Open Access Russell Southwood Balancing Act africa.com

Introduction ICT as a biro - Q is what do you use it for? To support wealth creation and help create comparative advantage (economic) To deliver public service more effectively (social)

The current obstacle The incumbent - still in ownership of Govt or as the dominant private player The regulator - Its room for action cramped by the incumbent or as the micro-manager of different interest groups (eg mobiles as new incumbents) No big picture. Double-headed resp: Industry and consumer but little sense of how to advantage the consumer

The significance of the transition to IP networks & VoIP Telephony is a highly centralising technology. The “intelligence” is located centrally and usually controlled by one organisation IP (internet) is by contrast a network where no single entity controls it and the “intelligence” can as easily at the edge of the network IP telephony offers the opportunity to change the structure paradigm from the former to the latter Vertical large organisations -> more diverse ecology

Layered Network Model Open Access / Reseller Model Physical Infrastructure Network / Transmission Services - Voice, Internet Layer Wholesale Retail From “Open Access Models”, infoDev, 2005

Open access principles Overall objectives: lower cost of comms and widen access A technology-neutral framework that encourages innovative, low-cost delivery to users Competition at all layers in the IP network Transparency to ensure fair trading within and between layers Everyone can connect to everyone (no dominant market position) Devolved local solutions rather than centralised ones. Application at local (plug and play), national (muni networks, alt inf) and international levels

International fibre:EASSy Cable to connect eastern seaboard of Africa Was going to be built by traditional club consortium of monopoly incumbents Capacity would have cost $10,000 per mbps per month World Bank offered finance on Open Access basis: More open access to users. Price down to $ Private sector player now building key link and offering capacity to all at US$150 per mbps

Future agenda Low-cost voice challenge - 3/10% of personal budgets Muni networks (Knysna) Diverse media delivered via IP - convergence and media liberalisation