THE WORLD BANK Vanuatu 93405 Telecommunications & ICT Technical Assistance Program Support the recent transition Supporting the establishment of a fully-liberalised telecommunications from a monopolistic to a sector to provide more widely available, affordable and varied telecom competitive telecommunications services for the people of Vanuatu. market. Background Update the telecommunications The Government of Vanuatu is undertaking a comprehensive economic reform program in the policy in line with developments infrastructure sectors, including in telecommunications. It aims to promote rapid socioeconomic in the industry and international development, create a more business-friendly environment, and make basic services more affordable best practice. and reliable. On 25 June 2008, a new telecom service provider, Digicel, launched operations alongside Support the new the existing operator, Telecom Vanuatu Ltd. Following the introduction of competition in the mobile telecommunications regulator to communications market, mobile phone usage has increased from 11.5 percent in January 2007 to over protect consumer interests. 50 percent as of March 2010. The telecoms sector in Vanuatu is increasingly competitive and dynamic. At the end of 2009 Internet services were also liberalised. There are now ten telecommunications services providers in the country. The government has asked the World Bank to support the institutions overseeing and regulating the market: the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Works, and the Telecommunications Regulator. The World Bank has been working in partnership with AusAID to promote telecommunications reform throughout the Pacific region. Location: The program will be based in Port Vila, with benefits affecting the general population About the Program of Vanuatu. The broad objective of the Telecommunications & ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) Technical Assistance Program is to assist in the transfer of legal, regulatory, and Approval Date: 31 August 2009 technical expertise in order to support the establishment of fully-functional telecommunications institutions. This will comprise short-term and long-term recruitment of consultants with the primary Closing Date: 30 June 2013 role of knowledge transfer and on-the-job training; the procurement of office and specialist equipment; promoting association and close cooperation with similar entities in other countries; and Total Program Cost: US$2.81 in-country and overseas training. million In addition, the program’s more specialised objectives include: Donors: Pacific Regional Infrastructure Facility Trust Fund —US$2.81 million Supporting the policymaking capabilities of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities  Recommend to the government policy options in the areas of legislation, fiscal incentives, etc; Implementing Agency: Vanuatu  Monitor the implementation of government policy in the industry; Ministry of Infrastructure and  Advise on future policies for promoting universal service to telecommunications in Vanuatu; and Public Utilities;  Lead government work on international agreements related to telecommunications. Telecommunications Regulator Contact: World Bank Supporting the Telecommunications Regulator Task Team Leader  Implement telecommunications sector reform and the government's telecommunications policy;  Issue licences and other authorisations, and monitor compliance with licences and regulations; Natasha Beschorner  Regulate technical and commercial aspects of interconnection; Senior ICT Policy Specialist  Resolve disputes between operators, and between operators and customers, as required; and nbeschorner@worldbank.org  Allocate, assign and supervise the use of radio spectrum and frequencies. www.worldbank.org/pi