[Title] APEC TEL Strategic Action Plan: 2010-2015

Introduction

Since APEC's inception, Leaders and Ministers have recognized the important role that ICT plays in fostering economic growth and in achieving the overarching APEC objectives of trade and investment liberalization, business facilitation and, economic and technical cooperation.

To achieve these objectives, APEC TEL will focus on the following five priorities:

- Develop ICT to Promote New Growth

- Enhance Socio-Economic Activities through the Use of ICT

- Promote a Safe and Trusted ICT Environment

- Promote Regional Economic Integration;

- Strengthen Cooperation in the ICT Sector

The following actions outline how APEC TEL will contribute to the APEC objectives and TEL priorities during the 2010-2015 timeframe.

APEC TEL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN

1. Develop ICT to Promote New Growth

APEC TEL Key Areas for Action for 2010-2015

Universal access by 2015: Expand networks to achieve universal access to broadband in all APEC economies by 2015.

Strategies to assist developing economies: Identify and disseminate strategies to assist developing economies to deploy broadband networks.

ICT availability to people with special needs: Encourage economies to develop and implement strategies to make ICT more accessible to people with special needs.

Regional deployment of IPv6: Promote public and private sector adoption of IPv6 infrastructure through information sharing and technological collaboration. Develop and promote guidelines to assist economies to effectively transition to IPv6.

Infrastructure sharing: Provide a platform for information exchange and the development of best practice approaches for efficient infrastructure sharing within economies.

2. Enhance Socio-Economic Activities through the Use of ICT

APEC TEL Key Areas for Action for 2010-2015

Development of innovative technologies and services: Share information and promote cooperation among economies to facilitate the introduction of advanced and emerging technologies and services such as cloud computing and grid computing.

Smart grids and sensor networks: Develop and promote ICT applications such as smart and resilient grids and sensor networks to seek outcomes including:

- enhancing economic efficiency and growth; and

- environmental benefits.

ICT applications to drive socio-economic activities: Share best practices for ICT applications, such as

- developing and promoting best practices for public and private sectors to implement Green ICT;

- enhancing the effectiveness of disaster response by strengthening disaster management networks;

- developing and promoting best practices for using ICT to more efficiently deliver services online including e-Commerce, e-Health, e-Education, and e-Government; and

- implementing demonstration projects.

3. Promote a Safe and Trusted ICT Environment

APEC TEL Key Areas for Action for 2010-2015

Safe and trusted ICT environment: Promote the development and dissemination of strategies for fostering a safe and trusted ICT environment, with a focus on consumer protection policies that protect personal information and promote the security of networked systems.

Cyber security capacity building: Promote the development of effective cyber security initiatives, in accordance with the APEC Cybersecurity Strategy and the APEC Strategy to Ensure Trusted, Secure and Sustainable Online Environment, including through distribution of best practice approaches, information sharing, technical cooperation, training and education.

Raising cyber security awareness

Promote and build capacity to implement effective cyber security awareness initiatives, and integrate these into broader APEC activities where possible. In particular, economies will aim to collaborate by holding an annual APEC Cyber Security Awareness Day.

Cyber security initiatives with industry: Collaborate with all relevant stakeholders, including the Internet technical community, Internet Service Providers and telecom operators, to develop options for effective cyber security initiatives against cyber threats.

Safe and secure online environments for vulnerable groups: Share information and promote policies for the protection of vulnerable groups, particularly children, from online threats. For example, by implementing capacity building initiatives that may assist economies in the efforts of ensuring a safe and secure online environment.

Internet economy: Foster a secure, safe and productive Internet economy by promoting information exchange.

4. Promote Regional Economic Integration

APEC TEL Key Areas for Action for 2010-2015

Free and open trade and investment: Develop ICT policy and regulatory frameworks that facilitate free and open trade arrangements within the APEC region.

Technical conformity assessments and equivalence of technical requirements Increase economies' participation in the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for conformity assessment and implement the MRA for equivalence of technical requirements.

International mobile costs: Provide capacity building for APEC policy makers and regulators to promote competition and transparency in areas such as interconnection and international mobile roaming markets. Encourage deployment of infrastructure and mechanisms to reduce excessive costs of interconnectivity, including through increasing industry competition by promoting free and open trade and investment.

Consumer awareness: Improve consumer awareness of communications complaint handling mechanisms, service prices and substitute technologies through the publication of reports and other awareness raising activities.

Peer learning: Encourage economies to actively participate in TEL projects and exchange knowledge and experience to facilitate streamlined regulatory measures that encourage competition and investment in the market

Submarine cable protection: Enhance submarine cable protection by consolidating and disseminating information that will reduce the incidence of disruption and expedite submarine cable repairs.

5. Strengthen Cooperation in the ICT Sector

APEC TEL Key Areas for Action for 2010-2015

Collaboration within APEC

Enhance coordination of ICT related activities within APEC, including with:

- the Committee on Trade and Investment to strengthen and contribute to regional economic integration, for example through contributions to the APEC Supply Chain Connectivity Framework, and promote free and open trade and investment, by identifying how ICT can enhance trade logistics.;

- the Electronic Commerce Steering Group and the Counter Terrorism Taskforce to promote a trusted ICT environment;

- the Health Working Group to identify effective e-Health applications; and

- the Emergency Preparedness Working Group to promote the benefits of using ICT for emergency preparedness and disaster prevention/mitigation.

Collaboration outside APEC

Enhance outcomes by collaborating with relevant multilateral organisations and Internet-related technical and administrative bodies on issues such as:

- developing, implementing and promoting relevant cyber security initiatives;

- reducing international communication costs; and

- addressing relevant environmental challenges.