Many requests have come in over the past few years from countries, and even individuals, wanting to learn about the Singapore model of ICT development, as well as how it achieves its goals in areas like e-Government, telecoms competition management and regulation.

Their call will soon be answered with an upcoming executive training programme which will feature lessons culled from Singapore's ICT development experience over the past 25 years.

The five-day programme, "Enabling Frameworks for ICT Development, The Singapore Experience", will cater to senior government officials from developing countries. It will be conducted in June 2007, at the newly-set up e-Government Leadership Centre. Two more of such programmes have been planned in consecutive years. The centre is a partnership between the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Institute of Systems Science and the IDA.

The plan to start this programme was unveiled during the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey. This conference takes place once every four years and gathers ITU member countries to set the union's general policies, adopt four-year strategic and financial plans and elect its senior management team.

ITU members, especially those from developing countries, can soon look forward to learning more about Singapore's ICT experience, said Dr Lee Boon Yang

Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lee Boon Yang, who was at the conference, said in his policy address to more than 150 member countries that Singapore is "delighted with the interest in our experience" and would like to "take this sharing of experience to a higher level".

Dr Lee said: "We have therefore initiated discussion with the Bureau for Telecommunication Development (BTD) to explore how Singapore and the BDT can work together to offer such training to ITU members. We are confident that those who come will find the training instructive and helpful as they embark on their own ICT development."

The Singapore Experience initiative goes hand-in-hand with the Asia-Pacific Regional Initiative on Telecommunication/ICT Policy and Regulatory Cooperation, which was proposed by the ITU members of the Asia-Pacific region and adopted at the World Telecommunication Development Conference in Doha in 2006.

A Letter of Intent was signed between ITU and IDA following Dr Lee's statement, signalling the two organisation's commitment to the programme.

Prospective participants are also signaling strong interest in the programme with many e-mail queries. Those at the conference in Antalya simply went up to IDA's Director for International Ms Valerie D Costa to find out about the programme.

ITU members discussed ICT developments over the three-week conference held this year in Antalya, Turkey

She told iN.SG: "The responses we have received so far are very encouraging, with some even calling for an increase in the frequency of the programme. We will certainly consider that request after we roll out the first session in June 2007."

As part of The Singapore Experience programme, senior ICT policy makers and telecoms regulators from developing countries can look forward to rigorous and interactive classes led by practicing regulators from IDA, as well as experts from the academia and industry.

It is hoped that through the programme, participants will be better-placed to develop their their own ICT framework that will lead to fair, effective and sustainable competition in a multi-operator, multi-network environment. The programme will cover areas like Infocomm development policies, how to regulate a competitive ICT sector, licensing frameworks, dispute resolution procedures and interconnection.

The combination of theory and practical approaches will let participants return to their countries with a set of analytical frameworks that they can apply in the review and development of their own domestic regime.

Ms D Costa said: "In helping developing countries grow their ICT capabilities, Singapore will help bridge the digital divide by sharing our own expertise and ICT development journey. The journey isn't the same for every country, but by sharing experiences, we contribute to regional and global development, which Singapore is proud to do."

Dr Lee and the team from IDA (from the left of Mr Lee, IDA's Deputy Director Mr Muhd Hanafiah and Director for International Ms Valerie D Costa) interacting with a delegate at the ITU

Singapore's ICT experience is unique and venerated as it comes from 25 years of strategic planning and executions that transformed Singapore into an ICT powerhouse that generates up to S$40 billion in annual revenues.

The successful liberalisation of its telecom sector in 2000 has also been watched closely as it is widely regarded as a success. Since April 2000, Infocomm adoption has grown sharply – notably in mobile phone subscriptions and broadband usage – along with continued drops in the prices of telecoms services.

IDA will work with international organisations, donors and corporations to provide sponsorships (course fees) and fellowships (travel and per diem) for participants from least-developed and selected developing countries who may need assistance to take advantage of this executive training programme.

For more information about the "Enabling Frameworks for ICT Development, The Singapore Experience" programme, please contact Mr Lionel Choo Manager, International, IDA Tel : +65 6211 1042. E-mail: [email protected]