This project studied the Ghana Broadband Strategy with the aim of evaluating the recommendations in the strategy side by side the broadband development in Ghana. The researchers conducted interviews both officially and unofficially with ICT stakeholders, made observations, studied Government publications and sourced information from the internet in order to find out the extent of broadband development in Ghana. A SWOT analysis is carried out to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threat to the development of broadband market in Ghana. The facilitation, regulatory and market intervention policies recommended in the Ghana broadband policy is used to evaluate the broadband market to find out whether the strategy consolidates with the Strengths and opportunities of the market and whether it corrects the anomalies that necessitate the weaknesses and threats to the market. A comparative analysis is carried out with broadband strategies in other nations to consolidate the perceived omissions in the Ghana broadband Strategy.
In our findings, the researchers saw the Ghana broadband Strategy to be a positive start towards developing a comprehensive broadband strategy for Ghana. The strategy did address some threats and weaknesses of the broadband market. It also consolidated on some strengths and opportunities of the broadband market. The researchers also discovered that a market can actually grow without a policy. But a market will grow faster if a well implemented policy is guiding the market.
It is the hope of the researchers that this academic exercise will be useful to anyone who wishes to study the policy effect on the Ghanaian telecommunications market and the Ghanaian approach to Universal Access and Service.
Table of Contents
Chapter One- Introduction
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Problem Definition
1.3 Objectives of this Study
1.4 Methodology
1.5 Motivation
1.6 Relevance of Study
1.7 Organization of Study
Chapter Two – Literature review
2.1 Definition of Broadband
2.2 Policy and Market
2.3 Approaches towards Universal Approach
Chapter Three – Methodology
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research Methodology
3.3 Justification for use of method
3.4 Limitations for choice of methodology
3.5 Data collection methods
Chapter Four – SWOT Analysis of broadband development in Ghana
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Overview of broadband development in Ghana
4.3 Broadband technologies available in Ghana
4.4 Level of broadband penetration in Ghana
4.5 SWOT analysis
Chapter Five – Policy components of the Ghana Broadband Strategy
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Facilitation Policy of the Ghana broadband strategy
5.3 Regulatory policies of the Ghana broadband strategy
5.4 Market Intervention Policies of the Ghana broadband Strategy
Chapter Six – Overview of broadband policies in other countries
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Australia's national broadband strategy
6.3 Finland's national broadband strategy
6.4 India's national broadband strategy
6.5 Pakistan's national broadband strategy
Chapter Seven – Descriptive analysis of the Ghana broadband strategy
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Description of the Ghana broadband strategy
7.3 Stakeholder analysis
Chapter Eight – Assessment of Ghana's Universal Access policy
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Rationale for Universal Service
8.3 Ghana's Universal Access and Service Policy
8.4 Assessment of Ghana's Universal Access and Service fund
8.5 Assessment of Ghana's Telecenter initiatives
8.6 NCA and the Universal Access Obligation
8.7 The effect of telecommunication policies and the Ghanaian telecommunications market
Chapter Nine- Conclusions
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Assessments
9.4 Suggested technology step to Universal Access
9.4 Conclusions
Research Objectives & Themes
The primary research objective of this thesis is to evaluate the proposed Ghana Broadband Strategy to determine its effectiveness in promoting broadband development and achieving Universal Access in Ghana. The research addresses key questions regarding the strategy's policy framework, technology infrastructure, and how it addresses market weaknesses and threats.
- Evaluation of the proposed Ghana Broadband Strategy and its recommendations.
- Comparative analysis of broadband policies in Australia, Finland, India, and Pakistan.
- SWOT analysis of the current broadband market development in Ghana.
- Assessment of Ghana's Universal Access and Service policies and their impact on market growth.
- Strategic recommendations for technology infrastructure and policy improvements.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 Introduction:
The advent of broadband has made convergence of voice, data, and video services possible on a single platform (Ashilevi, 2008). This development has led to the convergence in the deployment of broadcast services on telecommunication platform and vice versa (Ashilevi, 2008). Today in Ghana, game shows are made more interactive by phone-in and text-in services. MTN, a mobile telecoms operator in Ghana, now transmits Digital Satellite Television (DSTV) via mobile phones. Internet Service Providers now provide broadband internet access to subscribers that can afford the service. The Government of Ghana and telecommunication companies are also developing broadband infrastructure in the country. The broadband market is developing.
Despite this development in the delivery of broadband service in Ghana the broadcast and telecommunication services are still facilitated and regulated differently. Ghana, like many countries, still use separate broadcast and telecommunication policies. The reason for the dichotomy in regulation is based on the differences in technology and purpose of telecommunications and broadcasting services. In Ghana presently, the Ghana Telecommunication Policy (GTP) of 2005 regulates the telecommunication sector (Ghana Telecoms Policy, 2005). The Electronic Communications Act of Ghana, Act 775 of 2008 regulates broadcasting, electronic communications, electromagnetic spectrum and other related matters (Electronic Communications Amendment Act, 2008). These distinct policies have led to the facilitation, regulation and development of both the broadcast and telecommunication markets respectively.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter One- Introduction: Provides the research background, defines the problem regarding separate regulatory frameworks for telecommunications and broadcasting, and outlines the study's objectives.
Chapter Two – Literature review: Reviews literature regarding the relationship between market and policy, the role of regulation, and theoretical approaches to Universal Access and Service.
Chapter Three – Methodology: Details the research methodology, including documentary reviews and key informant interviews used to gather qualitative data for the study.
Chapter Four – SWOT Analysis of broadband development in Ghana: Evaluates the current state of broadband in Ghana, including drivers like infrastructure and market liberalization, while highlighting strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Chapter Five – Policy components of the Ghana Broadband Strategy: Identifies and analyzes the facilitation, regulation, and market intervention policies proposed in the Ghana Broadband Strategy.
Chapter Six – Overview of broadband policies in other countries: Analyzes the broadband strategies of Australia, Finland, India, and Pakistan to draw lessons for the Ghanaian context.
Chapter Seven – Descriptive analysis of the Ghana broadband strategy: Provides a detailed analysis of the proposed strategy, its stakeholders (Ghana Connect), and their planned actions for universal access.
Chapter Eight – Assessment of Ghana's Universal Access policy: Examines the implementation of Ghana’s Universal Access and Service policies, including the role of GIFEC and challenges in the telecommunications market.
Chapter Nine- Conclusions: Summarizes findings, evaluates the effectiveness of the proposed strategies, and offers recommendations, including the adoption of WiMAX for rural coverage.
Keywords
Broadband Strategy, Ghana, Universal Access, Universal Service, Telecommunications Policy, Market Liberalization, SWOT Analysis, Regulatory Framework, Infrastructure, Mobile Broadband, GIFEC, Next Generation Networks, WiMAX, Digital Divide, Competitive Market
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research focuses on analyzing the proposed Ghana Broadband Strategy to determine how it can effectively guide the development of the broadband market to reach the goal of Universal Access.
What are the core thematic areas discussed in the thesis?
The thesis covers policy frameworks, market regulation, telecommunications infrastructure development, Universal Access and Service, and comparative analysis of international broadband strategies.
What is the main research question?
The research asks: What provision is made in the Ghana broadband strategy to facilitate and regulate these developments of broadband in order to attain Universal Access?
Which scientific methods were employed?
The authors utilized qualitative methods, specifically extensive documentary reviews of literature, policy papers, and in-depth semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and regulators in Ghana.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It provides a literature review, a SWOT analysis of the current broadband landscape in Ghana, an assessment of existing Universal Access policies (like GIFEC), and a comparative study of international models.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include Ghana Broadband Strategy, Universal Access, Telecommunications Policy, Market Liberalization, Infrastructure Development, and SWOT Analysis.
How does the strategy propose to overcome rural access challenges?
The researchers suggest that while 3G technology works for urban areas, implementing WiMAX for rural regions could reach non-commercially viable areas at a significantly lower cost.
What role does GIFEC play in the proposed policy?
GIFEC acts as the Universal Access and Service Fund, responsible for funding infrastructure and promoting ICT access in underserved communities, though it faces challenges regarding funding levels and cooperation from private operators.
- Citation du texte
- Idongesit Williams (Auteur), Yvonne Adwoa Botwe (Auteur), 2010, Analysis of the Proposed Ghana Broadband Strategy, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/183243
