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World Bank appoints Progressus for expansion of African Regulatory Watch Initiative

African broadband market continues to face challenges including how to connect the unconnected. (Image credit: Stars Foundation)

Progressus Corporation has announced that it has been appointed by the World Bank, following a competitive process, to head up phase two of The African Regulatory Watch Initiative (RWI)

Despite rapid growth and huge investment, the African broadband market continues to face some daunting challenges – not least how to connect the unconnected; ensure fair competition; make data prices more affordable; enable fair and sensible government taxation; and harness innovation and new economic models.

The proposed RWI has been set up to help governments tackle these challenges by suggesting a range of activities, including licensing; spectrum allocation; taxation and tariff-related issues; and access to infrastructure.

RWI phase one was successfully completed in 2017 and focused on licensing regimes, OTT and International Gateway Liberalisation in the 15 ECOWAS countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau; Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

Olivier Jacquinot, who heads up RWI at Progressus, said, “This is an extremely exciting project. RWI Phase 1 managed to identify some key regulatory levers that pushed forward the development of broadband in some countries. Phase two will deliver an even greater level of analysis - and help keep the African telecoms industry moving forward."

RWI phase two incorporates the phase 1 ECOWAS countries plus a number of Middle Eastern, North African (MENA) and East African countries: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

The Progressus team is now conducting a thorough analysis of each country’s telecoms industry including the competitive landscape; legal and regulatory frameworks; spectrum regulation and Universal Service Funds management.

This phase will also analyse the links between the enforcement of regulation and market growth.  It will also produce The RWI Index, which will assess countries according to their spectrum management, USF and other Government support measures and regulatory governance.

The World Bank will be holding Delivery Workshops to present the findings of RWI phase 2 to Government Ministers and officials, operators, bankers and investors, and industry bodies.

To register your interest in attending these, email bridget@telecomsprafrica.com

For more details, please visit www.progressus-corp.com o

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