Transcript Information Society Perspectives in South

Information Society Perspectives in
South - Eastern Europe
BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA.
Mr. Siniša Petrović
Information Infrastructure Manager
Communications Regulatory Agency
Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Presentation Aims
• Current situation in BiH;
• Areas of Concern - The Needs;
• The Elements in Place;
• The Oportunity.
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Current situation in BiH - The Reality.
• Internal administrative organisation of BiH - Complex picture;
•The war still affects peoples lives in BiH;
• Telecom infrastructure, reconstruction and development;
• Information access by population is low;
• The economy is fragile;
• Taxation high, wages low, alternative economy.
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Internal administrative organisation of BiH - Complex
BiH Territorial size of 51.209,2 km2
Brčко District
2 Entities
Republika Srpska
1 District
10 Cantons (Federation BiH)
Federation of BiH
150 Municipalities
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
The war still affects peoples lives in BiH
• 2,2 million people have been displaced from their homes
• 1,200,000 persons have requested for refugee protection in more
than 100 countries worldwide
• 328,900 persons have regulated their status in the recipient
countries
• 288,450 persons awaiting for permanent solution.
source of data: Ministry for human rights and refugees
Meeting the donor conference in Doha, 15. May 2001
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Telecom infrastructure, reconstruction and development
Damage assessment was estimated as follows:
• subscriber lines had decrease almost 45 percent;
• exchange capacity decreased 25 percent;
• transmission routes destroyed 40 percent;
• long-distance network destroyed 65 percent.
• The cost of restoring the sector, USD 222 million.
Source EBRD
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Telecom infrastructure, reconstruction and development
Needed investement by operator to reach EU standards
(MDEM)
850
882
228
HPT Mostar d.o.o
Source IMG 1999
PTT BiH
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Telekom Srpske
Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Main actors and competitors in Telecom Market today
• 3 Telecom Operators in Fixed Network - with app 850,000 main
lines;
• 2 Telecom Operators in Mobile Network - with app. 250,000
subscribers;
• Tendering procedure for new mobile operator is on the way;
• 17 Internet Providers with about 75,000 subscribers (density
estimation 2%).
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Telecommunication coverage, estimation

More than 95%
population lives in
marked areas

Estimated presence of
telecom service in BiH
- 55 % of settlements within
technical coverage
- 75% of inhabitants within
technical coverage
source of data: Communication Regulatory Agency
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Total lines penetration rate in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Total lines penetration rate in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared with CEEC and EU
members average
120.00%
110.00%
94.00%
100.00%
77.00%
80.00%
66.00%
EU average
60.00%
45.00%
35.90%
40.00%
20.10%
23.90%
28.50%
20.00%
22.22%
0.00%
8.11%
9.25%
1996
1997
1998
24.43%
1999
29.02%
2000
source of data: European Survey of Information Society Projects and Actions
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CEEC average
BiH average
Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Economy and Finance.
Economy




GDP per capita US$ 1,126
average net wage KM 305 (June 2000, growth 9%)
inflation 7.5%
unemployed (40%) (June 2000)
Financial infrastructure



main payment procedure: cash afterwards
credit card usage and acceptance very low
central bank controls monetary policy
source of data: Agency for Statistics BIH, Bureau of
Statistics FB, Bureau of Statistics of RS
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Areas of Concern - The Need :

Simple, cheap and reliable access to information
- for Governance - institution building
- for Commerce - building the economy
- for Education / Training
- for Science and Culture
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Preconditions: Legal Framework

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


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Implementation of a policy and law making bodies;
Implementation of equal treatment of incumbent and nonincumbent Internet Service Providers;
General legal provisions for privacy and data protection;
Updating contract law and obligations rights;
Updating the law on financial institutions;
Modernising the financial sector;
Improving law enforcement for the overall legal
framework
Establishing legal and organisational provisions,
promoting fair competition.
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Preconditions: Technical base


The Information Infrastructure:
– efficient, competitive, affordable and
accessible with high quality of service;
Base of knowledge:
– Building a top level base of professional
knowledge;
– Providing a basic knowledge to the society;
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
The elements in Place :

Non-nationalist Governments in place;
 Enabling Regulation now established and hence can
encourage development;
 Modern Telecommunication Infrastructure in place;
 Change of attitude;
from "unless it is specifically allowed you CANNOT”
to "unless it is specifically prohibited - you CAN"
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Policy making and implementing the rules
making the policy
Regulate: implementing the law
Government
(relevant ministry)
Draft bill
•Reporting to Government
and parliament
•Proposing policy orientations
Adopting the law
Parliament
Law adopted
by parliament
Regulatory
Agency
Senate
Implementing rules and law
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Policies for Enabling the Internet: Legal Framework

Limited need for NEW Internet regulation
– Digital signature
– Protection of intellectual property

Application of existing regulations (not Internet
specific)
–
–
–
–

Protecting children
Consumer protection
Preventing fraud
Prosecute criminal behavior
Not traditional media regulation
with thanks to FCC
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Existing Overlay Transmission Network in BiH
CRO
Bihac
Prijedor
Bijeljina
Banja
Luka
YU
Tuzla
Jajcea.)


Zenica
Livno
Sarajevo
Gorazde
Posusje
Srbinje
Mostar
Trebinje
CRO
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Action in BiH : Building Base of Knowledge
% of website / total number of "units"
evolution
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Jul-99
Oct-99
Jan-00
Primary and secondary schools
Regional and local authorities
Museums
Apr-00
Jul-00
Oct-00
Universities
Hospitals/clinics
Libraries
source of data: European Survey of Information Society Projects and
18 Actions
WWW Indicators report on Bosnia
1-Jan
Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Action in BiH : Building Base of Knowledge
% of website / total number of "units"
120%
100%
100%
85%
80%
60%
60%
50%
40%
40%
12%
20%
0%
Universities
Regional and
local authorities
Museums
Libraries
source of data: European Survey of Information Society Projects and
19 Actions
WWW Indicators report on Bosnia
Hospitals/clinics
Primary and
secondary
schools
Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
The Opportunity:

To BUILD on the NEW postwar infrastructure
 To change culture by "Ownership"
 To develop Internet Service Providers (deregulation)
 To allow low cost rapid spread of wireless
technologies to serve the rural population (WLL)
 To reduce the costs of communication - liberalisation
 To develop the regional applications from Within the
Region
 To involve/empower the local users and providers
wherever they are in BiH
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Information Society Perspectives in SE Europe - Thessaloniki June 2001
Conclusions

Significant opportunities are available for new services
throughout Europe;

BiH is well-placed to exploit because of the opportunities of
Infrastructure Development;

Decision to shift in market from equipment manufacture to
service delivery;

BiH needs to find support for service provision opportunities;

Can use these opportunities to attract investment.
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