Transcript Document

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
POLICY IN A RAPIDLY
EVOLVING MARKET
CTO conference on implementing the WSIS
Action Plan, NAIROBI, 25-26th March,2004.
Presented by
Hon. Albert Kan-Dapaah
Minister of Communications
Ghana
Role of Government
 Previous role:
- supplying telecom services - albeit through
public sector telecos.
- procuring ICT equipment, etc.
 Today’s role:
- development of forward-looking policies
- encouraging competitive regulatory environment
- promoting investment in the sector.
Ghana’s Accelerated Programme
1994/95
 Objectives
-bringing about a sustained improvement in
availability and quality service to meet demand.
-improve public access in rural and urban areas,
-expand coverage of mobile services,
-promote Ghanaian ownership and control of
telecommunications companies
-public regulatory control of sector through the
creation of a single agency, NCA.
Accelerated Programme - Features
 Authorisation of two national network operators:
Ghana Telecom and new independent operator,
 Privatisation of GT through sale of a strategic
stake.
 Liberal policy towards authorisation of value-added
services such as payphone, mobile services and
data,
 Removal of restrictions on private network
construction,
 Creation of a single regulatory agency: the NCA.
Outcome of Liberalisation
 Licence obligations were not met
 Failure of Duopoly to introduce effective
competition,
 Long waiting periods for new applicants for
service,
 High access charges and corruption,
 Poor quality of service
 Weak Regulatory Agency
 Poor interconnection and spectrum
management
Post-Exclusivity DevelopmentPriorities
 The development of countrywide broadband
infrastructure,
 Promotion of competition,
 Revision of licensing requirements,
 Attraction of investors, and
 Development of Human Resource capacity.
New Telecommunications
Policy
 Context
 To develop infrastructure to improve
universal access and service and the
creation of necessary legal and regulatory
and institutional enabling environment.
WSIS Targets
 To connect villages with ICTs etc
 To connect Universities, colleges, schools
with ICTs,
 To connect Health Centres and hospitals
with ICTs
 To connect all local and central
government depths.
 To ensure access to TV and radio for the
population, etc etc etc
Sector Strategy

To review current status of sector and
prepare on that basis, a sector diagnostic
identifying the bottlenecks and
opportunities
Objectives of Policy
 Promote development of reliable and
robust national ICT infrastructure
 Encourage the development of
infrastructure to promote access to ICTs
for the whole community
 Define Universal Service
 Promote competition
 Stimulate local content development
Contentious Issues in Policy
 How Policy will provide risk/reward
approach to regulation to facilitate
infrastructure development
 How to establish effective interconnection
in the absence of credible information.
 How to establish an optimum number of
players.
 What guarantees are required to
persuade the private sector to play
expected role.
Contentious Issues (contd)
 Introducing transparency to the
management of Spectrum.
 Treatment of VoIP.
 Who manages Universality Funds for
telecom development.
 How can the industry strengthen R & D
 Protection of national defence and
security interests.
Conclusion
 Telecommunications Policy is regarded as
“Works-in-Progress”
 Telecom Policy should be made within the
wider context of national ICT Policy and
Plan
 Policy should help develop Information
Society and Economy
 Pursue Multi-sectoral ICT development
Goal
 Develop ICT sector to use ICT as broadbased enabler of Development Goals
THANK YOU