2003 ORLD W ELECOM TDS NATIONAL REPORTS TDS NATIONAL International Telecommunication Union Place des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 730 6161 – Fax: +41 22 730 6444 E-mail: [email protected] TDS NATIONAL REPORTS TDS NATIONAL ITU T HOSTED BY THE REPUBLIC www.itu.int/itutelecom AND CANTON OF GENEVA TDS NATIONAL REPORTS The Republic and Canton of Geneva sponsors of the Telecom Development Symposium (TDS) Table of contents Page Page Albania ................................................. 1 Moldova................................................ 145 Angola .................................................. 5 Mongolia............................................... 147 Armenia................................................ 9 Myanmar .............................................. 155 Bangladesh .......................................... 11 Nepal .................................................... 159 Benin .................................................... 17 Nicaragua ............................................. 165 Bhutan.................................................. 21 Pakistan................................................ 167 Bosnia and Herzegovina ...................... 27 Papua New Guinea .............................. 179 Burkina Faso ........................................ 31 Paraguay .............................................. 183 Burundi................................................. 41 Cambodia............................................. 43 Peru .................................................... 187 Cape Verde .......................................... 59 Philippines ............................................ 195 Chad .................................................... 69 Sierra Leone......................................... 215 Djibouti ................................................. 77 Somalia ................................................ 217 El Salvador ........................................... 81 Sri Lanka .............................................. 219 Eritrea................................................... 97 Sudan ................................................... 221 Ethiopia ................................................ 107 Swaziland ............................................. 225 Guyana................................................. 111 Tanzania............................................... 229 India .................................................... 121 Togo .................................................... 233 Indonesia.............................................. 125 Vanuatu ................................................ 239 Kazakhstan .......................................... 129 Kenya ................................................... 133 Zambia ................................................. 243 Mauritius............................................... 139 Zimbabwe............................................. 245 iii Albania Telecommunications Status Report in Albania Since the 1999 with the adoption of new – competition and choice for users; telecommunications policy by the Albanian Government, was paved the way to new – improved protection of consumers. reforms, which have significantly changed the telecommunications market structure Concerning liberalization, was followed and size. approach of phasing liberalisation, an ap- This policy paper identifies participation of proach successfully implemented in many the private capital in telecommunications Eastern Europeans countries. While the as the only alternative for a rapid and mobile market would be opened to compe- steady development. The engagement of tition, by licensing a second operator, private sector would be achieved through: immediately after the AMC privatisation, 1) privatisation of the state owned compa- the provision of telephone calls in urban nies, and 2) liberalisation of the market. areas, of national fixed calls, and operation Based on this policy paper, in 1999 the of international telephony gateways would telecommunications reform was oriented in be remain Albtelecom exclusivity. three directions: As it is explained in this policy paper, the – regulatory framework improvement, exclusivity period granted to Albtelecom, – gradually market liberalisation, and would allow it to have necessary time to – privatisation of state owned companies; adopt itself for operating in a competitive AMC mobile operator and Albtelecom environment, as well as to re-balance its fixed operator. tariffs for providing telephony services. In the beginning of July this year the Albanian The law No. 8618 dated 14.6.2000 “For Government decided to end up the telecommunications in the Republic of Albtelecom exclusivity in urban and na- Albania” as well as adoption of a couple tional fixed telephone calls, and to hold Government legal acts, improved notably over the Albtelecom exclusivity till the end the regulatory framework, therefore im- of 2004. proved the investment climate, which output was the interest expressed by If we give a look to the reform results private sector to invest and run telecom- during last 4 years, there is no doubt that munications activities. the approach followed, that is engagement The long-term objective in telecommuni- of the private sector, was the right way. cations is the harmonised development of the telecommunications infrastructure of While in 1999 there were in the market Albania and its gradual extension through- only two telephone operators, both state out the country, so as to ensure: owned, and a few Internet access provides, today are operating 80 companies; – access to basic telephone services at Albtelecom and 42 rural operators in fixed affordable prices; telephony, 2 operators, respectively AMC – the full range of modern services is and Vodafone Albania, in mobile telephony, accessible by all the population of 20 value added service providers, and Albania; 20 Internet access providers. Albania - 1 1 Growth of mobile market 850 900 800 700 600 500 370 400 000 users 000 300 200 20.791 100 2.248 3.337 5.599 11 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 In the mobile market, where reform was privatisation, is not achieved. As results of fully implemented, the results are very difficulties that are facing international impressive. While in 2000 this service was telecommunications market, privatisation of available in 20% of the whole territory, Albtelecom was not executed. Comparing where lives 42% of the whole population, to 1998 the number of Albtelecom and was used by only 20 thousand subscribers is doubled and has achieved to people, today this service, provided by 210 thousands, which corresponds a two companies AMC and Vodafone Albania penetration of 7%. However, the develop- based on GSM technology, is available in ment rate is still low for fulfilling fixed 65% of the country territory, to which telephony needs and for achieving Euro- corresponds 85% of total population. By pean levels. Furthermore, only 1% of the end of 2002, the number of mobile Albtelecom users live in rural areas. subscribers reached to 850 thousands, or Fixed telephony operators in rural areas a penetration of 28%. (all private owned), even in the beginning In contrast with mobile, reform in fixed of their activity, provide services to telephony, which was based on Albtelecom 10 thousands rural people. Growth of telephony market Total subs. 1,070,000 2002 220 850 115.8 Total subs. 121, 875 1998 6 9 times Growth 9 times Growth 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 (in thousands) Fixed telephones Mobile telephones 2 Albania - 2 Internet market is still in the initial phase; 7) Supporting Development of Locally there are only 15 thousand Internet Relevant Content and Applications; users. It is developing, but the growth 8) Creation of a competitive, liberalized rate does not assure overcoming this telecommunications sector; situation in a middle term period. Of course, cultural and economic factors 9) Development of inexpensive, fast and have their impact on this situation. secure ICT infrastructure throughout Nevertheless, Albanian Internet develop- Albania; ment to the European levels needs huge 10) Development of the ICT Sector as a financial resources, which cannot be Production Sector; provided without the foreign capital pres- ence, as the mobile experience showed. 11) Supporting Electronic Business; The above telecommunications market 12) Active participation in SEE regional overview shows that a lot of work needs Initiatives; to do. Indicators show that only 1 in 13) Active participation in EU Initiatives. 5 households owns a fixed telephone line, and a big gap exists between urban and To this end, the Ministry of Transport and rural areas. The gap is bigger comparing Telecommunications have drafted an action to the European Union. plan; its main directions consist on: The evolution of ICT (Information and – To achieve by the end of 2005 about Communication Technology) last decade 450-500 thousands fixed working has spurred in the developed countries lines. Albtelecom have to be the the creation of the so-called information biggest contributor. society. The information society has shown the potential to render the econ- – To further escalate competition in omy more competitive, more efficient and mobile market, by issuing 3rd GSM productive, but also life more humane. license to Albtelecom. During 2004, ICT is in fact the essential tool to build licensing procedures for 3rd mobile the Information Society, and to reduce generations will be prepared. this gap between poorer