes of below approximately USD 100 per month reveals that 58 per cent of these low-income users do not own the phone…

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Tags: Colombo, India, low-income telephone users, Sri Lanka, telecom services, telephone subscribers, telephone users, USD.

Usable Knowledge for Growing the Sector:

Sriganesh Lokanathan

on December 20, 2005

ICT Policy and Regulation Research from LIRNEasia

LIRNEasia showcased its research from the past year on the 19^th December 2005 at the Palm Lounge, Galle Face Hotel. CEO’s and Managing Directors of local telecom operators attended, in addition to the regulator and representatives of donor agencies, investment analysts and the media.

The presentations are available below. The highlights of LIRNEasia’s first year of Research are available HERE.

Introducing LIRNEasia and its 2005 research program
Rohan Samarajiva
Telecom use on a shoestring: Findings from a survey of Sri Lankan and Indian users on less than USD 100 a month
Ayesha Zainudeen & Ayoma Abeysuriya (TNS Lanka); a report on the ’strategies’ of the financially constrained in the use of telecom services is available on the project page.
WiFi Innovation in Indonesia
Divakar Goswami. More information is…

4 Comments
Tags: Ayesha Zainudeen, Galle Face Hotel, Harsha de Silva, Indonesia, Malathy Knight-John, Palm Lounge, Rohan Samarajiva, Saeed Khan, telecom services, USD.

LIRNEasia on LIRNE.net

Indi Samarajiva

on November 22, 2004

This is an article from www.lirne.net: LIRNE.NETs Asian affiliate, LIRNEasia is quickly making its way into the South Asian policy making process. As a part of its nascent Rapid Response Program, LIRNEasia has submitted comments on a public consultation paper issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), on rural telecommunications growth in India.

The purpose of the paper, entitled, Growth of Telecom Services in Rural India: The Way Forward according to TRAI, was to engage stakeholders in a “collective thinking process” on improving the growth of Indias telecom services to improve growth both in terms of quantity as well as quality, especially with regard to rural services, where growth has been falling short recently. While overall targets are being met and in some cases…

1 Comment
Tags: India, LIRNE.NET, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, telecom services, telecommunications, www.lirne.net.

Big picture of telecom reforms

Rohan Samarajiva

on November 7, 2004

Yesterday, I spoke to a large and restive crowd (made so by lack of air conditioning and a delayed start) in Matara (main city in the South of Sri Lanka) at the launch of the Pathfinder Foundation’s first book, a Sinhala translation of Janos Kornai’s Toward a free economy. I was asked to talk about globalization and the relevance of Kornai’s ideas for facing the challenges posed by globalization. In this talk that I pieced together thanks to time zone differences that caused me to wake up at 3 in the morning while in the US, I illustrated the issues referring to Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), a broad area of service exports for which efficient, flexible and low-cost telecom is a pre-condition.

I think the talk provides…

Pages: 1 2

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LIRNEasia Office Opening

Indi Samarajiva

on September 1, 2004

LIRNEasia Office Opening Tree

Rohan Samarajiva : September 1, 2004

There is something wonderful about beginnings. The future is pristine; the potential is unlimited; no mistakes have been made. I am very happy to welcome you to the LIRNEasia office on the occasion of this new beginning.

Our immediate objective is to build a team of Asian ICT policy and regulatory professionals who can work on equal terms with the best in the world. Sri Lanka will anchor this effort, but it will be a genuinely regional initiative. This is an achievable goal: we worked on equal terms with the worlds best consultants at the Public Interest Program Unit of the Ministry for Economic Reform; we will do this again here at LIRNEasia.

Our larger objective is to facilitate the improvement of ICT…

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Tags: Asia, Bhutan, communication technologies, Ministry for Economic Reform, Public Interest Program Unit, Rohan Samarajiva, Sri Lanka, Telecom Regulatory Commission, telecom services, telephone connection, Tennakoon, United States, United States government, virtual organization.

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