APT Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity

2015-2017

 

1. Introduction
The Asia-Pacific ICT Ministerial Meeting on “Building Smart Digital Economy through ICT” was held from 10 to 11 September 2014, in Brunei Darussalam, to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) and to discuss joint efforts to further strengthen regional collaboration in the development of telecommunication / ICT. 
 
The meeting reaffirmed the commitment to collectively work towards building a smart digital economy through ICT in the Asia-Pacific region, to achieve sustainable development and further improve the quality of life of the people.
 
The meeting commended initiatives, contributions and the substantial achievements that had been made by the APT and its members to achieve the objectives of the Bali Statement of the Asia-Pacific Ministers on Strengthening Regional Collaboration towards a Broadband Economy in the Asia-Pacific. 
 
The meeting noted that although the Asia-Pacific region had progressed well in broadband infrastructure and services development, there was still a vast gap in broadband penetration and ICT development among the various countries of the region that needed to be bridged. In particular, the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states, continued to need further support in this regard.
 
The meeting believed that in harnessing the power of ICT to create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge, the cultural and social value should be respected.
 
The meeting also noted that ICT being one of the finest invention of mankind, should be used for welfare of the people, humanity and global community and that the abuse of ICT as a tool to spread disharmony should be discouraged.
 
Recognizing the great impact of ICT on lives of the people and socio-economic development, and that the smart utilization of ICT, supported by capacity building programmes, enabling policies and the regulatory environment can stimulate the new digital economy, the meeting resolved to build a smart digital economy in the Asia-Pacific region.
 
To move the Asia-Pacific region towards the smart digital economy, the meeting adopted the Brunei Darussalam Statement of the Asia-Pacific ICT Ministers 2014 on Building Smart Digital Economy through ICT.  This document is the basis of the Strategic Plan of the APT for the period 2015-2017 which will lead the Asia-Pacific region towards a Smart Digital Economy.
 
2. Priority Areas for the period 2015-2017
To achieve the objectives of the Brunei Darussalam Statement and enhance the role of the APT as an effective regional organization for Telecommunication/ICT in the Asia-Pacific region, the Strategic Plan for this period will have priority areas stated below in accordance with the Brunei Darussalam Statement.
The APT is committed to work collectively with all stakeholders within the ICT sector including cross-sector engagement, to implement as appropriate, such key priority areas in order to build a smart digital economy in the Asia-Pacific region.
The APT will strengthen the cooperation and collaboration to realize a policy and regulatory environment that will be the basis of a creative and innovative economy. The APT will encourage innovation which is the key to enhance region’s competitiveness.
 
 
A. Conducive Policies for Sustainable Growth of ICT and Smart Digital Economy
To foster sustainable growth of ICT as the driver of the economy in our region, the APT will promote policies that are conducive for investment, creating business opportunities and equitable access for all players. These policies should stimulate innovation and creativity, with the appropriate level of regulatory mechanisms, while protecting consumers’ interest.
 
B. Safe and Secure Society through ICT
The Asia-Pacific region has suffered from various kinds of natural disasters. The APT will assist members in improving the preparedness, early warning systems, and rescue and recovery efforts with the use of ICT.
 
C. Trust and Confidence in ICT
Digital inclusion has opened the doors to unprecedented opportunities and at the same time brought along threats as it has been abused to spread disharmony. The APT will collaborate with regional and global partners to assist members in protecting critical infrastructures and ensuring cyber-wellness for our citizens. The safe and secure use of ICT devices and applications has been an area of significant importance. The APT will increase the public confidence in the use of ICT devices and applications for moving towards a smart digital economy while respecting sovereignty of countries.
 
D. Sustainable ICT Ecosystem for Innovation
ICT has been an engine for growth in the Asia-Pacific economy and its potential can be seen by its expansive use in other industry sectors. The APT will promote sustainable ICT ecosystem which comprises various stakeholders involved in infrastructure, network, devices, application, services and content interacting in an integrated manner. Creative applications and services allow us to make use of the network for the full benefit of the people in the region. The sustainable ICT ecosystem should provide a level playing field for all players, to encourage and nurture innovation as the catalyst for continuous economic growth.
 
E. Capacity Building
A skilled ICT workforce and appropriate institutional mechanisms are indispensable for sustainable ICT development. In order to prepare the region to embrace ICT, the APT will strengthen the capacity building and enhance the region’s competitiveness.
 
F. Fostering Regional Cooperation for ICT Development
Regional cooperation in matters related to ICT plays a key role in accelerating the economic growth in the region, mitigating poverty, bridging economic gap, increasing productivity and promoting employment. The APT will be engaged in bridging the digital divide among the Member countries on the basis of mutual benefits that promote cooperation to build Asia-Pacific smart societies.
 

3. Action Plan 2015-2017 (Actions required by the Work Programmes to achieve the objectives)

To address the above key priority areas of the Brunei Darussalam Statement, the APT Work Programmes for the year 2015-2017 have been divided into 8 main Work Items.

Through the APT Work Programmes, the APT will provide necessary assistance, arrange discussions at forums on specific issues identified in the Brunei Darussalam Statement, promote dialogue between industry, regulators and policy makers, facilitate investment in broadband infrastructure, build capacity of human resources in our region, and strengthen regional cooperation and coordination.
 
In implementing the Action Plan, the APT will work together with all stakeholders including public and private sectors, regional and international community, academic and research institutions, and donor agencies to achieve these key priority areas through actions at the national, sub-regional and regional levels. The APT will also cooperate closely with other relevant regional/international organizations.
 
Keeping in mind the benefits to the APT Member countries, as well as the need for efficiency, relevance and accountability to achieve the objectives, the APT will review and follow up on the progress of the implementation of the Action Plan in key priority areas.  
 
For the purpose of follow-up and review on the progress, the APT will also create an online monitoring mechanism for monitoring the progress of our implementation of key priority areas by Member countries.
 
In response to the changing needs of the dynamic ICT landscape, the APT shall regularly identify the needs of Member countries. The APT should not limit its activities to only those mentioned in this Action Plan but rather have a forward-looking vision in leading the Asia-Pacific towards a smart and sustainable region.
 
The APT will also be flexible in implementing its programmes and initiatives and open itself to innovations, ideas, initiatives and success stories from other regions for the benefits of the region.
 

The Work Items and associated Strategic Actions in our Work Programmes are listed as follows:

 

 


 


Work Item


Strategic Actions


Reference to Priority Area of the Brunei Darussalam Statement


1.


Policy & Regulation

 


1.1


Support members to promote affordable national broadband access and improve international broadband connectivity in Member countries in the Asia-Pacific region;               


A.1

 


 


1.2


Assist members to create an environment that fosters the development of next generation networks, IPv6 enabled infrastructure, smart devices, applications and services, including useful and creative content; encourage light-touch regulation and a market-driven approach to technology and services;


D.1

 


 


1.3


Work with member administrations to facilitate promotion of cooperation to reduce international mobile roaming charges on the basis of equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit to the extent that is consistent with the national laws, policies and regulations of Member countries;


D.7

 


 


1.4


Share best practices, skills, regulations, and technologies to reduce the ICT development gap and to further develop ICT infrastructure so as to promote the innovation growth in the region;


F.1

 


2.


ICT Development

 


2.1


Work with member administrations to facilitate promotion of sustainable investment in the ICT sector by enhancing investor confidence, facilitate innovation by key stakeholders, encouraging the deployment of broadband networks, and the adoption of technologies and services;


A.2

 

 

 


 


2.2


Work with member administrations to facilitate promotion of ICT adoption within governments to transform and increase efficiency by use of broadband technologies;


A.9

 


 


2.3


Encourage the sharing of research information, development of applications and services by creating opportunities for developers, researchers, and service providers in the region;


D.2

 


 


2.4


Encourage development of content in the local languages and platform to deliver it properly to help preserve culture and to serve as an accessible medium for the use by people at the community level;


D.3

 


 


2.5


Encourage APT Members to provide incentives to businesses to develop applications and to provide appropriate mechanisms for sharing revenue for the use of their applications and content;


D.4

 


 


2.6


Work with member administrations to facilitate promotion of ICT entrepreneurship, accelerate ICT uptake among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and encourage the innovative use of ICT to foster a creative economy;


D.5

 


 


2.7


Work with member administrations to facilitate promotion of Public Private Partnership (PPP) and enhance innovative cross-sector partnerships;


D.6

 


 


2.8


Devise general guidelines/best practices for building and maintenance of reliable and robust Telecommunication/ICT facilities in landlocked developing countries and small island developing states in view of their special requirements in terms of repair and maintenance of ICT equipment, including availability of trained personnel, availability of bandwidth to meet its growing demand for smart applications and reliable supply; 


 


3.


Disaster Management

 


3.1


Share expertise on the use of communication technologies for PPDR (Public Protection and Disaster Relief) to assist the mobilization of equipment and other resources to help people during disasters;


B.1

 


 


3.2


Work with member administrations to facilitate promotion of the use of broadband networks in the region for early disaster warning systems, data collection, information sharing and distribution of recovery information;


B.3

 


 


3.3


Encourage the production of a legislative and standard strategy model for effective ICT use and broadband deployment to mitigate the damage from natural disasters;


B.4

 


 


3.4


Expand information sharing activities by setting up at least one, in the period of this strategic plan, APT high level senior officials meeting in the field of disaster management/communications;


B.5

 


 


3.5


Collaborate to increase awareness on the importance of submarine cables to regional and global connectivity, and intensify regional cooperation to protect submarine cables from man-made and natural disasters;


B.6

 


 


3.6


Encourage and promote the collaboration with relevant parties including international organizations and the private sector to facilitate implementation of necessary activities in disaster management such as establishment of the PPDR disaster management/ICT expert teams;


B.8


 


3.7


Collaborate to increase awareness of Satellite Communications as an effective emergency communications platform and encourage inclusion in PPDR Disaster Management plans and allocations;


 


4.


Cyber-security

 


4.1


Assist members to collaborate to build and strengthen trust and confidence in the use of ICT so that the people can use ICT for their progress and prosperity without any concern;


C.1

 


 


4.2


Encourage cooperation among governments and the private sector to address safety and cybersecurity;


C.2

 


 


4.3


Assist members to develop cyber-legislation;


C.4

 


 


4.4


Support Computer Emergency Response Team/Computer Security Incident Response Team (CERT/CSIRT) activities through close coordination and technical assistance in various forms, including developing relevant guidelines and recommendations;


C.4

 


 


4.5


Assist Members in setting up CERT/CSIRT in countries which have no such institutions;


C.4

 


 


4.6


Encourage increased exchanges and cooperation in anti-spam field by taking corresponding initiatives at the regional and national level;


C.5

 


 


4.7


Encourage governments and other stakeholders to proactively take initiatives to increase the users’ awareness and capacity in online privacy protection;


C.6

 


 


4.8


Enhance reliability and confidence in the use of ICT applications by helping Members to develop guidelines for the secure flow of information;


C.8

 


5.


Radiocommunication

 


5.1


Promote harmonization of spectrum across the Asia-Pacific region including new frequency spectrum such as the 700 MHz band to provide affordable broadband services;


A.3

 


 


5.2


Promote the deployment of wireless broadband in lower frequency bands currently allotted to 2G mobile system;


A.4

 


 


5.3


Support members to improve spectrum efficiency by such means as the use of shared spectrum access including, but not limited to, dynamic spectrum access (DSA), for further regional and international harmonization in order to support flexibility for expansion of broadband services in Asia-Pacific nations;


A.5

 


 


5.4


Support joint activities in the area of establishing a global air traffic monitoring system including satellite services used for aviation safety;


B.7


6.


Standardization

 


6.1


Encourage development and adoption of common standards in the region for deployment of innovative technologies, including, but not limited to IPv6, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and the Internet of Things (IoT), with the focus on interoperability, security, privacy and protection to maximize the benefits of available services;


A.7

 



 


6.2


Support members in building smart cities by integrating ICT into the urban planning process to provide better services to the citizens;


A.8

 


 


6.3


Encourage the development and implementation of strategies to make ICT more accessible and affordable to people with special needs, including children, elderly and people with disabilities;


A.10

 


 


6.4


Encourage adoption of safety standards, including those prescribed by relevant international bodies, in respect of Electro-Magnetic Field (EMF) radiation with a view to the safe use of ICT devices;


C.7

 


7.


Capacity Building

 


7.1


Encourage the development of more ICT experts on disaster management/communications and on cybersecurity by providing quality training programmes in the region;


B.2,C.3

 


 


7.2


Enhance and expand training programmes in the Asia-Pacific region, including online training programmes, by focusing on the specific needs of the region in keeping abreast of the latest trends and challenges in ICT and by encouraging post-training exchange of experiences and knowledge amongst all APT trainees;


E.1

 


 


7.3


Provide expert missions in assisting Member countries on ICT development needs;


E.2

 


 


7.4


Promote more collaboration amongst ICT experts in the region through exchange programmes of researchers, engineers, ICT pilot projects and start-ups;


E.3

 


 


7.5


Encourage the development of skills and ICT specialists and provide platforms for developers in the region to share their experiences, techniques, and challenges in developing ICT applications and services;


E.4

 


8.


Regional Cooperation for ICT Development

 


8.1


Enhance closer cooperation in the region to consolidate regional views on ICT issues including the preparation for mainly ITU conferences and assemblies;


A.6


 


8.2


Work with member administrations to strengthen cooperation with private sector, to seek financing through Public Private Partnership (PPP), to increase expert resources and to improve development capacity;


F.2

 


 


8.3


Pursue multiple initiatives in cooperating with the private sector, research institutions, academia and universities in the region to participate in APT events, so as to promote activities of the APT and increase the presence and influence of the APT;


F.3

 


 


8.4


Increase exchanges and cooperation with the related international, regional and multilateral organizations for enhanced cooperation of ICT development;


F.4

 


 


8.5


As the only inter-governmental telecommunication organization in the Asia-Pacific region, take the leading role in promoting various development agenda including telecommunication  standardization, regional frequency spectrum coordination, cybersecurity and emergency communications in the region;


F.4

 


 


8.6


Bring in synergies among the international organizations working in ICT in the region by actively coordinating with ITU and other international organizations for optimization of resources to avoid duplication of efforts; 


F.5

 

 
 
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