Regulatory policies on universal access to broadband services Interactive Workshop on Practical Strategies

8 September 2008, ITU-D Study Group 1, GenevaAndrew Dymond

Objective of presentation

Highlight a few key issues from the day

Identify related / associated practical strategies

Illustrate with country examples

Formulate opposing/alternate views

Propose & debate

Way forward? Final summary

Relationship of UAS to Broadband

UAS policy

Regional access,spread and growth of

Internet services creates demand

forbroadband

Broadband policy

Demand stimulation & supply strategy

e-government projects

price reduction measures

create investment & more opportunity

for economic delivery

Internet servicesInternet services

Broadband facilities

Broadband facilities

Converging into one policy?Converging into one policy?

Cases from this workshop (am) India

• Integrated re-casting of broadband policy, regulation and the USOF’s role into broadband access

• Use of USOF funds

USA• Inter-governmental agency collaboration to ensure broadband made available by

various means – FCC, USF, USDA

Portugal• Program energized by economic challenge – becoming competitive in the world

• Schools … schools …. schools!

• Mobile broadband as the favoured facility

Serbia• Development of a US policy through sector & demand research. Need for

broadband service identified

• Establish dual US target – Schools first broadband target in basic Scenario A

• Scenario B - Broadband to specific communities based on research outcomes

Brazil• Incumbent PSTN operators committed to extension of the backbone

• All municipalities to be connected

• All urban schools to have free broadband, under Government initiative

Dominican Republic• Needed to change the paradigm

• Various local access centre project models

• Rural connectivity programme to connect each municipal district

• Zero subsidies

Mobile banking • “Banking the un-banked” > Financial inclusion

• 85% of m-banking customers in developing countries

• Massive remittance market

• No broadband implications except capacity for growth

Cases from this workshop (pm)

Suggested topics for discussion

Are UAS and Broadband policy converging?• What are the challenges, hurdles & disadvantages for this?

Finding out the baseline information • Practical demand surveys

• Experience & lessons

Are schools the main priority for broadband?• How do we compare libraries, cybercafés, health centres?

• How should schools projects be financed?

Are UAS Funds even needed or should levies be reduced?• Obligations can be negotiated

• Licenses can have requirements

• Some competitions yield low or zero subsidies

2007 finding for GSMA …. mobile networks

Cover more than 80% of the world’s population

Global coverage and penetration indicators

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 E

Area (GSM) Wireless Penetration Population (GSM)

• Will be over 90% by 2010

Thank you adymond@inteleconresearch.com

www.inteleconresearch.com