Universal-Access-RPM

Universal Access PREPARATORY MEETING OF THE ARAB REGION FOR THE WORLD TELECOMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE Alexandria (Egypt) 17­19 October 2000

Universal access to communications is the main reason why we are all here

What is Universal Access?

• Universal Service Telephone in most homes • Universal Access Telephone within reasonable distance for everyone

Universal Service LDCs Yemen

Households with a telephone (%), 1999

Maghreb Arab Region Syria­Oman­Jordan Lebanon KSA Gulf except KSA and Oman 0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Measuring Universal Access Payphones as % of total fixed lines

• Total density • Towns with telephone service • Payphones

4%

– Per inhabitant – As % of main lines

3%

• Mobile coverage • Distance from a telephone • Time from a telephone

5%

Mauritania

2% 1%

0%

UAE – Morocco Tunisia Oman­KSA­ Sudan­Bahrain Jordan­Djibouti­Qatar Algeria – Syria Egypt ­ Kuwait

Network growth Fixed and mobile telephone subscribers per 100 inhabitants All developin g cou n t ries Ara b region

1 1 .4 9 .2

7 .7

8 .2

6 .4 5 .6 4 .8

5 .4

6 .1

7 .0

3.2 difference

0.8 difference 1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

New telephone subscribers added

180

World, millions

160

Fixed

140 120 100

Mobile

Since ’96 more mobiles added

Arab region, millions 2.5

Fixed

Mobile

2.0

1.5

80 1.0 60 40

0.5

20 0.0

0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

More mobile countries: Cambodia (93); Finland (98); Uganda, Ivory Coast, Portugal, Venezuela, Paraguay, S. Korea, Italy, Austria, Israel, Botswana (99); Japan, Hongkong, Singapore, South Africa, Philippines, Ireland…(2000)

Morocco becomes the first Mobile subscribers in Morocco, 000s 2'500 2'000

Medi IAM Mobile Density

1'500

2.7%

1'000 500

Mobile passes fixed

3.1%

7.3% 6.4%

5.7% 3.9%

4.4%

1.5% 1.8%

0 Jan-00 Feb-00 Mar-00 Apr-00 May-00 Jun-00 Jul-00 Aug-00 Sep-00

High mobile coverage + pre-paid card = Universal Access?

Telephone density Fixed and mobile telephones per 100 inhabitants, 1999 UAE Bahrain Qatar Kuwait Lebanon KSA Oman ALL DEVELOPING Syria Tunisia Jordan ARAB REGION Egypt Morocco Algeria Yemen

Fixed Mobile

Sep 2000 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Digital divide in the Arab region 8%

17%

Internet users as % of population

7% 6% 5% 4%

All developing countries

3% 2% 1%

U

A

E LB N KW T BH Q R A O T M N S A U JO R T D U EV N 'N A G RA B EG M Y A R D JI LB Y S YR CO M M RT D Z A YE M S D N

0%

Financing access 10% 9% 8%

Te le phone subscr ipt ion a s % of GD P pe r ca pit a

7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0% Gulf

Tunisia

KSA

Algeria

Arab

LDCs

Accounting rates $ 2. 5

Average accounting rate with US, per minute, US$

Ar a b r e gion $ 2. 0

Re st of w or ld

$ 1. 5 $ 1. 0 $ 0. 5 $ 0. 0 1995

1996

Source: FCC.

1997

1998

1999

2000

Telecom revenue Distribution of telecom revenue 1999

Arab region

World

N at ional

Mobile

N at ional

Mobile

24%

Telephone

27%

Telephone

25% Ot her 3%

54% Ot her 15%

I nt er nat ional Telephone 45%

I nt ernat ional T elephone 7%

US$ 13.1 billion 1999 1.6% of world total

Future work • Definition and measurement of universal access • Universal access / service policies • Universal access / service funding • Setting targets for region