Over the initial two days, SATRC-24 achieved a significant milestone with the approval of outcomes from SATRC Action Plan Phase VIII.
The 24th Meeting of the South Asian Telecommunication Regulators’ Council (SATRC-24) kicked off in Dhaka, Bangladesh, hosted by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC). Heads of telecommunication regulatory bodies from SATRC Member countries, along with designated senior-level officers, are in attendance.
Over the initial two days, SATRC-24 achieved a significant milestone with the approval of outcomes from SATRC Action Plan Phase VIII. Additionally, the adoption of SATRC Action Plan Phase IX is a key item on the agenda.
The inaugural session on the first day set the tone for the discussions ahead, featuring a regulators’ roundtable. Major General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman, Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), delivered a profound address and actively participated as a panelist in the session on “Regulatory Interventions and Innovations for a Sustainable Digital Future.” The session revolved around establishing digital and resilient infrastructure for a sustainable digital landscape.
On the second day, the Chair of Policy, Regulation, and Services (PRS) Working Group, DG Strategy & Development (S&D) at PTA, presented a comprehensive overview of four pivotal Work Item Reports from Phase VIII.
These reports covered essential topics such as the development of policies and regulatory environments to accommodate the new 5G ecosystem within the SATRC context, active infrastructure sharing in telecom, regulatory considerations pertaining to Over-The-Top (OTT) services and applications, and the impact of Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit (NGSO) Constellations on South Asia. The Council subsequently granted approval to these reports.
Representatives from nine South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Maldives, and Iran, are actively participating in this three-day meeting. The discussions and outcomes of SATRC-24 hold immense significance in shaping the digital future of the South Asian region.
The South Asian Telecommunication Regulators’ Council (SATRC) is an intergovernmental organization established in 1997 to promote cooperation among the telecommunication regulators of South Asia. The SATRC has nine member countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.