This section features background information about the World Dialogue on Regulation and its partners, news about their activities, and information on conditions of use of the site.
| WDR e-Brief, Vol. 4, # 2 |
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| Friday, 22 April 2005 | |
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Friday, 22 April 2005 In this e-Brief Q&A * The real digital diversity New research topics * Telecom Demand: Measures for Improving Affordability Project New research * Benchmark Indicators for Latin American and Caribbean National Regulatory Authority Websites WDR/LIRNE.NET news * TRAI VOIP and regulation workshop News from the networks * infoDev’s new website Subscribing and Unsubscribing  The WDR e-Brief is an occasional electronic bulletin from the World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies (WDR) and LIRNE.NET. The e-Brief keeps you informed of new documents, new projects, ongoing discussions and information of interest to the regulatory community on our websites at www.lirne.net and www.regulateonline.org . Please forward the e-Brief to interested colleagues and let them know they can subscribe for free from the WDR website at www.regulateonline.org or by sending a message to
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Q&A: The real digital diversity
Q&A is a WDR's regular feature in which WDR experts answer your questions related to the current research theme, WDR activities, or telecom regulation in general.
The Economist on March 10th published an article claiming that the mobile phone alone could bridge the digital divide. Under the title "The Real Digital Divide", it asserts that investing in internet access is unnecessary since telephony is sufficient to satisfy the development needs of poor communities, and that universal access can and will be secured through further liberalisation and private investment.
In our regular question and answer column, WDR guest commentator Seán Ó Siochrú responded to the article, explaining why it is still important to diversify participation for network development.
Question: If the answer really as simple as the Economist claims, then why does WDR maintain its emphasis on diversifying participation for network development?
Answer: The Economist article sets off by correctly noting that the digital divide is merely a symptom of deeper, more important divides such as income, development and literacy. And mobile phone use has indeed grown spectacularly in many poor countries, and provides significant social and development benefits. However, the argument soon exposes a serious shortcoming, that of generalisation. Time and again it has been shown that generalising about solutions is a mistake – there is no one- size-fits-all - and this applies equally to technologies (GSM mobile), to applications (telephony), and to regulatory approaches (liberalisation and competition).
Read Seán Ó Siochrú’s full response at: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/346/40/
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New WDR Research Projects
The recently completed research on the WDR theme, Stimulating Investment in Network Development: Roles for Regulators (now in publication) demonstrated that network development requires a much broader focus if anything resembling universal access in an internet environment is to be achieved. Participation by all interested parties will not just have to be accommodated, but also facilitated and supported by policymakers and regulators. This has led us to select the WDR theme for dialogue and research for the third cycle, which is now beginning, as Diversifying Participation in Network Development. Telecom regulators and policymakers will need to play an important role in this process. It requires much more than licensing a few competitors to incumbent operators. Rather it involves facilitating participation from both the public and private sectors at local, regional, national and international levels, in extending networks, supplying services, organizing services demand, and applying services in many different ways.
A variety of studies are being undertaken by the WDR participating research centres on this theme over the next nine months. Summaries of these study plans will be posted on the WDR website and announced in e-Briefs over the next few months. They in turn will provide reference points for periodic dialogue issues that will be raised for general discussion. Comments on the WDR research studies are invited, as are contributions of additional research on the dialogue theme from those outside the WDR Centre network.
In this e-Brief and on the website we introduce five of the new studies now underway. See the abstracts below or visit the WDR third cycle research page at: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/category/4/67/31/
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Telecom Demand: Measures for Improving Affordability Project
Lead centre: Media & Communications, LSE - Contacts: Robin Mansell & Claire Milne
Understanding affordability is key to understanding telecom demand which, in turn, is central to sound business cases for investment and the achievement of network development. This project is the first stage in producing a toolkit for improving telecom affordability alongside improvements in accessibility. The project is in part a scoping study, and will produce plans for completing the toolkit as well as some initial elements of the toolkit.
More information at: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/363/31/
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ICTs and Disaster Warning
Lead centre: LIRNEasia - Contacts: Rohan Samarajiva & Ayesha Zainudeen,
Hazards arise in the physical world. The hazard, if it is witnessed by human beings is warning in itself; the advice that is given to the citizens of Hawaii about local tsunamis that may be created by proximate earthquakes exemplifies this: "your feet are your signal; if you feel an earthquake, head for high ground." If the hazard goes unnoticed by humans and the detection devices employed by humans, like an underwater landslide for instance, the hazard could not only become a disaster, but it would go undetected by the human world. The aim of disaster warning is to prevent a hazard from becoming a disaster. In order to accomplish this, accurate and credible warning must be communicated to the vulnerable population as rapidly as possible, as far in advance of the physical effects as possible. That is, the physical occurrence must be represented in the symbolic world as soon as possible.
More information at: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/362/31/
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Regulatory Practices around Information Provision and Communication with Stakeholders
Lead Centre: Comunica - Contact: Amy Mahan
Regulatory institutions, working at arm’s length from government, are charged with effectively balancing the demands of different stakeholders. Especially in a post-privatisation context, the telecom regulatory environment is a constantly changing and evolving terrain. Institutional weakness can result in regulatory capture (by the private sector), an inordinate focus on short-term gains (for the government), or simply an uncoordinated underdevelopment of the sector – at the cost of addressing consumer interests and building a robust infrastructure. Regulatory information and communication practices are thus key to assessing the progress and future of privatisation efforts at a national level.
More information at: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/364/31/
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Towards an African E-Index: Understanding supply and demand by measuring ICT access and usage
Lead centre: LINK Centre, University of the Witwatersrand - Contact: Alison Gillwald
Every society needs a guiding vision, policy certainty and transparent regulation to promote the potential of ICTs for economic growth and poverty alleviation, global competitiveness and growing employment opportunities and skills provision. Research is critical to establishing the needs of countries and groups within them, and to conceptualising approaches that are likely to be effective in resolving country-specific problems. Unlike other parts of the world committed to participatory policy formulation processes, there are few, and in most countries no, independent agencies contributing to these processes in the broader public interest on the basis of rigorous applied research. African research based on a sound body of data, information and analysis is urgently needed to assess the issues and inform African decision- making in relation to policies, regulations and investment.
More information at: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/366/31/
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New Models of Network Ownership and Management: The role of local communities
Lead centre: Comunica - Contact: Bruce Girard
This research topic will examine alternative models of network ownership and management, with a particular focus on local ownership of networks in rural communities. It will look at a variety of ownership and control models, including cooperatives, SMEs, municipal government ownership, public-private partnerships and scenarios in which different entities own different parts of the network (i.e. private backbone and cooperative last mile). It will also look at changing technologies that are making local ownership and management possible (especially wireless) and at policy and regulatory best (and worst) practices.
More information at: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/365/31/
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New research
WDR partners have released two new research papers.
National Early Warning System: Sri Lanka
National Early Warning System: Sri Lanka (NEWS: SL) is a participatory concept paper for the design of an effective all-hazard public warning system. The objective of the paper is to provide recommendations for the parameters and specifications of a national early warning system appropriate for Sri Lanka, with adequate regional and global linkages capable of conveying warning messages of any scale or type in the event of an impending hazard.
More information at: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/322/31/
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Benchmark Indicators for Latin American and Caribbean National Regulatory Authority Websites
Estándares de comparación para los sitios web de los entes reguladores nacionales de América Latina y el Caribe
The websites of national telecommunications regulatory authorities can be important vehicles for information dissemination, communication and transparency. Through them citizens and consumer organisations can get information about their rights and how to exercise them, the telecom industry can access information about standards, policies and procedures, and regulatory agencies can signal their willingness to be accountable, examined, available and reported upon. A well designed and complete website can promote effective and efficient citizen and industry participation.
A new study by WDR researcher Amy Mahan compares the websites of eighteen national regulatory authorities from Latin America and the Caribbean and concludes that the there are large variations between countries in terms of quality of the information and accessibility.
The study is available in English and Spanish
More information in English at: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/354/31/
Más información en español: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/372/31/
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WDR/LIRNE.NET news
VOIP and Regulation Workshop
The Telecom Regulation Authority of India (TRAI) and infoDev held a one-day workshop on Convergence, VOIP and Regulation in Delhi, 10 March. LIRNE.NET provided international experts William Melody, Ewan Sutherland, and Reza Tadayoni who joined TRAI officials with presentations and discussant comments before a lively group of 50 participants from TRAI, the Ministry and the sector.
More information and workshop presentations at: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/332/40/
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Radio & ICT book translated into Spanish
Secreto a Voces is the Spanish title of a book about radio and new ICTs edited by WDR associate Bruce Girard. Originally released in English as The One to Watch, the book discusses how radio stations in developing countries are making use of the internet to research, to establish networks, and to keep communities together despite the distances imposed by migration. It includes case studies from Africa, Asia and Latin America.
For information on ordering the Spanish version, or to download it in PDF format, visit http://comunica.org/secreto/ . The English version is available at http://comunica.org/1-2-watch/
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Governance of infrastructures revisited
The 8th Annual International Conference on the Economics of Infrastructures will take place at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, May 26-27 2005. Speakers from academia, business and government will address issues of investments, finance and safeguarding public interest in relation to the domains of telecom, energy and water. Workshops topics include a Research Program related to WiFi, Changing Power Systems, and Drinking Water Supply. For full program details and registration visit the conference website at: http://www2.ei.tbm.tudelft.nl/EI8Conference/8th_Annual_Conference_Homepage.htm
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News from the Networks
infoDev gets new look
The Information for Development Program (infoDev) has unveiled a new website to accompany its new strategy. Created in 1995 infoDev has until recently been primarily a grant facility for pilot projects using ICT to combat poverty and promote development. Its new strategy is designed to strengthen the linkages between pilot projects, evidence, analysis and action in harnessing ICTs for development. The principal focus of infoDev's activities in 2004-2005 is on how ICTs can substantially advance progress toward the Millennium Development Goals. infoDev has launched an intensive program of support for research, analysis, and evaluation, impact monitoring, and toolkit development. As part of its work under the theme "Enabling Access for All", infoDev is a major supporter of the World Dialogue on Regulation. Visit the new website at www.infodev.org
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DIRSI/REDIS researching pro-poor strategies in Latin America
The telecommunications regulatory research group established at a meeting in Montevideo last November has a name - REDIS in English (Regional Dialogue on the Information Society) and DIRSI in Spanish (Diálogo Regional sobre Sociedad de la Información). It has established a number of research priorities and will meet prior to the Latin American regional WSIS conference in Rio de Janeiro in June. At the meeting, to be held June 6 and 7, the researchers will discuss progress on four research topics.
More information: http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/373/40/
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Questions and support
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The WDR e-Brief is a monthly bulletin from the World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies - http://www.regulateonline.org . Subscribe from the site or by sending a message to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with the subject wdr e-brief list. To unsubscribe, send a message to
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The purpose of the World Dialogue on Regulation is to critically examine ideas and evidence. Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in content appearing on the WDR website, the Online Dialogue and the WDR e-Brief are the personal views of the individuals submitting them. Content does not necessarily reflect the views of LIRNE.NET, infoDev, the World Bank, the International Development Research Centre or any other organisation associated with the World Dialogue on Regulation.
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