Telecommunications Policy and Development

1
Telecommunications Policy and Development

• Edward M. Malloy, PHD
• U.S. Agency for International Development
• emalloy_at_usaid.gov

2
USAID ICT-for-Development Strategy

• Policy, Legislation, Regulation
• Access for the Under-Served
• Developmental Applications
• Capacity-building
• Gender Equity
• Private Sector Leadership

3
Approach to Policy and Regulatory Reform

• Enable the private sector to take the lead in
  telecom build-out and developmental use
• Necessary (but not sufficient) condition for
  development of the telecom sector
• Flexibility policy reform must be tailored to
  country conditions
• legal environment --investment needs
• legacy telecom structure

4
Policy and Regulatory Goals

• Competitive markets for goods and services
• Private investment
• Effective independent regulator
• Innovation and new services (Internet, mobile,
  broadband, 802.11, VOIP, etc.)
• Universal (rural or public) access
• Intl trade accordstelecom, IT, IPR, e-com

5
Programmatic Objective Promoting Policy
Liberalization

• Providing legal expertise to prepare policy and
  draft legislation
• Promote regional associations
• Support WTO Telecom Services Agreement, incl.
  Regulatory Annex
• Provide training at USTTI and promote dialogue
  with FCC and other USG agencies.

6
Strengthening the Regulator

• Bilateral assistance in building regulatory
  capacity in info management, billing, consumer
  protection, competition, etc.
• Promote regional associations of regulators
• Provide regional regulatory training workshops
• Build in-country training capacity e.g.
  curriculum enrichment, training modules.

7
Promoting Rural Access

• Target universal service regimes
• schools and libraries (e-rate)
• connectivity
• Support regulatory measures
• cost-based pricing
• licensing community operators incl. cooperatives
• wholesale pricing for ISPs, phone shops.

8
Open and Secure Internet

• Affordable pricing policy IXPs and as condition
  of connectivity assistance
• Cybercrime law and enforcement workshops
• In-country advocacy GIPI

9
E-government

• Implementing E-Government Conference Nov. 20-22
• G2B pilot programs
• Support for in-country initiatives

10
Electronic Commerce Policy

• Provide country and regional workshops
• Develop e-commerce training tools for law, policy
  implementation and SME training
• Provide expertise to assist in preparing policy
  and legislation

11
Example Southern Africa

• From 1995, develop and support Telecom Regulators
  Association of Southern Africa
• model telecom law
• universal service applications
• From 2002, NetTel to increase in-country telecom
  policy/regulatory training capacity
• development of curricula/training modules
• peer-to-peer academic and policy networking

12
Example Southeastern Europe

• From 2002, bilateral program in Romania to
  support telecom policy and regulatory reform,
  expand access and promote e-gov
• From 2003, workshops on telecom, G2B E-government
  and e-Commerce.
• eSEE Conferences with DOC Commercial Law and
  Development Program, next in December in
  Washington