Increasing Broadband Internet Penetration
In the OIC Member Countries
114
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Auditing and Management Controls
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Post Office Activities
•
Human Resources, and Finance
•
Communications
The more relevant departments from a regulatory standpoint are the Department of Resource
Allocations and Controls (in charge of managing the radiofrequency spectrum),
Telecommunications Activities (responsible for monitoring operator performance and
establishing rules for infrastructure sharing), Information Systems and Network Security
(monitoring cyber-security processes), and Economic Affairs and international cooperation (in
charge of monitoring competition).
Major approaches, implementations and challenges in extending fixed and mobile
broadband infrastructure
Among the most relevant legal initiatives enacted by the Ivoirian government that have an
impact on the development of broadband, five are of special note:
•
Assignment of a fourth convergent telecommunications license (which includes fixed
and wireless broadband) to the Libyan Post, Telecommunications and Information
Technology Company in order to promote sustainable competition
•
Two initiatives to fight cybercrime (June 19, 2013), and protection of personal (June
19, 2013)
•
Rules for managing Internet domain of Cote d’Ivoire (February 4, 2015)
•
Rules for interconnecting telecommunications networks and unbundling the local loop
to promote fixed broadband competition (May 2, 2013)
•
Tax exemption for importing terminal equipment (December, 2015)
V.1.4. Lessons learned
The assessment of broadband network and services in the Cote d’Ivoire provides a basis for a
number of lessons learned. The following are structured around the promotion of enhanced
supply and the stimulation of demand.
Supply policies
As the preceding chapters have concluded, the supply of broadband services is currently
undergoing a process of transition. When it comes to fixed broadband, the substitution effects
resulting from the suitability of mobile broadband have led to a slow down of network
deployment (as illustrated by a significant reduction in investment), and a mix of wireline
(ADSL, fiber optics) and wireless (WiMax, LTE, satellite) technologies. The evidence suggests
that Cote d’Ivoire requires a more coherent broadband technology strategy. While some
indications exist that fiber optics will be deployed by Orange and MTN, it would seem that
policy makers have not clearly defined which technologies are more suitable to which
geographies or provided the needed interventions to enable aligned operator investments.
On the mobile broadband side, the deployment of 3G appears to have been a success. As of the
end of 2015, according to statistics of the International Telecommunications Union,