Transcript Open Access

Open Access
Russell Southwood
Balancing Act
http:www.balancingactafrica.com
[email protected]
Introduction
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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
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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
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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
Wholesale
Retail
Layer
Open Access / Reseller Model
Services - Voice, Internet
Network / Transmission
Physical Infrastructure
From “Open Access Models”, infoDev, 2005
Open access principles
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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
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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 $500-1000.
Private sector player now building key link and offering
capacity to all at US$150 per mbps
Future agenda
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Low-cost voice challenge - 3/10% of personal
budgets
Muni networks (Knysna)
Diverse media delivered via IP - convergence
and media liberalisation