Sala de Maestros, Río Hondo
By Karla Yee Amézaga

Yesterday, a cocktail was organized by the alumni of the MTIA (Masters in Information Technology and Administration) Luis Humberto Alva Martínez, Víctor Alejandro Báez Puente, Mauricio Alejandro Romero Lozada, Mónica Nancy Acosta Briseño, Lorena Méndez Ceja,  Juan Carlos Dávila Nelson,  Dr. José Incera, and the Alumni office. It was attended by peers from different generations.

The guest of honor was Adriana Labardini, Commissioner of the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT), who shared her experience fighting for consumer’s rights and the development of social projects related to telecommunications. Adriana was the founding director of Consumer Support, a civil partnership defending the rights of consumers and telecommunication users. Along with her professional experience in other government agencies, the Commissioner has also been intrinsically linked to the development of public policy at the social entrepreneurship, Ashoka. Therefore, she advised those present regardless of the sector one addresses the issue of public policy in telecommunications, it is important to identify its costs and one’s allies. Technology can be a great ally, always taking into consideration that "technology is the means, not an end."

Regarding policies with a social focus, she suggested seeking bottoms-up solutions, asking people what they need, designing strategies appropriate for the communities, and taking into consideration the local traditions and customs.

Among the challenges on the national telecommunication's agenda include taking the first steps to establishing priorities despite the fact the lack of a plural governance of the internet, and gaining more support from academia to the government in terms of foresight. Moreover, she mentioned removing barriers to innovation, and launching a shared network with existing and virtual operators, which allows using mobile broadband.

After the talk, the commissioner and all alumni enjoyed a feast of Japanese food while catching up and exchanging stories.

We hope this is the start of a new MTIA tradition. See you at the next event!

If you want to learn about upcoming events, exclusive benefits for alumni, and see all the pictures, check http://exalumnos.itam.mx/.

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