Cellphone firms seek stable regulatory environment
GSM Asia Pacific confce ends; Banglalink's Mehboob Chy new chairman
Star Business Report
GSM Asia Pacific conference ended in Dhaka yesterday stressing the need for a supportive regulatory regime for mobile phone operators. "The operators were of the view that regulation must be supportive and stressed the need for creating a stable regulatory environment for investment and growth," Simon Zhang, outgoing chairman of GSM Asia Pacific (GSMAP) region, told a press briefing after the closing of the two-day international conference. The operators also alerted the regulators to make sure that the consumers benefit from mobile telecommunications, he said, adding it is important that conditions of operations should not be changed on day to day basis as it hurts the operators. GSM operators in the Asia Pacific, fastest growing mobile telecommunications market in the world, are rapidly bridging the digital divide in the region, Simon Zhang added. He said the operators are also contributing significantly to the economy of every country with investments and creation of employment and business in the emerging markets. Around 111 delegates including 60 representatives from different operators participated in the conference. Operators and companies marketing different technologies presented 21 papers, sharing best practice experiences of various operators to what new technologies can be offered for the betterment of the services. The conference elected Mehboob Chowdhury, outgoing deputy chairman of the region and also chief commercial officer of Banglalink new chairman of GSMAP for the 2006-07 term. Anoja Obeyesekere of Dialog GSM Sri Lanka was elected new deputy chairman of the region. Simon Zhang said the 3G roaming issues were presented in the conference and there is a need to simplify the products and services for the customers. The conference discussed issues like quality improvement of the networks and how international messaging can be made easier for the operators. Ricardo Tavares, senior vice-president of GSMA, said the Asia Pacific region is now the centre of the action, with 3G being deployed in the developed markets and GSM connecting the unconnected in the developing markets in a speed the operators never imaged. Speaking at the briefing, newly elected Chairman Mehboob Chowdhury said GSM Association is taking a look into the regulation issue, adding the operators should be consulted before taking any new step in the sector. Next GSM AP conference will be held in Singapore.
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