broadband policy framework for ghana

7/29/2019 Broadband Policy Framework for Ghana

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Broadband policy framework for Ghana: into the policy makers mind

Before I could get my responds to a query I sent to the National Communication

Authority(NCA),amongst which included does Ghana have a broadband policy in place?, the minister

of Communication ,Dr Omane-Boamah had come out with the information that the government was

soon to outdoor a Broadband policy.AS far back as 2004 a country like India had put in place abroadband policy framework to guide the countrys industry. It is however better late than never; we

are still within the United Nations digital target requirements that all countries come out by 2015 with

their broadband policies.

Broadband definition across the world is varied and a relative concept. However, one is always sure that

it is ubiquitous, alwayson interactive high speed connection. The ITU General Secretary, Dr

Hamadoun Toure recently in the 7th meeting of the broadband commission in Mexico City stated that

in the 21st century, affordable broadband access to the internet is becoming as vital to the social and

economic development as networks like transport, water and power. He has in this regard requested

the United Nations to adjust their broadband speed requirements. Indeed, the ITU latest broadbandCommission 2012 report estimates that 10 % of the broadband penetration could boost a developing

country like Ghanas GDP by 1.38 %

In arriving at broadband definition for a country, the broadband ecosystem factors are taken into

consideration the four key elements are considered are: broadband and PC penetration level, access

technology availability, services and content delivery. According to recent ITU broadband Commission

report on Ghana, fixed broadband(wired) subscription for 100 inhabitants for 2011 was 0.3% and active

broadband was 4.3% (ituworld telecommunication/ ict indicator database). The percentage of Ghana

population using the internet was pegged at 14.1%

In their considerations, I expect policy makers to not only consider available statistic and other data

available to them but also international protocols and guidelines in their benchmarking permutations.

For instance the ITU has a dreambig policy recommendation that broadband access target in the

world to be a minimum of 20 Mbps by 2020 and at a cheaper rate of $20 per month.

I expect a consultative national policy that resonates national aspirations, practical and forward looking.

A policy framework of growth path with strategic dual track approach indicating clear guidelines to

making broadband a universal access/service in the medium to long term. It can be modeled on the

India gradual approach. The new National telecom policy 2012 of India has pegged the broadband

speed from 256 Kbps to 512Kbps with a growth path by 2015 2 Mbps, 20 Mbps 2020 and 100 Mbps

thereafter.

I envision the policy document to be launched by the president underlying his firmest of assurance of

his full commitment to driving a high speed Broadband Ghana roadmap. The Obama administration

proposed the National Broadband Plan in 2010 in an effort to speed up the broadband penetration in

the US.


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To carry out this with this conviction, an executive order to accelerate the construction of broadband

infrastructure throughout the US was released. A proposed body,Broadband strategy Council is to

coordinate its plan activities. In Australia, the government has established the Ministry of Broadband

Communication and Digital Economy with Similar plans over see it broadband plan same in The UK

and other parts of the world. These scenarios are to highlight the broadband movement across the

world and Ghana having benefit of these models of practices cant afford to priorities. This is a position

that I agree shall take the firmest of political will and I invite the president to indicate his personal

interest.

The increase in high capacity networks is the veritable gamechanger and I expect the government

to initiate an ambitious plan to invite investment in the access infrastructure networks to drive growth

in the sector with appropriate incentives to drive growth in the sector with appropriate incentives to

encourage widespread investor interest. Am aware of the national Fiber Optic ring Broadband

Infrastructure Project that is expected to connect the Ministries, Department and agencies (MDA) and

district capitals to enhance e-goverment and other government services . there are also four landing

sites as yet involving four operators , Vodafone SAT-3, Main One, Glo One, MTN WACS, and theyet to arrive Espresso ACE .These redundant fiber infrastructure could be aggregated for

meaningful national development. As yet, Vodafone(then Ghana telecom) is the main license

operator to deliver last mile services and will use its priori to bully other operators from

deploying services to the general public. I expect policy makers to come out with clear policy

guidelines recommending the establishment of a separate body to harmonize regulate and

license Ghana Broadband infrastructure for national development. This will allow NCA to focus

on its core mandate . Elsewhere in the world , special attention has been given to broadband

infrastructure and it is a ready information for policy thinkers to verify .this will allow for an

even grounds with right environment for fair completion and drive down prices from insanelevels , better services and meet out national aspirations .since the copper loop infrastructure

has seen a continuous downward trend in penetration across the world, government should be

bold to come out with guidelines to make fiber optic infrastructure the basic last mile design

requirement for in new estate development and business premises. This is where Fiber to the

Curb(FTTC) comes in to deliver true broadband. This shall require licensing.

I call for a through harmonization and reallocation of frequency spectrum to take advantage of

the spiraling effect of the wireless technology that is taking the world by storm. we need not to

be only technology neutral but should also encourage other available technologies like

mobile satellite services(MSS), Broadband wireless access-BWA ( and as I understand 3

companies have been licensed) amongst others. I expect that the migration of the Television

stations to the digital terrestrial platform will release and produce additional frequency

spectrum to what has come to be known as the digital dividend to enable the launch for 4G

technologies like LTE which is a raw material for the mobile data service and applications. I

expect Policymaker to take cognizance of the fact that the adoption of smart phones,


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ipad/tablet and notebooks coupled with other proliferation of mobile friendly application on

the Ghanaian market means we are going to demand more data traffic for our IP and

multimedia contents like video streaming ,digital TV, triple play etc.

It has been said on several platforms that it is not voice that would determine the Average

Revenue per User (ARPU) for operator but data services. In fact, when I was in India for my telecom

training, I read a chilling news paper item by the Minister of communication & IT Kapil Sibal at a

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Broadband Summit and I quote him At the moment, revenue of

industry depends on voice, it is time that the industry decides to move in a direction where revenues come

from data and not from voice. He continued The industry must move in that direction (making voice free)

so that in years to come, talking to each other should not be taxed. There should be no charge for talking to

each other,. In essence, the future is data! I call for an independent, fair and firm regulator that shall

protect customers from operator cartel and manipulation. Recently an operator with a significant market

power(SMP) in the basic telephones services and considered a priori in the Ghana Ghana telecom policy

2005 arbitrarily increased its fixed broadband price to an almost 100 hundred percent and in addition

capped the capacity allocated to customers. There was a national outcry but the regulator was not availableto respond to customer concerns. Moving forward, and as data shall derive the sector and well aware of

challenges, I expect policymakers to come out with clear guidelines to set and monitor quality of service

targets with the telecom players. Customers yearn for an end to their propaganda mantra of up to service

speed that customers do not have any way of verify its authenticity.

Policymaker should encourage indigenous entrepreneurs in the telecommunication sector like RLG and

others with incentives to find their feet on the slanted terrain of telecommunication market. I also expect

some policy on gender equity especially focusing on the female folks.

I should perhaps offer this advice to the policy maker to as early as practical review and amend the current

outdated telecom policy document 2005 to respond to current trends. In terms of the current marketdynamics it is begging for a review. In fact, it should be the source from which all information and

communication technology legislation, act and policies like the current broadband policy under discussion

should flow from; it should be the mother of all ICT matters including issues related to electromagnetic

frequency radiation (EMF), safe energy system ,right of way(ROW) guidelines documents etc. For instance

the current telecommunication policy had some clear guideline establishing bodies like NITA ,GIFTEL etc,.

but from which comes the broadband policy document? There is no congruity. Of course, it can stand on its

own, but we are talking about a coherent whole of a national telecommunication policy .Currently a lot of

available changes on the telecom front do not have any reference from the telecom policy. In the world of

information and telecommunication technology environment national telecom policies should be dynamic

and forward looking. Anyone who picks the telecom policy document should know any information about the

telecommunication ecosystem of Ghana telecom. some detailed information may require additionaldocument and that should be easy to come by.

Annang Ebenezer .

[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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broadband policy framework for ghana

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