Overcoming regional challenges and ensuring the sustained growth of the South Asian telecommunications industry The South Asian telecommunications industry is looking towards regional telecom regulatory authorities to establish policies and regulatory frameworks which are conducive to a growth environment driven by investments. Mobile operators, wireless broadband and internet service providers are looking to optimise and improve their networks, enhance spectrum efficiency and robustness, introduce rural services and Value Added Services (VAS) to maximise profits and ensure customer loyalty. They are also seeking to develop strategies for increasing data usage on Next Generation Networks (NGN) by making smartphone handsets affordable and widely available. Telecommunications in South Asia is one of the fastest growing markets world-wide, with some stunning statistics:
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Teledensity currently stands at 75.48% in India, 69.9% in Pakistan, 76.4% in Bangladesh, and above 90% in Sri Lanka</li>
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The wireless subscription base in India is rising at a rate of 2.57% Quarter-on-Quarter</li>
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The wireline subscription base is falling at a rate of 2.86% Quarter-on-Quarter</li>
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Rural teledensity remains low in the region as compared to urban teledensity and there is added pressure on the regulatory authorities to make mobile and broadband services available to people residing in the remotest areas at the cheapest rates possible. This requires the authorities to be pro-active in developing policies conducive to growth and which will promote financial inclusion. All these critical issues will be discussed at the South Asia Mobile Summit. Organised by IQPC and the South Asia Mobile Forum, this is a regional summit that last ran in Bangladesh and has been developed with telecommunication professionals from South Asia to review the latest trends and new technologies.<a href="http://www.southasiamobilesummit.com">http://www.southasiamobilesummit.com</a>
