| APrIGF 2026 Session Proposal Submission Form | |||||||||||||||
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| Part 1 - Lead Organizer | |||||||||||||||
| Contact Person | |||||||||||||||
| Ms. Neeti Biyani | |||||||||||||||
| Organization / Affiliation (Please state "Individual" if appropriate) * | |||||||||||||||
| APNIC Foundation | |||||||||||||||
| Designation | |||||||||||||||
| Senior Advisor, Strategy and Development | |||||||||||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||||
| Female | |||||||||||||||
| Economy of Residence | |||||||||||||||
| India | |||||||||||||||
| Stakeholder Group | |||||||||||||||
| Technical Community | |||||||||||||||
| Part 2 - Session Proposal | |||||||||||||||
| Session Title | |||||||||||||||
| When An Energy Crisis Becomes a Connectivity Crisis | |||||||||||||||
| Thematic Track of Your Session | |||||||||||||||
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| Session Format | |||||||||||||||
| Panel Discussion (60 minutes) | |||||||||||||||
| Where do you plan to organize your session? | |||||||||||||||
| Hybrid (with onsite moderator and speakers both online and offline, with online moderator for questions and comments from remote participants) | |||||||||||||||
| Specific Issues for Discussion | |||||||||||||||
| Recent global events have resulted in energy shocks across the world. These shocks highlighted the direct relationship between energy supply and power systems and connectivity. Energy shocks have impacted traditional sectors such as transport and logistics for many in remote and mountainous regions as well as island nations. They have also had significant ripple effects on critical infrastructure such as power generation, connectivity and communication – the infrastructure that underpins modern societies and economies. During periods of energy disruption, governments and households are compelled to prioritise, and allocate the limited energy available between transport, power generation and telecommunications and Internet availability. This also shines a light on gaps in resilience within national critical infrastructure, as much of it is reliant on fuel-powered transport networks and backup energy systems. This raises a fundamental question of resilience. As societies become increasingly digital-first, relying on connectivity for work, education, healthcare, and essential public services, where does connectivity sit within national crisis frameworks? Communities that are unconnected are more susceptible to disruptions in connectivity. This challenge calls for a redesigning of infrastructure and policy, so connectivity is not compromised even during crisis. This session will explore the resilience required within the telecommunications and Internet space, as well as the resilience needed at governmental levels to strengthen crisis frameworks to prepare for such events. |
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| Describe the Relevance of Your Session to APrIGF | |||||||||||||||
| [1] The session centers on improving Internet resilience in remote, rural and island communities where connectivity is often disrupted by issues such as unreliable energy supply and challenging conditions. It considers and identifies what governments, service providers, technicians and communities need to consider to ensure digital resilience in vulnerable regions. This will contribute to digital resilience within communities that need it the most, by sharing insights into energy-related issues prevalent to connectivity. [2] The session will provide an opportunity to learn from past disruptions and crisis scenarios, and discuss best practices or innovative solutions. It will examine how service providers have historically managed disruptions and explores lessons from past crises to understand how different regions experience and respond to challenges. This will contribute to identifying how to strengthen Internet infrastructure and its ability to withstand disruption. It aims to identify practical approaches and key considerations especially for remote, rural, and island communities. [3] The session will explore approaches to innovation, capital investment and long-term sustainability in the face of impending crises. We will ask panelists to share their insights on cost-effective infrastructure, extending infrastructure lifespan, and renewable energy considerations for connectivity. |
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| Methodology / Agenda (Please add rows by clicking "+" on the right) | |||||||||||||||
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| Moderators & Speakers Info (Please complete where possible) - (Required) | |||||||||||||||
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| Please explain the rationale for choosing each of the above contributors to the session. | |||||||||||||||
| This mix of speakers will be able to address the various issues the panel hopes to address - real world experience of building telecommunications and Internet infrastructure, often in remote areas, and with limited options for energy, so they are building resilience into their businesses and offerings by design. The spread of economies and contexts too will be a good spread of situations to speak from. | |||||||||||||||
| Has AI been used to develop this proposal? | |||||||||||||||
| No | |||||||||||||||
| Please declare if you have any potential conflict of interest with the Program Committee 2026. | |||||||||||||||
| No | |||||||||||||||
| Are you or other session contributors planning to apply for the APrIGF Fellowship Program 2026? | |||||||||||||||
| No | |||||||||||||||
| Upon evaluation by the Program Committee, your session proposal may only be selected under the condition that you will accept the suggestion of merging with another proposal with similar topics. Please state your preference below: | |||||||||||||||
| Yes, I am willing to work with another session proposer on a suggested merger. | |||||||||||||||
| Number of Attendees (Please fill in numbers) | |||||||||||||||
| Gender Balance in Moderators/Speakers (Please fill in numbers) | |||||||||||||||
| Consent | |||||||||||||||
 I agree that my data can be submitted to forms.for.asia and processed by APrIGF organizers for the program selection of APrIGF 2026. |
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