Apologies to our international participants - today was a holiday in Kenya and therefore quite a slow day here. - just gotten online now. Thanx Eric for your previous views on the role and Alice for tying in the idea of who are the Regulators customers? It is important to put the role and the target customers in perspective since from there it will be easier to discuss how the Regulator can best engage with their customer through the web (eCommunications). My take is that the Regulators customers include: -Government -Telco Operators -IT & Broadcast Service Providers -Postal Service Providers -Consumers any other customers or entities interacting with regulators I may have left out? lets share walu. nb: Tomorrow I will start the second thread but ask members to continue belated discussions on previous threads as long as they can keep the correct Subject Lines i.e. Day 1 of 10:-Role of Converged Regulator. --- alice <alice@apc.org> wrote:
Hallo Eric
My questions were intended to begin to respond to some of the issues Walu has brought up which touch on the three East African regulators and their communication practices, and not so much about physical representation, although it is equally important.
More questions...How we can use regulators websites to inform the various constituencies? for consumers to ensure that they understand their rights and are in a better position and are able to make informed choices?
Similarly, how do/can we use emerging technologies in the service of understanding regulation of the same?
alice there
Dear Alice,
You see the regulator is suppose to be the pivot on which there should be equilibirum among the operators who make the various levers and again am sure in Kenya things have change for the better with CCK and hence"the speed of light" progress you guys are making.
I think one element is to also strengthen the consumer
Alex Gakuru has being doing alot of work in that area, you have done a lot yourself in terms of the CSO and hence you represent them on the CCK leadership. I dont know the current representation on the CCK leadership but if all the stakeholers are there then you are good to go.
On another note, the oversight from industry is a mindshift and i hope most countries make it sooner than later in Africa.
Eric here
On 10 Oct 2007, at 10:19, alice wrote:
Agree Eric, important conversation indeed.
And I see it asking the following questions: Who talks to regulators? What about and what do regulators do with what they have learnt in a policy regulatory sense.
To use the Eric example, Re: Industrial oversight for Regulators - How do regulators subject their decision and engagements to major industry input using communication technology? and has
effective from an industry point of view? The private sector has the most clear relationship with regulators, simply because their ongoing activities are a primary object of oversight....so the assumption here would be that regulators then have a load of information, services and applications to facilitate conducting of business in the country, is this the case? What about consumers?
alice there
Eric Osiakwan wrote:
Dear Walu,
This is an important conversation you are getting underway and i would like to robe in two fundamentals that are essential for the emerging regulatory regime;
1. Regulation is facilitation and must benefit local industry - It is important for our regulators to see themseles as facilitors of the industry in the interest of the consumer (even in
of a consumer parliament...:-) and work towards helping the local industry to grow and innovate. The cash cow for the local operators in "license" or landing right etc. Recently i was talking to a substantive regulator and he told me the most shocking thing, he said he is going to give all the licenses to indigenous local operates so they use it as cash cow to trade with
FDIs. Now thats a strategic mindframe that gives weight to the local folks and i was excited this is coming from a regulator....
2. Industrial oversight for Regulators - Because of
mindset and rapid adaptation of technology, the regualtory system worldwide is changing and it is becoming clear that effective and efficient regualtors actually have oversight from industry. In order words they must subject their decision and enagements to major industry input so that it is consistent with technological evolution which makes them facilitators of growth and economic development, not the opposite. So am advocating more for "self regulation" and less inteference in business process and innovation. Please note that self regulation does not mean "no regulation"......
Eric here
On 9 Oct 2007, at 08:47, John Walubengo wrote:
In think we can kick off the discussion by first reviewing the roles of three selected Info & Communications Regulators(Kenya, Tanzania & Malaysia). The idea is to gain an understanding of the role of
Converged Regulator and then extend that into tomorrows Question :- How can the Internet assist Regulators in executing these roles or achieving their objectives?
Probably at the end of this task, we should highlight five key functions or roles the Converged Regulators should be playing and then use them as the reference points for building appropriate and corresponding eCommunication strategies. Feel free to point out any role that may not have been covered in the three examples.
walu. ~~~~~samples roles below~~~~~ 1. From Kenya The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) was established in February 1999 by the Kenya Communications Act, 1998, to license and regulate telecommunications, radio communication and postal services in Kenya. The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) plays a critical role in the liberalization of Kenya's
telecommunication sectors. CCK is the Gateway that encourages private investment in the sector and
for the rights and obligations of both operators and consumers. The licensing of new players has given
consumer greater choice. As the Link, CCK liaises with consumers, operators and service providers to ensure a level playing field in
sector. CCK also assigns frequencies to all licensed telecommunications operators as well as broadcasters utilizing wireless technologies in the provision of
services. CCK is the Watchdog of the consumer; making sure
coalition and this been the presence those carrying the growing the postal and provides the the their that
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