Country Presentation

1
Country Presentation

• Ninth APT Standardization Program Forum (29th
  March 2005- 1st April2005)
  
• Ms.Ambika GurungBhutan Communications
  Authority,
  
• Ministry of Information and Communications,
• ThimphuBhutan.

2
Introduction

• The Kingdom of Bhutan is the last Buddhist
  Kingdom of the Himalayas that is bordered by the
  Tibetan Autonomous Region of China to the North
  and India to the south.
• Most of the Countrys population is concentrated
  in the valleys while large areas at higher
  altitudes are virtually empty except for nomadic
  herders.Bhutan is divided into 20 Dzongkhags or
  Districts for administrative purposes.

3
Country profile

• Capital Thimphu
• Area 38,394sq Km
• Population 0.734 million
• Currency Ngultrum (Nu)
• GDP US 646 million (2004)
• Per Capita Income US 835 (2004)
• Tele density
• Over all 4.03
• Urban 15
• Rural

4
cont

• Waiting list for Telephone lines 450 (2004)
• Cellular Subscribers 17,800 (2004)
• Paging Subscribers 1
• Telex Subscribers 6
• Internet Subscribers
• Dial up - Above 3,036
• Lease line 30 (2004)
• International Outgoing Traffic 7 million
  minutes
  

5
History of Telecom in Bhutan

• 1967 First Telecom Service started in Bhutan.
• 1987- 1990 Satellite Earth Station
• 1996 Fully digital Microwave completed
• 1999 The Telecom Act, approved by the 77th
  session of the National Assembly
  
• 1999 first Internet Service provider (ISP)
  Druknet Commissioned
  
• 2000 Bhutan Communication Authority (Regulatory
  Body) Established
  
• July 2000, Telecom Department Turned state own
  Corporation.
  

6
ICT Development in Bhutan

• June 1999 Bhutans first Internet Service
  Provider (ISP) named Druknet commissioned under
  the Bhutan Telecom.
  
• July 2003 Ministry of Information and
  Communications established.
  
• November 2003Bhutan Mobile Communications
  Service started using the GSM 900 by the Bhutan
  Telecom (B-Mobile).

7
Telecom Networks

• The National backbone network consists of
• 34Mbit/s digital microwave links in the 8 GHz
  frequency band for main routes.
  
• 34Mbit/s digital microwave links for the spur
  routes in the 8.3 GHz frequency band.
  
• 8Mbit/s capacity routes.
• Telecommunications Services are also provided
  using digital radio multiple access subscriber
  system (DRAMASS) to densely populated districts.
  

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Telecom Networks cont..

• DRAMASS connectivity to the TX network is through
  2x2Mbit/s and 8Mbit/s digital microwave radio
  links in the 2.4Ghz frequency band.
  
• The 34Mbit/s and 8Mbit/s digital microwave radio
  links terminate at fifteen digital NEC NEAX61E.
  
• DRAMASS TX link terminate at ten DRAMASS
  exchanges.
  
• In rural areas,ultra high frequency (UHF) and
  very high frequency (VHF) technologies have been
  used to provide basic voice telephony services.
  
• In rural areas,ultra high frequency (UHF) and
  very high frequency (VHF) technologies have been
  used to provide basic voice telephony services.
  

9
Bhutan Communications Authority

• BCA was established in the year 2000. Bhutan
  Communications Authority is headed by the
  Director with 20 staffs.
  
• BCA is mandated to regulate and facilitate the
  Development of the BhutaneseTelecommunications
  sector. Its responsibilities include economic
  regulation, technical regulation standards.
• Coordinating the Development of the
  telecommunications infrastructure, managing the
  radio frequency spectrum, administrating
  Commercial cable television licensing terms and
  conditions, providing to the Government on
  telecommunications matters and representing
  Bhutan in International

10
Standardization Scenario in Bhutan

• The Bhutan Communications Authority is working on
  Standardization Unit by 2004-2005.
  
• Framing of Standardization rules and regulation
  is ongoing.
  
• Type approval scheme
• -such as conformity declaration scheme is being
  studied.
  
• Evaluation based on document submission (MRA and
  others).
  
• -Evaluation at Test Lab
• Implementation of rules and regulations
• -To set up rules and to regulate ICT
  equipment
  

11
Cont

• Rules and document to be prepared
• Rules of type approval
• License conditions
• Guidebook for type approval
• Applications forms
• Work manual of BCA
• Supporting facilities for implementation
• Library of Technical document
• Test Laboratories
• Soft ware

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Standardization Activity
13
Approval Schemes
14
Frame work of Schemes

• Compliant Equipment Scheme
• This scheme will be applied to ICT equipment such
  as single wire-line equipment which is
  technically matured and is used worldwide. Since,
  the public switched telephone network in Bhutan
  follows the world class technical standards such
  as ITU-T, so single wire-line equipments used in
  other countries could be accepted in Bhutan
  without much detail technical evaluation.
• Acknowledged Equipment Scheme
• This scheme will be applied to ICT equipment such
  as low power radio equipment which could cause
  interference in others telecommunication in
  Bhutan due to the difference in environmental
  conditions when compared to other countries. The
  equipment must be verified by recognized test
  bodies as complying with BCA specifications or
  equivalent.
• Validated Equipment Scheme
• This scheme will be applied to that ICT equipment
  of unique features which is not universally used,
  but could be used in mountainous countries like
  Bhutan.

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Future Activities

• At present, the main drawback faced by BCA is the
  requirement of skilled human resource. Such
  workshops as this one would be one form of
  enhancing and solving this problem where one
  could exchange and learn from other participants.
  Besides developing the framework, BCA is also
  looking into opportunities to enhance its human
  resources capacity.
• Bhutan still needs to learn a lot from other
  countries experience and it is felt that a
  close Regional Cooperation between regional
  regulatory bodies and active continuous exchange
  of ideas and information in terms of
  technological developments would be beneficial
  not only for Bhutan but also for other member
  countries facing similar problems.

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Promotion of Standardization

• Presently the standardization activities are
  almost nil in Bhutan.But with the proper
  Workshop/Forum received with the aid of of
  International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and
  Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) like this
  Workshop would be very beneficial for my office.
• By such workshops and trainings, one gets to know
  about different standards followed in different
  countries. Therefore, it would help one to decide
  what standards to be adopted in their country.In
  future if a competent laboratory is set up, the
  researchers can be under taken and adopt a
  standard that is best for ones own country.

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Conclusion

• (What I expect from this Workshop)
• This workshop is especially on the
  standardization activities of Telecommunications
  equipments, I expect to learn a lot of Standards
  followed in the developed countries as well as
  the developing Countries.
• Thank You