ELiberia Vision 2006

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E-Liberia Vision 2006
Judith Hellerstein Hellerstein Associates Sept
ember 13, 2006
Georgia Tech

• National ICT Policy Planning Process
• Working Meeting on ICTs for Development in
  Liberia

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Introduction

• In March 2005, the World Bank issued a grant to
  Hellerstein Associates to provide consulting
  services to assist the National Transitional
  Government of Liberia (NTGL) in developing a
  National Telecommunication Policy and Strategy.
• The consulting team consisted of experts in all
  pertinent areas
  
• Judith Hellerstein and Stuart MacPherson,
  Telecom, Policy, and Regulatory experts
  
• David Townsend, Universal Access/Services
  expert
  
• Will Burnfield, Telecom Investment/Privatization
  expert and
  
• Adrian Foster, Spectrum Policy Spectrum
  Management expert.

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Introduction

• Project started in April 2005
• Field Visit to Monrovia April 3-15
• Draft Policy Strategy Report June 10
• Second Mission to Monrovia June 19-26
• Stakeholder Workshop in Monrovia June 23-24
• Policy Publicized in Liberian Newspapers June
  30
  
• Feedback and Comment Period June 30-July 30
• Finalize Strategy June 30
• Finalize Policy July 30

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Field Visit

• Prior to the first field visit the team worked to
  create a series of survey questions that would
  help us assess the state and potential of the
  telecom market and the policy goals and
  priorities of the Government.

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Topics in the Survey Questionnaire

• Status of the Market
• Number of Operators, Market Structure
• Scope of networks, services
• Market economics, trends
• Policy Goals and Priorities
• Existing institutional structure, laws, policies
• Human resource capacity, needs
• Objectives and priorities for the sector
• Universal access policy options, constraints
• Spectrum Policy

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Stakeholder Interviews

• We sought to interview all Stakeholders,
  including NGOs, International organizations, ICT
  firms, ISPs, and other small businesses.
  
• Our goal was to solicit their views on the status
  and state of the sector, what, they thought,
  should be the key policy objectives and
  priorities that the Government should focus on,
  and any other pressing issues and problems they
  currently faced in the sector
• This was in addition to all past and present
  telecom Operators selected Government officials
  and members of the NTGLs Special Presidential
  Telecom Committee.

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Policy Priorities

• What is Telecommunications Policy?
• Identifies general and specific objectives for
  the country and the industry
  
• Conforms to broader national goals, policies
• May set general targets over a given time frame
• May establish certain mechanisms or constraints
  for implementation
  
• Level of detail determines regulatory flexibility

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Objectives and Vision

• This Policy established the framework for the
  evolution of the Liberian telecom sector, and the
  transformation of Liberia toward an
  information-based economy and society. The
  policy is based upon the following
• Objectives
• Vision
• Sector Evolution
• National Economic Development Opportunity
• Social Cultural Enrichment

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Objectives

• Promote the development of the Liberian
  telecommunications infrastructure and markets
  
• Promote market liberalization, private sector
  expansion, and fair and effective competition
  throughout the telecommunications sector
  
• Create and establish an independent Regulatory
  Agency responsible for telecommunications and
  spectrum regulation
  
• Promote universal access to telecommunications
  services throughout Liberia and
  
• Ensure flexibility and adaptability and ease of
  access to radio spectrum resources.

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Vision

• All segments of society should have access to
  ICTs
  
• ICTs should be readily available in education,
  health care, HR development, and in all business
  sectors
  
• ICT as a key enabler of economic development and
  competitive opportunity and investment
  
• ICTs should serve as a competitive advantage,
  making Liberia more competitive internationally
  and more attractive to inward and domestic
  private and public investment.
• Prices for telecom and ICTs should be reasonable,
  affordable, and related to costs.
  
• Promote high quality services responsive
  customer serviceTransparent, open and
  competitively neutral regulation

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Vision (continued)

• Transparent, open and competitively neutral
  regulation
  
• Innovative use of spectrum and wireless
  technologies
  
• Use consultative approaches to long-term spectrum
  planning
  
• Social and cultural enrichment

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Liberian Information Infrastructure Convergence

• Liberia Information Infrastructure
  Convergence
  
• This Policy addressed the role of
  telecommunications in the development of the
  Liberia economy and society, and the convergence
  of telecommunications with other information
  technologies toward the evolution of a Liberia
  Information Infrastructure. It consisted of
• Communications and Information Services
• Internet and IP-based Technology Services
• Information Technology, Software, Equipment
• Human Resources, Intellectual Capital
• E-Commerce
• E-Government

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Liberias Information Infrastructure
Convergence- Recommendations

• Create ICT Policy goals for Liberia
• Development of telecom Infrastructure Markets
• Market liberalization, privatization, investment
• Universal Access
• Create time-bound sector development goals
• Increased penetration of telephony
• Access to Internet in universities, schools
  training curricula and resources in ICTs
  
• Development of a widespread, content-rich
  e-government program
  
• Public telecom access points (or telecenters)
• Strategy for how to treat IP telephony and other
  IP-enabled services.

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Market Structure

• Telecom Market Structure
• Market should be technologically neutral
  convergent
  
• Fair and Effective Competition
• Liberalization- Services Open to Competition
• Basic domestic voice telephone
• International telephone
• Mobile telephone services (limited to current
  four licenses)
  
• Data transmission, leased circuits, and private
  networks
  
• Internet services

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Internet and IP-based Technology Services

• The development of the Internet and IP-based
  applications represents one of the most dramatic
  changes in the communications industry, and must
  be a centerpiece of Liberias Information
  Infrastructure.

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Stakeholder Workshop

• Workshop scheduled for June 23-24 2005
• Was combined with the first draft of the Telecom
  Act prepared by the World Bank Consultants
  preparing the Draft Telecom Act
  
• Worked with the Government to draw up the list of
  Government Attendees and the press who would be
  invited
  
• Created list of other interested stakeholders,
  including donors, international organizations,
  NGOs, Small businesses, Telecom operators,
  Manufacturers, other private and/or ICT related
  businesses, and any other stakeholders
  interested
• World Bank-Liberia sent out the invitations and
  the NTGL Chairmans Office prepared a press
  release announcing the workshop

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Second Field Visit

• Prior to the June Workshop we met with many of
  the Operators and the Governments Special
  Presidential Telecom Committee to gain their
  feedback and comments on the Draft Policy
• We incorporated their feedback into the new
  drafts to be discussed at the Workshop

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Stakeholder Workshop

• One full day devoted to Policy discussions and
  1/2 day devoted to Legal discussions
  
• Very well attended--over 30 people for both days
• Generated vigorous debate among all Stakeholders
  related to the key policy issues discussed
  
• Garnered very good press coverage and good
  articles that clearly highlighted the Key goals,
  objectives, visions, and competition elements of
  the policy.

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Final Stages in Policy Formulation

• Original goal was to finalize the policy after
  the workshop
  
• To ensure that other stakeholders, both inside
  and outside Liberia, had a chance to provide
  their comments, feedback, and suggestions to the
  policy we extended the date by almost a month.
• Provided online links to the Draft Telecom policy
  in two Liberian National Newspapers, the
  Perspective and the Analyst.
  
• Opened up a 3 week comment period
• Policy Finalized by Government on July 30, 2005

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Questions, Comments, Statements?

• Look forward to hearing from you
• Judith HellersteinPresident
• Hellerstein Associateswww.jhellerstein.comJudi
  th_at_jhellerstein.com
  
• 1 202 362-5139