IGF 2015 Connecting the next billion
Today’s world is the world of internet where basic core values of human rights and equality play an imperative role in the growth and development and without it, it would be really hard to manage and overcome the hindrances.
Reality is Technology and internet has developed so much still there is a gap of digital divide and net neutrality among the people creating a mass discrimination. Standardization in policy and mechanism is a must where we lack definitely.
The current fluctuation of technology and power has created a discrimination among the vast divide. For achieving the next billion we need to solve these issues
- Power politics
- Discrimination of region
- Cheap connectivity
- Business prospect and opportunity
- Proper Infrastructure
- Standardized policy mechanism
Internet of today has expanded to the basic needs of people. It has evolved to the next achievement of human evolution.
It’s a crucial aspect of not just fighting for the control but understanding the vulnerabilities in resolving the difference of digital divide and net neutrality. I believe it’s the process of reaching out with every possible means to lessen the gaps in between the developed and developing world creating a common point of growth and development. Internet has been dynamic in its approach and has out-lashed the barriers in terms of its limitation. Time and again it has proved the norms and limitation where the developed countries should know that they cannot rule the internet alone and the developing countries should feel that they have contributed equally in making internet so popular.
Internet is for everyone but we need to overcome the differences in between by creating a favorable environment securing the rights of every individual. Connecting the next billion is the initiation of lessening the gaps in creating feasibility opportunity, environment by every means possible for growth and development.
I think internet has been passed on to the third world and developing countries as a byproduct where the developed nation has been manipulating. It needs to be standardized in terms of its use, security, price, and infrastructure and so on.
Especially in the developing countries in Asia there is a huge problem of connectivity in terms of technology and infrastructure. On one hand the high cost of spectrum leasing limits the reach whereas on the other the expensive infrastructure makes it impossible to make internet cheap. In Nepal the local telecom have to pay NRS 2.5 billion yearly for renewal of spectrum leasing whereas due to the high amount there is no competition. There are only two telecom ruling and monopolizing the industry thus resulting in high cost and limited service. This has limited the industry where 3G services are fast but due to the monopoly the cost are very high.
The regulating body is happy with the revenue generation so it is silent about the further evolution of the industry. In Nepal due to the expensive spectrum leasing the local ISPs have diverted towards third party leasing. Most of the ISPs in Nepal render the bandwidth from Indian Telecom giants like TATA, Airtel etc. they have no option as they cannot render the 2.5 billion leasing cost.
Though for infrastructure the shadow fiber (electrical grid) have been used for reaching out but still due to lack of proper bandh width there is no quality of service in Nepal
I think policies should be made for development, and development should not be subjected to policies. It’s a way around, especially in the lower economies the regulating bodies control the policies and infrastructure where they limit the growth and development in terms of their aspirations.
The whole industry and the nation suffers the condition due to lack of proper understanding and promptness.
The government or regulating bodies plays a relevant role in conducting research and adopting the international policies as per the need of the region. It’s highly questionable whether the system should be efficient or the policies in both cases the lack of efficiency is suffered by the public which results in lack of development and growth.
Implementation is yet another important phase which demands standardization in terms of policy and practice. If the systems fails to reconciliate then it result in lack of effectiveness and efficiency.
On one hand the regulatory body fails to absorb the importance of polices in terms of its control and management mechanism whereas on the other if it accepts the policies then it tries to put the voices of the industry at bay due to its issues of control. The point come as whether the regulatory body wants to give its power up to adapt the role of a facilitator or not which is highly questionable.
In Nepal the broadband policy is in its evolution phase. There were few consolidation meetings done by the regulatory body with the nearest and dearest association. It was done in a one way model where limited consolidation was done with limited stakeholders.
Lack of research and information is surpassing the question of its adaptation. A policy that is related with the national strategy needs to be focused with more intricate research model of integration and development. Multistakeholder concept of internet ecosystem cannot be ignored. A national level strategy should entail the aspirations of all stakeholder as further determines the path of tomorrow.
Not just at government regulatory level but even at times of decision and research it needs to be integrated for greater efficiency and effectiveness. A system needs to be flexible in-terms of its use where it should be optimized for its own benefit.
Internet is a Dynamic innovation, it cannot be controlled by a limited country or entity. It belongs to the world where we need to harness it by multistakeholder concept establishing the ownership and securing the right of every individual. The ownership and control cannot be limited to one nation as globally it has its own definition. As per region and sector the internet ecosystem needs to channelize with proper policies, protocol and then an approach of system established for the growth and development of humanity. Only then it can result in optimization of service and achievement of goals or else if there is a problem in the system it would create further problem in various aspect of degradation of the system of its use, access, security, quality etc
Hindrance
-Government’s interest
-Lack of standardization
-Better policy mechanism
-Action of Policies
