ICTs, LDCs and the SDGs

Pre-WTDC-17 Ministerial Roundtable on ICT④SDGs in LDCs, LLDCs & SIDS

8 October, 2017

Vanessa GRAYHead of LDCs, SIDS &

Emergency Telecommunications DivisionBDT/ITU

ICTs, LDCs and the SDGsAchieving universal and affordable Internet

in the least developed countries

SDG 9C “Significantly increase access to information and

communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet

in LDCs by 2020”

LDCs & LLDCs SIDS• LDCs: 47 countries highly vulnerable to

economic and environmental shocks

• Includes 17 LLDCs and 9 SIDS

• LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS face related development challenges but are very different in terms of geography, population and level of economic development.

Access/ Infrastructure

AffordabilityInternet

Source: ITU

Highlights

• ICTs, in particular basic services and applications over 2G networks, have had a significant impact on development but promise from broadband is even greater

• LDCs are on track to achieve SDG 9C in terms of access & affordability

• Internet use expected to remain low and skills remain a key barrier

• It is possible to leapfrog: sharing experiences from LDCs

• 3 dimensional framework - access, affordability & skills – to identify strengths and weaknesses and guide policies

Access/InfrastructureMiles of networks:

1st: International

2nd: National backbone

3rd: User access

Plus “Invisible mile”

Explosive growth in access to submarine cables & national backbone infrastructure

International

• Except for 6 (out of 30) ALL sea-facing LDCs have landing stations

• Almost all LLDCs have fiber optic cable cross-border terrestrial links but prices generally higher due to transit

• Unconnected SIDS are planning access to submarine cables

• Leverage regional economic communities for policy on cost-based & open access to submarine cables

National

Better backbone infrastructure through:

• Access to spectrum/digital dividend

• Regulation on rights of way and open access to networks

• Infrastructure sharing

• Universal Service Funds

27

50

0

20

40

60

80

100

POP 10-kmRange

POP25-kmRange

POP50-KmRange

POP100-KmRange

Population (%) in range of backbone network, LDC average, 2016

Source: ITU

Mobile population coverage in LDCs

• Narrowband (2G) Internet coverage high with remaining gaps almost all in rural areas

• 61% of population covered by 3G mobile broadband network

• 26 LDCs have launched 4G61

20

6570

76 77

8488 89

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

-

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Total LDC population

3G

2G

4G

Population, (‘000 ) Coverage (%)

Source: ITU

Building core Internet infrastructure

All 330%

224%

123%

None23%

% of LDCs that have 3 fundamental Internet infrastructure components,

2017

22

30

23

0

4

8

12

16

20

24

28

32

36

40

44

48

Root nameserver

ccTLD nameserver

IXP

Number of LDCs with:

Source: ITU

Affordability

Understanding affordability

• Despite price drops, international comparison (ITU price basket) shows that broadband remains unaffordable to many

• …but by 2020 will be affordable in many LDCs

• Handset biggest barrier to entry

• Flexible tariffs help with affordability and operators have adapted to low-income users

• Governments can help bring down prices by driving competition and limiting taxes

• Backbone constraints for LLDCs and some SIDS

0 10 20 30 40 50

Hourly

Nightly

Daily

>1 day & < 1week

Weekly

>1 week & <1month

Monthly

Number of LDCs with different mobile broadband Internet bundles

Source: ITU

Skills

Skills emerging as leading barrier

54

15

14

7

2

Skills

Affordability (equipment)

Affordability service charge

Access

Other

Zambia, Barriers to Internet use, 2015• Lack of digital literacy emerging as a leading barrier to Internet use in many LDCs

• Digital skills closely linked to educational attainment

• Secondary school enrolment in LDCs (43%) lies well below world average (76%)

• Strategic ICT sector plans need to highlight the role of, and make link to educational policies

• Gender digital divide must be addressed to ensure universality aspect of SDG 9C

Source: ITU

8 16

23

-

20

40

60

80

100

20

13

20

14

20

15

20

16

20

17

20

18

20

19

20

20

25 40

5161

6978

8897

0

20

40

60

80

100

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

3G coverage (% of population)

39 39 39 40 41 41 42 42

0

20

40

60

80

100

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Skills

Gross secondary school enrollment(% of age group)

30.3

16.614.6

12.09.7

7.45.0

2.7

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Affordability

Mobile broadband price (% GNI)

Internet use (% of population)

Target 9C in 2020

Access

Source: ITU

It is possible to leapfrog

Sao Tome & Principe

Bhutan

0

20

40

60

80

100

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Skills

Bangladesh

Myanmar

0

20

40

60

80

100

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Access

Mobile broadband price per month (500 MB, % GNI pc)

Tanzania

Vanuatu

0

5

10

15

20

2016201520142013

Percentage of the population covered by 3G network

Gross secondary school enrolment

Affordability

Source: ITU

3 dimensional framework to guide policy makers: access, affordability & skills

Nepal

Rwanda

Sudan

Bhutan

Access Affordability Skills

Main challenge: Access/Skills

Main challenge: Skills

Source: ITU

Recommendations

Drive competition and intensity of competition

Coverage obligations, open access regulation & universal service funds

Build core infrastructure

Rationalize taxation

Focus on digital literacy and skills

Achieve gender parity

Foster institutional strengthening

Produce better data

Send your comments to bdtlse@itu.int by Oct. 31, 2017