'Asia-Pacific region must step up IP-based telecom networks'

Countries in the Asia-Pacific region need to gear up for implementing internet protocol (IP) based telecommunications networks and broadband platforms for facilitating convergence of data "� voice and video, Bob Horton, chairman of Bangkok-based Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), said.

Speaking to Business Standard on the sidelines of Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Standardisation Programme (ASTP) being organised by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Horton said that the governments had an active role to play as facilitators by capacity-building and promoting access to information and knowledge.

The representatives from the 25 member-countries of APT are deliberating on various standards needed to usher in next generation communications as well as country-specific contexts for creating an enabling environment.

They also will discuss the international and the regional co-operation for faster telecommunications development. The nine-day meet is being held from today.

The objective of ASTP meet is to come out with a report on the expectations and apprehensions of APT member-countries on the new telecom standards. The report will be placed before the World Telecom Standards Congress to be held in Brazil in the second week of October this year.

Horton observed that the national governments should explore various uses of information technology and communications (ICT) applications and enable universal access to them. This would spawn a demand for better services and technologies and result in cheaper service costs for the consumers.

As the industry players achieve economies of scale, it would pave way for adoption of next generation technologies which would be a reality in countries like India in the next five or six years.

According to APT chairman, the Asia-Pacific region would be a hub for R&D as well as services in the telecom sector. While China would be a dominant equipment supplier, India would have an edge in telecom software and services segment.

In this regard, he pointed out that 40 per cent of telecom consumers are located in the Asia-Pacific region and already 20 per cent of the global telecom equipment suppliers hail from the region.

The only impediments seemed to be lack of wide acceptance of ICT by people and also absence of carrier grade quality networks which needed the attention of governments, he felt.

IP networks would gain prominence once issues like caller line identification (CLI), numbering and interception are attended to, he added.

Amarender Narayan, executive director of APT, said that Andhra Pradesh was ahead of other states in taking governance to the doorsteps of people through ICT applications.

The governments should act as the prime mover of the industry by utilising the ICT applications for use by the people by setting up departments like eSeva in Andhra Pradesh, he said.