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Jagmohan opens meeting of telecom regulators

He argued that in developing countries regulatory authorities have to contend and harmonise different socio-economic, political and cultural factors.

T O D A Y

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Recently, Jagmohan took on the Telecom Regulatory of India and re-revised its tariff order. That led to a sizeable controversy, which is yet to be sorted out.

"The perceptions, prejudices and predilections of various sections of society matter in a democracy. There could be many contradictory and conflicting views that may need to be balanced,'' he said and called upon the countries of the Asia-Pacific region to take into account their own complexities and compulsions to evolve their own regulatory institutions unique to their culture and ethos.

The minister was inaugurating the second meeting of the South Asian Telecommunications Regulators' Council that began in New Delhi today.

The two-day meeting has been organised by the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity and is being hosted by the TRAI.

Stating that nations make crucial decisions when momentous changes take place in their environment, Jagmohan urged the countries of South Asia to develop strong institutions with incisive vision and perspective for the progress and advancement of their people.

They should not be swept away by the strong winds of technological changes that have gripped the region, he added.

Delivering the keynote address, TRAI Chairman Justice S S Sodhi said that there is a need to strike a balance between allowing the market a free rein and intervention through regulation to ensure realisation of public policy goals of universal service and affordability.

He said that an unsupervised market might lead to wastage of scarce resources with short-term benefits being looked for at the cost of long-term gains.

UNI

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