Helani Galpaya, COO of LIRNEasia, was invited by the Strategic Affairs Directorate to speak at a seminar on Alternatives for Infrastructure Development and Broadband Access. Brazil is embarking on an ambitious program to increase broadband penetration, and is currently discussing various options – one of the more interesting being the provision of a government-owned backbone, using the dark fibre that is currently owned by the electricity and petroleum companies. The pros and cons of this, and other options were discussed at the seminar, and a the full day of closed-door discussions that followed between the speakers and the Strategic Affairs Directorate staff. Helani focused on the importance of thinking about the market structure (whether or not there was sufficient competition at all points in the network) and demand stimulation. For example, Nokia’s TCO study shows that Brazil has the highest cost for mobile users among all the countries studied (possibly driven by highly asymmetric interconnection rates and lack of sufficient competition, among other things). Further, the experience in Sri Lanka (through e-Sri Lanka) shows that the government’s role as a catalyst is sufficient – private sector and civil society can drive demand-stimulation with a little help from government.
LIRNEasia is hiring: Data Scientist
LIRNEasia is looking for a skilled Data Scientist to join our team. The full job description is available here.
Unlocking Data for Artificial Intelligence in Sri Lanka: LIRNEasia hosts exclusive forum in Colombo
LIRNEasia hosted a forum on December 7, 2024, titled “Unlocking Data for Artificial Intelligence in Sri Lanka” at the ITC Ratnadipa Hotel, Colombo. The event brought together AI experts, data scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders to explore practical ways to leverage data and artificial intelligence for informed decision-making and meaningful societal and organizational impact.
LIRNEasia is hiring: Communications Assistant
LIRNEasia is looking for a talented individual to join the team as a Communications Assistant. The full job description is available here.
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