UNION INTERNATIONALE DES TELECOMMUNICATIONS
INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
UNIÓN INTERNACIONAL DE TELECOMUNICACIONES
 


Asia Telecom 93
Singapore, 17 May 1993

Policy Symposium -  Strategy for Expanding Telecommunications 
Infrastructure
Welcome Address by Pekka Tarjanne
Secretary-General


Your Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,


	Once again, I should like to take this opportunity to express ITU's 
appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Singapore and 
particularly to the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore and 
Singapore Telecom for having worked in close partnership with the Union 
to organize two prestigious events.

	I am pleased to report that the first event, the Asia Pacific 
Regional Telecommunication Development Conference which preceded Asia 
TELECOM 93 has been successful in drawing  a blue print for 
telecommunication development up to the year 2000 and beyond and provided 
a framework for unparalleled overall growth and unmatched business 
opportunities for this region.

	The Resolutions adopted by the Conference cover a wide spectrum of 
important development issues and goals for the  telecommunications sector 
of this region.  The commitment of the countries to achieve these 
objectives was expressed by a panel of Ministers and high ranking 
officials, on the penultimate day of the Conference in endorsing the set 
of Resolutions and Recommendations presented to them by the Conference 
Committees.

	The second event, Asia TELECOM 93, is staging for the first time an 
Exhibition with more than 200 exhibitors and four distinct Symposia 
identified to be of strategic importance to the telecommunication sector.  
The first part of this Special Session of the World Telecommunication 
Forum is the Policy Symposium.

	It is an honour for me today to open this Symposium on the theme: 
"Strategy for expanding Telecommunications Infrastructure".  Many 
prominent speakers and chairmen have accepted our invitations to address 
this Symposium and I am convinced that a very fruitful exchange of 
information will be generated.  This exchange will provide the developing 
countries, particularly those from the Asia-Pacific region, with an 
additional opportunity to share on an informal basis ideas on strategies, 
programmes and projects that will undoubtedly promote the development of 
telecommunications in their respective countries.

	With regard to telecommunication policies and strategies for the 
region, the Resolution adopted by the Regional Development Conference 
defined seven common directives:

*	separation of regulatory and operating functions;

*	adoption of  an investment base as wide as possible;

*	introduction of intelligent networks;

*	access to telecommunication by all users, at least to basic                                     
services, in a competitive environment;

*	local manufacturing, whenever appropriate;

*	harmonization of networks to promote global interoperability and 
to strengthen integration;

*	use of telecommunications for protecting the global environment.

	A  Working Group will be set up to develop by August 1994,  
guidelines which will assist the countries of the region in their 
national restructuring process.

	You may still recollect that up to thirty years ago, Singapore's 
economy depended almost entirely on commerce and trade.  Since then, it 
has developed a strong capability in manufacturing and good supporting 
infrastructures such as telecommunications, utilities and port services.  
Today, Singapore is ranked among the world leaders in many fields.   A 
real success story.

	A huge gap still remains in the region as a whole, between 
countries at the top and those at the bottom of  the development 
spectrum.  Furthermore, we should also note that some countries such as 
China, India, Myanmar, Bangladesh or Vietnam still have telephone 
densities of under 1% with little access to even the most basic services; 
a situation that can no longer be tolerated.

	With its new structure, the ITU can now play a more catalytic role 
by working co-operatively with international, regional and bilateral 
development financial agencies and by presenting to the countries a range 
of policy and structural options that will generate resources for 
development.  Along with increased liberalization, privatization and 
competition, each country must establish its own effective regulatory 
policies and structures.

	What Asia TELECOM 93 will endeavour to achieve is to bring to the 
region a demonstration of the new technologies available and to promote 
the worldwide development of telecommunications in both developed and 
developing countries.  Asia TELECOM 93, therefore, offers immense 
opportunities as domestic, regional and international communication 
networks of the region are expected to develop dramatically.  

	The world of tomorrow is one we will reach only with  a great deal 
of cooperation.  Every one of us can play a part in making progress or in 
trying to slow that progress down.  It is not simply our progress; it is 
the progress of a global society of men, women and children who are 
interdependent on a scale never possible before our networked society.

	Let me now conclude my remarks by wishing you a very successful 
Symposium and by declaring the Asia TELECOM 93 Forum officially open.

	Thank you for your attention.