Telecoms authority to manage new industry

Liberalisation of telecoms sector

Government continues on a mission to fully liberalise the telecommunication sector, announcing plans to set up a telecommunications authority to monitor this new industry in keeping with legislative requirements and regulations.
The Finance Ministry’s Mid-Year Report recently stated that negotiations with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) are expected to be completed by the end of the year, and thereafter the authority would be established.
The report also relayed that the requisite regulations have been published for comments.
During installation of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in June this year, Public Communications Minister (MPC) Cathy Hughes had said that the liberalisation of the sector was a top priority of that Ministry.
Hughes had said the legislation which was assented to by President David Granger last year had a number of new requirements that the MPC was working through. Coupled with that, she had said, negotiations were ongoing between GTT and Atlantic Telecommunication Network (ATN), covering two tracks at the same time.
The Telecommunications Bill was first introduced in 2011.However, it was revised in 2013 before being sent to a Parliamentary Special Select Committee in the 10th Parliament, and was near conclusion when that Parliament was prorogued in 2014 by then President Donald Ramotar.
When Government took the legislation before the National Assembly, the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had called for the Bill to be sent to a Special Select Committee for further consideration, but Minister Hughes had argued that the Bill had been long promised and was overdue.
The Mid-Year Report has stated that, as Government continues to develop capacity to catalyse the development of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, work has moved forward on the Centre of Excellence in Information Technology, which is expected to be completed during the second half of 2017.
The implementing agency in India – the Centre for the Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) – will by December of this year procure and deliver the necessary ICT infrastructure and course materials. To ensure that efforts to develop the ICT sector are sustainable and effective, public engagement initiatives will be heightened in the second half of the year, the report disclosed. To this end, two Hackathons are slated to take place – one Hackathon will be a four-week competition and the other a 48-hour competition.
In addition, Government will be hosting an Internet Week, wherein a series of workshops will be held on topics focusing on the “back-end” aspects of ICT, and will be facilitated by industry professionals.
Between 150 and 200 persons are expected to benefit. In order to bridge the ICT gap between the hinterland and the coastland, and ensure equitable provision of services, a project designed for ICT access and eservices for hinterland, poor and remote communities is expected to be funded under the Guyana-Norway Agreement. The project proposal describing this US$17 million, five-year intervention was formally submitted to the GRIF Secretariat in the second quarter, and is expected to bolster the existing connectivity drive. During the first half, 42 additional government and educational institutions were connected to the eGovernment network.
To ensure that ICT penetrates all facets of the economy in the support of development, the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) is fashioning Smart Guyana. This initiative would facilitate comprehensive integration of information systems and electronic services to improve the efficacy of all levels of government.
According to the report, this would result in smart classrooms and eLibraries for distance education and eLearning; eHealth solutions to provide remote health care for hinterland regions; CCTV and Safe City solutions to improve public security; and virtual desktop infrastructure to provide for greater e-security, better access, and lower costs for Government information systems.