Today, Anak IT had arranged an interview with Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam or in short AITI. The interview was held at their place in Kg. Anggerek Desa. Members who representing Anak IT during the interview session were:
For this interview, AITI (through Siti Zaraura Haji Mohammad) has elected Aedy Azmani Haji Azahari to entertain us. He is the manager of Public Relations under IT Industry Development Group. Anak IT representatives had selected "What is AITI in general?" as the interview's subject.
Aedy Azmani Haji Azahari with Anak IT Trademark
This is where the interview was conducted
The interview session:
Wafiy : Our topic for today is a bit general. We would like to know what AITI is all about
Aedy : If you play football, you have two sides kan. Let's say, you have DST FC and the other side is TelBru FC, we are the referee. We regulate telcom (telecommunication) companies. So, macam, in terms of brapa price bisdurang set, like easi kad kah or prima, kami set kan tue. They cannot go above, they cannot go below. So we regulate national spectrum and then... we control every ICT technology in Brunei so anything that goes to Brunei, has go to us to be approved and licensed. Sama macam every mobile yang masuk ke Brunei ani, has to go through us so we know frequency nya and at the same time we contact the mobile companies to verify frequency nya lurus kah inda supaya inda "clash". The main reason why we monitor the frequency is, so that.. dulu.. you guys remember kalau ada urang betelipun, skali ada suara urang third party? We want to eliminate that.
Zulfadly : Oh... so kira macam crossover kah ni?
Aedy : Yes crossover. We want to make the frequency atue clear (from any disturbance) for national security. Another thing is, since we control the equipment jua, segala walkie-talkie, mobile, satelite dish, parabola, basically anything that can be used to communicate la even PS3 punya joypad, we have to make sure ia punya reception ngam untuk playstation saja. You cannot use the joypad untuk ekon or anything like control computer dari bangunan atu kah *tunjuk bangunan sebalah*.. atu inda dapat tu.. same goes to other devices like parabola atue la aa sal ia ambil reception dari satellite.
Aedy : Ahh and then we monitor ICT companies jua. Since in Brunei ani we don't have trademark, maybe ada but inda kuat kan, I mean copyright atue la, anybody can simply cetak rompak. What we are doing is AABS (AITI Accredited Business Status). It is some sort of trademarking scheme. So siapa ada apply that through us, anything yg bisdia register (product) inda dapat urang copy tue. They have rights to protect them. If kedapatan kana copy, we can sue them (the one yang copying)
Zulfadly : Aaaa so its like kalau Bruneian buat program or even system, we just register disini supaya copyrightED la tue..
Aedy : Yes. In a way, we protect them la.. That is in-line with our order jua, we help to promote ICT and at the same time we try to develop the ICT industry in Brunei Darussalam ani. We also try to facilitate macam exhibitions rah overseas for our local companies macam last year we joined Comnic ASEAN, the biggest ICT expo in South East Asia. So... apa lagi aa?
Zulfadly : If... Peranan AITI? Kira dalam penggunaan internet?
Aedy : Internet wise... We don't monitor tue... People who monitor internet is EGNC and ITPSS for security. Anyway, we have over 25 functions and duties. You want a copy? Sanang-sanang, minta email kamu la.
Wafiy : So, kalau aku ada device yang bebali dari Singapore macam wireless device, sekali aku kan makai untuk buat system, we must go here first right untuk mencek?
Aedy : Sini dulu tue. Minta and bawa specs nya (documented specifications), and then if approved, then balayar tah kamu then you bring the product in, liatkan saja and say "this has been approved by AITI" ja. Baru lapas. Kalau inda, the problem with urang kitani, bisdurang bali saja, then kana tahan marah and say "mana kami tau pasal AITI", datang kemari, we explained to them cana procedures nya and then barutah bisdurang tau pasal kami. Tapi, by right, urang kastam sepatutnya awal membaritahu bah, macam apa saja walkie-talkie kah apa, ada betampal disana bah kira they must go through us dulu. So basically, we have to implement that dari awal la.
Wafiy : Kami terpaksa bawa barang atue kesini la dulu?
Aedy : Sini dulu. Anything with receptions, frequency, mesti dari AITI minta kana approved especially communication equipment. Wireless mouse.. aa inda kalie.. cause atu inda jauh kan signalnya.
Aedy : We also have grant scheme. Lets say you have a baby company baru kan starting up and you need funding, you do a presentation to us, you prove to us that your product or service ani can make profit, so we give you money like allowance, capital to start up the business etc. and thats it, we monitor you.
Wafiy : Then after that kami bayar balik duit atue atau inda?
Aedy : No. Its yours. It is in-line with our order atue wa "to promote". Because as long as maju di Brunei ani, happy tah kami tue.
Zulfadly : Is it sama macam incubation kah?
Aedy : Awu. Sama tue.
"We licensed, we regulate. We promote, we protect." - Aedy Azmani @ AITI
It was around half an hour interview. We talked about a lot of stuff including IC3 training, Wi-Max as well as RFID. We would like to thank Aedy Azmani for his leisure time spent with us. For further information about AITI, kindly go to their website, http://www.aiti.gov.bn or simply click here. You may even visit their office to learn more about them. That is all for today and until the next interview, wabillahitaufiq walhidayah, Assalamu'alaikum wbt...
Reported by:
Zulfadly & Wafiy
Zulfadly & Wafiy
Some galleries available inside the AITI building