In
Section 1.1.1, Universal access (UA) and universal service (US) were defined in terms of availability, accessibility and affordability. This section explores these concepts in more detail and with practical illustrations, while at the same time summarizes the status of UA or US by world regions.
For most developing countries, the availability of telephony is understood primarily as mobile coverage. In almost every country of every region, mobile service has reached a greater level of penetration and, in most developing countries and emerging markets, a greater level of population coverage than fixed networks. Figures for this are discussed in
Section 1.2.1.
The accessibility and affordability of telephone service have been improved by innovations in the mobile industry, such as prepayment (which does not need a monthly subscription, a bank account and regular income) and low-denomination refill or scratch cards (which allow poorer people to buy smaller amounts of telephone service). Interestingly, none of these innovations has to do with the actual price of a mobile call, which is still more expensive than fixed services in most countries, but rather with the packaging of services. Various other ICT service providers follow this approach, e.g., by offering prepaid Internet access or fixed voice services.
Section 1.2.2 describes the ways in which mobile phones have become more affordable and accessible.
However, affordability analyses show that even with cheap phones and very low entry-price tariffs, a significant portion of householders in rural areas may still need public access phones as they are too poor to pay for their own phone.
Section 1.2.3 outlines various forms of public access using mobile phones designed to meet this need.
Section 1.2.4 provides figures on Internet subscriber and user penetration, Internet costs and broadband development. Internet use is much slower to develop than telephony use. It has higher barriers in regards to literacy in general and computer literacy in particular, cost of required terminal equipment (i.e., the personal computer) and useful content, support and maintenance. Universal Internet access therefore needs to overcome these barriers, besides ensuring the development of infrastructure (international and national backbone) and public access Internet centres, such as telecentres.
Section 1.2.5 outlines various forms of public access Internet centre.
Finally,
Section 1.2.6 provides a brief summary of broadcasting equipment penetration for comparison with the Internet.