Stakeholders connect at telecommunications symposium
─ symposium’s aim is to engage stakeholders such as service providers, operators and members of the public in interactive sessions
DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, August 14, 2018
A two-day symposium at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) is focusing on global and regional trends in communication technologies as part of ongoing discussions to liberalise the telecommunications sector.
Its aim is to engage stakeholders such as service providers, operators and members of the public in interactive sessions. The Ministry of Telecommunications, in collaboration with the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU), is hosting the symposium on Broadband and International Mobile Telecommunications.
According to Managing Director of the NFMU, Valmiki Singh, “mobile communications or need for connectivity has been growing for quite a long time…connectivity and convenience…. are the things that we actually want at our fingertips.”
Singh stated that once the conversation about “mobile connectivity and increasing demands begins then we would talk about spectrum.”
The Managing Director said that the radio spectrum is a limited resource adding that “with competing demands, we have to look at how we utilize it.” It was noted that the conversation is expected to go beyond discussing radio and mobile spectrum.
“Now, we are talking about the internet of things whereby so many devices are actually being able to communicate.” Singh explained that technology has rapidly developed over the years with household electronic devices being equipped to be connected to the internet.
He disclosed that based on the request of the government, the International Telecommunications Union provided technical assistance in the form of Dr. Andres Navarro to render advice on the NFMU spectrum plan.
Over the next two days, stakeholders will be able to have interactive discussions with Dr. Navarro on a multitude of topics within the telecommunications sector. Some of the topics tabled for discussion are 4G networks, exploring the possibilities of 5G, regulatory issues, spectrum management and spectrum usage in Guyana.
By: Anara Khan
Images: Jules Gibson