How Nigeria, others can maximise access to broadband

WITH a World Bank’s findings that a 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration is correlated with a 1.35 per cent increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for developing countries, and a 1.19 per cent increase for developed countries, nations, especially in the emerging markets have been tasked on the need to adopt effective policies and strategies to make broadband available, affordable and accessible.

According to the 2015 Broadband Report, the real power of broadband lies in its potential to improve development outcomes in the developing world on the basis of human rights, social inclusion and poverty eradication. It is now evident that digital inclusion is necessary for sustainable development. ICTs, in particular broadband, are a catalyst for enhancing economic growth, expanding productivity and competition, and aggregating knowledge.

The report noted that the developing world and Least Developed Countries in particular, can benefit from greater integration and use of ICTs.  It stressed that the delivery of broadband in urban, as well as rural, regions has become a major political and regulatory objective for many countries.

The 2015 Broadband Report noted that the availability of broadband infrastructure worldwide has been recognized by the United Nations (UN) as an essential prerequisite to the economic development of countries.
It stressed that ICTs are today promoting the achievement of all three pillars of sustainable development defined by the UN’s framework for post-2015 development: social inclusion; economic development; and environmental protection.

As such, for developing economies like Nigeria, which has its broadband penetration at 10 per cent, there are ranges of policy options that are available to maximize access to broadband, and to capitalize on its benefits.

These policy options, according to the report can broadly be divided into supplyside measures and demand-side measures, although some policy measures can promote both – for example, the adoption of a National Broadband Plan promotes development of content and human capacities; monitoring; and tax reductions to reduce overall tariffs and promote affordability.

Examples of supply-side measures include: promoting co-deployment and infrastructure-sharing of telecommunications infrastructure and co-investment to reduce prices; foster co-deployment with access to non-telecommunications infrastructure (addressing key obstacles, such as limits on access and rights of way); ensure sufficient availability of quality spectrum to deploy mobile broadband networks (e.g. via spectrum assignment and trading); focus on expanding network coverage (e.g. via coverage obligations, rather than on spectrum proceeds); develop effective technical standards to achieve economies of scale and enhance quality of services and promote effective and functional wholesale and retail markets to lower prices.

For the demand side, various policy measures, according to the 2015 Broadband report, exist on the demand side. These included ensuring the availability and affordability of broadband enabled devices and services for poor or at-risk households and other vulnerable groups; enabling the development of local and relevant broadband applications and content, including in multiple languages; improving broadband availability mapping to increase consumer awareness about choice of services and service providers; enhancing transparency and control of market information to inform consumers about market prices and their rights to enable them to make informed decisions; undertake communication campaigns to increase trust and security; engage in ICT literacy campaigns and digital skills courses to boost user capacities, awareness and interest and promote effective ICT skills through training and education at all levels, formal and informal, with a special focus on girls and women.