Assignment and use of radio spectrum – policy guidelines and economic aspects

Published in 2016

It is my pleasure to present this ITU report on policy guidelines and economic aspects of assignment and use of radio spectrum prepared by the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) in coordination with the Radiocommunication Bureau (BR). This report identifies guidelines on policy and economic aspects in relation to the assignment and use of the radio-frequency spectrum to allow national regulatory authorities, decision-makers and telecommunication/ICT service operators to make more efficient and optimal use of the spectrum. The objective of these guidelines is to extract the maximum benefit from the radio-frequency spectrum while maintaining the necessary balance with other key factors,…

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Maximising availability of international connectivity in developing countries: Strategies to ensure global digital inclusion

Published in 2016

The United Nations General Assembly in its resolution entitled The Future We Want provided that the goal of sustainable development is to ensure the promotion of an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future for the planet and for present and future generations. Sustainable development emphasizes a holistic, equitable and far-sighted approach in decision-making at all levels. It rests on integration and a balanced consideration of social, economic and environmental goals and objectives in both public and private decision-making. It emphasizes intra-generational and intergenerational equity .1 The achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)2 adopted in 2015 will rely heavily…

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Medición de la Independencia Formal de Autoridades Regulatorias en Telecomunicaciones utilizando una adaptación del Índice Gilardi

Published in 2016

Me complace presentarles el estudio sobre la Medici n de la Independencia Formal de Autoridades Regulatorias en Telecomunicaciones: utilizando una adaptaci n del ndice Gilardi . La elaboraci n de este documento es resultado de la estrecha colaboraci n entre la Oficina del Desarrollo de las Telecomunicaciones (BDT/UIT) y el Organismo Supervisor de Inversi n Privada en Telecomunicaciones (OSIPTEL), en el marco del Grupo de trabajo sobre Fortalecimiento Institucional del Foro de Reguladores Latinoamericanos (Regulatel). Los temas de la regulaci n y el fortalecimiento de las Agencias Reguladoras en las ltimas d cadas est n asociados, entre otros aspectos, a…

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Digital financial services: Regulating for financial inclusion

Published in 2016

Mobile financial services have become an important driver of financial inclusion in a growing number of countries. Where banks traditionally did not reach populations, the rapid growth of mobile networks and subscriptions has offered a distribution technology for mobile financial services. Between 2011 and 2014, 700 million adults worldwide became account holders and the number of adults with no account dropped by 20 per cent to 2 billion. The number of mobile money accounts reached 411 million globally in 2015, a third up from 2014. Mobile money is today available in 93 countries. Using mobile money transfers and payments is…

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Trends in Telecommunication Reform 2016

Published in 2016

The digital world of the 21st Century offers a world of opportunities through apps and services in the fields of e-governance, telemedicine, mobile banking and online education. ICTs help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by opening doors to economic growth, socio- economic development and vast improvements in the lives of individuals and communities. To realize the full potential of the digital economy, policy-makers and regulators have a key role to play in building policy and regulatory environments in which new technologies can flourish. That is why this 16th annual edition of Trends in Telecommunication Reform focuses on the theme…

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2015 Development Policy Financing Retrospective – Results and Sustainability

Published in 2015

This report is the fourth Retrospective of Development Policy Financing, one of the World Bank’s three financing instruments. Development Policy Financing (DPF), the Bank’s general budget support instrument, aims at helping clients achieve sustainable growth and poverty reduction through the support of a program of policy and institutional actions. Development Policy Financing is provided in the form of non-earmarked loans, credits, grants or policy-based guarantees. Since its introduction over 10 years ago, Development Policy Financing has proved to be a robust and flexible instrument that supports a diverse set of clients. DPF supports a wide range of countries, including middle-income…

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Toward New Sources of Competitiveness in Bangladesh: Key Insights of the Diagnostic Trade Integration Study

Published in 2015

Bangladesh can be justly proud of its track record in reducing poverty and achieving progress on key human development indicators, such as child mortality, school enrollment, and female empowerment, to name a few. In mid-2015, reflecting a decade of robust growth, the World Bank reclassified Bangladesh from low income to lower-middle-income. Over the next decade, the most important development challenge for Bangladesh will be to provide more and better jobs to its workers, as more than 20 million people join the labor force. Achieving this goal will require Bangladesh to connect more deeply to the world market for garments and…

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Opening the Black Box: Contextual Drivers of Social Accountability

Published in 2015

In 2014, the World Bank Group adopted the Strategic Framework for Mainstreaming Citizen Engagement in WBG Operations. The framework offers a roadmap for the ways we as an institution mainstream and scale up citizen engagement across our operations to improve results. Central to this commitment is achieving the target of beneficiary feedback from 100 percent of World Bank Group projects with clearly identifiable beneficiaries. When governments engage with their citizens it provides opportunities to meet the World Bank s twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity in a sustainable way. With this spirit in mind, Bank experts…

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Trust Voice & Incentives: Learning from Local Success Stories in Service Delivery in the Middle East and North Africa

Published in 2015

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is in a state of volatile change. This period of change is imposing hardships on the people of the region, and the outbreaks of conflict and violence represent a clear danger not only regionally, but globally as well. Under the circumstances, it is essential to focus on the welfare of the region’s youth and its economic and institutional health in order to build the foundation for lasting stability and shared prosperity. Public institutions and services are central to this effort. In particular, it is crucial to harness the ability of public institutions to…

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Trends in Telecommunication Reform 2015

Published in 2015

We are now entering a new era of communications. The future of the digital world is happening now. ITU stands fully prepared to support its membership to lead and open the door to a wealth of possibilities. I am pleased to present the 15th annual edition of Trends in Telecommunication Reform. This year s Trends report seeks to advance the global discussion of ICTs by focusing on how the benefits of an increasingly digital world can best be made available to users around the world in a way that gives users access to the most advanced services, provides businesses with…

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