September 2020
Digital Bytes
DIGITAL BYTES
SEPTEMBER 2020
TELECOMS
National Digital Network (WINDOW) Plan Launched
MIC to Reduce Mobile Number Porting Fees
• The action plan aims to prepare Malaysia for its transition towards 5G through several phases beginning with
the expansion of 4G broadband mobile broadband coverage during its first phase.
• The phasing out of 3G networks will be conducted in stages until end-2021. Other projects include the
improvement of fixed broadband speeds from 25Mbps to 35Mbps, more telecoms towers being planned, with
the existing towers to be upgraded by service providers under the Universal Service Provision (USP).
• The new measures will see the current switching fees charged by shops reduced from JPY 3,000 to JPY 1,000,
and removed totally for switching applications made online.
• The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) hopes to introduce these measures by the end of
2020, as part of its efforts to improve mobile number portability and increase market competition.
DICT Targeting 10,000 Free Wi-Fi Hotspots by Year End
• The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is planning to have 10,069 Wi-Fi
hotspots activated by end of 2020, an increase of over 5,000 from the current 4,600 hotspots. The agency is
focusing on providing Internet access to remote areas and hopes to have a total of 23,100 hotspots by 2021.
DIGITAL BYTES
SEPTEMBER 2020
TELECOMS
MSIT Announces Criteria for Businesses Required to Provide Stable Services
• The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT)’s preliminary notice of amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the
Telecommunications Business Act defines the criteria for businesses required to maintain the stability and
quality of telecommunication services, and lessens the burden for SMEs involved in IoT businesses.
• Value-added telecommunication providers – which are set to include OTT businesses as per earlier draft
amendments of the Telecommunications Business Act – will be required to help maintain the stability and
quality of telecom services if they have an average of more than 1 million daily users and more than 1% of
domestic traffic.
MIC Releases Decree 91 on Spam Call Regulations
• Released by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) on 14 Aug 2020, this Decree limits the
number of advertising text messages sent to users, and also limits the time that the messages and calls may be
sent/made, along with penalties should these rules be violated.
• The decree is expected to take effect on 1 Oct 2020.
DIGITAL BYTES
SEPTEMBER 2020
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Govt Agencies Release Guidelines for AI Standards Development
BPPT Releases National AI Strategy
• Comprehensive guidelines for the development of an AI standards system have been jointly released by the
National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Ministry
of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and Standardisation Administration.
• By 2021, the govt targets to clearly define the overall design of AI standardisation framework and complete the
development of 20 key AI standards related to ethics, general AI technologies and those in specific fields like
natural language processing, biometrics identification.
• The National Agency for Research and Innovation (BPPT) has released Indonesia’s National AI Strategy 2020-
2045.
• There are four main strategies (i.e. Ethics and Policy, Talent Development, Infrastructure and Data, and
Industrial Research and Innovation) and five priority areas (i.e. Health, Bureaucratic Reform, Education and
Research, Food Security, and Mobility and Smart Cities).
Govt to Invest USD420m on AI, Big Data, Cloud under New Deal Plan
• The additional KRW499bn (USD420m) of its supplementary budget to help boost 2,103 AI and big data
businesses under the Korean New Deal. A further 28,000 jobs are expected to be created.
DIGITAL BYTES
SEPTEMBER 2020
FINANCIAL SERVICES
OJK Releases Digital Innovation and Digital Financial Literacy Roadmap
• The Digital Innovation and Digital Financial Literacy Roadmap 2020-2024 includes an action plan focusing on
six key aspects, namely (i) accelerators, (ii) regulation and supervision, (iii) research, (iv) collaboration, (v)
employment, and (vi) consumer protection.
• The action plan also outlines several new initiatives to (i) prepare the workforce with skills needed in the digital
economy and financial industry, and (ii) build a more technology-literate society.
FSC Publishes Fintech Development Roadmap
• The 3-year Roadmap aims to create a conducive ecosystem for the development of fintech to bolster new
service applications, financial service usage, quality and efficiency, for financial inclusion innovation,
sustainability of service providers and financial system resilience .
• Strategic directions have been laid out in areas of promotion, including: (i) establishing a single window
communication platform; (ii) digital infrastructure; (iii) promoting regtech; (iv) strengthening capacity building;
(v) data sharing; (vi) ethics; and (vii) international collaborations.
Like our ‘byte-sized’ content?
For more on what TRPC does, please visit us at www.trpc.biz or connect with us via
social media.
TRPC is a boutique consulting firm which specialises in
telecommunications and information technology, particularly the
policy and regulatory issues associated with national information
infrastructure development, with an emphasis on the Asia-Pacific
region. We offer specialised advisory, research, and training
services, with a focus on economics, regulatory and strategic
business issues, and possess an extensive network of industry
experts and professionals throughout the region.

TRPC Digital Bytes September 2020

  • 1.
  • 2.
    DIGITAL BYTES SEPTEMBER 2020 TELECOMS NationalDigital Network (WINDOW) Plan Launched MIC to Reduce Mobile Number Porting Fees • The action plan aims to prepare Malaysia for its transition towards 5G through several phases beginning with the expansion of 4G broadband mobile broadband coverage during its first phase. • The phasing out of 3G networks will be conducted in stages until end-2021. Other projects include the improvement of fixed broadband speeds from 25Mbps to 35Mbps, more telecoms towers being planned, with the existing towers to be upgraded by service providers under the Universal Service Provision (USP). • The new measures will see the current switching fees charged by shops reduced from JPY 3,000 to JPY 1,000, and removed totally for switching applications made online. • The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) hopes to introduce these measures by the end of 2020, as part of its efforts to improve mobile number portability and increase market competition. DICT Targeting 10,000 Free Wi-Fi Hotspots by Year End • The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is planning to have 10,069 Wi-Fi hotspots activated by end of 2020, an increase of over 5,000 from the current 4,600 hotspots. The agency is focusing on providing Internet access to remote areas and hopes to have a total of 23,100 hotspots by 2021.
  • 3.
    DIGITAL BYTES SEPTEMBER 2020 TELECOMS MSITAnnounces Criteria for Businesses Required to Provide Stable Services • The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT)’s preliminary notice of amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act defines the criteria for businesses required to maintain the stability and quality of telecommunication services, and lessens the burden for SMEs involved in IoT businesses. • Value-added telecommunication providers – which are set to include OTT businesses as per earlier draft amendments of the Telecommunications Business Act – will be required to help maintain the stability and quality of telecom services if they have an average of more than 1 million daily users and more than 1% of domestic traffic. MIC Releases Decree 91 on Spam Call Regulations • Released by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) on 14 Aug 2020, this Decree limits the number of advertising text messages sent to users, and also limits the time that the messages and calls may be sent/made, along with penalties should these rules be violated. • The decree is expected to take effect on 1 Oct 2020.
  • 4.
    DIGITAL BYTES SEPTEMBER 2020 ArtificialIntelligence (AI) Govt Agencies Release Guidelines for AI Standards Development BPPT Releases National AI Strategy • Comprehensive guidelines for the development of an AI standards system have been jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and Standardisation Administration. • By 2021, the govt targets to clearly define the overall design of AI standardisation framework and complete the development of 20 key AI standards related to ethics, general AI technologies and those in specific fields like natural language processing, biometrics identification. • The National Agency for Research and Innovation (BPPT) has released Indonesia’s National AI Strategy 2020- 2045. • There are four main strategies (i.e. Ethics and Policy, Talent Development, Infrastructure and Data, and Industrial Research and Innovation) and five priority areas (i.e. Health, Bureaucratic Reform, Education and Research, Food Security, and Mobility and Smart Cities). Govt to Invest USD420m on AI, Big Data, Cloud under New Deal Plan • The additional KRW499bn (USD420m) of its supplementary budget to help boost 2,103 AI and big data businesses under the Korean New Deal. A further 28,000 jobs are expected to be created.
  • 5.
    DIGITAL BYTES SEPTEMBER 2020 FINANCIALSERVICES OJK Releases Digital Innovation and Digital Financial Literacy Roadmap • The Digital Innovation and Digital Financial Literacy Roadmap 2020-2024 includes an action plan focusing on six key aspects, namely (i) accelerators, (ii) regulation and supervision, (iii) research, (iv) collaboration, (v) employment, and (vi) consumer protection. • The action plan also outlines several new initiatives to (i) prepare the workforce with skills needed in the digital economy and financial industry, and (ii) build a more technology-literate society. FSC Publishes Fintech Development Roadmap • The 3-year Roadmap aims to create a conducive ecosystem for the development of fintech to bolster new service applications, financial service usage, quality and efficiency, for financial inclusion innovation, sustainability of service providers and financial system resilience . • Strategic directions have been laid out in areas of promotion, including: (i) establishing a single window communication platform; (ii) digital infrastructure; (iii) promoting regtech; (iv) strengthening capacity building; (v) data sharing; (vi) ethics; and (vii) international collaborations.
  • 6.
    Like our ‘byte-sized’content? For more on what TRPC does, please visit us at www.trpc.biz or connect with us via social media. TRPC is a boutique consulting firm which specialises in telecommunications and information technology, particularly the policy and regulatory issues associated with national information infrastructure development, with an emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region. We offer specialised advisory, research, and training services, with a focus on economics, regulatory and strategic business issues, and possess an extensive network of industry experts and professionals throughout the region.