[kictanet] Fwd: SV: [Fibre-for-africa] Connectivity: What does Africa really need?

[Eric Osiakwan]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Anders Comstedt" <anders at ssvl.kth.se>
> Date: 16 October 2007 14:26:53 GMT+03:00
> To: "'APC - Private list for use by EASSY Workshop Participants'"  
> <fibre-for-africa at lists.apc.org>
> Subject: SV: [Fibre-for-africa] Connectivity: What does Africa  
> really need?
> Reply-To: APC - Private list for use by EASSY Workshop Participants  
> <fibre-for-africa at lists.apc.org>
>
> Dear Wakabi and others
>
> Isn't it difficult to ask for a Marshall plan and at the same time  
> see how
> the sector and, above all, its users are financially drained?
>
> PROFITABLE TELECOMS
> Surprisingly there are higher profit margins in most of the  
> business that
> the mobile phone operators have in Africa, including or excluding the
> licence fees, comparing to counterparts in more open and competitive
> markets. How is that? Why is competition restricted and prices not  
> coming
> down, in particular considering the low purchase power of the  
> users? Some
> people obviously don't want to change the ball game.
>
> The combined sector revenues to governments and shareholders make it a
> little bit difficult to say that the sector cannot finance its own
> investments, expanding footprint and new services. Actually at the  
> same time
> even reduce user prices quite a bit. How come that the users are  
> not given
> more choices from several competing providers? Shifting value to  
> much to
> users, or?
>
> The typical licensing regime still seems, in general, to serve no  
> other
> purpose but to sell operators a hunting licence on users,  
> maximising the
> government revenues in the process. The scarce spectrum resource is  
> in many
> ways used as an over inflated bogus argument in lack of any better.  
> True, it
> is to some extent an issue and the licensing should focus on it,  
> skipping
> licensing and all other restrictions on open market, free provision of
> service. On the contrary, dominant players should be obliged to
> interconnect, not being sheltered from competition.
>
> Why are operator investments taxed, instead of profits, if you like  
> to drive
> investments?
>
>
> SHARING INFRASTRUCTURE
> Sharing basic, non-differentiating infrastructure at cost related  
> prices
> turns out to be a good business proposal (like http:// 
> www.openreach.co.uk )
> as it is always cheaper than do-it-yourself if you have a few service
> competitors using it. High utilisation would create a lower cost  
> base for
> all operators. But it requires organisational structure that lowers
> operational and political risks. What is done to lower those risks?
>
> Note, the most important thing in shared infrastructure is TRUST.
>
> Or, who would like to bet the farm on being depending upon a flimsy
> operation controlled by people with no skin in the game?
>
>
> USERS
> The most appalling absence in the African telecom policy debate is  
> the users
> and the user agents. True, the telecom sector is dominated by a  
> producer
> perspective globally, but in places where strong user agents are  
> balancing
> these forces we get a more reasonable chunk of the value  
> distributed to all
> parties. How will user agents come forward in the debate?
>
>
> The ITU
> Wouldn't it be interesting to put half of all the combined licence  
> revenues
> for the coming two years into an African backbone and global
> interconnectivity fund? To create an infrastructure open to all  
> providers,
> new or old, on equal terms. Now that is a task for the ITU! Or is  
> the ITU
> too dominated by folks who don't want to change the ball game to the
> advantage of users?
>
>
> The document would benefit from touching the areas above.
>
> Sincerely
>
> Anders Comstedt
>
>
> -----Ursprungligt meddelande-----
> Från: fibre-for-africa-bounces at lists.apc.org
> [mailto:fibre-for-africa-bounces at lists.apc.org] För Wairagala Wakabi
> Skickat: den 16 oktober 2007 07:17
> Till: APC - Private list for use by EASSY Workshop Participants
> Ämne: [Fibre-for-africa] Connectivity: What does Africa really need?
>
> Netters,
>
> The ITU is convening the 'Connects Africa' summit in Kigali, Rwanda on
> October 29-30. Its main concerns are that Internet services needed for
> business, government and consumer applications continue to be  
> either very
> expensive or not available due to limited broadband network
> infrastructure; and that rural connectivity and access remain  
> inadequate
> as does the availability of locally relevant content, applications and
> services.
>
> This paper, by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for  
> East and
> Southern Africa (CIPESA), outlines some of the issues that need to be
> addressed for the vision of boosting connectivity in Africa to be
> realised.
>
>
> http://fibreforafrica.net/main.shtml?x=5236108&als[MYALIAS6]=Joining 
> %20the%2
> 0dots&als[select]=4051582
>
>
> Wakabi
>
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Eric M.K Osiakwan
Executive Secretary
AfrISPA (www.afrispa.org)
Tel: + 233.21.258800 ext 2031
Fax: + 233.21.258811
Cell: + 233.244.386792
Handle: eosiakwan
Snail Mail: Pmb 208, Accra-North
Office: BusyInternet - 42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North
Blog: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/
Slang: "Tomorrow Now"




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