The op-ed piece written up on the basis of one of the LIRNEasia benchmark studies, has been published in the leading Bangladesh newspaper, Daily Star. The data and recommendations thus have been published, in various forms, in the special issue of Himal Southasian, in The Dawn, as a Choices column on LBO, and also flashed by AFP. As a result of the latter, it has got play in a number of publications, including in a Vietnam publication, the Mirror online (Sri Lanka), etc.
Telecompk.net has also started a discussion.
Indian papers were unfortunately too preoccupied with the Parliamentary drama around the confidence motion. And then Ahmedabad happened. But we keep hoping. Bhutan and Maldives may come in too.
The test of course is whether intra-SAARC prices come down. It has been reported that Sri Lanka’s largest mobile operator has dropped prices to SAARC countries to LKR 15/mt (app. USD 0.15). If this holds, we would have done something.
Detailed information on international voice prices may be found here.
3 Comments
Rohan Samarajiva
Another Vietnam publication has carried a related story at: http://www.ictnews.vn/Home/vien-thong/Nam-A-ban-viec-giam-cuoc-vien-thong/2008/07/1SVMC511106/View.htm
However, this mentions roaming, which is puzzling. Perhaps a reader who understands Vietnamese can explain why roaming is mentioned in the report?
Mel
Hi Prof:
LIRNE research has paid off. Below is the quote in point 6 of the Colombo SAARC declaration:
“The Heads of state or government observerd that an effective and economical regional tele-communication regime is an essential factor of connectivity, encouraging the growth of people-centric partnerships. They stressed the need for the member states to endeavour to move towards a uniformly applicable low tariff, for international direct dial calls within the region”
However, note of caution:
“SAARC declarations are divine, but the devil is in the detail,” said an Asian diplomat during the conference, adding that tensions between India and Pakistan had been the main obstacle to moving forward in any tangible manner
Supreme Court recommends elimination of ‘public commotion’ clause in Telecom Bill, in line with LIRNEasia Chair’s recommendations
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka recently ruled that several sections of the proposed Telecommunications Amendment Bill are inconsistent with the country’s Constitution. This decision comes after significant opposition and criticism from experts, including LIRNEasia Chair Prof.
LIRNEasia CEO Helani Galpaya speaks on disinformation and AI in the Global South at DW Global Media Forum
The implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) extend beyond mere technological advancement. There is no doubt that while the Global North is gaining most of the benefits of AI, the Global South faces significant problems, such as biased language models.
Supreme Court cites LIRNEasia’s insights in Telecom Bill Determination
The Supreme Court last week determined that some sections of the Telecommunications Amendment Bill are inconsistent with the Constitution of Sri Lanka. The determination included a citation of the insights provided by LIRNEasia in a research article (2009) titled “Banded Forbearance: A New Approach to Price Regulation” compiled by LIRNEasia Chair Prof.
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 © 2024 LIRNEasia
a regional ICT policy and regulation think tank active across the Asia Pacific