Mike Jensen of the Association for Progressive Communication (APC) presents during day one of the Forum on Communication for Development and Community Media for Family Farming at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy

1. Universal Access: Financial Mechanisms
and Rural Infrastructure Policies
Mike Jensen
APC
Forum on Communication for Development and
Community Media for Family Farming (FCCM)
FAO - Sheikh Zayed Centre
Rome
October 23-24, 2014

2. What Are the Main Investments
Required for Rural Communication
Services?
National backbone networks – fibre rings for
redundancy
Last mile links – satellite, mobile and fixed wireless
Public access facilities
Local radio stations
End-user equipment
Content development
ICT literacy training
Electricity – national grid, micro-grids and in-premises
solar

3. Financial Mechanisms and
Funding Opportunities
National backbone networks – private, government,
PPP financing, can be development assistance, USFs
Last mile links – private operator revenue & investment
finance, communities and end-user funding, diaspora,
USFs
Public access facilities – national, state, local authorities
Local radio stations – communities, private sector,
USFs
End-user equipment – users, providers, govt backed
soft loans
Content development – private, government, users
ICT literacy training – users, government
Electricity – development finance, govt, end-users

4. Other Enabling Factors
 More open markets will attract private investment
 Better access to radio spectrum for WiFi, TVWS,
mobile, will reduce operating costs for providers and
increase the potential for local self-provisioning of
community networks
 Ensuring passive infrastructure sharing (masts,
ducts in roads, along rail lines and on electricity
grids) will greatly reduce the cost of providing
services, thereby attracting more investment in rural
areas
 Independent Power Producer Policies (IPPPs) and
feed-in tariffs will make renewable energy more
cost-effective
 Lowering import duties on ICT equipment will cut
operator and end-user costs

5. How can farmers have a say?
 Act together – form or join entities that speak for
farmers
 Build wireless networks and community radio
stations, lobby operators (demonstrate market
demand)
 Collaborate with other local civil society groups with
a common interest in better access – e.g Consumer
Groups, Women's organisations, Indigenous
groups, Co-ops
 Participate in national and local policy processes –
e.g National Broadband Strategy development

6. Thank You!
Mike Jensen
mike@apc.org
http://www.apc.org

7. Thank You!
Mike Jensen
mike@apc.org
http://www.apc.org