icts, ldcs and the sdgs
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Pre-WTDC-17 Ministerial Roundtable on ICT④SDGs in LDCs, LLDCs & SIDS
8 October, 2017
Vanessa GRAYHead of LDCs, SIDS &
Emergency Telecommunications DivisionBDT/ITU
ICTs, LDCs and the SDGsAchieving universal and affordable Internet
in the least developed countries
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SDG 9C “Significantly increase access to information and
communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet
in LDCs by 2020”
LDCs & LLDCs SIDS• LDCs: 47 countries highly vulnerable to
economic and environmental shocks
• Includes 17 LLDCs and 9 SIDS
• LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS face related development challenges but are very different in terms of geography, population and level of economic development.
Access/ Infrastructure
AffordabilityInternet
Source: ITU
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Highlights
• ICTs, in particular basic services and applications over 2G networks, have had a significant impact on development but promise from broadband is even greater
• LDCs are on track to achieve SDG 9C in terms of access & affordability
• Internet use expected to remain low and skills remain a key barrier
• It is possible to leapfrog: sharing experiences from LDCs
• 3 dimensional framework - access, affordability & skills – to identify strengths and weaknesses and guide policies
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Access/InfrastructureMiles of networks:
1st: International
2nd: National backbone
3rd: User access
Plus “Invisible mile”
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Explosive growth in access to submarine cables & national backbone infrastructure
International
• Except for 6 (out of 30) ALL sea-facing LDCs have landing stations
• Almost all LLDCs have fiber optic cable cross-border terrestrial links but prices generally higher due to transit
• Unconnected SIDS are planning access to submarine cables
• Leverage regional economic communities for policy on cost-based & open access to submarine cables
National
Better backbone infrastructure through:
• Access to spectrum/digital dividend
• Regulation on rights of way and open access to networks
• Infrastructure sharing
• Universal Service Funds
27
50
0
20
40
60
80
100
POP 10-kmRange
POP25-kmRange
POP50-KmRange
POP100-KmRange
Population (%) in range of backbone network, LDC average, 2016
Source: ITU
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Mobile population coverage in LDCs
• Narrowband (2G) Internet coverage high with remaining gaps almost all in rural areas
• 61% of population covered by 3G mobile broadband network
• 26 LDCs have launched 4G61
20
6570
76 77
8488 89
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Total LDC population
3G
2G
4G
Population, (‘000 ) Coverage (%)
Source: ITU
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Building core Internet infrastructure
All 330%
224%
123%
None23%
% of LDCs that have 3 fundamental Internet infrastructure components,
2017
22
30
23
0
4
8
12
16
20
24
28
32
36
40
44
48
Root nameserver
ccTLD nameserver
IXP
Number of LDCs with:
Source: ITU
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Affordability
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Understanding affordability
• Despite price drops, international comparison (ITU price basket) shows that broadband remains unaffordable to many
• …but by 2020 will be affordable in many LDCs
• Handset biggest barrier to entry
• Flexible tariffs help with affordability and operators have adapted to low-income users
• Governments can help bring down prices by driving competition and limiting taxes
• Backbone constraints for LLDCs and some SIDS
0 10 20 30 40 50
Hourly
Nightly
Daily
>1 day & < 1week
Weekly
>1 week & <1month
Monthly
Number of LDCs with different mobile broadband Internet bundles
Source: ITU
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Skills
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Skills emerging as leading barrier
54
15
14
7
2
Skills
Affordability (equipment)
Affordability service charge
Access
Other
Zambia, Barriers to Internet use, 2015• Lack of digital literacy emerging as a leading barrier to Internet use in many LDCs
• Digital skills closely linked to educational attainment
• Secondary school enrolment in LDCs (43%) lies well below world average (76%)
• Strategic ICT sector plans need to highlight the role of, and make link to educational policies
• Gender digital divide must be addressed to ensure universality aspect of SDG 9C
Source: ITU
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8 16
23
-
20
40
60
80
100
20
13
20
14
20
15
20
16
20
17
20
18
20
19
20
20
25 40
5161
6978
8897
0
20
40
60
80
100
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
3G coverage (% of population)
39 39 39 40 41 41 42 42
0
20
40
60
80
100
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Skills
Gross secondary school enrollment(% of age group)
30.3
16.614.6
12.09.7
7.45.0
2.7
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Affordability
Mobile broadband price (% GNI)
Internet use (% of population)
Target 9C in 2020
Access
Source: ITU
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It is possible to leapfrog
Sao Tome & Principe
Bhutan
0
20
40
60
80
100
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Skills
Bangladesh
Myanmar
0
20
40
60
80
100
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Access
Mobile broadband price per month (500 MB, % GNI pc)
Tanzania
Vanuatu
0
5
10
15
20
2016201520142013
Percentage of the population covered by 3G network
Gross secondary school enrolment
Affordability
Source: ITU
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3 dimensional framework to guide policy makers: access, affordability & skills
Nepal
Rwanda
Sudan
Bhutan
Access Affordability Skills
Main challenge: Access/Skills
Main challenge: Skills
Source: ITU
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Recommendations
Drive competition and intensity of competition
Coverage obligations, open access regulation & universal service funds
Build core infrastructure
Rationalize taxation
Focus on digital literacy and skills
Achieve gender parity
Foster institutional strengthening
Produce better data