How do we ensure that Community Networks are included in the Policy frameworks of the different countries, so that issue of taxes, frequencies, licences, importation of equipment and access to Universal Service Access Fund is made easy.
Hi Solomon,
I don’t think there is one single answer. In general I think the way policy influence works is through multiple sources of influence. The first time a policy-maker hears a new idea, they may shrug it off as irrelevant. The second time they hear it from someone else, it may catch their attention but they will still ignore it. The third time they hear it from yet another source, they will begin to think this is something they should be paying attention to.
There are a host of ways to get an issue in front of a policy-maker / regulator. Face-to-face meetings are great but they can be hard to secure. Policy and regulatory consultations are an essential opportunities for influence because they are moments when the regulator or policy maker is “officially listening” to public input. Getting articles published in local newspapers is a powerful thing to gain influence as well as being able to point to success stories from other countries. There are lots more ways to do this but the key is for them to hear the information from multiple credible sources.
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Hi @sokotnono - BOSCO has already taken huge leaps in having the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) attend your multi-stakeholder event in rural Gulu last week!
Perhaps having on hand where countries have policy and official documents which promotes community networks. For example, I know the African Union passed a motion to promote community networks in rural areas. @carlos has a copy. You can show these documents to UCC. Also, in Mexico, they recently passed a law that indigenous license holders do not pay taxes for spectrum! This is a big cost to save for small operators.
Article of Mexico (in Spanish): https://www.eleconomista.com.mx/opinion/Secretaria-de-Hacienda-concede-una-a-los-operadores-indigenas-20191027-0017.html
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Hi @sokotnono, this is the link to the declaration that Josephine mentions:
https://au.int/sites/default/files/decisions/37590-2019_sharm_el_sheikh_declaration_-_stc-cict-3_oct_2019_ver2410-10pm-1rev-2.pdf
Please make sure that provisions are included that will avoid “tick box exercises” that lead to the kind of situations where schools end up with 5 unused connections. In my opinion policy and regulation need to be focused mainly on transparency: clean, open, accessible market data - that can allow the market to self-coordinate.
Hi
Now that many country in Africa are effectively switching to Digital TV
How this time opportunity window can be leverage, what comprehensive strategy should look like to:
(i) interest Public sector to stand for promoting the usage of this new available spectrum for his own usage but also for rural broadband
(ii) get Regulator to start elaborating legal framework to make this spectrum usage possible
What steps to take for standard best chance to success initiative should look like ?
Any experiences, successful or not, to share?
@jaberamatogoro is also a person to look up and get in touch with when it comes to TVWS as well as @SarbaniBelur for especially rural applications. I think it boils down to building a relationship with- and inviting the relevant regulators to review some of the materials and attend some of the events organized by people from this community.