Best Practices Worldwide for Broadband Growth

Best Practices Worldwide for Broadband GrowthPromoting Broadband in NMS EU countries and Greece

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Best Practices Worldwide for Broadband Growth

Christos Bouras1,2, Eri Giannaka1,2, Thrasyvoulos Tsiatsos1,2

1 Computer Engineering and Informatics Dept., University of Patras and

2 Research Academic Computer Technology Institute

E-mail:{bouras, giannaka, tsiatsos}@cti.gr

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Motivation and Scope• The main focus of this paper is to summarize the lessons

learned from countries worldwide that present high broadband penetration rate. The policies adopted by these countries for supporting the broadband growth could be proved very beneficial for countries with very low broadband penetration rate (such as Greece).

• Until now, some research work has been presented concerning lessons learned from broadband development. However, there are no concrete methodologies available in order to identify best practices for broadband development.

• This paper – presents a methodology for identifying best practices followed by

various countries worldwide for supporting broadband growth – investigates and analyses these practices– Presents the problems for broadband growth in Greece

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Broadband Worldwide - Penetration

• Statistics for broadband penetration, internet penetration, and broadband access technologies

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Countries

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ts DSL(1) Cable (1) Other (1) Total broadband penetration (1) Internet penetration (2)

Legend: (1) OECD Broadband subscribers per 100 inhabitants, by technology, December 2005(2) Internet Penetration per 100 inhabitants, Internet World Statistics, March 31, 2006 (http://www.internetworldstats.com)

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Broadband Worldwide - Net increase

• Q4 2004-Q4 2005 (Source: OECD)

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Broadband Worldwide - Competition in telecommunication market• In several European countries, the infrastructure is

owned by incumbent telecommunication firms, some of which may even be state-owned.

• Although this practice was set in place to guarantee that the interested public is served, it may occasionally lead to additional bureaucracy and tardy adoption of technological standards.

• The liberalization of the local loop telecommunication infrastructure allowed the firms involved to behave more competitively and dropped broadband monthly fees to lower prices. Such an example is Sweden

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Broadband Worldwide - Access price• The cost seems to present an important reduction

the last two years, while it is strongly related to the variety and quality of provided services, as well as to the access speeds of these service

• Cost reduction is strongly related to the level of competition of the broadband market

• In cases of countries where the level of competition is low or the market is monopolistic, the cost is significantly higher, in relation to the GDP per capita

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Broadband Worldwide – Services (1/2)• There is a two-part evolution of converged

ICT service delivery:– Multiple play offers, which include voice, data

and video services, seem to prevail representing the first stage. This stage has seen video, voice and data services consolidated on a given infrastructure (e.g. cable networks).

– The second stage will include consolidation of access platforms on one IP network, allowing users to seamlessly access content while moving over a variety of wired and wireless networks.

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Broadband Worldwide – Services (2/2)

• Multiple play availability among OECD countries, September 2005

• Multiple play services by technology, September 2005 (Source: OECD)

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Factors for Supporting Broadband Growth (1/3)• The regulatory framework: it is one of the major

factors that can seriously affect the broadband growth. In cases, where the regulatory framework is insufficient, the telecommunications sector may malfunction.

• The structural changes that take place in the information and communications technology (ICT) markets (e.g. increase of competition, privatization of public organizations, market liberalization, globalization, etc.).

• The changes of broadband services and of their use (e.g., VoIP, mobile telephony, 3G, WLAN, WiFi, WiMAX, digital television).

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Factors for Supporting Broadband Growth (2/3)

• The technological developments (e.g., creation of innovative and interoperable solutions in an IP environment, adoption of IPv6 protocol, creation of optical networks, content digitalization, increment of the computational power of personal computers, etc.).

• The users’ need for fast content access. Since the demand for broadband infrastructures is led by the need for content access, both the requirements for broadband services and infrastructures are strongly interrelated.

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Factors for Supporting Broadband Growth (3/3)• The cost: one of the most important economic elements

seems to be the income, compared to the cost of a broadband subscription.

• E(electronic)-readiness and in general the technological level of a country. E-readiness constitutes an essential measure of the e-business environment of a country and is defined by a collection of factors that indicate how amenable a market can be to Internet-based opportunities. Some of these factors are: – the connectivity and technology infrastructure, – the business environment, – the consumer and business adoption, – the legal, policy, social and cultural environment, etc.

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Regulatory Scorecard Scorecard 2005

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Greece

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ECTA Regulatory Scorecard 2005 (Source: ECTA)

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Financial and Social Factors (1/3) • There is a cross-correlation between GDP per

capita and broadband penetration• Broadband and Internet use by domestic

users is differentiated depending on the educative level, the familial situation, the age, the place of stay, the economic situation and the work type.

• There is a strong relation between the broadband access cost and the broadband penetration.

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Financial and Social Factors (2/3)

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Broadband penetration (subscribers per 100 inhabitants, 2005)

GDP per capita (USD PPP, 2004)

Simple correlation = 0.598

Broadband penetration GDP per capita

OECD broadband penetration and GDP per capita

Source : OECD

OECD broadband penetration and GDP per capita (Source: OECD, 2006)

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Financial and Social Factors (3/3)

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Broadband penetration (1) Monthly cost per Kbps of access speed in PPP USD (3)

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Technological Level (1/2)• Concerning the technological level of a country in

ICT, some of the main factors that should be measured are: a) the connectivity and technology infrastructure, b) the business environment, c) the consumer and business adoption, d) the legal, policy, social and cultural environment, etc.

• Main indices that take into account the above factors and have been investigated are the following:– International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Digital

Access Index (DAI).– Networked Readiness Index of World Economic Forum. – E-readiness ranking of Economist Intelligence Unit.

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Technological Level (2/2)

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Criteria for Best Good Practices • The cost of 1 Kbps per United States Dollars (USD) calculated in PPP.

We refer to this criterion as “A”. • Annual average growth rates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per hour

worked. This criterion is referred as “B”• The Economist Intelligence Unit’s e-readiness rankings. This criterion is

referred “C”.• The broadband penetration growth rate. We refer to this criterion as “D”. • Broadband subscribers per 100 inhabitants. This criterion is defined as

“E”.• Internet subscribers per 100 inhabitants. This criterion is referred as “F”.• The Internet penetration growth rate. This criterion is called “G”.• The investment in information and communication technologies (ICT):

This criterion is the percentage of non-residential gross fixed capital formation, total economy and is referred as “H”.

• The level of competition in telecommunications sector. This criterion is called “I”.

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Total score

Score= 2*(Α) + (Β)+2*(C)+3*(E)+2*(F)+2*(H)+2*(I)

– Where (Α), (Β), (C), (E), (F), (H), and (I) are the normalized values (in a range of 1 to 10) for the values of criteria Α, Β, C, E, F, H, and I respectively

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Best Practice Index (BPI)

• BPI = AV(S1,…,Sn) + Number of criteria– where:

• Si is the Score of a country

• AV(S1,…,Sn) is the average of S1,…,Sn

• n is the number of countries

• the Number of criteria is 14

• This equation means that a country with Score bigger than BPI (Scorei >=BPI) could be regarded as best practice.

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Good Practice Index (GPI) • GPI = AV(S 1,…,Sn)

– where Si is the Score of a country and AV(S1,…,Sn) is the average of S1,…,Sn

• A countryi could be regarded as good practice when:

• Si>=GPI && Di+Gi>AV(D1,…,Dn)+AV(G1,…,Gn)

– where AV(D1,…,Dn) is the average of D1,…,Dn and AV(G1,…,Gn) is the average of G1,…,Gn

• This equation indicates that we can consider as good practices the practices of countries with score higher than the average score and furthermore present a rapid growth of broadband and Internet penetration (criteria D and G respectively).

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Best practices ranking

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Best Practice Good Practice

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Best practices characteristics• Improvement of users’ dexterities in ICT• Internet penetration growth• Tax exemptions/Loans• Development of broadband infrastructures and coverage of

rural areas• Development broadband services• Improvement of the security of broadband

connection/services• Revision of the regulatory framework• Broadband content development and digitization• Supporting of synergies between private-public sector• Financing of research projects• Bridging the Digital Divide

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The Greek case

• Broadband penetration Jul 2002-Jul 2006

Jul 02 Jul 03 Jul 04 Jul 05 Jul 06Jan 02 Jan 02 Jan 02 Jan 02

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11 Reasons for holding back the broadband growth in Greece

• The broadband access is expensive• The delayed adoption in the new regulatory framework• Broadband is not part in the politicians’ agenda• There is one supplier-operator of broadband infrastructure which is the

incumbent operator• The Internet penetration and usage is low• The adoption, development and usage of broadband services is low due to the

limited availability of applications and content. The language is another problem here

• The Greek culture concerning the Internet usage as well as the way of life• Unsuitable treatment of the issue by the Greek state• The Greek citizens have difficulties to understand the benefits of broadband• Delays of the Greek “Information Society” Programme• Broadband is not regarded public infrastructure and/or as public good (common)

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Other problems in Greece • The broadband penetration is increased only by

users that migrate from dial-up and ISDN to broadband connection. However, only a few new users are added.

• In almost all rankings Greece has one of the latest ranks (broadband penetration, Internet usage, regulatory scorecard) or low score (e- readiness, ICT investments, PC penetration, etc.)

• The speed of broadband connections in Greece is no as high as in other EU counties

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Next steps in Greece• Until the end of 2008:

– Broadband penetration/100 inhabitants: 7% – Greek Regulatory framework inline with EU

telecommunications Regulatory framework • Until the end of 2010:

– Broadband penetration/100 inhabitants = Average EU25– Internet usage = Average EU25– Households with PC = Average EU25

• Until the end of 2013:– Broadband penetration/100 inhabitants = Average EU15– Internet usage = Average EU15– Households with PC = Average EU15

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Conclusions• The cooperation of the private and public sector is

of critical importance for the ICT development, where both types of sectors undertake roles that maximize the benefits.

• Nations achieving comparatively greater success in ICT development demonstrate the value in having a specific mission, achievable goals and policies designed to achieve success.

• The lessons learned by these countries could be followed by other countries with low broadband penetration or they could be used as a guide by the countries with low score in Best Practice Index.

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Thank you!

Questions?

Info: http://ru6.cti.gr/broadband/el/index.php

Documents

Best Practices Worldwide for Broadband Growth