broadband strategies handbook.pdf - Khazar University

impact in many SIDSs, and broadband plays a vital role for various travelapplications such as reservation systems and marketing.The SIDSs are geographically diverse, with different broadband supplyand demand challenges. On the demand side, many SIDSs have relativelysmall populations, which may deter investment. However, the small geographicareas of SIDSs often make it easier and cheaper to deploy networksquickly with a high degree of coverage, and a growing number of SIDSs areachieving universal mobile service. 20 On the supply side, most of theCaribbean SIDSs are located in a condensed area, crisscrossed by a numberof undersea fiber optic cable networks. Pacific SIDSs tend to be more spreadout. Since there are far fewer options for access to undersea fiber opticcables, most Pacific SIDSs are dependent on more expensive satellite solutions.Some Pacific SIDSs, such as Fiji, are served by undersea cables andtherefore are in a position to become a potential fiber hub to neighbors(World Bank 2009).Most of the Caribbean SIDSs introduced competition in telecommunicationsnetworks several years ago, whereas the Pacific countries have done soonly more recently. Mobile broadband has yet to have a significant impact inmost SIDSs due to a lack of spectrum allocation and uncertain demand.The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) wasestablished as a regional regulator for countries in that subregion. ECTELovercomes human resource limitations of each country staffing its own fullfledgedregulatory institution and harmonizes subregional policies. ECTELrecently moved to make high-speed Internet more accessible by designatingthe 700 MHz band for broadband wireless services (EC-TEL 2009). St. Kittsand Nevis, a Caribbean SIDS, is profiled in a broadband country case studyat the end of this chapter.Postconflict CountriesPostconflict countries refer to nations where war and civil strife have led tothe destruction of institutions and economic facilities. There is no officialdefinition of a postconflict economy, but such economies are often locationswhere civil conflicts have necessitated the intervention of peacekeepingmissions. 21 ICTs can play a beneficial role in helping to reconstruct thesecountries by attracting foreign investment, generating employment, enhancingeducation prospects, and creating linkages to the global economy. 22Given the often poor or destroyed telecommunications infrastructure, postconflictcountries can leapfrog to state-of-the-art, next-generation networks.However, this will require a liberalized telecommunications regimethat encourages convergence and investment in IP networks.Global Footprints: Stories from and for the Developing World 317