World Dialogue on Regulation

The need for indicators is premised on the idea that they will be useful for policy and project planning to further extend the network to areas or groups identified as underserved. This aspect includes developing and collecting indicators for gauging the value chain effects of telecommunications sector growth.

Whereas it was previously useful to simply count the number of households connected to the national telecom network, in an information economy it is increasingly important to also have a clear picture of other use enabling factors, e.g.: access to ICTs including affordability; ability to use ICTs; actual use of ICTs; or the impact of using ICTs. This is compounded by the role of ICTs in achieving development goals, for which it is important to be able to measure progress in adoption as well as factors that indicate their effective use. This kind of information is important for identifying weak areas, ICT initiatives that can be replicated, and determining action for policy initiatives, as well as generally informing the policy process. Indicators can contribute to three main aspects of policy development: needs assessment; monitoring progress in different economic and social sectors; and providing evaluation and feedback for specific programmes and initiatives.

LIRNEasia used a ICT Indicators for Benchmarking Performance in Network and Services Development workshop (Delhi, March 2006) to promote this area amongst NSOs, regulators and IT-enabled services industry associations. The LIRNEasia Shoestring study will also provide demand-side information that are not necessarily ‘standardised indicators’ but will provide useful information for policymaking processes.

Key Projects
The national regulatory authority (NRA) benchmarking studies have been useful for both assessing and providing feedback to regulators in support of promoting good regulatory practices. Updates for these assessments are planned for this research cycle, as regional assessments have been effected by LIRNE for Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Additionally, WDR researchers working in the LAC DIRSI network will participate in the development of a survey instrument and methodology to assess low-income mobile use throughout the region.

Other research themes that are currently being developed for this subtheme include developing an instrument for assessing the value of mobility in communications; and a corresponding food traceability project being developed by LIRNEasia.