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ITU TELECOM ASIA
2004 Confirms Region's Position as Global ICT Leader
Busan — The seventh regional
telecommunications Exhibition and Forum for the Asia-Pacific, was held from 7
to 11 September at the Bexco (Busan Exhibition and Conference Centre),
Republic of Korea. "Asia Leading the Future"— the theme of ITU
TELECOM ASIA 2004 — was very much in evidence on the exhibition floor, in the
forum sessions and in the data released by ITU during the week. "This
very successful event has reflected the leading position that the
Asia-Pacific region holds in telecommunications," said Yoshio Utsumi,
Secretary-General of ITU, the organizers of the event. "In many ways
Asia is one step ahead of the world. Ongoing product development,
cutting-edge technology, and the widespread take up of new products and
services has combined to ensure that Asia has the competitive edge." Mr
Utsumi also noted, "that a well-educated population together with the
traditional Asian values of team spirit and a strong work ethic combined with
cooperation at all levels between government and industry have ensured the
success of Asia’s information and communication technology sector." ASIA
2004 was opened on 7 September 2004 by H.E. President Roh Moo-Hyun of the
Republic of Korea and throughout the week the event attracted an impressive
range of participants, including the leading players in the regional and
global telecommunication industry as well as top-level representatives of the
region’s governments and regulatory bodies. ITU TELECOM ASIA 2004 combined policy
initiatives and discussions with a trade showcase for information and
communication technologies, which attracted a large number of visitors from
Asia and around the world. Its success will serve to reinforce the reputation
of ITU TELECOM as a unique non-profit showcase for telecommunications
technologies and as a forum for strategic policy discussions relevant to the
regional and global industry. ITU, as the United Nations specialized agency
for telecommunications, is uniquely equipped to spark change in the
telecommunication sector through regulatory reform, human resource and
technology development all of which underlies the ITU mandate to ‘help the
world communicate’.
Asian Success from an Asian Strategy
Broadband penetration in Asia is the highest in the world. IMT-2000 services
have also taken off rapidly, particularly in Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Countries such as China and India have emerged as information and
communication technology (ICT) forces to be reckoned with, as well as
important players in the field of research and development. Asia’s policy
makers have played a vital role in the evolution of telecommunication markets
in the region. Instead of launching a deluge of competition onto markets,
which arguably were not geared up for it, policy makers have taken a more
measured stance toward competition. It has been seen that, where gradual but
functioning market competition is in place, it has been visibly successful.
The Asian model was being examined this week by visiting Ministerial delegations
to ITU TELECOM ASIA 2004 from Africa, Europe and South America. Mobile
operators launching IMT-2000 services in Asia have also been spared the huge
license fees, which have beset their Western counterparts. And they have not
been limited to just one type of IMT-2000 technology; they have been able to
choose their own next-generation path. Throughout the week, on the exhibition
floor as well in the Forum meeting rooms, the technologies that are shaping
the region’s and the world’s future were very much in evidence.
Focus on New Technologies is Reflected in
ITU Research Results
The ITU’s new "Portable Internet" report, produced especially for
the event, focused on the new wireless technologies that are currently in
development in the region. The report examined the set of technologies, such
as Bluetooth, Zigbee or longer-range wireless technologies such as the
much-discussed WiMax, which could be used to make the Internet truly
portable. It also examined the market opportunities that these technologies
could create, as well as the challenges they could bring. Technologies such
as these have the power not only to allow for the rollout of ever-more
sophisticated wireless broadband services onto developed markets, but also to
extend ICT services within developing countries, to areas where current
infrastructure is limited or non-existent.
Asia is Global Leader for Mobile and
Broadband Penetration
ITU also unveiled its latest Asia-Pacific telecommunication indicators report
during ITU TELECOM ASIA 2004. It reports that all ICT sectors have seen
soaring levels of growth in recent years, making Asia-Pacific a global leader
in mobile and broadband. Next-generation mobile services have been launched
across the region, with Japan and the Republic of Korea emerging as
world-leaders in this field. Broadband penetration has also grown rapidly
with four of the top broadband connected economies in the world are from the
Asia-Pacific region. Growth rates for fixed lines, mobile subscribers and
Internet users over the last few years have soared in a number of countries
across the region. Mobile subscriber numbers rocketed by 31% per year between
2000-2003 to reach 560 million — overtaking North America as the world’s
largest market. Numbers of fixed lines in the region also grew by 14% in the
same period, surpassing the single digit growth rates seen in most other
regions. Next generation IMT-2000 services have been launched across the
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