Page 6 - SAMENA Trends - May 2020

FEATURED SAMENA TRENDS

Policy, Regulation, and Governance

Considerations in the Wake of 5G Adoption

More than half of the world is now technical conditions of a given market are considerations.
fully connected online and has begun effectively taken into account to reflect
to participate in the global digital on and execute national development Fortunately, ICT regulatory authorities
economy. COVID-19 has impacted this objectives. In the case of ICT development, appear ready to embrace new changes
connectedness even more. However, there a sound national ICT policy sets forth a and recognize the imperative of continuing
is a need to formulate effective regulatory clear vision of the future, maps out key to exercise their mandated role while still
approaches in order to achieve more goals, and defines strategies to implement encouraging private-sector leadership and
"meaningful connectivity" and "digital that vision. Effectively, ICT policies help be seen as the promoters of innovation,
inclusion" across each stratum of society. harmonize various strategic aspects in the sustainability, and fulfillment of national
This requires promoting relevance of digital implementation process, define the roles of ICT visions. This, in significant part, has
connectivity and conducting capacity- each stakeholder and decision-maker, and been the result of natural evolution of the
building of those using the Internet only identify ambitions, reaching which requires Industry, national ICT visions set forth as
to a limited scale, or not using at all. active collaboration among concerned a matter of necessity for nation-building
Global benefits of digital infrastructure stakeholders, who act according to certain, and international consensus on creating a
and broadband availability and access mutually agreed recommendations and sustainable ICT-driven future for all.
have been proven beyond doubt and well-
recognized in the wake of the current Areas where policy-makers and regulatory authorities need to prioritize and draw
health crisis. Moreover, the enabling role of
broadband in the efforts to achieve the UN timely focus, in order to drive broadband growth today and to effectively tread the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) evolving regulatory landscape, include:
has been fully established, underpinned 1. Updating ICT regulations and market approaches for sustainability
by national digital transformation drives 2. Devising new regulatory strategies and frameworks for spectrum allocation
to uplift socio-economics of countries and licensing
previously dependent majorly on natural 3. Effectively utilizing Universal Service Funds to develop broadband
resources or labor force.
4. Revamping taxation regimes, industry fees, and duties
Given the ever-growing demand for mobile 5. Dramatically reducing the cost of broadband delivery by Operators and of
data and data-driven technologies and use by end-users
innovation over the years, and since 6. Fostering locally relevant content creation and local hosting
the start of the year 2020 particularly, 7. Taking steps to address the need for cross-border data flows for Operators
a fundamental overhaul of mobile 8. Implementing e-Government initiatives, with incentivization for relevant
service business models, offerings and
technologies is being achieved. This digital services
requires that policy, regulatory, business, 9. Monitoring and collecting meaningful ICT data for further planning
and infrastructure development and 10. Building human digital capacity and skills
infrastructure utilization frameworks be 11. Applying open access approaches to infrastructure in collaboration with
overhauled as well. To meet data-driven Operators (as may be desirable in a given market)
needs of the Coronavirus pandemic times, 12. Fostering digital innovation by taking steps to protect intellectual property
for instance, a key advantage that 5G
carries is that, rather than relying on a (IP) rights and ICT talent
number of technologies and devices for our 13. Developing IoT & Smart City policy and implementation frameworks
communication needs, it is able to singly 14. Promoting advanced market commitments for rural broadband access
offer almost an entire range of desired 15. Improving right-of-way regulations
capabilities, services, and efficiencies 16. Encouraging e-Business and entrepreneurship
needed in modern-day, and increasingly 17. Undertaking public consultations on policy & regulation to invite private-
remotely-required, communications.
sector viewpoints
The need for new ICT policies is corrobo- 18. Pursuing and enabling pubic-private partnerships to overcome connectivity
rated by the fundamental need for ensuring and funding challenges
that changes in the economic, social and
2 Adapted from the Recommendations of the Broadband Commission from the years 2012 to 2018

6 MAY 2020