icts, ldcs and the sdgs
TRANSCRIPT
Pre-WTDC-17 Ministerial Roundtable on ICT④SDGs in LDCs, LLDCs & SIDS
8 October, 2017
Vanessa GRAYHead of LDCs, SIDS &
Emergency Telecommunications DivisionBDT/ITU
ICTs, LDCs and the SDGsAchieving universal and affordable Internet
in the least developed countries
SDG 9C “Significantly increase access to information and
communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet
in LDCs by 2020”
LDCs & LLDCs SIDS• LDCs: 47 countries highly vulnerable to
economic and environmental shocks
• Includes 17 LLDCs and 9 SIDS
• LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS face related development challenges but are very different in terms of geography, population and level of economic development.
Access/ Infrastructure
AffordabilityInternet
Source: ITU
Highlights
• ICTs, in particular basic services and applications over 2G networks, have had a significant impact on development but promise from broadband is even greater
• LDCs are on track to achieve SDG 9C in terms of access & affordability
• Internet use expected to remain low and skills remain a key barrier
• It is possible to leapfrog: sharing experiences from LDCs
• 3 dimensional framework - access, affordability & skills – to identify strengths and weaknesses and guide policies
Access/InfrastructureMiles of networks:
1st: International
2nd: National backbone
3rd: User access
Plus “Invisible mile”
Explosive growth in access to submarine cables & national backbone infrastructure
International
• Except for 6 (out of 30) ALL sea-facing LDCs have landing stations
• Almost all LLDCs have fiber optic cable cross-border terrestrial links but prices generally higher due to transit
• Unconnected SIDS are planning access to submarine cables
• Leverage regional economic communities for policy on cost-based & open access to submarine cables
National
Better backbone infrastructure through:
• Access to spectrum/digital dividend
• Regulation on rights of way and open access to networks
• Infrastructure sharing
• Universal Service Funds
27
50
0
20
40
60
80
100
POP 10-kmRange
POP25-kmRange
POP50-KmRange
POP100-KmRange
Population (%) in range of backbone network, LDC average, 2016
Source: ITU
Mobile population coverage in LDCs
• Narrowband (2G) Internet coverage high with remaining gaps almost all in rural areas
• 61% of population covered by 3G mobile broadband network
• 26 LDCs have launched 4G61
20
6570
76 77
8488 89
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Total LDC population
3G
2G
4G
Population, (‘000 ) Coverage (%)
Source: ITU
Building core Internet infrastructure
All 330%
224%
123%
None23%
% of LDCs that have 3 fundamental Internet infrastructure components,
2017
22
30
23
0
4
8
12
16
20
24
28
32
36
40
44
48
Root nameserver
ccTLD nameserver
IXP
Number of LDCs with:
Source: ITU
Affordability
Understanding affordability
• Despite price drops, international comparison (ITU price basket) shows that broadband remains unaffordable to many
• …but by 2020 will be affordable in many LDCs
• Handset biggest barrier to entry
• Flexible tariffs help with affordability and operators have adapted to low-income users
• Governments can help bring down prices by driving competition and limiting taxes
• Backbone constraints for LLDCs and some SIDS
0 10 20 30 40 50
Hourly
Nightly
Daily
>1 day & < 1week
Weekly
>1 week & <1month
Monthly
Number of LDCs with different mobile broadband Internet bundles
Source: ITU
Skills
Skills emerging as leading barrier
54
15
14
7
2
Skills
Affordability (equipment)
Affordability service charge
Access
Other
Zambia, Barriers to Internet use, 2015• Lack of digital literacy emerging as a leading barrier to Internet use in many LDCs
• Digital skills closely linked to educational attainment
• Secondary school enrolment in LDCs (43%) lies well below world average (76%)
• Strategic ICT sector plans need to highlight the role of, and make link to educational policies
• Gender digital divide must be addressed to ensure universality aspect of SDG 9C
Source: ITU
8 16
23
-
20
40
60
80
100
20
13
20
14
20
15
20
16
20
17
20
18
20
19
20
20
25 40
5161
6978
8897
0
20
40
60
80
100
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
3G coverage (% of population)
39 39 39 40 41 41 42 42
0
20
40
60
80
100
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Skills
Gross secondary school enrollment(% of age group)
30.3
16.614.6
12.09.7
7.45.0
2.7
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Affordability
Mobile broadband price (% GNI)
Internet use (% of population)
Target 9C in 2020
Access
Source: ITU
It is possible to leapfrog
Sao Tome & Principe
Bhutan
0
20
40
60
80
100
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Skills
Bangladesh
Myanmar
0
20
40
60
80
100
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Access
Mobile broadband price per month (500 MB, % GNI pc)
Tanzania
Vanuatu
0
5
10
15
20
2016201520142013
Percentage of the population covered by 3G network
Gross secondary school enrolment
Affordability
Source: ITU
3 dimensional framework to guide policy makers: access, affordability & skills
Nepal
Rwanda
Sudan
Bhutan
Access Affordability Skills
Main challenge: Access/Skills
Main challenge: Skills
Source: ITU
Recommendations
Drive competition and intensity of competition
Coverage obligations, open access regulation & universal service funds
Build core infrastructure
Rationalize taxation
Focus on digital literacy and skills
Achieve gender parity
Foster institutional strengthening
Produce better data
