LIRNEasia
Encyclopedia
LIRNEasia is an information and communication technology (ICT) policy and regulation think-tank active across the Asia Pacific region. The organization is incorporated under the Sri Lankan law as a non-profit organization
. It was launched in September 2004 under the leadership of Professor Rohan Samarajiva. Located in Sri Lanka
, LIRNEasia functions as a regional organization with active participation from researchers located in other Asian countries.
(IDRC) and the Department for International Development
of the UK (DFID). Previously, it has received funding from Telenor Research and Development Centre Sdn. Bhd, Malaysia (TRICAP), info Dev, a World Bank
unit that has partnered with LIRNE.NET since 2001, the Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA) and the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA).
(ICA).
The the survey measures seven dimensions: market entry, allocation of scarce resources, interconnection
, regulation of anti-competitive practices, universal service obligation), tariff regulation, and service quality. Senior stakeholders, including operator representatives and former regulatory staff, are asked to respond to the survey questions based on a Likert scale, in order to ascertain regulatory performance.
Piloted in 2006 with six countries, the survey was used in 2008 to measure eight countries in Asia: India, Bangladesh
, Maldives
, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand. This project is funded by IDRC.
The Telecom Regulatory Environment (TRE) survey is being merged in to Sector Performance Reviews (SPR) in order to provide a broad review of the telecom sector in selected South and South East Asian economies. The SPR is a structured way to collect data that can answer the “why” questions that are not answered using the TRE methodology.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
. It was launched in September 2004 under the leadership of Professor Rohan Samarajiva. Located in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, LIRNEasia functions as a regional organization with active participation from researchers located in other Asian countries.
Mission
LIRNEasia declares its mission as follows: "to improve the lives of the people of the emerging Asia-Pacific by facilitating their use of ICTs and related infrastructures; by catalyzing the reform of laws, policies and regulations to enable those uses through the conduct of policy-relevant research, training and advocacy with emphasis on building in-situ expertise."Funding
Currently, the majority of LIRNEasia’s programs are funded by the International Development Research CentreInternational Development Research Centre
The International Development Research Centre is a Canadian Crown Corporation created by the Parliament of Canada that supports research in developing countries to promote growth and development...
(IDRC) and the Department for International Development
Department for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
of the UK (DFID). Previously, it has received funding from Telenor Research and Development Centre Sdn. Bhd, Malaysia (TRICAP), info Dev, a World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
unit that has partnered with LIRNE.NET since 2001, the Canadian International Development Agency
Canadian International Development Agency
The Canadian International Development Agency was formed in 1968 by the Canadian government. CIDA administers foreign aid programs in developing countries, and operates in partnership with other Canadian organizations in the public and private sectors as well as other international organizations...
(CIDA) and the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA).
Partners
LIRNEasia partners with Research ICT Africa(RIA!), Regional Dialogue on the Information Society (DIRSI) and several European universities within the framework of LIRNE.NET. It is a member of the International Communication AssociationInternational Communication Association
The International Communication Association is a non-profit academic association founded in 1950 as the National Society for the Study of Communication , whose members are interested in the study, teaching, and application of all aspects of human communication." The Association maintains an...
(ICA).
Initiatives
- CPRsouth conferences (Communication Policy Research south), annual capacity and field-building program to develop an Asia-Pacific knowledge network on ICT policy regulation (2007 to present)
- Training courses in telecom reform and the South Asian Forum for Infrastructure Regulation (SAFIR) Core Course on Infrastructure Regulation (2005 to present)
- Teleuse at the bottom of the pyramid (Teleuse@BOP), a series of demand-side studies on ICT use in markets that contain the largest numbers of poor people
- Rapid Response Program, quick responses to specific requests for training and advice from governments and others in the region
- Price and Quality of Service Benchmark reports (2007 to present)
- Telecom Regulatory Environment (TRE) studies (2006 and 2008)
- Sector Performance Reviews (planned)
Telecom Regulatory Environment (TRE) Survey Tool
Developed by LIRNEasia, the Telecom Regulatory Environment (TRE) Survey Tool helps to measure regulatory performance. This is a perception-based measure on how well the regulatory agency is managing the fixed, mobile, and broadband telecom sectors. It is a diagnostic instrument for assessing the performance of the laws affecting the telecom sector and the various government entities responsible for implementation. The TRE can help to identify which parts of the regulatory environment need to be improved in order to achieve better performance.The the survey measures seven dimensions: market entry, allocation of scarce resources, interconnection
Interconnection
In telecommunications, interconnection is the physical linking of a carrier's network with equipment or facilities not belonging to that network...
, regulation of anti-competitive practices, universal service obligation), tariff regulation, and service quality. Senior stakeholders, including operator representatives and former regulatory staff, are asked to respond to the survey questions based on a Likert scale, in order to ascertain regulatory performance.
Piloted in 2006 with six countries, the survey was used in 2008 to measure eight countries in Asia: India, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand. This project is funded by IDRC.
The Telecom Regulatory Environment (TRE) survey is being merged in to Sector Performance Reviews (SPR) in order to provide a broad review of the telecom sector in selected South and South East Asian economies. The SPR is a structured way to collect data that can answer the “why” questions that are not answered using the TRE methodology.
International Advisory Board
- William H. Melody, PhD (Chair): Managing Director, LIRNE.NET, Denmark: Visiting Professor, Center for Communication, Media and IT (CMI), Copenhagen Institute of Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark
- Johannes M. BauerJohannes M. BauerJohannes M. Bauer is a professor in the at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. He also serves as director of special programs at the Quello Center for Telecommunication Management and Law at the university.- Education :...
, PhD: Professor, Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media, Michigan State University; Director, Quello Center for Telecommunication Management and Law. - Hernan Galperin, PhD : Associate Professor and Director, Centre for Technology and Society, Universidad de San Andrés, Argentina; Steering Committee member, DIRSI; Research Fellow, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California, USA
- Alison Gillwald, PhD: Executive Director, Research ICT Africa; Infrastructure Management Reform and Regulation; Adjunct Professor at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, Management of Infrastructure Reform and Regulation Programme
- Sherille Ismail, JD: Senior Counsel, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), USA (Sherille serves in his personal capacity and not as a representative of the FCC)
- Ashok JhunjhunwalaAshok JhunjhunwalaDr. Ashok Jhunjhunwala is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras at Chennai, India and has served as the departmental Chair. He received his B.Tech degree from IIT Kanpur, and his MS and Ph.D degrees from the University of Maine. From 1979...
, PhD: Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras (Chennai), India - KF Lai, PhD: Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, BuzzCity, Singapore
- Robin Mansell, PhD: Professor, Department of Media and Communications, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
- Partha Mukhopadhyay, PhD: Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, India
- Sam Paltridge, PhD: Directorate, Science Technology and Industry, OECD, France
- Visoot Phongsathorn, An independent regulatory expert
- Randy Spence, PhD: Director, Economic and Social Development Affiliates (Esda), Canada
External links
- LIRNEasia Homepage
- Learning Initiatives on Reforms for Network Economies Network (LIRNE.NET) Homepage, a network with regional centres and strategic partners in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe
- Research ITC Africa (RIA) Homepage
- Regional Dialogue on the Information Society (DIRSI) Homepage, ICT policy and research in Latin America, DIRSI – Diálogo Regional sobre Sociedad de la Información