1. Multimedia Training Kit
International and Regional Influences on National ICT Policy - key actors
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

2. Multimedia Training Kit
International and Regional Influences on National ICT Policy - key actors
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

3. Multimedia Training Kit www.itrainonline.org
Session objectives
Be able to identify international and regional organisations involved in ICT policy, their primary objectives, and any major debates involving the organisation and development.
Be able to identify regional policy and regulatory bodies, their primary objectives and any major debates involving the organisation and development.
Be able to understand how national policy is directly linked and shaped by regional and international debates and “directives”.
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

4. International & Regional Influences
National ICT policy is not developed in a vacuum
International organizations shape debate on relevant issues:
World bank, IMF – liberalization
UNESCO – communication policy, content
TRASA - policy and regulatory harmonization
APC – Internet rights
Other examples?
Trainer should emphasize here the role of each type of organization and specially, how they operate. Also raise issues around relationships among organizations and how they relate and work with each other.
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

5. Multimedia Training Kit www.itrainonline.org
ITU & Accounting Rates
International Telecommunications Organisation mainly governments & private sector
Negotiates agreements to ensure smooth global telecom operations
E.g. accounting rate regime which has been in place to balance costs between sending and receiving countries
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

6. Multimedia Training Kit www.itrainonline.org
ITU & Accounting Rates
Since ‘93 +US$ 40 billion transferred from developed to developing countries – mainly to monopoly operators
Used to keep local call costs low and fund universal service
Called into question by global liberalisation agenda
Continuing negotiations…
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

7. AFRISPA and Halfway Proposition
Aims to tackle high connectivity costs in Africa
African Internet traffic routed through Europe & N America
Results in reverse subsidies of up to US$500 million yearly
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

8. AFRISPA and Halfway Proposition
Proposes solution through aggregation of African traffic within the region
National and regional Internet Exchange Points (IXPs and RXPs)
Regional carriers and peering
Private sector driven
Needs appropriate regulation and G8 support
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

9. Multimedia Training Kit www.itrainonline.org
WTO and Tariff Reform
World Trade Organization – sets global trade rules
GATS General Agreement on Trade in Services
ABT Agreement on Basic Telecommunications Reform
It is important to raise here how the WTO agreements have not only shaped but really imposed certain rules on national policy and regulation, in terms of reform, timing and sequence of reform and type of market structure.
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

10. Multimedia Training Kit www.itrainonline.org
WTO and Tariff Reform
Liberalization of telecommunications services
Tariff free trade in ICT products
Intellectual property rights
E-commerce
Binding agreements once countries have signed
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

11. ICANN & Internet Governance
US based management of Internet domain names and addresses
Consensus approach to decisions
Needs global Internet community to implement
Efforts to put membership on more global footing
Particularly in developing regions
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

12. National ICT Policy Areas
National e-strategy
Human resource development
Infrastructure
Universal service and universal access
SMME support
Departmental coordination
Domain name administration
Taxation
Electronic transactions
Legal requirements for data messages
Interception and monitoring
Consumer protection
Security and cryptography
Electronic signatures
Trainer should provide examples of a few areas and identify the links between policy in those areas and the work of international and regional institutions… identify influences, etc. There are a lot of items here and trainer can choose those that seem of interest to participants and their work.
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

13. National ICT Policy Areas
E-government
Electronic filing and issuing
Change management
Protection of citizen information
Infrastructure
Telecommunications liberalisations and/or privatisation
Technological neutrality
Telecommunications management
Rural development
Content
ISP liability
Local content quotas and language
Communications regulation
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

14. Multimedia Training Kit www.itrainonline.org
Exercise 1
Divide into groups of 4-5
Identify a few national policy issues of interest (e.g. access to ICT in rural areas, human resource development, and lower local tariffs), and discuss the views of a number of organizations on each topic
Report back to plenary
There should be two groups with the same topic in this exercise.
Depending on the level of detail covered, trainers should prepare the exercise in a way that allows participants to explore the views of those they are normally NOT associated with. We suggest that trainers break into groups, assign an organization/institution to each participant (e.g., World Bank or WTO, TRASA, an NGO, say a women’s organization, and the Ministry of communications and/or a regulator) and ask groups to discuss a particular policy issue from the perspective of the organizations they are “representing”. Groups should report back (trainer can suggest that 2 participants per group report back their views on the topic).
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

15. Multimedia Training Kit www.itrainonline.org
Summary
Many international and regional organisations are involved in ICT policy, and it is important to be aware of their roles and positions.
National ICT policy relates to many areas and sectors.
National ICT policy is directly linked and shaped by regional and international debates and “directives”.
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit

16. Multimedia Training Kit
International and Regional Influences on National ICT Policy - key actors
Wednesday, May 08, 2019Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Multimedia Training Kit