A regional Regulators’ Conference scheduled to be held in Colombo next week is expected to seek consensus from all members on a single International Direct Dialing (IDD) rate for the region.
Sri Lankan Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRC) Director General Priyantha Kariyapperuma told the Sunday Times FT that this will be discussed at the annual 11th South Asian Telecommunications Regulators Council (SATRC – 11) on November 24-26 in Colombo .
“The SATRC-11 will address the key policy and regulatory issues in the SAARC countries. Once you have regional collaboration you have trans-border communication facilities without any restrictions,” he noted. He said that Sri Lanka holding the chair for the SAARC Regional Forum and the ‘Year of ICT’ declared for 2009 is the main reason for Sri Lanka to host this event. While the conference is organised by the Asia Pacific Community, it is hosted by the TRC.
Mr. Kariyapperuma also said that SATRC is also planning to establish a South Asian regional commission in a bid to moot common regional cooperation. “The SAARC region has more than two billion in population and this is a timely move to start a South Asian regional commission,” he said. Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga will be the keynote speaker while SATRC Chairman and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India Chairman Dr. J.S. Sharma will address the gathering at the inauguration.
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