Page 101 - SAMENA Trends - August 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

be guiding the future investment in the sector and will be impactful the study says. Common sources of e-waste include television
for the next 15 years. While Banglalink said in a statement it sets, air-conditioners, computers, mobile phones, IT equipment,
appreciates the initiative, as it will help simplify documentation CFL bulbs, fridges, and electric fans. Such items contain precious
and operational activities, it noted the proposal was not really a metals such as gold, silver, copper, iron, and heavy metals. But they
unified license but a consolidation of existing ones, the newspaper may also contain mercury and lead, two of the most hazardous
reported. Banglalink, the third largest operator in the country, said metals for human health. The most common disposal method is
it expects Bangladesh to follow the global trend of introducing the burning of the waste in open pits. But this method releases
licenses which allow a licensee to provide any service, adding toxic substances into the ecosystem and prevents extraction of
that the new regime must be compatible with future technologies. valuable metals from the waste materials. Stakeholders, therefore,
BTRC opened a public consultation on the proposal, which closes say a proper system is long overdue. (August 17, 2019) theindependentbd.com
on 31 August. (August 27, 2019) The Daily Star
The Bangladesh government will use money from its $208 million
The Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC) plans IT project fund to send graduates for blockchain training in
to take steps to ensure proper e-waste management of such stuff Japan and India. Bangladesh authorities plan to send 100 new
as handsets, computers and electrical gadgets, as their causal IT graduates abroad to boost expertise in the fields of distributed
disposal poses a risk to the environment and public health. BTRC ledger technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning and
Chairman Jahurul Haque said: “This is a problem that needs cyber security. As a part of the initiative, the government will also
to be resolved immediately. We are trying to make a regulation send 200 graduates of computer science and software, electrical
for e-waste management so that these items are not dumped and electronic engineering to learn about future trends of
haphazardly. We are now in the era of 4G. After introduction of 5G, information technology, the report notes. The program description
we will switch to full automation. Then the amount of e-waste will is available on the official website of Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park
increase.” The commission is yet to decide on the spending of a Authority, where candidates can apply. Candidates under age
part of the social obligation fund (SOF) on e-waste management, 32 will be required to take an exam with the Information and
BTRC sources said. Environmentalists say the increasing use Communication Technology (ICT) Division in order to qualify. Per
of electrical and electronic devices in the country poses a big the report, the program will be bankrolled by a governmental fund
threat to the environment and public health. They stress the created in association with an Indian line of credit to establish
need for effective management of electronic waste (e-waste) 12 district ICT and hi-tech parks. Worth 17.96 billion Bangladeshi
such as handsets, computers and electrical items. According to taka ($208 million), the project’s fund was reportedly launched
a study conducted by the Bangladesh University of Engineering for implementation in July 2017, and will last until June 2020.
and Technology, the growth rate of e-waste generation is about Institutions of higher learning around the world have been
20 per cent per year. The e-waste contains a number of toxic prioritizing education and developing programs in distributed
substances, including lead, chromium and plastic additives. So, ledger technology. In June, the Canada-based University of
their indiscriminate dumping poses health and environmental British Columbia announced a blockchain and distributed ledger
risks. In February, the BTRC had considered spending a part of technology training program for Master’s and PhD students. Last
the social obligation fund (SOF), created with contributions from week, Ripple partnered with Kyoto University and the University
telecom operators, on e-waste management. According to the of Tokyo as part of its University Blockchain Research Initiative.
Telecom Act, the SOF can be used only to extend telecom facilities The University of Tokyo will award scholarships to students doing
in remote areas. The study carried out last year found that the blockchain research, while its economics department arranges
amount of e-waste rose to 4 lakh tons in 2018 from 1.30 lakh tons seminars on blockchain and settlement. At Kyoto University,
in 2010. The volume is projected to be 46.2 lakh tons by 2035. graduate students are conducting blockchain-related research in
Recycling of scrap and second-hand electrical equipment is a the areas of remittances and supply chain management, among
profitable business in developing countries like Bangladesh, and other spheres.
13,300 tons of e-waste enter the recycling business every year, (August 5, 2019) cointelegraph.com

Egypt

Within the framework of NTRA’a effective participation in the Shams University participated in this event. They were supervised
activities related to universal acceptance in collaboration with the by some foreign experts from the Universal Acceptance Steering
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Group and ICANN as speakers and evaluators of projects at the
the NTRA, in cooperation with the Faculty of Computer and end of the competition. This competition aims to develop the
Information Sciences, Ain Shams University, hosted the Universal skills of future software developers and raise their awareness
Acceptance Hackathon during the period from 25 to 27 August about the significance of universal acceptance and the impact of
2019. It is worth noting that roughly 30 contestants from Ain developing Internet programs and systems to be ready to receive

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