The Role of International Organizations in Telecommunications and ICT Policy Development

International organizations play a crucial role in the development of global ICT and telecommunications policies. Countries that are members of these international organizations discuss the global ICT policies at meetings and conferences of institutions. Results and recommendations of these discussions are adopted as policies that the countries further introduce in their own countries in different continents of the world.

Two types of international organizations exist. These are intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs). There are also profit-making and non-profit making organizations. Multinational corporations (MNCs) or Transnational Corporations (TNCs) are examples of profit- making international businesses where a company can have headquarters in the United States (US) or Europe, and then have many corporate branches in various countries around the world. There are many such companies in the ICT sector including computing, electronic media and telecommunications companies such as mobile phone manufacturers and sellers. Manufacturers of technology include manufacturers of wireless communications technology, switching technology and switching stations, handsets and those of base stations. There are many companies of this nature internationally (See Figure 3.2), and international telecommunications and ICT policy is aimed at regulating how these companies operate in various countries. National ICT policies, however, regulate the activities of these companies within their own borders.

Figure 3.2: Components of a mobile communication system that illustrate the types of technologies manufactured by some companies in the ICT sector.

Adapted from: Lee and Han (2002:166)

International organizations discussed in this study unit are IGOs with governments as their members. For example, the ITU and the WTO have governments as their members, though their other members are businesses. The WB and the IMF can also be regarded as non-profit making organizations even though they loan countries money which countries have to pay back with interest. The aims of the IMF and the World Bank are basically to offer international aid to countries for various development projects, including the development of ICT and telecommunications basic infrastructures in developing countries.

Many of the existing information and communication networks in developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America were developed by NGOs and international organizations because some developing countries may not be able to afford the installation of these networks due to their preoccupation with developing basic infrastructures for education, health and other basic services in their countries. Thapisa and Birabwa (1998) state that these organizations are in a good position to coordinate the roles of government and the private sector, maintain balance between the market-oriented service industry and community needs, and see to it that the ideal of universal access is realized. Universal access means the provision of telecommunications and ICT services to most members of society very near to where they live. South Africa's definition of universal access, according to the ITU (2001), is the availability of a telephone within 15 minutes walking distance. It is no longer acceptable that rural people, for example, should pay for transport to go to cities to gain access to a basic telephone or facsimile service. ICT services should be easily accessible to most people in a society, and the services should also be made affordable to many people. Affordability of these services by many people in developing countries is still a big challenge for the poor. Making these services affordable to many people is still a big challenge to regulators and service providers, because the regulators aim to meet the interests of both ICT consumers and service providers, while the service providers aim to make profit for their businesses at the same time providing universal access to the services. It is very important that countries should strive towards the attainment of universal access to ICT services in their countries, because universal access is a more achievable goal, economically speaking, than universal service of ICTs. Universal service means the availability of ICTs, and especially the basic telephone service or what used to be called Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) in the US. In developed countries such as the US, Australia and European Union (EU) countries, universal service definitions have gone beyond the POTS definition and now include the provision of new media technologies to citizens. Such new media include making the Internet available in places like schools, libraries and other important public institutions. International agencies can also facilitate access to the information infrastructure and/or information and communication technologies (ICTs) through financial assistance to developing countries, research into ICT development and innovation in developing countries. Avenues can be created by international organizations for the sharing of innovations, ICT information and development communication by developed and developing countries, for the growth of those who need that development by those who are willing to offer development ideas and funding to them.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has devised plans and policies for the development of information highways that will not result in further marginalization of developing countries in the use of ICTs. In this regard, the United Nations (UN) has taken a major step toward bridging the digital divide that exists between developing and developed countries with the adoption, by the General Assembly, of a resolution which welcomed the organization of the World Summit on the Information Society. The summit, which is expected to promote access by all countries to information, knowledge and communications technologies for development, is planned to be held in two phases; the first in Geneva in 2003 and the second in Tunisia in 2005, and is being convened under the high patronage of the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The ITU will take the lead role in this summit's preparations, in cooperation with other interested organizations and partners (ITWeb 2002). Digital divide refers to the difference that exists in terms of telephone and computer networks (infrastructure) and data networks and information systems (infostructure) between developed (mostly rich) and developing (mostly poor) countries. Bridging the digital divide means that telecommunications and ICT infrastructures should be developed to bring more information for the development of less developed countries (LDCs).