ICT Masterplan National Broadband Policy 2020-2024

OBJECTIVE

To create and establish an economy and society that thrives on broadband impacting lives, governance, business processes with unlimited opportunities for all citizens.

CONTENT

Specific Objectives, Policy Measures and Targets, Implementation Structure The Specific Objectives of the Broadband Policy are:

1. Facilitating socio-economic growth and development of the country by deploying appropriate ICT systems and solutions;
2. Achieving good governance and transparent government through ICT;
3. To achieve a broadband ecosystem with robust competition in an environment that promotes innovation and investment;
4. Strengthening the country’s global competitiveness and the promotion of private sector development;
5. Enhancing the ability of citizens to utilize ICT in their conduct of various business activities through new skills under special human capital development.
6. To come up with measures to facilitate and support the universal deployment of broadband in even high-cost areas including measures for the efficient allocation and management of scarce resources and ensure that low-income Gambians can afford broadband;
7. To support efforts to boost adoption and utilization of broadband;
8. To facilitate legislative and other policy reform including the determination of standards and incentives to maximize the benefits of broadband in sectors where government influences significantly, such as public education, health care, and government operations;

Policy measures to be pursued under the Broadband policy are as follows:

• All stakeholders to clearly pursue the broadband target of 5 Mbps;
• Recognized and workable business and investment models for broadband on open access principle;
• A clear and acceptable framework for the management of the national backbone;
• An adopted strategy for implementing the last mile connectivity;
• Regulatory measures for addressing the constraints of both supply and demand side of broadband;
• Measures for relevant digital content and applications;
• A clearer framework for the supporting infrastructure in the forms of access roads, power supply and disparity in requirements by local government authorities e.g. BCC, KMC, BAC, with numerous fees discourage broadband rollout;
• A collaborative framework on broadband delivery;

The Policy provides for the establishment of a body to be known as National Broadband Commission to be under the direction of MOICI. The membership of this National Broadband Commission is drawn from the regulator, concerned Government Ministries and Agencies, Telecommunications Operators, Consumer Representatives, Broadcasters and the private sector.