Information Society Perspectives in South - Eastern Europe BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA.

1
Information Society Perspectives in South -
Eastern EuropeBOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA.

• Mr. Siniša Petrovic
• Information Infrastructure Manager
• Communications Regulatory Agency

2
Presentation Aims

• Current situation in BiH
• Areas of Concern - The Needs
• The Elements in Place
• The Oportunity.

3
Current situation in BiH - The Reality.

• Internal administrative organisation of BiH -
  Complex picture
• The war still affects peoples lives in BiH
• Telecom infrastructure, reconstruction and
  development
• Information access by population is low
• The economy is fragile
• Taxation high, wages low, alternative economy.

4
Internal administrative organisation of BiH -
Complex
BiH Territorial size of 51.209,2 km2
Brc?? District
Republika Srpska
2 Entities
1 District
10 Cantons (Federation BiH)
Federation of BiH
150 Municipalities
5
The war still affects peoples lives in BiH

• 2,2 million people have been displaced from
  their homes

• 1,200,000 persons have requested for refugee
  protection in more than 100 countries worldwide

• 328,900 persons have regulated their status in
  the recipient countries

• 288,450 persons awaiting for permanent solution.

• source of data Ministry for human rights and
  refugees
• Meeting the donor conference in Doha, 15. May 2001

6
Telecom infrastructure, reconstruction and
development
Damage assessment was estimated as follows

• subscriber lines had decrease almost 45 percent

• exchange capacity decreased 25 percent

• transmission routes destroyed 40 percent

• long-distance network destroyed 65 percent.

• The cost of restoring the sector, USD 222
  million.

Source EBRD
7
Telecom infrastructure, reconstruction and
development
Source IMG 1999
8
Main actors and competitors in Telecom Market
today

• 3 Telecom Operators in Fixed Network - with app
  850,000 main lines

• 2 Telecom Operators in Mobile Network - with
  app. 250,000 subscribers

• Tendering procedure for new mobile operator is
  on the way

• 17 Internet Providers with about 75,000
  subscribers (density estimation 2).

9
Telecommunication coverage, estimation

• More than 95 population lives in marked areas

• Estimated presence of telecom service in BiH

• - 55 of settlements within technical coverage
• - 75 of inhabitants within technical coverage

• source of data Communication Regulatory Agency

10
Total lines penetration rate in Bosnia and
Herzegovina

• source of data European Survey of Information
  Society Projects and Actions

11
Economy and Finance.

• Economy
• GDP per capita US 1,126
• average net wage KM 305 (June 2000, growth 9)
• inflation 7.5
• unemployed (40) (June 2000)

• Financial infrastructure
• main payment procedure cash afterwards
• credit card usage and acceptance very low
• central bank controls monetary policy

• source of data Agency for Statistics BIH, Bureau
  of Statistics FB, Bureau of Statistics of RS

12
Areas of Concern - The Need

• Simple, cheap and reliable access to information
• - for Governance - institution building
• - for Commerce - building the economy
• - for Education / Training
• - for Science and Culture

13
Preconditions Legal Framework

• Implementation of a policy and law making bodies
  
• Implementation of equal treatment of incumbent
  and non-incumbent Internet Service Providers
• General legal provisions for privacy and data
  protection
• Updating contract law and obligations rights
• Updating the law on financial institutions
• Modernising the financial sector
• Improving law enforcement for the overall legal
  framework
• Establishing legal and organisational provisions,
  promoting fair competition.

14
Preconditions Technical base

• The Information Infrastructure
• efficient, competitive, affordable and
  accessible with high quality of service
• Base of knowledge
• Building a top level base of professional
  knowledge
• Providing a basic knowledge to the society

15
The elements in Place

• Non-nationalist Governments in place
• Enabling Regulation now established and hence can
  encourage development
• Modern Telecommunication Infrastructure in place
• Change of attitude
• from "unless it is specifically allowed you
  CANNOT
• to "unless it is specifically prohibited - you
  CAN"

16
Policy making and implementing the rules
making the policy
Regulate implementing the law
Government (relevant ministry)

• Reporting to Government
• and parliament
• Proposing policy orientations

Draft bill
Adopting the law
Law adopted by parliament
Regulatory Agency
Parliament
Senate
Implementing rules and law
17
Policies for Enabling the Internet Legal
Framework

• Limited need for NEW Internet regulation
• Digital signature
• Protection of intellectual property
• Application of existing regulations (not Internet
  specific)
• Protecting children
• Consumer protection
• Preventing fraud
• Prosecute criminal behavior
• Not traditional media regulation
  with thanks to FCC

18
Existing Overlay Transmission Network in BiH
a.)



19
Action in BiH Building Base of Knowledge

• source of data European Survey of Information
  Society Projects and Actions
• WWW Indicators report on Bosnia

20
Action in BiH Building Base of Knowledge

• source of data European Survey of Information
  Society Projects and Actions
• WWW Indicators report on Bosnia

21
The Opportunity

• To BUILD on the NEW postwar infrastructure
• To change culture by "Ownership"
• To develop Internet Service Providers
  (deregulation)
• To allow low cost rapid spread of wireless
  technologies to serve the rural population (WLL)
• To reduce the costs of communication -
  liberalisation
• To develop the regional applications from Within
  the
• Region
• To involve/empower the local users and providers
  wherever they are in BiH

22
Conclusions

• Significant opportunities are available for new
  services throughout Europe
• BiH is well-placed to exploit because of the
  opportunities of Infrastructure Development
• Decision to shift in market from equipment
  manufacture to service delivery
• BiH needs to find support for service provision
  opportunities
• Can use these opportunities to attract
  investment.