Support to the Support to the establishment of an establishment of an

integrated ICT market integrated ICT market in West Africain West Africa

Changing Policy and Regulatory Changing Policy and Regulatory FrameworkFramework for ECOWAS countries

Focus Shifting From Telecommunications to ICTs

Driven by Desire to Join Information Society

New Service Providers Responding to Pent Up Demand

Business, Policy, Regulatory and Technological Innovations

Optimistic development goals

National Regulatory Authorities in National Regulatory Authorities in AfricaAfrica

Source: ITU World Telecommunication Regulatory Database, 2004.

57

14

24

33

40

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2004

Regulatory Authorities in Africa (cumulative)

Policy And Regulatory Reform Creating Policy And Regulatory Reform Creating Growth OpportunitiesGrowth Opportunities

Level of competition in selected services in Africa 2003

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Local Longdistance

International Mobile VSAT ISPs

Monopoly Competition

Source: ITU World Telecommunication Regulatory Database, 2004.

Africa: A Mobile WorldAfrica: A Mobile World

-

10

20

30

40

50

60

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Fixed Cellular Mobile

Telephone subscribers in Africa, millions

ITU World Telecommunication Indicators DatabaseSource: ITU World Telecommunication Regulatory Database, 2004.

Ownership Status of the Incumbent Operator, worldwide

Ownership Status of the Incumbent Operator, worldwide

In pink, (partially or fully) private

incumbent, 2003

from 1991 to 2003

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

1991 1993 1995 1999 2001 2003

Private State-ownedCountries

Source: ITU World Telecommunication Regulatory Database, 2004.

How To Ensure ICT Development How To Ensure ICT Development Goals Are Met?Goals Are Met?

Build on Initial Successes in Mobile Sector Promote Competition and Market Growth in all ICT

markets Technology-neutral licenses Innovative African-Focused Business Strategies

including Pre Paid Model Promote Public Access and Local Content Foster Trans-national Roaming Agreements and

Cross-Border Operators

Benin Burkina Faso

Cape Verde Côte d’Ivoire

Gambia Ghana

Guinea Guinea Bissau

Liberia Mali

Niger Nigeria

Senegal Sierra Leone

Togo

Common Market ProjectBeneficiary Countries

Key Partners

WATRA

ITU

UEMOA

ECOWAS

EC

World Bank

promoting policy development and regulatory reform in relation to ICT

building human and institutional capacity in the field of ICT

Project Objectives

Project Activities

Identification of main constraints towards establishing a common ICT market 

Development of models/guidelines/recommendations    

In country assistance (missions by short term experts to requesting countries)

Capacity building

Outputs and Deliverables

Draft model ICT policy and legislation on the basis of this review; Draft model license agreement(s); National universal service policies, regulation and procedures Model interconnection agreements Spectrum and numbering management guidelines Market data collection and sharing tools

Suggested Methodology for Preparation of Deliverables

Example: Licensing• Review existing licensing practices and

procedures in all the ECOWAS/UEMOA countries;

• Review existing documentation• Carry out case studies in countries using different

licensing procedures.• Prepare a report of guidelines and

recommendations on best practice licensing procedures and practices;

• Draft model license agreement(s)

Suggested Methodology for Preparation of Deliverables

Example: Licensing (Continued)

• Disseminate to national country focal points for comments;

• Convene validation workshop for all countries; • Revise the documents during the workshop; • Develop an action plan for implementation of

recommendations; • Provide direct assistance to requesting countries to

help them to transpose into national practice.

Next Steps

• Confirm deliverables

• Approve methodology

• Identify and prioritize training needs

• Designate national focal points