Towards an Efficient ICT Sector Policy to Serve Remote Areas

1. Towards an Efficient ICT Sector Policy to Serve Remote Areas TRA proprietary

2. Outline • EfficientBroadband Policy to Serve Rural Areas • Government’s Role in Achieving Broadband Connectivity • Regulator's Role to Promote Broadband in Remote Areas • Technology Innovations Utilized in Fast Rural Broadband Deployment • Development of Local Content and Capacity Building – Case Study TRA proprietary

3. Introduction • Appropriate governance (policies, funds, taxes, etc.) • Efficient regulation (licensing, network sharing, competition, etc.) • Technology innovations • Local content and applications Efficient Broadband Policy to Serve Rural Areas Regulator Government Local content & applications Technology TRA proprietary

4. Government’s Role in Achieving Broadband Connectivity for Remote Areas

5. Government as a Policy-Maker Must Take Measures and Initiatives to Increase Broadband Services in Remote Areas • Issue a clear ICT Policy that provides clarity on the commitment of the government to foster Broadband connectivity in remote areas • Allow access to government and municipalities-owned infrastructure (highways, ducts, sewers, etc..) by encouraging open access to passive infrastructure for service providers • Reduceadministrative burden for private investments in remote areas and subsidize the rollout of expensive passive ICT infrastructure • Transform existing Universal Service fund programs into programs for digital inclusion that support broadband connectivity for all citizens to serve as : • Funding mechanism for broadband networks in rural and high-cost areas • Facilitator of market entry and creating demand for advanced ICT services in rural areas • Reduce taxes on broadband services/equipment through: • Fiscal incentives to broadband service providers such as relief from tax levies for a certain period (e.g. revenue share) • Exemption from value-added tax on imported equipment • Raise and increase awareness at municipal level on the importance of broadband services in remote areas as well as the role of municipalities owned infrastructure in fostering broadband connectivity • Ensure the implementation of infrastructure sharing regulations

6. International Experience to Promote Broadband Services in Remote and Rural Areas

7. Cybercafés and Community Centers are Vital for Rural Areas TRA proprietary

8. In Rural Areas with Lowest Income Ranges, the Most Affordable Solution is to Deliver Collective Broadband through Cybercafés and Community Centres Source: ITU workshop – DrMiloudAmeziane – AREGNET 2011 – Beirut, Lebanon TRA proprietary

9. Regulator's Role: Licensing Obligations to Cover Rural Areas, Network Sharing, Competition, etc.

10. Regulators Play a Major Role in Speeding-Up the Deployment of ICT Services in Remote Areas • Ensure the adoption of access to the ducts, streets, sewers and infrastructure sharing regulation, which will incentivize private investments in rural areas by reducing the sunk costs and eliminating needless duplication of infrastructure • Grant new licenses for rural areas with less regulatory conditions (e.g., throughput and andQoS conditions ) in order to reduce barriers that hinder broadband roll-out in rural areas • Impose certain obligations on national service providers to enhance and foster broadband connectivity in rural areas such as: • Coverage roll out requirements in rural areas (e.g., 100% rollout coverage by all national service providers) • Commitment to achieve mutual national roaming agreements in remote areas • Rebalance regulated tariffs and interconnection charges so that prices reflect the higher costs of providing services in rural areas • Impose spectrum licenses with little or no usage fees for frequencies used in rural areas in order to encourage investment in such areas

11. Technology Innovations Utilized in Fast Rural Broadband Deployment

12. Technology Innovations Utilized in Fast Rural Broadband Deployment • Mobile Broadband • The deployment of fixed broadband is time consuming and costly, especially in rural areas where there is no feasible business case • On the other hand, mobile penetration is very high in rural areas which results in fast acceptance for mobile broadband service • Mobile broadband deployment is more efficient in terms of time, investment, ROI, etc. • New technology in mobile broadband is in place to promote fast deployment • For instance, the Public Access Femtocellis designed to serve up to 64 phone calls at a time, with a range of more than a mile 12 TRA proprietary

13. Mobile Broadband Ecosystem: Mobile Beyond Voice Consumer Electronics Healthcare Government Transportation Utilities Source: GSMA 2011

14. Technology Innovations Utilized in Fast Rural Broadband Deployment – Cloud Computing • Mobile cloud computing is defined as cloud computing accessed thru mobile devices • Mobile users are provided with data storage and processing services on a cloud computing platform rather than on the mobile devices themselves • Mobile cloud computing extends cloud computing by providing enhanced service availability and by exploiting information about a user’s location, context and network intelligence, thereby considerably improving user experience • Leveraging the mobile device storage, sensing and processing resources for optimizing cloud-based applications adds to better user experience • To address bandwidth limitations, data caching capabilities enable applications to work offline using HTML5, which also presents a host of other features that can be deployed in mobile applications making them platform independent TRA proprietary

15. Cloud and Mobile Broadband for Startup Businesses in Rural Areas • The comfort level in the usage of mobile communications in rural areas, combined with the modest broadband infrastructure, offers a unique opportunity for utilizing cloud computing • Startup businesses now have an option to use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applicationswhich were prohibitively expensive in the traditional software world • By moving their data to the clouds, these businesses (e.g., their websites) are not held hostage to power failures and broadband disruptions • Their data is always available for easy access through their mobile devices using mobile broadband connections • For example, a loan officer at a small microfinance agency in rural areas could simply use his mobile to log into a website to screen loan applications, manage existing loans, and track collections 15 TRA proprietary

16. Development of Local Content and Applications and Promotion of Capacity Building of ICT Users

17. Case study: ICT-enabled Development in “Siwa”, the Egypt's Most Remote Oasis Town • Facts: • 23,000 inhabitants • 24 schools in SIWA (10,700 students) • Siwianpeople have their own culture & customs • Agriculture is the main economic activity • Handicrafts like basketry is prevalent • Tourism is also a vital source of income • Challenging conditions for women • Early marriage • School drop-out at an early age • No work outside home 17 TRA proprietary

18. Case study: ICT-enabled Development in “Siwa”, the Egypt's Most Remote Oasis Town • Vodafone Egypt Foundation contributed 1M EGP for ICT development in Siwa in addition to establishing Mobile Broadband (thru 3G Connectivity for Siwa • Using ICT to empower the community through: • Education & illiteracy eradication • Supporting SMEs by marketing local products through a mini marketplace portal • Improving child healthcare 18 TRA proprietary

19. THANK YOU www.tra.gov.lb