The Regional Economic Dialogue on Telecommunications/ICT for Africa (RED-AFR 2020) was held virtually from 11 to 12 November 2020. This event was organised by the ITU Telecommunications Development Bureau (BDT) in close collaboration with with Guinea Bissau Autoridade Reguladora Nacional das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (ARN).
In line with ITU’s commitment for universal access to affordable and secure broadband services, the RED-AFR focused on topics of interest such as, the key initiatives for response during the COVID-19 Crisis, and the economic impact and recovery strategies for Digital Africa to build back better and ensure connectivity and business continuity; the next generation interconnection and peering arrangements in the digital market, as well as the related business models and pricing strategies for new services (OTT, IoT and data).
It was also the occasion to discuss about national, regional and global coordination on economic policies and methods of determining the costs of services in coordination with
ITU-D Study Group 1 Question 4/1.
DRAFT AGENDA
13h00 to 16h00 (CET)
15h00 to 18h00 (Addis time) (EAT)
DAY 1: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
13h00 – 13h15 Opening Session
- Andrew Rugege, ITU Regional Director for Africa [Biography]
- Leandro Vieira, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Autoridade Reguladora Nacional das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (ARN) Guinea Bissau [Biography]
- Stephen Bereaux, Deputy to the Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), International Telecommunication Union [Biography]
13h15 – 14h30 Session 1: COVID-19 – Policy & Regulation, Economic Impact and Recovery for Digital Africa – Key Initiatives for response
Moderator: Sofie Maddens, Head Regulatory and Market Environment Division, ITU [Biography]
Keynote presentation: #Building back better: ensuring connectivity and business continuity,
key policy and regulatory lessons learned for Africa -
Scott Minehane, ITU Expert [Biography] [Presentation]
Panelists:
- Eleanor Sarpong, Deputy Director and Policy Lead, A4AI [Biography] [Presentation]
- Jean-Paul Adam, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
- Thierno Moutanga Diarra, Principal IT Solutions Architect, ICT Operations, African Development Bank (ADB) [Biography]
- Alain Sawadogo, World Bank (WB) [Biography]
14h30 – 16h00 Session 2: Regulatory and Economic Strategies for affordable and meaningful Access in Africa #Building back better
Moderator: Americo Muchanga, Chairman of the Board, INCM, Mozambique [Biography]
Introduction: Competition and economics in the Digital Era
Pedro Seixas, ITU Expert [Biography] [Presentation]
Keynote presentation: Enabling the Business environment to enhance digitalizatin in Africa
Sha'ista Goga, ITU Expert [Biography] [Presentation] [Background Paper]
Panelists:
- Charley Lewis, Commissioner, ICASA, South Africa
- Siobhan Lynch, Group Strategy Manager AVANTI and representing ESOA [Biography] [Presentation]
- Judith Obholzer, Managing Executive Public Policy, Vodacom [Biography]
- Dawit Bekele, Regional Vice-President Africa, Internet Society (ISOC) [Biography]
- Thys Kazad, Africa Public Policy Manager, Access and Connectivity, Facebook [Biography]
DAY 2: Thursday, 12 November 2020
13h00 – 14h30 Session 3: Advances in regulatory costing and pricing strategies in the digital era – practices in Africa
Moderator: Lwando Bbuku, Manager Market and Competition, ZICTA, Zambia [Biography]
Keynote presentation: Next generation interconnection/ peering arrangements in the digital
market, related business models and pricing strategies for new services (OTT, IoT and data)
Hilda Mutseyekwa, POTRAZ, ITU Expert [Biography] [Presentation] [Background Paper]
Panelists:
- Nelson de Barros, Director of Market and Operator Monitoring Department, ANR TIC, Guinea Bissau [Biography] [Presentation]
- Antony Chigaazira, Executive Secretary, CRASA [Biography]
- Abossé Akue-Kpakpo, Expert TIC, Directeur de l'Economie Numérique, UEMOA [Biography]
- Aminata Drame, Directrice des Services Opérateurs, Orange-Sonatel Senegal
- Devout van Zyl, Executive Head, Economic Regulation, Vodacom Group [Biography]
14h30 – 15h50 Session 4: National, regional and global coordination on economic policies and methods of determining the costs of services - in coordination with ITU-D Study Group 1 Question 4/1: Economic policies and methods of determining the costs of services related to national telecommunication/ICT networks
Moderator: Carmen Prado-Wagner, Regulatory & Market Environment Division, ITU [Biography]
Panelists:
- ITU-D Study Groups: an update with insight for working together- Amah Vinyo Capo, ITU-D Study Group Vice-Chair [Biography] [Presentation]
- Findings from the ITU-D Question 4/1 Economic policies and methods of determining the costs of services related to national telecommunication/ICT networks- Arseny Plossky Rapporteur Question 4/1 [Biography] and Talent Munyaradzi, Vice-Rapporteur [Biography] [Presentation]
- Cost Modelling guidelines and methodological aspects- Jorge Martínez, Axon Consulting, Vice-Rapporteur [Biography] [Presentation]
- The future of ITU-D Question 4/1- Arseny Plossky, Rapporteur Question 4/1 [Biography] [Presentation]
- Open discussion
15h50 – 16h00 Closing of RED-AFR
- Way Forward and Closing – Jean-Jacques Massima, ITU Regional Office for Africa
