Universal Service Funding: An Effective Tool for Accelerating the
Deployment of Infrastructure and Use of ICT in sub-Sahara Africa
IITD is co-sponsoring a series of capacity building videoconferences focused on Universal Service Funding in sub-Sahara Africa. The project will highlight exchanges among telecom regulators from the U.S. and Africa, and also include specialists and observers from a number of additional sectors such as health and education, as well as the donor community. One major objective is to promote the refinement of policies and procedures that will speed up the collection and distribution of universal service funding in sub-Sahara Africa in order to expand access to ICT in such critical areas as health, education and e-governance.
The videoconference of June 21, 2007 marks the formal kick-off of the project, with additional exchanges scheduled to take place over the next 10 months. The first two sessions will feature exchanges involving the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Also participating in various sessions are the Association of African Distance Learning Centers (AADLC), the International Law Institute (ILI), and Internet2.
All sessions will be carried in sub-Sahara Africa by participating members of AADLC, which also will host multi-sectoral participation at their in-country facilities. Broadband interconnectivity is being facilitated through the World Bank's Global Distance Learning Network, the Digital Bridge Institute in Abuja, Nigeria (an initiative of the NCC) and participating AADLC members.
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