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BUSINESS SECTORS
AITI
The
Authority
for
Info-
communications
Technology
Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI)
is a statutory body responsible for
the country’s telecommunications
and radiocommunications regulation;
radiofrequency spectrum planning
and management; and ICT industry
development.
As the country pursues its agenda for
digital transformation towards a Smart
Nation, several initiatives have been
implemented by AITI to support the
country in achieving this goal. Earlier
this year, AITI awarded Unified National
Networks (UNN) with Spectrum Rights
for the 3400 – 3500 MHz spectrum
band with a total bandwidth of 100
MHz. The spectrum band is for the use
of 5G mobile service deployment in
Brunei Darussalam.
AITI is currently exploring 5G use cases
in hotspot areas including educational
and public places. In this context, AITI
is also collaborating with Universiti
Teknologi Brunei to nurture the
development of as well as showcase
5G use case applications and initiatives
such as remote augmented reality (AR)
and virtual reality (VR) applications and
Smart Campus.
With a 5G ecosystem set in place in the
country, it will unlock a broad range of
opportunities for every industry and
business including safer and more
innovative transportation, remote
healthcare and digitised logistics.
In an effort to narrow the digital
divide in rural areas, AITI and UNN
are collaborating to modernise and
optimise its network infrastructure.
This initiative will facilitate the
nationwide deployment of mobile 5G
and FTTH services in the underserved
areas. Four mobile towers will be
established in Kampong Long Mayan,
Kampong Sukang, Kampong Melilas,
and Kampong Bang Taong with fibre
cabling infrastructure being planned
and implemented to enable access
to FTTH services. These actions will
ensure that rural communities have
access to reliable and high-speed
Internet services, which is a crucial
step towards bridging the digital gap.
To encourage faster adoption of
new technologies such as smart
IoT devices, AITI recently made
amendments on the regulations and
processes governing the importation
and approval of telecommunications
and radiocommunications equipment.
Providing more alternatives for Dealer
Type Approval validity period, as well as
allowing importation of Bluetooth-Only
devices relieved from Type Approval
fees, are some of the regulation
changes made.
AITI has also made the process in
gaining permits and approval more
seamless by enabling submission of
applications either through the AITI
online services portal (online.aiti.gov.
bn) or AITI Mobile app.
As part of the country’s digital
transformation journey, AITI has
been making efforts to support the
ICT sector’s growth. The Manpower
Industry Steering Committee Working
Group for ICT Sector (MISC-WG ICT)
with AITI as Secretariat, marked a new
milestone on August 3, 2022 with
the launch of the Brunei ICT Industry
Competency Framework (BIICF).
BIICF was developed to support Brunei
Vision 2035 and the Digital Economy
Masterplan 2025 for manpower and
talent development. The framework
provides a national standard for ICT