Regional Telecommunications Services

Increased Competitiveness through Telecom

Services

Regional and World Wide Trend:

Increased recognition and emphasis on Telecoms and ICTs as one of the major drivers of economic growth and development, with a focus on access and affordability, across the economies

Telecommunications services recognized as not being limited to an industry, but as a key component to the development of other industries in the matrix of social and economic development, such as Manufacturing, Banking and Finance.

Telecommunications services do not refer only to infrastructure and hardware but also to data, information and knowledge and the associated human resource skills that are required.

Definitions and Scope Telecom Services

Definition and Scope

Global and Regional Trends in

Telecoms

• Communications intensive economies, with high demand for new, mobile technologies

in support of the increasingly culturally based service economy;

• Increased demand for bandwidth to satisfy connectivity needs;

• Moves towards regional harmonization in regional policy and planning; and

• Increased telecommunications and ICT investments in the region

Global Advancements in

Telecom

• Focus on mobile broadband and 3G / 4G services and now towards the 5G /IMT 2020 specifications• Increasing demand for high-

end wireless technologies such as LTE

ALL IP /Next Generation Networks

(NGNs)

• Rapid growth and demand for NGN services which afford the convergence of a host of services on the computer, laptop, netbook or mobile phone including:o Media serviceso Real time e-transactions and other business

serviceso Mobile marketingo GPS / GIS and Security serviceso Social Networking and virtual gaming

Regional Telecommunications

Landscape

Countries are at different stages on the ICT development continuum

“The most important factor that led to America’s stunning success in information technology was not the free market but government regulation… These actions opened the door to competition and lower prices. More important, they changed the industry’s structure, replacing monoliths with smaller, specialised companies which have to work with others with complementary skills. The result has been tremendous innovation.”

Economist.com. June 2, 2009

Re-Thinking Regulation

• Legislation dated with many Acts and Laws governing the telecom sector pre-dating Telecom liberalization in many states

• Legislation to address convergence of sector with Information Technology and media and its interactions with financial sector

• Other severely outdated laws to be reassessed include:o Competition Lawso Broadcasting Laws

• E-Transactions and E-Government legislation still under development in a number of countries

The Global Policy Framework

The Regional Policy

Framework

• SADC Connectivity Agenda (Digital SADC 2027)o Individually and collectively move towards expanding access

to global knowledge and full integration with the knowledge society

o Modernization of the telecommunications sectoro Promoting and strengthening free and fair competition in

telecommunications serviceso Facilitating access to and usage of computers and software

in our learning environments

The Regional Policy Framework

Key Issues and Challenges

• Pace of development of policy, legislative and regulatory framework not equal across the region

• Non-harmonized approach except in a few areas e.g. Spectrum policy.

• Technological advances often outpace the rate of change of the framework

Policy, Legislative and Regulatory Framework

• Developing a renewable cadre of skilled specialists in technology and policy of the telecoms sector

• Identifying training and development gaps as well as the opportunities to fill those gaps within the region collaboratively

• Expanding existing training facilities

• Facilitating OPEN ACCESS cross-regionally

Human Resource Requirements

• Redressing the broadband Infrastructure Gaps through regional level connectivity infrastructure

• Adequate investments needed in providing affordable region-wide broadband coverage

• However, the cost of capital for indigenous firms to compete in providing telecommunications services at affordable prices to the end users is often prohibitive.

Infrastructure Requirements

• Mobile telephony penetration grew at a rapid rate in the region especially 2G

• 3G and 4G need strategies to increase uptake

• However there is a slower pace of growth in the adoption of more advanced business-oriented technologies

• Challenges include:o Adopting regional policies that facilitate the move from basic

telecommunications services to more advanced 3G/4G applications

o Addressing pricing issues that make access and affordability of these services a deterrent to adoption

Access to and Use of Telecommunications

• Influencing global policyo Un-coordinated regional participation in international

processes, including WSIS, EPA, WTO discussions o Missed opportunities to influence the global agenda

• Financingo Enabling access to funding from indigenous financial

institutions through tax incentives and otherwise

o Often unsuitable terms and conditions are associated with funding from multilateral agencies

Other Key Issues and Challenges

• Sustainability and Environmental Issueso Mitigating adverse effects, including:

• carbon emissions, climate change, e-junk, etc.

• Regional Coordination / Cooperationo Redressing the regional approach to telecom services

Other Key Issues and Challenges

Regional Framework

Organizational Implications

• Common vision for telecommunications services across the region

• Public/Private sector/Civil Society partnership model• Evidence-based policy making through Research and

Development• Mechanisms for measurement and evaluation of

progress

Closing Thoughts

A pro-active regional strategy for telecom services will require three key elements; harmonization at all levels, co-ordination and co-operation among all stakeholders including operators and service providers, governments, businesses, civil society and international and multilateral interests.

Thank You!