India Telecom Summit 2007
Dcecember 12, 2007, New Delhi

Concept on "International Cooperation - Roundtable on Innovation & Development in Telecom through Centers of Excellence"

1. Brief background of India Telecom Sector

India is growing at +9% GDP and is amongst the ten largest economies of the world. The far-reaching measures introduced by the Government of India over the past decade to liberalize the Indian market have helped the business and regulatory environment to successfully move towards greater transparency and efficiency. Services sector has been the engine of this growth and has accounted for ~70% of average growth in the last 5 years. Telecom industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the Indian economy with the private sector contributing a commendable share of over 65% of the total access lines. Over ten years, the overall tele-density has also increased from a meager 1.3 in 1996 to the current over 21 access lines per hundred people. India, with more than 240 million subscribers as of August 2007 is adding more than 8 million new telephone subscribers every month, mostly in mobile. Wireless subscribers are growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of above 90 per cent per annum since 2003. This growth has been catalysed by telecommunications sector liberalization and reforms. Some of the areas needing immediate attention to consolidate and maintain the growth are:

• Capacity building of talent pool for industry
  
• Continuous adaptation of the regulatory environment to facilitate induction/adoption of high potential new technologies and business models
  
• Bridging of high rural - urban gap in teledensity (i.e. digital divide)
  
• Development of India specific Applications
  
• Faster deployment of broadband infrastructure across the country

2. Brief overview & focus areas of each TCOE

The increased use of new technologies, the move towards corporatisation, competition, and the seperation of regulatory functions from operational services require advanced level of policy, regulatory, managerial and technological expertise. In order to develop and strengthen the capability to generate this expertise, the Telecom Centers of Excellence (TCOE) concept is being established in a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) mode with all stake holders onboard. Apart from Application oriented Research, the Centers are designed to assist and offer training to both high-level decision-makers of telecommunication entities to manage sector reforms, and to corporate managers for management of networks & services.

Setting up of a network of Centres of Excellence in Telecommunications space, will aim to strengthen the Indian Telecommunications success story through enhanced & sustained growth of subscribers over the coming decade.

The tentative field of operation of the Centers, their main Industry Sponsor (one of the telecom operators) and the academic institute where the Centers will be established are enumerated in the table below:

3. Objectives of the TCOE

With a vision of reaching the economic benefits of developing India to the poorest of the poor through telecommunications, the centre of excellence would perform an unique task in building a nation connected "Anytime-Anywhere" by developing and strengthening the capability to generate a skilled talent pool, indigenous technology, cutting edge research, superior governance, customer centric regulatory framework and innovative business models for rural India. The TCOEs will provide platform for think tank activities with the following objective:

(a) Each one focuses on a niche area of telecom domain to build excellence that is at par with world standard.

(b) Undertake India specific application development that matches with behavioral pattern of the masses and adds value to their day-to-day activities both economic and social.

(c) Undertake cross-pollination of best practices world over and make it suitable in Indian context. This helps in creating optimal models that avoids duplication and wastage of recourses especially in the field of the converging Information & Communication Technology.

(d) Macro Infrastructure planning that enables a systematic and sustained Telecom growth in a cost effective manner in all major infrastructure sector.

(e) Creation of market ready talent pool and continuous talent building endeavor through training of the trainer.

(f) Integration and bench marking of technology that can ultimately lead to form standards for manufacturing or rendering services.

(g) Create an environment of Innovation in the top academic institutes of the country to enable absorption of the current technology and develop future ready indigenous capability.

4. Benefits in collaboration for TCOEs and foreign universities

Association of foreign universities with the COEs will bring in the international perspective in respect of regulatory and technological issues. This relationship will keep COEs in sync with the evolution and challenges in the telecom sector. The association will also keep the COEs updated about the latest international practices including in spectrum management.

The relationship will also bring in considerable benefits to foreign universities in respect of access to research of such a large, reputed and efficient talent pool in Telecom R&D. This will also facilitate the capacity building of telecom professionals in South Asia and other emerging markets. These COEs will also help passing on the best practices followed in Indian telecom sector which has made it one of the most efficient and low cost telecom network in the world.

Thus there is need for collaborations with foreign universities for all 8 COEs to ensure a symbiotic relationship between them and COEs from the beginning.

5. Brief of Issues identified for discussion in Roundtable

-> Identification of sub-areas for collaborative education and research

Each CoE has been assigned a focus area to work upon. The foreign universities depending upon their field of interest/ expertise might choose the CoE with which they want to collaborate. The purpose of the roundtable is to explore synergies and complimenting strengths among the participants for mutual benefits.

-> Definition of roles, responsibility for each of the collaborating parties.

On the basis of previous experience and inputs available in the roundtable, potential partners may be short listed and then roles and responsibilities expected of mutual partners (Indian CoE and foreign universities) can be defined in general terms before going in to specifics in bilateral discussions. Articulation of clearly defined responsibilities of each party as a whole and of each individual within the party to all collaboration participants at the beginning of a project could help to ensure smooth coordination of activities.

-> Issues related to Joint Planning, Monitoring and evaluation of projects.

Once the foreign universities collaborate with the CoEs, they will work jointly on certain projects. The mechanism for the same needs to be evolved including evaluation of projects, monitoring, exchange of people, etc. In general terms, a methodology of working could be worked out during the round table conference.

-> Issues related to financing of collaborative education & research.

The issues relating to extent of financing by partners either directly or through Industry, identification of activities for financing or identification of components of activities which need to be financed by each partner (foreign universities and CoEs) needs to be discussed and decided in general terms. Norms would need to be established for funding of research for identified projects to be developed under collaboration. The areas for resolution would include responsibility for identification of sources of funding, identification of required amount for funding, principle of transparency regarding budgets and financial arrangements between partners, responsibility of budgetary control and disbursement of funds.

-> Issued related to knowledge Sharing on dedicated electronic Platform

The issues pertaining creation and maintenance of a dedicated platform for knowledge sharing, confidentiality of data, restriction on onward sharing, protection of copy rights etc. needs to be debated and a consensus approach needs to be evolved regarding sharing of data/information across national boundaries.

-> Issues related ot IPR maagement

Each institution has its own well defined rules for IPRs. During roundtables, possible areas of conflict between Indian institutes and foreign insitutes may be identified along with possible mechanism to resolve it to mutual satisfaction. A general IPR management mechanism could be envisaged mutually during the round table conference, which could be further elaborated among the mutual partners later.

-> Recurring activities - annual conferences, etc.

As a part of knowledge sharing among the CoEs and collaborating foreign universities, annual conferences/ seminars/ workshops or student/scholar/ faculty exchange programs etc. shouuld be organized from time to time. Modalities of the same in general terms could be worked out during the roung table conference.

-> Need for written agreement to formalize above arrangements

The requirement of written agreements, if any, needs to be discussed and way ahead to be worked out in genereal terms; as different institutions would have different set of rules and regulations for entering into collaborations.