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Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade opened the ITU Global Symposium for Regulators calling for “computers for all, digital for all”

A warm welcome to Senegal approaches to managing the ever more complex In the broadband world, “a new ladder of regu- information and communication technology (ICT) lation” is required to achieve the right balance be- markets. In particular, the meetings focused on the tween service and infrastructure competition. This in- ongoing development of the mobile and wireless cludes ensuring equal and non-discriminatory access market; the impact of broadband, not just on the ICT to networks, and the removal of potential bottle- sector, but also beyond it; and the migration from necks that could prevent users from enjoying the full analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting and the benefi ts of a digital world that is increasingly driven allocation of the “digital dividend” — the ultra-high by speed, ubiquity of access and affordable prices. frequency spectrum (470–862 MHz band) potentially This is one of the conclusions of the 10th Global freed up by the switchover. Symposium for Regulators (GSR-10), organized by Presiding over the opening ceremony of the the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau Symposium, President Abdoulaye Wade stressed (BDT), in collaboration with Senegal’s Regulatory that everyone should share in the benefi ts of the Authority for Telecommunications and Post (ARTP). digital dividend, even those who are not aware of The Symposium attracted 437 participants, bringing the transition to the digital economy. He said that together regulators, policy-makers and service pro- Senegal is very satisfi ed with the achievements of ITU viders from 81 countries. and the support it provides to developing countries Held in Dakar under the auspices of President to move forward in building the information society Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, the Global Industry and the digital world. He added that he will spare no Leaders’ Forum (9 November) and the Global effort to assist ITU in its work and to help achieve Symposium for Regulators (10–12 November) pro- the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. vided an important global platform for sharing ex- He congratulated Dr Hamadoun I. Touré on his re- periences, building consensus and forging common election as Secretary-General of ITU; commended

ITU News  10 | 2010  December 2010 9 10 the digitaldivide National initiativestobridge its peoplewithmoderntechnology. Africa, inparticular, ismakinggreat effortstoequip in thisarea willnotbepermanentlymarginalized. will ensure thatcountriescurrently laggingbehind be foundedonwidespread accesstocomputers.This anced, more harmoniousinformation societyshould one bythewayside,saidPresident. Abetter-bal- that exists.Thedigitalrevolution mustnotleaveany- the keystomostcompletelydemocratic realm to bridgethatdigitalgap,withcomputersoffering not. Fortunately, hesaid,theInternet nowenablesus camps: thosewhocommunicate,anddo through historybecomeincreasingly dividedintotwo computers forall,digitalall.Theworldhasdown tor) tofocustheireffortsononesimplechallenge: ments, policy-makers,regulators andtheprivatesec- congratulated BDT Director elect,Brahima Sanou. BDT, forhiscontributiontoICT development;and Sami AlBasheerMorshid,outgoingDirector of to install130more cyberhutsthroughout Senegal Poponguine inThiés,andfundinghasbeensecured A pilotcyberhutisalready operating inthetownof video telephonywithpeoplethroughout theworld. Senegal towatchtelevisionandcommunicatevia Internet connection,andwillallowvillagersacross cyberhut isacentre equippedwithcomputersand munication andtraining forvillagersandyouth.A project. Thesecyberhutswillactashubsforcom- vide, thelatestbeing“cyberhuts” tional initiativesinSenegaltobridgethedigitaldi- President Wade askedallstakeholders(govern- ITU News President Wade highlightedsomeofthena-  10 |2010  December 2010 Enabling tomorrow’s digitalworld Global Symposium forRegulators (“cybercases”)

with thelaunchofChildren’s House education. Implementationofthatvisionstarted sity, computers are omnipresent ineverystudent’s grated systemwhere, from kindergarten touniver- teacher”. “a computerforeverystudent,a will boosttheplanhehaslaunchedinSenegalfor knowledge. Thecomputermanufacturingproject He argued thatthecomputerisfastestroute to that connectivitymeansnothingwithoutcomputers. ers andconnectAfricatotheworld,hepointedout Stressing theneedtoequipAfricanswithcomput- that wouldproduce 400000computersperyear. lation inSenegalofacomputermanufacturingplant electronics. ple everyyearin for eachcyberhuttotrain around 500youngpeo- — theultimateaimbeingtoinstall350.Theplanis “Case destout-petits” President Wade’s visionistocreate aninte- President Wade wentontoannouncetheinstal- fi elds asdiverseagriculture and , Senegal (Case des

Comité Lycéen d'Echange Franco Sénégalais Enabling tomorrow’s digital world Global Symposium for Regulators

tout-petits) soon after he be- came President of Senegal. Ndongo Diao, Director- Under this community-based General of Senegal’s programme, young children Martin ITU/V. Regulatory Authority for (aged 2–6 years) are intro- Telecommunications and duced to modern toys, in- Post, and Chairman of GSR-10, cluding computer games. noted that President Wade, Use of the latest technol- who had founded Senegal’s ogy will become second na- Regulatory Authority for ture to the Children’s House Telecommunications and generation, offering them a Post and the Universal Service brighter future. Parents and Development Fund, had al- the community also receive Ndongo Diao ready accustomed Africa to education and training at Director-General of Senegal’s Regulatory the machinery of the “knowl- the Children’s House. This Authority for Telecommunications and Post edge economy”, for which initiative is just one example and Chairman of GSR-10 electronic communication of Senegal’s activities to inte- networks constituted the ba- grate ICT into the country’s sic infrastructure. President education system. Wade had displayed a bold and fi rm commitment Under the Digital Solidarity Fund, which President to foster economic recovery in Africa, which had led Wade pioneered, one company in France, the AXA him and other African leaders to launch the New Group, has offered Senegal 30 000 computers for Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). reconditioning. Welcoming participants, Mr Diao said “Senegal, A national Committee has been set up to speed under the leadership of its President, Maître up the transition from analogue to digital broadcast- Abdoulaye Wade, Coordinator for the ICT compo- ing in Senegal in order to meet the 2015 deadline nent of NEPAD, is delighted to be the organizer, in set by ITU in a digital broadcasting plan, covering collaboration with ITU, of this major global event, some 116 countries (mainly in Africa and Europe). bringing together all of the regulatory bodies and President Wade called on regulators to provide the decision-makers from the telecommunication and right environment for investment and urged the pri- ICT sector.” He called on the global gathering to help vate sector to continue investing in the ICT sector in bridge the digital divide by defi ning the future direc- Africa. Regulators faced many challenges, but one tion and scope of regulation. they should focus on is how to protect personal data in the digital world.

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Can competition repeat the “mobile miracle” for broadband?

The theme of the ITU events regulators to do for the in Dakar was “Enabling Internet and broadband Tomorrow’s Digital World”. what they have so success- GSR-10 examined how regu- Martin ITU/V. fully achieved with mobile. lators can stimulate nation- Dr Touré stressed that two wide broadband deployment things need to change if the through adaptive and target- online world is to become a ed regulations and out-of- ubiquitous resource for all the-box thinking. It stressed Africans. “First, governments that for markets to thrive, need to raise broadband to regulators must keep up with the top of the development the pace of convergence and agenda. Secondly, we need integration of ubiquitous Dr Hamadoun I. Touré to ensure that Internet ac- networks through adapting ITU Secretary-General cess — and especially broad- institutional structures and band access — becomes mandates, adopting cutting- very much more affordable. edge best practices and embracing new tools such as This is where the GSR can play an important role. innovative dispute resolution techniques. Affordability is dramatically improved when competi- Speaking at the opening ceremony, ITU Secretary- tive forces are brought to bear, and when there are General Hamadoun I. Touré urged the world’s ICT clear incentives to increase capacity.”

12 ITU News  10 | 2010  December 2010 Enabling tomorrow’s digital world Global Symposium for Regulators

Paying tribute to President to reach an estimated 5.3 bil- Abdoulaye Wade and all the lion mobile cellular subscrip- Senegalese authorities for tions worldwide, including hosting the event, Dr Touré Martin ITU/V. 940 million subscriptions to recalled the great actions im- 3G services at year-end 2010. plemented by the President Outlining this progress, in both Senegal and Africa to Mr Al Basheer commented bridge the digital divide and that regulators have played to bring the benefi ts of ICT a leading role in creating an to all. He reminded the au- enabling environment and dience that President Wade fostering innovation and in- was a visionary who had vestment. However, their contributed greatly to the Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid focus must now shift. “Not success of the World Summit Director of the ITU Telecommunication only do we need to create on the Information Society Development Bureau and sustain an enabling envi- (WSIS) with his brilliant ini- ronment for investment, and tiative to create the Digital foster market growth, but we Solidarity Fund. ITU was must also ensure effective very proud to honour President Wade with its fi rst- digital inclusion for all. Despite the progress in mobile ever World Information Society Award in Geneva, on telephony and the Internet, particular efforts need to 17 May 2006. be made to support the availability of infrastructure Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Director of ITU’s and services in underserved and rural areas,” Mr Al Telecommunication Development Bureau, underlined Basheer added. that since the fi rst GSR in 2000, the popularity of the event had grown steadily. “I am glad to have been Industry views taken on board involved in its success, fi rst as a national regulator Two sets of recommendations from the Global and over the last four years as Director of BDT. I am Industry Leaders’ Forum, the fi rst on the topic of “se- very pleased to have been able, in this position, to curing a wireless future”, and the second on “creat- organize the GSR in sub-Saharan Africa for the fi rst ing a light touch policy and regulatory environment” time in the history of the event,” he stated. also helped shape the GSR-10 debate. Mahfoudh Recalling that there are 156 ICT regulators in Ould Brahim, Deputy Director-General of mobile the world today, Mr Al Basheer said that thanks to operator Expresso, Senegal, who chaired the Forum their efforts, access to Internet services is open to presented these recommendations, along with a re- competition in 93 per cent of markets and competi- port (see story on pages 20–25). tion in the provision of basic services is the norm in more than 66 per cent of markets. The ICT sector has experienced tremendous growth in recent years

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Regional Regulatory Associations In addition to these sessions, two work- GSR-10 also heard a report from the meeting of shops were held on “Connect a School, Connect a regional regulatory associations, held in Dakar on Community” and on “National School Connectivity 9 November, and where experiences were shared Plans ” featuring ITU’s fl agship initiative “Connect a and discussion focused on ways to further intra- School, Connect a Community”, along with country regional cooperation, as well as on the status and projects. A fi nal session of the GSR discussed “the challenges of regulatory harmonization, regional way forward”. experiences with regard to international mobile roaming, and the transition from analogue to dig- 10th Anniversary Edition of the ital broadcasting. This report was presented by Alagi Telecommunications Regulation B. Gaye, Director General of Gambia’s Public Utilities Handbook launched Regulatory Authority, and Vice Chairman of the West GSR-10 also saw the launch of a special 10th Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly Anniversary Edition of the Telecommunications (WATRA), who chaired the meeting of regional regu- Regulation Handbook, which has been jointly de- latory associations. veloped by ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau and infoDev (World Bank). Complementing Interactive sessions and workshops the ICT Regulation Toolkit, the handbook provides In eight interactive sessions, GSR-10 covered such regulators with a solid basis on which to develop topics as building tomorrow’s digital world today: national strategies to foster the growth of digital the impact of broadband on the economy; 21st cen- economies. tury regulation; spectrum in transition: the digital dividend; dispute resolution in the ICT sector; ICT and climate change: what role for regulators?; address- ing cyberthreats; living the information society; and measuring regulatory effi ciency. Discussion Papers on these topics were issued for the global gathering en- riching the debate. Shutterstock

* The GSR-10 Chairman’s Report provides a comprehensive summary of all the sessions and workshops (and is available at www.itu.int/ITUD/ treg/Events/Seminars/GSR/GSR10/documents/ GSRChairman_report.pdf).

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Regulators worldwide embrace principles of open networks, open access

Open access to networks calls for a rethinking of Defi ning open access regulation to anchor national broadband strategies. From a service provider’s perspective, open access The aim is to allow for effective competition while means the possibility for third parties to use an exist- ensuring accessible, affordable and reliable services ing network infrastructure. And every user (consum- for consumers. er) should have access to all services and applications A key outcome of GSR-10 is a set of “Best Practice carried over these networks, as long as those serv- Guidelines for Enabling Open Access”. These guide- ices and applications are public and lawful. The user’s lines encourage regulatory frameworks that foster range of choices should not be unduly constrained by innovation, investment and affordable access to the inability of competitors to obtain access to serv- broadband and other services in markets worldwide, ices, especially over last-mile infrastructure. through a set of core principles all regulators can adopt and then adapt to local market conditions. Open access to networks The guidelines underscore the importance of a Policy and regulatory tools are needed to open up clear and transparent regulatory process, includ- access to network facilities without harming invest- ing enforceable rules governing service provision, a ment and innovation. technology-neutral approach, and competitive net- In order to encourage broadband deployment, work and service provision. They call on regulators and to preserve and promote the open and inter- to embrace forward-looking regimes that are subject connected nature of the public Internet, regulators to regular review, to remove any new or emerging should consider mandating dominant providers regulatory barriers to competition and innovation. of national broadband networks, including cable

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landing stations, to provide open access on a fair Open and neutral Internet and non-discriminatory basis to their networks and There should be fair rules for Internet traffi c man- essential facilities for competitors at different levels agement. Any differences in the way in which vari- of the networks. ous data streams are treated should be objectively In countries where fi bre-to-the-building is de- justifi able, whether according to the type of content, ployed, regulators should set rules that ensure shared the service, application, device or the address of the and equal access, to prevent discriminatory behav- stream’s origin or destination. iour or a monopoly by the fi rst infrastructure opera- When Internet service providers (ISPs) employ traf- tor in the building. fi c management mechanisms for ensuring access to A centralized record of infrastructures that can the Internet at any point of the network, they should be shared, whether held by public bodies, electronic comply with the general principles of relevance, pro- communications operators or other public utilities, portionality, effi ciency, non-discrimination between should be established for the benefi t of all market parties and transparency. players. Operators should make available information To ensure reasonable traffi c management prac- regarding passive infrastructure (such as ducts and tices, regulators should take measures such as: towers) that can be shared.  obliging ISPs to disclose information concerning network management, quality of service and oth- Open networks er practices; Effi cient allocation and assignment of the digital  allowing clients to quickly end their contracts dividend spectrum will result in social and economic without high switching costs; benefi ts that could stimulate innovation for the pro-  prescribing minimum quality of service for vision of lower-cost communications and services, Internet access; especially in rural and remote areas.  giving consumers the right to access any law- Governments should update the defi nition of uni- ful content, applications, and services over their versal service as needs evolve to ensure technology Internet connections. neutrality and the inclusion of broadband access. These principles must not supersede any obliga- Governments should put in place national plans tion an ISP may have — or limit its ability — to de- and strategies to stimulate the deployment of broad- liver emergency communications or to address the band networks, particularly in developing countries. needs of law enforcement, public safety, or national Such strategies might include public–private partner- or homeland security authorities, consistent with ap- ships and promoting the involvement of municipali- plicable law. ties or cities. Regulators might consider facilitating the crea- tion of local content and of local Internet exchange points (IXP) to complement and ease international data fl ow.

16 ITU News  10 | 2010  December 2010 Challenges toopennetworks Open accesstocontent tacks bypatchingvulnerable systems, implementing cols, are vulnerable tocyberattacks. Preventing at- are onanopenarchitecture andwell-knownproto- vention. InternetProtocol networks,basedasthey infrastructure protection, dataprivacyandcrimepre- work stability, businesscontinuity, resilience, critical society. the protection ofminorsandvulnerable segmentsof for dataprotection, privacy, consumerrights,and logical progress, andtakethenecessarymeasures consumers abouttherisksassociatedwithtechno- bandwidth totheseservices. citizens canbene ity toschools,healthcentres andhospitals,sothat Open networksposechallengesintermsofnet- Regulators shouldensure broadband connectiv- Governments shouldcreate awareness among fi t whenconnectingthrough high Enabling tomorrow’s digitalworld Global Symposium forRegulators bound aswellinboundtraf work managementpractices withrespect toout- cussed andtheappropriate measures taken. tral issueofopenaccessnetworkscanbefurtherdis- tablished betweenallstakeholderssothatthiscen- developed withinregions andabroader dialoguees- crucial toeffectivenetworkoperation. sponding tothethreats inreal time,havebecome toring through intrusiondetectionsystems,andre- fi lawful userdevicestothenetworks. vent Internetserviceproviders from connectingun- them from spreading. help stampoutattacksatthesource andthusstop rewalls orotheraccesscontrol technologies,moni- Service providers shouldexercise reasonable net- A harmonizedregulatory framework shouldbe Regulators shouldimplementmeasures topre- ITU News  10 |2010 fi c. Suchpractices can  December 2010 17

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Closing time discuss and share their ex- Director-General Diao periences. She recognized expressed satisfaction that the importance of ITU in the North and the South Martin ITU/V. strengthening human capac- were examining the future ity building and in improving together. “We are linked by regulatory frameworks. “We common objectives”, he said, all depend on ICT because noting that the South has ex- we are living in the era of pertise that it can contribute the ’knowledge’ economy”, to the North. He stressed that she said. Sami Al Basheer telecommunications are the Al Morshid expressed his present and the future, and pride in the outcome of the that without a vision we can- Aminata Tall 2010 GSR and extended his not move forward. Senegal’s Minister of State and Secretary- best wishes to his successor, Closing the Symposium, General in the Offi ce of the President Brahima Sanou. Aminata Tall, Senegal’s Colombia’s invitation Minister of State and to host the next Global Secretary-General in the Offi ce of the President com- Symposium for Regulators in 2011 was warmly ac- mended ITU for bringing together, in collaboration claimed by all GSR-10 participants. with ARTP, a group of eminent experts to think,

The full text of the “Best Practice Guidelines for Enabling Open Access” are contained in the GSR-10 Chairman’s Report available at: www.itu.int/ITU-D/treg/ Events/Seminars/GSR/GSR10/documents/GSRChairman_ report.pdf

18 ITU News  10 | 2010  December 2010 Brahima Sanou,Director ElectoftheITUTelecommunication DevelopmentBureau (secondleft);DrHamadounI.Touré, Dr HamadounI.Touré, ITUSecretary-General, andSamiAlBasheerMorshid,Director oftheITUTelecommunication Development Bureau welcomeSenegal’sPresident AbdoulayeWade attheopeningceremony ofGSR-10 inDakar ITU Secretary-General; andMrSamiAlBasheer, Director oftheITUTelecommunication DevelopmentBureau pictured here withSenegalesedignitaries ITU News  10 |2010  December 2010 19

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