Regulators from across the Pacific region have gathered in Samoa to discuss the latest trends in technology and innovation in Information and communication technology sector.  

This was highlighted by the chairman of Policy and Regulation Forum for Pacific (PRFP), Charles Punaha during the 11th Asia Pacific Telecommunity at the TATTE Building.

Mr. Punaha said that they have come together for the three-day forum to also listen to experts who will do presentations on specific issues and there will also be a chance for interactions between participants during this process. 

“It is our hope that regulators and the senior officers from the ministry of ICT should be able to keep ourselves appressed of technological changes and advances that has happened in the ICT sector. 

“I think that the main objective is to work together as a region, even though in the pacific we are at different stages of ICT developments some are well advanced and some are still in the process of developing.

“But by sharing this information, experiences and of course listening to experts we can work together in assisting each other to bring up the level of ICT development in the region,” he added.

Mr. Punaha also talked about the challenges faced by regulators in relation to the evolution of artificial intelligence.

“In the next generation, we will have robots that can do things like human beings and also we will have to provide for resources to try and facilitate that. 

“Then there is the internet of things in terms of machine to machine or computers talking to computers, it is going to be a challenge for us regulators to come up with policies on how we can address this,” he added.