Begin forwarded message:
From: Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho@yahoo.com>Date: 19 October 2007 07:34:09 GMT+03:00To: anriette@apc.org, APC - Private list for use by EASSY Workshop Participants <fibre-for-africa@lists.apc.org>Subject: Re: Conncet Africa, was Re: SV: [Fibre-for-africa] Connectivity: What does Africa really need?Reply-To: APC - Private list for use by EASSY Workshop Participants <fibre-for-africa@lists.apc.org>Yes, Anders raise very pertinent points (in typical style!).
I plan to be there. I was privileged to attend one of the technical planning meetings in Addis. One of the strong targets being recommended by the techies is "Broadband Connectivity to all capitals and other major cities by 2012". The 'how-to' part of it is still weak, and this is where Anders' proposal for a Broadband Infrastructure Development fund comes in handy. Just note that already there are at least: NEPAD Pan-African Infrastructure Devpt Fund (understandably with billions of US$ already in it - thanks to SA Pensions Funds) , COMESA Infrastructure Devpt Fund, East Africa Infrastructure Devpt Fund (proposed), Digital Solidarity Fund, and am sure there could be several others. Licensing fees, or even better annual universal service/access contributions could be a good sustainable entry entry point.Warmest rgrds.Very good arguments. And certainly a position we should
be advocating for at the upcoming Connect Africa
Summit.
Who on this will will be there?
Anriette
From: "waudo siganga"
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Workshop Participants" ,
"'APC - Private list for use by EASSY
Workshop Participants'"
Subject: Re: SV: [Fibre-for-africa] Connectivity: What
does Africa really need?
Date sent: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:25:05 +0300
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> Good arguments from Anders - Waudo
>
> On Tue, 16 Oct 2007 13:26:53 +0200, "Anders Comstedt"
> said:
> > 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@lists.apc.org
> > [mailto:fibre-for-africa-bounces@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
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Fibre-for-africa mailing list
> > Fibre-for-africa@lists.apc.org
> > http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Fibre-for-africa mailing list
> > Fibre-for-africa@lists.apc.org
> > http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa
> --
> waudo siganga
> emailsignet@mailcan.com
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Anriette Esterhuysen, Executive Director
Association for Progressive Communications
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Shem J. Ochuodho, MSc (Eng), PhD, LLD (Hon)
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