Monthly archive September, 2006

Wim Roggeman has been the President of ISPA Belgium since 2004, which was formed in 1997. This non-profit organisation was created to promote the interests of Belgian companies providing Internet services. Its members account for 97% of all Internet connections in Belgium. ISPA Belgium publishes a quarterly market survey on the development of the Belgian Internet market, and is via several working groups also active at a regulatory, legislative and legal level on behalf of its members and the Internet industry in general. Today Wim is Marketing & Communication Manager of the International Wholesale division of Verizon Business, the leading US-based telecommunications company.

His speech focused primarily on how can the ISP manage contents that is both of bad taste and illegal. He emphasised that Service Providers should not be liable for consumer’s bad behaviour. Like any other technology the Internet provide people with unlimited access primarily based on the assumption that people will use it morally and correctly. But often the opposite occurs, this situations are global issues not rooted in any particular region only. In South Africa, the use of Mxit is currently under public scrutiny. Ramon Thomas , the MD of NETucation has been busy with media interview on the use of Mxit in South Africa. Like problem surrounding Mxit, Internet is often populated by e-crime, pedephiles, gambling, hate speech and racism . However,media laws must always apply on the Internet, even if often people are not prosecuted . But critical concerns remains on the responsibility on Content Providers , and e-Business site owners , as the battle between legal Authorities (Min Justice, Judicial Authorities, FCCU,…), Involved institutions (Child Focus, Centrum voor Gelijke Kansen) and Law Makers (Government, Parliament)continues between those who access and hosting Companies.But for Wim, because of the many million links it is almost impossible to lock out ‘wrong do-ers’,an attempt tp lock users may be regarded as pure censorship, this is a major challenge.

For more on Ramon and Mxit click here, and for South African media report on Mxit click here.

How civil society and government can work together to make the Internet more accessible, Mr Markovski is a Senior Advisor, Government Agency for Information Technology and Communication, as well as Chair of the board Internet Society Bulgaria. His speech could be summarised as an attempt to design rules of engagement on ICT and related topics, and making ISPA more more influential in ICT policy and regulations. As governments work towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals set up by the UN ‘s Kofi Annan , therefore exist an inevitable partnership between governments and civil society on ICT and other developments aspects .

The Latest data about Internet penetration in Bulgaria from Market Test:
Number of Internet users (between 15 and 69 years): 29.3 %
Internet use from home: 15.10 %
Internet use from Internet clubs: 14.80 %
Internet use from elsewhere: 9.30 %
For more information, please, visit the ISOC blog.

Ideally, Bulgaria is a leading country on the usage of Internet by the public and how it is shaping the consumer behaviour in markets economies. Mr Markovski spoke of the need to persuade the governments in making them aware that “ICT is not an insult” but a service that can improve and facilitate development. He reiterated the need for Internet Service Providers to education and speak to politicians in ensuring that they are on their side. Indeed , the argument of engaging policy makers and industry players is as important as providing services, after all politicians makes policies, without knowledge of key issues in the industry their policies are likely to marginalise ISP at large. As such it serve nobody’s interest but those of industry players to engage everyone. As founder of the Bulgarian Internet Society, since 2002 Mr. Markovski was appointed the chairman of the Bulgarian Presidents’ IT Advisory Council.