Jordan Times
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Representatives from 22
countries discuss progress of Asian telecommunication sector
By Rami Abdelrahman
AMMAN — Meetings of the International Telecommunication Union's Asia and Oceania
`TAS' group started on Monday in Amman to discuss fixing tariffs, phone calls
using Internet protocols, systems connecting fixed lines with the Internet and
revenue distribution.
During the past two days, around 50 participants arrived in Amman from 22
countries to participate in the meetings and in a workshop about developments of
the telecommunication sector in the Asian participating countries.
Organised by Jordan Telecom (JT), the meetings are taking place in Jordan for
the first time in the Middle East.
“Our hosting of such important meetings is a result of His Majesty King
Abdullah's persistence and perseverance in realising the noble vision of
transforming Jordan into an advanced model in both the Telecom and IT sectors,”
said JT Chairman Shabib Ammari during the opening ceremony on Monday.
Chairman of the TAS group, S.D. Saxena, said the Kingdom, through such meetings,
will play an important future role in “becoming a major node” on the
communication, trade and commerce routes.
“Both the world of telecom and Jordan are involved in ringing people together
and resolving their disputes,” Saxena said, adding that the meetings in Amman
are “historic” as they will be setting the agenda for the growth of telecom
sector in the region. “A growth that serves the common man.”
Saxena described the telecom growth in the countries of TAS as “phenomenal.”
“Many countries have shown the way for the connectivity revolution to the rest
of the world... Jordan Telecom achievements in cellular connectivity, Korean
Telecom Broadband growth, growth of telephones in China and the Malaysian cyber
corridor have been the talk of the world,” Saxena indicated.
The world's East telecom sectors' policy makers, regulators, operators and
expertise will hold talks during the next four days to boost cooperation in the
costing and pricing issues in line with each country's location advantages.
According to TAS official Subaru Tanaka, all countries belonging to the group
are characterised by a widely geographical, cultural diversity and different
development levels — which require this kind of cooperation.
“The shift from the old order of monopolies to a new era of competition and
liberalisation as well as the phenomenal growth of the mobile sector and the
emergence of IP-based networks necessitate a very quick reaction from the TAS
group,” Tanaka explained.
He said the gap between emerging and developed countries in the group is
narrowing but the gap is shifting to the “digital-divide.”
According to JT officials, decisions and recommendations reached by the end of
the meetings are going to be reviewed by the World Telecommunication Union
during its next meeting in Brazil, expected to take place next October.
A public shareholding company, Jordan Telecom group wholly owns the GSM operator
Mobilecom, the ICDN operator E-dimension and the ISP operator Wanadoo in
addition to exclusivity in managing Jordan's telephone network.
However, this exclusivity right will expire this year, but JT chairman vowed to
keep his company's competitive advantage.
“These meetings come at the beginning of a transition period for us at JT as the
telecom market structure in Jordan will be different in 2005. Furthermore, a new
milestone related to cost-based tariffs will be set by the Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission,” Ammari said.
The government holds 41.5 per cent of JT's capital, while the other main partner
is France Telecom.
“We are currently working with the Ministry of Justice on a very huge network
connecting judiciary institutions” the JT chairman said, adding that JT finished
connecting many public schools and universities in a two separate broadband
internet and intranet systems.