1. Towards Internet of Things MalawiBy
Emily Khamula Lungu
Deputy Director –Universal Access
MACRA

2. Presentation outline Introduction Sector Overview Sector performance
Policy & Regulatory issues
Interventions

3. Introduction
ICT is an emerging sector in Malawi due to its essential nature in accelerating growth of all other sectors and as an enabler for poverty reduction.
Provision of information can only be done through the use of appropriate technologies from the source to users
Communication of information is ably facilitated by the deployment of information and communication infrastructure that has been developed and established throughout the country.
ICTs is no longer an option but a necessity for any country

4. Introduction
Malawi Government recognizes that IoT holds promise for delivering social and economic benefits to its economy.
Growth of smart-phones/mobile services are essential part of how economies globally function and
continue to offer unique opportunities for economic growth in many countries.
Growth in mobile data has changed consumer behaviour
more people continue to depend on mobile data/devices connected to the internet
have made life easier as they have improves peoples lives
IoT has been facilitated by the dependence of mobile data by the general public and growth and increased usage of smart phones, smart environment and cities etc.

5. Malawi’s ICT Sector overview
The ICT sector grew by 4.8% in 2016 (Annual Economic Report, 2017).
The ICT sector’s contribution to the GDP over the years has a contribution of
4.4% in 2016
4.3% and 4.1% in 2015 and
4.1% in 2014.

6. Telecommunications Services
Indicator
2014
2015
2016
Telephony operators (operational) 4
Internet service providers 15
Mobile subscribers
Fixed Subscribers
72 825
45 678
38 438
Tele density
36.4%
37.8%
42.7%
Internet subscribers
Internet penetration
11.6%
17.6%
19.6%
Revenue from all telecommunication services (MK Mil)
Annual investment in telecommunication services (MK Mil)
61 969
US$87Mi
73 839
US$103mil
28 190
US$40mil

7. Broadcasting Services
Indicator
2014
2015
2016
TV stations (Digital satellite stations) (operational 1 3 4
TV stations (Digital terrestrial stations) (operational) 2
Free to Air TV services providers (operational) 10 21
FM radio stations (operational) 50
Set Top Boxes (STBs) purchased (Free to Air)
5000
20000
25000
Pay TV subscribers
45000
65000
85000

8. Postal services Indicator 2014 2015 2016
Number of national postal operator 1
Number of courier operators (inter'nal & domestic) 13 15
International 8
Domestic 5 7
Number of permanent post offices/agencies
309
303
293
Number of courier access points
100
106
288
Letter post volumes
5,357,045
4,851,828
7,514,612

9. Mobile Money services Indicator 2014 2015 2016
Number of mobile money subscribers
Number of active subscribers (90 days)
Value of transactions (Mk 'million)
47 793
Balance on customer accounts (Mk 'million)
930.5
Number of registered mobile money agents
19 285
23 435
24 426
Number of active registered agents (90 days)
11 839
15 803

10. IoT in Malawi - Policy and Regulatory concerns
Policy & regulatory issues which impact IoT across the markets include:
Legal/regulatory aspects of IoT
Spectrum availability,
Security/privacy concerns,
Limited BB infrastructure
Digital illiteracy

11. IoT in Malawi - Policy and Regulatory concerns
Legal/regulatory aspects
one law I not capable of addressing IoT, there are a range of perspectives related to the IoT
Spectrum availability:
IoT devices communicate on different protocols, based on their connectivity requirements and resource constraints;
however some need spectrum and this requires spectrum availability – devices to communicate will do so wirelessly – no interference

12. Policy and Regulatory concerns
Security concerns :
As IoT becomes a key element of our society, adequate security for the IoT infrastructure becomes ever more important as this also increases security vulnerability due to:
possibility of devices to expose user data to theft if they are inadequately protected and in some cases they can put peoples healthy and safety at risk.
Cyber threats awareness/sensitization need to be emphasized for the general public
Operators need to develop tools that will adapt the protection of the IoT during the lifecycle of the devices.

13. Policy and Regulatory concerns
Digital illiteracy (demand side):
A large part of the targeted population is digitally illiterate
Internet is still a limited technology (supply side):
With 19% penetration rate, more inhabitants cannot access the service - universal connectivity is a vital for the uptake of IoT
National BB Infrastructure is inadequate –
with 3 optical fibre operators and 5,000 km of fibre, there is still some broadband gaps and last mile is a concern
distribution is still a challenge, this certainly can slow down the IoT prospectives
Quality of Service by operators (voice and data) is another critical enabler for IoT

14. Interventions/Projects
Digital Malawi Project
Increase access to affordable, high quality Internet services for govt, businesses, citizens
To improve the Government's capacity to deliver digital public services
Project components
Digital Ecosystem
more attractive and competitive place to invest and innovate
Legal and Regulatory Reform and Implementation (Enabling Environment);
Regulatory Capacity Building and Institutional Development;
Partnerships for ICT Skills Development, job creation and Innovation.

15. Interventions/Projects
b) Digital Connectivity
encouraging infrastructure development in areas which do not attract investment from the private sector through:
Connecting all public institutions in the country;
Providing innovative broadband access
Connecting higher education institutions to improve caching and local content development.
c) Digital Platform and Services
focus on digital transformation for Malawi to deliver an advanced, competitive economy and modern, effective public services for all.
Strengthening Institutional Capacity to Deliver Digital Services;
Sharing Digital Public Services Delivery Platform e.g. Data Center;
Developing Digital Applications and Services.

16. Interventions/Projects
2) National Fibre Backbone Project
The Project is expected to lay fibre from the northern border district of Chitipa to Nsanje in the south, through Lilongwe, Blantyre and Zomba – mandate to promote UA to BB is strategic
BB Strategy development – Consultant is working on this development
3)Digitizing Post Offices – one stop shop (e-govt services to be accesses in post offices (digital economy creation)
4) Universal access projects - newly created UA Fund
Connect public institutions (health centres, clinics, schools, colleges, libraries)
Community Access Projects enhance post offices and provide connectivity
Broadband infrastructure gaps and BB access gaps -
Digital literacy and local content

17. Some thoughts /recommendations
Persistence in advocating for UA to the internet for all, including affordability –
Legislation on UA Fund – advocate for BB infrastructure and last mile connectivity
Enabling environment for private sector investment – a considerable investment is required by the private sector
Enforcement of the E-Transaction Act to encompass cyber laws, and uphold rights to privacy, among others
There is need to invest more in digital literacy as a way of ensuring UA of the internet
Learn from best practices on UA fund

18. Thank you for your attention