Guidelines for establishing conformity assessment test lab in Bangladesh region
Prepared by
Quazi Rafshan Yeazdani
For countries to participate meaningfully in the global digital economy they require robust, secure and dependable ICT platforms, the development of which is best supported by market access regimes that are well-defined, well-managed, non-discriminatory and transparent. Driven by a variety of concerns, ranging from the quality of service to the performance and safety of equipment, many developing countries are now adopting more robust market access controls for the ICT equipment and systems deployed in their countries or regions. The results of ITU consultations and surveys have borne out the magnitude and complexity of no interoperability and non-compliance and the impact these have on service levels, frustration of users and service providers, loss of business and general economic loss.
It is therefore with considerable pleasure that, I present this guideline which will facilitate efforts to design and implement the conformity assessment programmed necessary for effective controls. Guidelines for establishing conformity assessment test lab in Bangladesh region, which comprise both a framework and substantive recommendations regarding such elements as test-lab accreditation and certification, test equipment needs and cost boundaries, and test-lab operational procedures, have been prepared by ITU experts selected for their in-depth knowledge and experience of test-lab design and implementation, the development of standards, the formulation of telecommunication policy and regulations, as well as of capacity building activities in developing countries specially for Bangladesh and the negotiation and oversight of international treaties. Their production has drawn on close collaboration with the staff of both the Telecommunication Development Bureau and the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau of the ITU (International Telecommunication Union).
These guidelines present the many elements necessary for the establishment of robust technical verification systems. They also, and no less importantly, address the need for human capacity building, a need which has been underlined by ITU Member States, regulatory agencies, and operators. Their implementation will greatly facilitate the harmonious and efficient development of globally interconnected networks.
Quazi Rafshan Yeazdani
Needs of developing countries (BANGLADESH) for test labs
1 Fundamentals of an orderly telecom equipment marketplace
There are many factors that underlie creation of an orderly marketplace in telecommunication products and services. A primary requirement is the establishment of robust technical requirements for products entering the marketplace. Such requirements address safety of personnel, both the user community and the network service provider personnel, and the establishment of an interference free environment for Telecommunication services.
Interference free services – wireless and wire line – are implicated in the economic development of a society as participation in the global digital economy demands robust, secure and dependable telecommunication platforms over which the economic activity takes place. Furthermore a market access regime that is well defined, well managed, non-discriminatory and transparent inspires trust and confidence in equipment suppliers, service providers and people in general. Such a regime backed up by an appropriate legislative framework is a fundamental building block to deliver the requisite quality of national and international connectivity crucial to participation in the global digital economy. In fact in a very real way it reflects the priorities and values of a society.
1.2 Implementation alternatives for an orderly telecom equipment marketplace
In many developing countries there are no basic requirements established in law for telecommunication apparatus importation and deployment in the marketplace. Such decisions may be left entirely to service providers which are often local branches of international service providers. Therefore the starting point for countries intending to introduce guidelines and requirements to address problems, or even chaos in the marketplace, can vary widely. In some countries, there may be no technical standards or requirements, in others technical requirements may exist for some product types such as cell phones but where, at the same time, no market surveillance, audit or testing capability exist to check for compliance or enforce conformance.
1.3 Existing test labs and scopes of activities
Many test labs exist on a global basis offering testing services in the telecommunication field which include testing for product compliance to mandatory standards, and also for interoperability testing of products and systems. Such labs advertise their services, scopes and fees and compete for the global testing market which is substantial. In the following provides a list of worldwide test labs which offer telecommunication testing services and provides the hyperlinks to their respective websites. More test lab websites are appearing on the web on a regular basis and it is therefore recommended to check for new sites on a regular basis.
1.4 WORLDWIDE TEST LABS
1. USA NIST
http://ts.nist.gov/standards/scopes/programs.htm
http://ts.nist.gov/standards/scopes/ect.htm
2. AUSTRALIA
www.austest.com.au/about_us.php
3. European
http://start.europadev.com/Home/consultancy-1
4. A4Labs
www.at4wireless.com/testing-certification-services/accreditations.html
5. TUNISIA
www.cert.nat.tn
6. FCC Q&A SITE
www.bureauveritas.com/wps/wcm/connect/bv_com/group/home/news/
did-you-know-that/fcc_faqs?presentationtemplate=bv_master/news_full_story_presentation
7. MIDDLE EAST
www.uaelab.ae/UAELAB/about_UAELAB.htm
www.goglobalcompliance.com/
www.ntra.gov.eg/arabic/main.asp
www.contractlaboratory.com/labclass/telecommunications.cfm
www.intertek.com/it/
8. RUSSIAN FEDERATION
http://zniis.ru/ITTC.html
9. SINTESIO LABORATORY SLOVENIA
www.sintesio.org/about_us/
10. CANADA – INDUSTRY CANADA
www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/home
11. AFRICA, CHINA, ASEAN, CIS, LATIN AMERICA TEST LABS (Link to ITU webpage)
www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/oth/06/24/T06240000010009MSWE.doc
2 Opportunities to establish test labs for type approval
2.1 What is type approval?
Type approval simply means that the product is certified to meet certain requirements for its type, whatever that may be, for example cell phones operating in a certain frequency band. Type approval is granted to a product that meets a minimum set of regulatory, technical and safety requirements. The type approval is based on test results derived from a representative sample of the product. The Guidelines for establishing conformity assessment test lab in Bangladesh region certification or subsequent declaration of conformity is contingent upon continued compliance for all production runs of that type and is usually subject to spot checks and audit for compliance throughout the life of the type. Compliance to type approval requirements is often denoted by a marking on the product or packaging. Formal assertion of claims of compliance may also be indicated by a declaration of conformity, supplier declaration of conformity (SDoC), or certification of compliance issued by a competent body.
2.2 Basic concepts in type approval
Principal concerns addressed in type approvals are network harm, interference and safety of life issues.
Compliance to performance measures, particularly in mature markets, is usually left to marketplace players (customers) and mandatory requirements are kept to a minimum. Type approval schemes normally embody the concept of “family of products” approvals, which means that products which are electrically and functionally identical or similar, but differ for example in colour or packaging, can be type approved based on test results from one representative sample from the family.
Compliant products receive an approval mark from the approval authority. Such a mark carries, or points to, key data for regulatory authorities and marketplace surveillance activities to identify the product and if necessary retrieve and review the test results based on which it received its type approval. Approval authorities in general charge a fee for the type approval service and this may be in the form of a labelling fee per product, or a listing fee for publicizing the product on an official list or database of approved products. Database listing of all compliant products has become the norm for telecommunication products which can be legally deployed in the specific country marketplace. Establishment of a fee schedule and changes to fees can be a somewhat onerous process requiring in some cases governmental approval and being tied to service level agreements involving penalties in reduced fees when service levels are not met. Such service level agreements for example may specify a certain turnaround time for responding to a request for certification or other service offered by the laboratory.
2.3 Why type approval?
A type approval system with well published requirements promotes transparency in market access and assures and maintains the confidence of suppliers, importers, end users and new technology developers.
It stands in stark contrast to non-transparent conformity assessment procedures or no procedures at all, which can become effective protectionist tools, potentially frustrating creation of a fair and open marketplace and risking retaliatory action by trading partners. Therefore it is in the interest of equipment suppliers, network operators and end users to encourage well publicized and readily available requirements for market access in all jurisdictions to avoid unfair and capricious practices regarding market access. Ideally every economy should have or recognize a type approval system or equivalent transparent process for market access in place.
2.4 When a type approval test lab is needed
There are a number of indicators which can signify that all is not well in a telecommunication marketplace and that there is a need for intervention to restore order and balance. Among these indicators are rising vocal concerns, dissatisfaction, complaints and frustration amongst the telecommunication equipment and services user community driven by their experience of increased incidences of interference and nonperformance of terminal devices. Furthermore, public concerns about potential health risks, such as from exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation from cell phone use or from communications transmission towers, demands action from authorities. An increasingly educated public demands to know what standards have been set, what limits are safe and what assurances are being provided. Suspicion of dumping of sub-standard products in the marketplace which have failed testing in other countries is a further cause of concern as is the importation and deployment of counterfeit products. A key component of the answer to such concerns is to have a robust type approval regime and test lab working from a set of technical standards, a testing regime and testing capability to approve and monitor communications technologies which are being deployed on the marketplace, backed up by surveillance, audit and enforcement. If there are no established technical requirements, type approval regime and test labs available to a country or region then the marketplace is left largely unprotected. The good news is that there are standards available and under development to define the technical requirements for products legitimately deployed in the marketplace. However adopting and adapting these standards for national systems requires a depth of expertise that many countries do not presently have. Furthermore institutional arrangements, legislation and regulatory regimes need to be established to give force to mandatory requirements and to provide the authorizations needed for marketplace intervention, surveillance and enforcement by proper authorities.
2.5 The importance of standards
Technical standards, especially at key interfaces and points of interconnection are crucially important to the interoperability of equipment and networks. Compatible and interoperable implementation of these standards requires that test suites and test methodologies are available with the natural language form of the standard to ensure uniform interpretation of the specifications. Use of standards rather than proprietary specifications also reduces the risks of confinement to a particular technology and to ultimate supplier lock-in. Standards ensure that legitimate objectives such as safety and non-interference are met and contribute to the process of regional integration and to market aggregation, competitiveness and trade. The standards development process itself also provides the opportunity for all interested parties to have a voice although the costs of participation can prove to be a barrier where financial resources are limited.
In the following, provides a listing of important international and regional standards development bodies, both
de jure and de facto –
2.6 INTERNATIONAL AND PSEUDO-INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ORGANIZATIONS
ITU-T – ITU Telecommunication Sector
ISO – International Organization for Standardization
IEC – International Electrotechnical Commission
IETF – Internet Engineering Task Force
IEEE – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
OASIS – Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards
W3C – World Wide Web Consortium
CISPR – International Special Committee on Radio Interference
3GPP – 3rd Generation Partnership Project
AIIM – Association for Information and Image Management
CableLabs – Cable Television Laboratories
Ecma International
GS1 – Global supply chain standards (identification numbers, barcodes, electronic commerce transactions, RFID)
Regional Standards Organizations
Africa
ARSO – African Regional Organization for Standardization
SADCSTAN – Southern African Development Community (SADC) Cooperation in Standardization
Americas
COPANT – Pan American Standards Commission
AMN – MERCOSUR Standardization Association
CROSQ – CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality
CITEL – Inter American Telecommunications Commission
Asia Pacific
PASC – Pacific Area Standards Congress
ACCSQ – ASEAN Consultative Committee for Standards and Quality
APT Standardization Program (ASTAP)
Europe
CEN – European Committee for Standardization
CENELEC – European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
ETSI – European Telecommunications Standards Institute
Middle East
AICTO – Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization
3 Criteria to establish accreditation bodies and testing laboratories for type approval
In the regulated sector, the regulators set specifications and standards for interfaces and equipment which telecommunication products have to meet before they can be sold or used in the regulator’s territory. Similarly in the private sector, service providers and users set specifications and standards for the telecommunication equipment they are going to procure while manufacturers set specifications and standards for the telecommunication equipment they are going to produce. In both the regulated and private sectors, the interested parties require evidence and proofs that the telecommunication equipment meet the specifications and standards set by the regulators and the service providers and users.
Figure 1 shows the hierarchy of the approval process which results in a product being ready for the marketplace with a robust set of credentials asserting its compliance.
3.2 Regional accreditation bodies
It is costly and time consuming to set up a national accreditation body. In addition to start-up costs, there are operational costs which may not be recovered entirely by accreditation fees. Some regions are considering establishing regional accreditation bodies. In order to set up a regional accreditation body, the countries within the region have to agree on the following:
the organizational form and statuses of the Regional Accreditation Body;
the registration of the Regional Accreditation Body in one of the country in the region and its governance structures and professional liability;
the joint short-term and long-term funding mechanisms;
the recognition of the Regional Accreditation Body as equivalent to a national accreditation body especially in the administration of technical regulations;
the acceptance of the Regional Accreditation Body as representing the individual country in the international accreditation forums;
the Regional Accreditation Body as a signatory of the mutual recognition arrangements of ILAC and IAF.
4 Technical and economic steps to be followed to build ISO/IEC 17025 compliant testing laboratories
ISO/IEC 17025 has two main sets of requirements, namely management requirements and technical requirements. To be compliant with ISO/IEC 17025, a testing laboratory has to meet these requirements.
This section outlines the basic components of an ISO/IEC 17025 compliant testing laboratory. The scope of accreditation (that is the testing scope) will add additional elements to the basic components.
Requirements for ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 compliant testing laboratories
The text in this section taken from ISO/IEC 17025:2005 – General requirements for the competence oftesting and calibration laboratories, is reproduced with the permission of the International Organization for Standardization, ISO. This standard can be obtained from any ISO member and from the Web site ofthe ISO Central Secretariat at the following address: www.iso.org.
ISO/IEC 17025:2005/Cor1:2006 “General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories”
ISO/IEC 17025:2005 was updated to bring its quality system requirements more in line with ISO
9001:2000 – “Quality Management Systems – Requirements”, www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail?csnumber=46486. It addresses both management system elements and technical competence in a systemic and consistent way. There are two main requirements sections, namely management requirements and technical requirements.
ISO/IEC 17025 is applicable to all organizations performing tests and/or calibrations including first-, second- and third-party laboratories. Such tests may be required to demonstrate the fulfillment of regulatory, safety or contractual requirements.
4.2 Equipment
Test equipment is an important tool and asset of the laboratory. It is important that proper studies and decisions are made before the purchasing of test equipment which has to conform to Specifications relevant to the tests being offered by the laboratory. The availability of maintenance and technical support from the supplier/manufacturer of the equipment is an important issue to be considered in the process to select the suppliers for the equipment.
Price is not the only deciding factor to be considered when buying test equipment. It is much better to buy a slightly more expensive equipment for which maintenance is available than a less expensive option for which there is no technical support, in the country or in neighboring countries.
The criteria to be considered when selecting an equipment vendor include:
The vendor’s equipment meets the required specifications;
The vendor has a leading position in the market place;
The design, development and manufacture of the equipment take place in a quality system environment such as ISO 9001;
The vendor provides installation, familiarization and training services; and
The vendor provides phone and on-site support in local language.
The following steps are necessary in the installation and documentation of equipment:
Verify that the location where the equipment is being installed meets the environmental specifications as defined by the equipment vendor.
Install the equipment hardware according to the vendor’s specifications.
Install software and start-up according to the vendor’s specifications.
Document the hardware and software being installed including vendor’s name, model number, serial number and location of installation.
After installation, equipment should be tested for calibration and for performance verification and the steps to be followed include:
Develop test procedures and test protocols.
Define acceptance criteria based on documented specifications.
Ensure that the test engineers have the appropriate qualifications.
Perform tests and document test results.
Label equipment with status, dates of last and next calibration.
Maintain records of calibration and checks.
5 Potential roles of MRAs(Mutual Recognition Agreements/Arrangements)
Mutual Recognition Agreements/Arrangements (MRAs) can play a number of useful roles in the ITU Conformance and Interoperability(C&I) testing programme. In the context of regulatory systems MRAs can provide for the recognition of competence of third parties to carry out national regulatory/type approval processes such as testing and certification. MRAs can help avoid the cost of duplicative testing – once in the exporting country and again in the importing country – and promote transparency in the approval process by having the processes and procedures of the participating bodies exposed to discussion during the MRA negotiations. They streamline market access to foreign markets by saving time to market, production costs, especially in the conformance testing cycle, and in many cases saving costs in the reduced requirement for personnel in foreign marketplaces to handle local interfacing with the testing and certification organizations. MRAs also help in circumventing predatory practices and market entry roadblocks such as import licensing and re-testing which can be used to place local suppliers in an anti-competitive position compared with a foreign supplier. Experience shows that MRAs, by virtue of sharing ideas and observing best practices of other authorities, also reduce diversity of procedures and methods for compliance assurance thereby producing additional cost savings especially for equipment suppliers to diverse foreign markets. MRAs are in fact a significant step towards achievement of the ultimate goal of the supplier community, namely, “one test, done once, valid worldwide”. It is also worth noting that the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade strongly encourages WTO Members to engage in such agreements.
5.2 Regulatory sector
ITU Member States which have regulatory policies, regulations and specifications for telecommunication equipment, will require that the equipment imported or deployed in their countries meet their regulations and specifications. Conformance testing, certification and marking are methods employed to demonstrate that equipment meets requirements. Equipment tested or certified in an exporting Member State meeting the requirements of an importing Member State may not be accepted by the importing Member State and the equipment may have to be tested or certified again in the importing Member State before it can be deployed in the importing Member State. To expedite the trade of telecommunication equipment between Member States, the Member States can negotiate and implement a bilateral MRA on conformity assessment. With this MRA in place the parties to the MRA will mutually recognize each other’s conformity assessment bodies and mutually accept the conformity assessment results prepared by these recognized conformity assessment bodies. The results of the implementation of the MRA would be the elimination of double testing and certification thus reducing the costs of the equipment and reducing the time to bring the equipment to market.
One of the lessons learned from experience with MRAs in the regulatory sector is that often existing national legislation is inadequate to address all aspects of the MRA process various authorities to foreign MRA partners is often found to be ”ultra-virus” requiring legislative changes which at best are time consuming to achieve and can delay engagement in an MRA for periods as much as a few years. Furthermore legislative authority is often found to be vested in a variety of legal instruments under different governmental jurisdictions, therefore requiring sensitive negotiation with the implicated legal authorities which may not have a strong interest in telecommunication and undertaking the required changes. An example of this is found in legislative authorities responsible for calibration. Calibration per se applies to a large range of products and services varying from health systems and equipment to military and environmental protection areas. Since the basic tenet of an MRA is to be able to export to partner countries without trans-national audits it is crucially important that the competence of MRA partners in regards to calibration of equipment which is subject to the MRA process is accepted without question. This becomes very important if test results are in dispute between a regulatory authority and an equipment supplier and a judicial process is entered into to resolve the dispute. Tracing calibration of equipment to an indisputable source becomes key to validation of test results, along with the test methodology used. Therefore legislation which permits acceptance of foreign MRA partner competence in calibration is an essential ingredient of preparation for engagement in an MRA.
A multilateral MRA (one which is agreed to by a number of partners) will enable the development of a consistent set of bilateral MRAs within a region and reduce the time and resources required to develop and manage the individual bilateral MRAs.
6 Regional ITTC (International telecommunication test centers) rollout plan
Once the technology and operational priorities have been determined in concert with the financial constraints, the rollout plan can be constructed. Since most details of the rollout plan are region-specific, the following guidelines provide an example of the processes involved. As discussed earlier, the rollout plan can be separated into phases and represents both a logical and practical means of establishing the ITTC facility and initiating operations. There certainly will be a start-up phase, regardless of any other constraints. Subsequent phases are determined from the priority and financial analyses.
Start-up phase It is assumed that decisions have already been made in the financial analysis regarding the facility and the initial complement of testing labs and services. (For example, the facilities acquired may be larger than initially required or expandable in the future, but only partially utilized at start-up. A subset of test labs may be initially available and a subset of technologies (e.g. wireless) initially available for testing). The initial services and operations are determined by the highest priorities identified.
Facility Decisions have already been made regarding the location of the regional test centre and facility space has been acquired in an appropriately electronically quiet environment to permit sensitive EMC and EMI testing. Whether the chosen facility has been purchased, leased, constructed, or expanded from existing facilities the potential for future expansion of services and operations has been taken into account. Special facility requirements have already been addressed. For example, special requirements for sensitive equipment (e.g. shielding from environmental factors such as temperature, noise, vibration), special power requirements are met. Additional special requirements have been identified that could affect the building shape, height and even foundational strengths depending on such considerations as whether a 14 meter or 3 meter anechoic chamber is required for anticipated EMC business or mandatory testing needs. Space has been allocated for business operations (reception, offices, shipping/receiving), and test labs. Equipment According to the priorities determined, lab modules to be available at start-up have the required test equipment. All equipment must be made operational and calibrated. Calibration can be accomplished internally, if a calibration lab is part of the test center plan. Of course, for start-up, the calibration lab equipment would also need to be calibrated and certified. Calibration lab costs are generally high due to the high standards that must be maintained for calibration equipment. It is often more cost effective to contract for these services. Business operations Decisions have been made regarding staff size and expertise required to provide the services identified. Personnel has been hired and all business and administrative processes (e.g. financial operations, marketing, data systems, shipping/receiving).
7 Role and scope of International telecommunication test centers (ITTCs)
International telecommunication test centers (ITTCs) are designed to provide testing services that are otherwise unavailable or sub-standard in a given Region. However, an ITTC is envisioned to not only provide conformity and interoperability testing services, but also to be a center of excellence for test methodologies, training, and capacity building for the Region. This chapter explores the role and scope of ITTCs, describing the various testing functions required as well as its associated and complementary functions.
7.1 Scope and purpose of regional ITTCs
The main purpose for establishing regional test centers is to address the specific testing needs of different regions. Testing needs differ based on technologies, services, and equipment deployed in regional networks and the availability of testing expertise also varies by region. Testing programmers offered should be developed to address certification practices, technologies implemented and technology trends of the region. In particular, experience gained in performing complex networking tests could lead to recommendations for optimized network solutions, decreased time-to-market for new technologies, and improved quality of service (QoS). Since ITTCs are to be deployed across a regional domain, potentially including many different and interconnected networks and service providers, regional testing centers could stimulate interest in new and existing vendors in the region to demonstrate interoperability and networking solutions across the region.
ITTCs should also focus on capacity building and training programs. Capacity building efforts benefit from the concentration of experts present at the ITTC and the specialized equipment available to test the latest applications and services at a single location. Given the accumulated experience with testing current and evolving technologies in the region, the ITTC is in a position to share knowledge and host expert tutorials on these testing methodologies and technologies. (For additional resources for training, see Appendix 5 for a listing of examples of training organizations in various regions and training courses for a variety of technologies.) As a centre of excellence for testing, the ITTC should foster interaction and cooperation with similar lab environments and research projects of other organizations. For example, the ITTC should collaborate with operators, vendors, scientific institutions, and universities that support their own research and testing labs and new technology and methodology development.
7.2 Functional capabilities of regional ITTCs
Depending upon the region, ITTC functional capabilities may include:
• configuring, calibrating, and testing appropriate telecommunication and measurement equipment;
• configuring a model network infrastructure for complex interoperability testing of systems and services;
• automating control systems and testing procedures (testing methods, testing protocols, etc.);
• establishing training courses on testing procedures and new technologies;
• coordinating with other conformance and interoperability organizations in support of a knowledge database.
GUIDANCE FOR BANGLADESH TO ESTABLISH AN INTERNATIONAL TESTING LAB (INFRASTRUCTURE)
General Guidance
Infrastructure (ICT) is an imperative part of elements to swift development of a country like us, Bangladesh. Human nature is adaptation of any kinds. Dreams are making to be a realistic, it is happening to this era. This period of era is called – Era of Information Technology. To be a part of this revolution with global, we must step out for immediate establishment of an international Testing Lab/ Center in Bangladesh. To consider our future generation we must act for sustainable infrastructure made an international Testing Lab/ Center. To act of standardization value, International telecommunication test centers (ITTCs) would be a hub/ platform of National / International governance, entrepreneurs, vendors, carriers, consumers and customers, all kind of ICT individual to be part of a center of excellence.
Today’s scenario of Bangladesh is a right time and perfect elevation to start and establishment of an International telecommunication test center (ITTC).
This white paper is a advocating document to the guidance of establishment of the International telecommunication test centers (ITTCs) in Bangladesh, with
A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS;
1. Members advise ITU of interoperability problems, their mitigation, successful procedures that were helpful, the impacts of the interoperability problems and any questions and answers they may also wish to contribute. The new Standards Q&A webpage on the ITU-T website, at http://groups.itu.int/itu-t/StandardsQA.aspx, has a section on conformance and interoperability which provides a readymade place to record such experiences for the benefit of all.
2. Members establish market access requirements for telecommunication equipment to avoid interference, network harm and safety of life issues in their marketplace.
3. Members examine their existing legislation and regulations to ensure that they enable participation in MRAs on conformity assessment and testing with foreign partners, and provide appropriate powers to deal with non-compliance of telecommunication equipment in the marketplace.
4. Members currently with no requirements for market access for telecommunication products consider establishing them, and examine first such requirements and procedures as are already established in developed economies for both potential guidance and possible adoption.
5. Members prioritize areas of concern related to telecommunication products and systems in preparation for dealing with these through establishment of technical requirements, testing and compliance assessment, and market surveillance and audit. Consideration should also be given to establishing tools aimed at discouraging non-compliance, such as assessment of penalties.
6. Members consider potential opportunities to establish test facilities and testing services to serve the needs of their country and possibly their region.
7. Members take advantage of training offered by ITU and private training organizations in order to accelerate the building of expertise and capacity in the telecommunication area.
8. Members seek opportunities, in collaboration with ITU, for hands-on, in-house training in conformity assessment laboratories and test centers already established in other countries, and especially in developed countries and regions, to accelerate their rate of development of expertise and possible acquisition of credentials in testing practice.
9. To demonstrate that the accreditation bodies are ISO/IEC 17011 compliant, the accreditation bodies should become signatories of the ILAC MRA or the IAF MLA.
10. If there is an absence of accreditation bodies within a region, a regional accreditation body is established by Member States of the region to facilitate the timely and efficient accreditation of conformity assessment bodies within that region
12. The four stakeholders involved in the development and testing of telecommunication equipment, namely, the vendors of telecommunication equipment; the standard development bodies such as ITU and ETSI; the network operators and service providers and the test centers cooperate closely in the development of standardized test suites and procedures during the development of the standards and specifications.
13. Test centers be established on a regional basis to take advantage of the similar networks in a region with common infrastructures and shared common interfaces deployed by the regional network operators.
14. Focus on the ITTC as a Centre of Excellence. In addition to offering a variety of technology testing services otherwise not available in the region, the ITTC should take advantage of its concentration of experts and specialized equipment to also be a center of excellence for test methodologies, training, and capacity building
15. Interoperability testing should utilize the model network concept under development in ITU-T. For complex systems and services, it is insufficient to conduct tests on individual network components or between single network links. In order to test the true system functioning and compatibility, it is necessary to perform tests on networks supporting services under load and stress conditions.
16. Consideration of a consortium model for establishing an ITTC and formulation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) framework for engagement of the parties. In addition to providing financing for the ITTC, a consortium of stakeholders provides more critical mass for participation in ITTC activities and enhances the probability of success.
17. The development of an ITTC roadmap and a rollout plan. From project conception to final recommendations and execution, the evaluation and decision process should follow a logical set of steps based on the overall objectives and constraints. Rollout phases should be well-defined at start-up and become the business goals for future years of operation.
ACCURATEANTICIPATIONS&DEVOTION KEYS:
* * International telecommunication test centers (ITTCs) would be ensure the International standard of Global ICT business in Bangladesh, as result it might be exposed the global ICT business in here with a lot of opportunities.
** International telecommunication test centers (ITTCs) would be a great highway to exchange the most applicable global knowledge in ICT and using that, we could be advanced for next generation technological nation soon.
** International telecommunication test centers (ITTCs) stand for an international standard ICT business communication unit for share and adaptation of latest ICT features, so that would become an all-in-all platform for a ICT global village, Members establish market place, a total ICT work force under a national united core network after establishment of this International telecommunication test center (ITTC) in Bangladesh.
** Local Financial investment of business of ICT would be very few compare to total ICT business figure but after establishment of International telecommunication test centers (ITTCs)could be game changer for small business entities in Bangladesh, because who knows!?! Bangladesh will be soon leading in ICT sectors along with other develop countries. To grab the development of Bangladesh, it is necessary to establish an ITTC Lab as soon as possible.
INTERNATIONAL FUNDING AGENCIES IN TELECOMS
Financial Institutions Offering Resources for Telecommunication Projects and Technical Assistance in Developing Countries, Fourth edition, 1999, copyright by the Telecommunication Development Bureau of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU). It should be noted that some contact details may be out of date.
www.itu.int/pub/D-FIN-FINI-1999
www.regency.org/t_in_act/pdf/english/annexa.pdf
MULTILATERAL AGENCIES
Funding agencies and contacts
UNIDO
UNIDO is a niche agency of the UN. It implements around USD 140 million worth of projects per year, a small amount compared to UNDP (USD 3.2 billion), the World Bank (USD 24 billion) and private sector capital flows to developing countries (c. USD 300 billion). Even doubling or tripling the volume of UNIDO’s implementation would hardly produce significant changes in our visibility. Increasing the impact of what
UNIDO does requires a different approach – one that involves something other than simply spending money.
UNIDO has some interesting programs and experiences in the area of test lab development and training and also offers assistance to Developing Countries to help them conform to International Standards:
www.unido.org/index.php?id=o59143.
UNIDO Assistance for Testing Laboratories
Development assistance for laboratories (including those operated by various national standards bodies) has been a major segment of UNIDO support activities since its inception. Such development has, in many cases, been extended to include other support for laboratory operations, such as establishment of equipment maintenance, repair and calibration services.
Additionally, UNIDO has provided numerous training opportunities for laboratory personnel to achieve expertise in various testing disciplines and product sectors. Assistance has also included preparation of laboratories for accreditation through development of their capacity to comply with ISO/IEC 17025 and associated accreditation criteria. More recently, UNIDO has also been preparing guidance documents and training relevant to operation of proficiency testing programs and on the significance of certified reference materials and the various Guides on this subject produced by ISO REMCO.
A further laboratory-support initiative of UNIDO has been its contributions to the establishment of LABNET. This is a web-based information source for laboratories, covering topics such as accreditation, reference materials, proficiency testing etc. It has been jointly supported by UNIDO and WAITRO, the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations. LABNET can be accessed at:
www.labnetwork.org/en/success-stories/case-study-competence-of-laboratories-in-pakistan-/169-unidoassistance-for-testing-laboratories.
See also the website for UNIDO’s LABNETWORK: www.labnetwork.org/en/about-labnetwork.
UNIDO Headquarters
Vienna International Centre
Wagramerstr. 5
P.O. Box 300
A-1400 Vienna
Austria
Tel: +43 (1) 26026-0
Fax: +43 (1) 2692669
UNIDO Geneva Office
Le Bocage, Pavillion I
Room 77-82
Palais des Nations
Avenue de la Paix 8-14
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Tel: +41 (22) 917 1423
Fax: +41 (22) 917 0059
African Development Bank (AfDB)
01 B.P. 1387
Joseph Anoma Street
Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire
Tel: +225 204000/204444
Fax: +225 217753/204909/204927
Telex: 22202, 23263, 23498
Cable: AFDEV ABIDJAN
AfDB seeks to play a role in the private financing of telecommunication infrastructure within Africa, including build-operate-transfer schemes, and the provision of technical advice to governments on the development of the legal and regulatory framework.
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
P.O. Box 789
Mandaluyong City
0401 Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel: +63 2 632 44 44
Fax: +63 2 636 23 16
E-mail: adbhq@mail.asiandevbank.org
Website: www.asiandevbank.org
Contact: Günter Hecker, Manager, Transport and Communications Division (West)
ADB provides loans to finance telecommunication infrastructure projects and technical assistance grants to developing member countries in the Asia and Pacific region.
Banque Arabe pour le Développement
Economique en Afrique (BADEA)
Abdel Rahman El-Mahdi Street
P.O. Box 2640
Khartoum
Sudan
Tel: +249 11 77 3646/3709/0498
Fax: +249 11 77 0600
Telex: 22739/22248/23098 BADEA SD
Contact: Programme, Projects and Technical Assistance Department
BADEA works with non-Arab members of the Organization of African Unity. About 5 per cent of
BADEA’s financing in 1995 was devoted to the telecommunication sector.
Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement
(BOAD)
68 avenue de la Libération
P.O. Box 1172
Lomé
Togo
Tel: +228 21 0113
Fax: +228 21 7269
Contact: Boni Yayi, President
BOAD provides financing to African shareholding states for pre-investment studies, project preparation, costs and technical assistance in cooperation with the International Telecommunication Union. BOAD will also consider co-financing of a telecommunication project with other development institutions.
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
P.O. Box 408
Wildey
St. Michael
Barbados
West Indies
Tel: +1 246 431 1600
Fax: +1 246 426 7269
Cable: CARIBANK
Contact: Sir Neville V. Nicholls, President; Marius A. St.Rose,
Vice-President (Operations); Masie Plummer,
Vice-President (Corporate Services) and Bank Secretary
CDB finances telecommunication projects in Commonwealth Caribbean nations, and provides technical assistance related to projects it is financing (or may finance) and for purposes of general development.
Loans are available to both private and public entities which are interested in investing in the Caribbean region.
East African Development Bank (EADB)
4 Nile Avenue
P.O. Box 7128
Kampala
Uganda
Tel: +256 41 230 021/5
Fax: +256 41 259 763
Telex: 61074 EADEVBANK
Contact: F.R. Tibeita, Director General; J.G. Nduati, Director of Operations
EADB provides financial assistance, promoting development and economic growth in Kenya, Tanzania and
Uganda.
Telecommunication funding covers rehabilitation/modernization, expansion and acquisition of new equipment and services.
European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD)
One Exchange Square
London EC2A 2EH
UK
Tel: +44 171 338 6000
Fax: +44 171 338 6100
Telex: 8812161 EBRD L G
Website: www.ebrd.com
Contact: a member of the Telecommunication Team; the Project Enquiries Officer in London; or the local resident office
The EBRD provides project-specific direct financing. For private sector activities, it finances restructuring and privatization, or the infrastructure that supports these activities. Joint ventures have been major beneficiaries of Bank lending, particularly those with foreign sponsors. The EBRD also offers technical cooperation.
European Commission (EC)
200 rue de la Loi
1049 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: +32 2 291 111
Contact: J.F. Soupizet, Head of Sector, Directorate General XIII. Telecommunications, Information Market and Exploitation of Research
The EC gives priority to the establishment of a regulatory framework for private sector investment and a framework of technical standards which facilitates use of the available technologies. Support for telecommunications is not separate from economic cooperation or development aid.
European Investment Bank (EIB)
100 Boulevard Konrad Adenauer
2950 Luxembourg
Tel: +352 4379 1
Fax: +352 4377 04
Telex: +3530 bukeu lu
Contact: F. Carpenter, Secretary-General
The EIB is the European Union’s financing institution. It finances investment in more than 130 countries outside the EU, within the framework of the Union’s external cooperation policy.
Publications on EIB activities can be obtained on request.
Contact: EIB’s Information Desk, Fax: +352 4379 3122.
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
Office of External Relations
1300 New York Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20577
USA
Tel: +1 202 623 1397
Fax: +1 202 623 1403
E-mail: pic@iadb.org
Contact: Daniel Martin, Chief, Public Information Section
The IADB makes loans for high-priority projects in the infrastructure, productive and social sectors, such as the improvement of existing networks, installation of rural services and emergency systems important for earthquake rehabilitation, in the developing member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Technical assistance is provided for pre-investment and institutional strengthening.
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
2121 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20433, USA
Tel: +1 202 477 1234
Fax: +1 202 477 6391
E-mail: information@ifc.org
Telex: MCI 248423 (WORLDBANK)
Contact: Declan Duff, Manager, Telecommunications, Transportation and Utilities Department
IFC is the world’s largest source of direct project financing for private investment in developing countries.
In addition to providing finance, IFC acts as a catalyst, bringing in other lenders and shareholders and coordinating financing from foreign and local banks, export credit agencies and other institutions. IFC has been especially successful in mobilizing capital through financing loan syndications.
Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)
P.O. Box 5925
Jeddah 21432
Saudi Arabia
Tel: +966 2 636 1400
Fax: +966 2 636 6871
E-mail: archives@isdb.org.sa
Telex: 601137, 601407 ISDB SJ
Cable: BANKISLAMI JEDDAH
Website: www.isdb.org.sa
Contact: Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, President
The objective of the IsDB is to foster the economic development and social progress of its 52 member countries and Muslim communities in non-member countries, in accordance with the principles of Islamic Shariah. Technical assistance for feasibility studies is financed through grants and/or interest-free loans. The IsDB encourages all development projects.
World Bank
1818 “H” Street, N.W.
Washington
DC 20433
USA
Tel: +1 202 458 4765
Fax: +1 202 522 3001
E-mail: eforestier@worldbank.org
Website: www.worldbank.org
Contact: Emmanuel Forestier, Manager, Telecommunications and Informatics Unit, Energy, Mining and
Telecommunications Department
The World Bank Group comprises five agencies. From the viewpoint of financing, the main distinction among these agencies is as follows:
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) provides long-term loans at marketinterest rates to governments, state enterprises or private companies with government guarantee, in countries that cannot adequately finance their development requirements from other sources on reasonable terms. IBRD also offers partial risk and credit guarantees to other lenders.
The International Development Association (IDA) provides credits similar to IBRD loans but interest freeto countries that have a per capita income less than USD 905 (in 1995) and lack the financial ability to borrow from IBRD on market terms.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) supports private enterprises without government guarantees through loans, loan syndications, equity investments, security underwritings and other financial instruments.
The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) provides insurance against certain types of noncommercial risk incurred by private-equity investors and lenders.
The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) assists in the mediation or conciliation of investment disputes between governments and private foreign investors. To be eligible for an IBRD loan or IDA credit, the borrower must be a developing member country of IBRD or IDA, respectively. The Bank’s telecommunication operations focus on creating conditions conducive to private participation in increasingly competitive market structures.
The Information for Development Program (infoDev), a global programme managed by the World Bank, provides expertise and grant financing to assist developing countries improve and enhance their social and economic development through information and communication technology.
WorldTel
9-11 rue de Varembé
1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 730 5401
Fax: +41 22 910 0506
Contact: Terrefe Ras-Work, Director Business Development
WorldTel is both a funding and an operating entity working with developing countries in Africa, the
Americas, Asia and Eastern Europe. WorldTel focuses its attention on the provision of basic service infrastructure. The host country needs to become a member of the Assembly of Governors in order to have its projects considered.
BILATERAL AGENCIES
AUSTRALIA
Australian Agency for International
Development (AusAID)
G.P.O. Box 887
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
Tel: +61 2 6206 4580
Fax: +61 2 6206 4925
The principal objective of AusAID is to reduce poverty and build capacity in developing countries, with an special focus on south and East Asia, the South Pacific and southern Africa.
AUSTRIA
Development Cooperation Department
(DCD)
Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Minoritenplatz 9
1014 Vienna
Austria
Tel: +43 1 531 15
Fax: +43 1 531 85/270
DCD’s funds are concentrated on low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The different activities supported are multilateral development cooperation, bilateral technical development cooperation, financial aspects of development cooperation, coordination and information, policy and planning, and evaluation. One important concern of Austria’s development cooperation is measures to involve womenin economic and social life. Other central topics are sustainable development and social justice.
BELGIUM
Belgian Administration for Development
Cooperation (BADC)
6 rue Brederode
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: +32 2 519 02 11
Fax: +32 2 519 05 85
Contact: Y. Cheyns
BADC operates at two levels: bilaterally (development projects, technical experts, co-financing nongovernmental organizations, humanitarian aid, financial contributions to Belgian universities, study and training, grants, financial assistance, and so on) and multilaterally (contributions to different United
Nations organizations, to the European Development Fund, and similar).
Belgian cooperation will be concentrated on a limited number of countries (about 20).
CANADA
Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA)
200 promenade du Portage
Hull, Quebec, KIA OG4, Canada
Tel: +1 819 953 4507
Fax: +1 819 997 1491
E-mail: isabelle.roy@acdi-cida.gc.ca
Contact: Isabelle Roy, Senior ICT Advisor;
For application information, contact your closest Canadian mission/embassy or CIDA directly.
A fundamental objective of Canadian assistance has been to improve the capacity of developing countries to communicate with their peoples, among themselves, and with the North.
Assistance is usually disbursed through three programmes: the bilateral programme, the multilateral programme and the Canadian Partnership programme, and goes to Africa and the Middle East, Asia, central and Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
International Development Research Centre
(IDRC)
250 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario, K1G 3H9, Canada
Tel: +1 613 236 6163
Fax: +1 613 567 7749
E-mail: info@idrc.ca
Website: www.idrc.ca
Contact: Robert Valantin, Chief Scientist, Information and Communication
Two current programme initiatives work extensively in the field of telecommunication research: PAN
Global Networking and the Acacia Initiative. PAN aims to promote access to the information resources available on the Internet. Special attention is given to research and development communities in Asia and
Latin America. Acacia aims to empower sub-Saharan African communities with the ability to apply information and communication technologies to their own development. Acacia addresses applications, technology, infrastructure and policy issues.
IDRC generally supports research in the following areas: applications of information and communication technologies in problem solving, decision making and knowledge access and transfer; networking and the use of information and communication technologies to meet the needs of local communities and to promote equity in development; policies and practices that will increase the benefits and reduce the negative impacts of the evolving information infrastructure on developing countries and their people.
DENMARK
Danish International Development Agency
(DANIDA)
2 Asiatisk Plads
1448 Copenhagen K, Denmark
Tel: +45 33 92 02 25
Fax: +45 33 92 07 90
Telex: 31 292 etr dk
Contact: Helene Ras Groen, Adviser, Infrastructure Division
DANIDA is currently providing bilateral assistance for telecommunication projects in Nepal, Zimbabwe and a few other countries where the assistance is being phased out.
Broad-sector support is presently planned for Malawi only.
FINLAND
Department for International Development
Cooperation (DIDC)
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Katajanokanlaituri 3
P.O. Box 176
00161 Helsinki, Finland
Tel: +358 9 1341 6212
Fax: +358 9 1341 6314
E-mail: heikki.tunnanen@formi.fi
Contact: Heikki Tunnanen, Deputy Director General
DIDC intervention is mainly in the form of training of personnel and institutional development, rural information and communication technology. Aid is channelled through bilateral cooperation, international organizations and development funds, humanitarian aid and non-governmental organizations.
FRANCE
Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
5 rue Roland Barthes
75598 Paris Cedex 12, France
Tel: +33 1 53 44 31 31
Fax: +33 1 44 87 99 39
Telex: 281871F
Website: www.afd.fr
AFD implements overseas development assistance, concentrating on francophone Africa, with increasing diversification into the rest of Africa, and Caribbean and Pacific countries.
Natexis (new name of Group Credit
National – BFCE)
45 rue Saint Dominique
75700 Paris 07 SP, France
Tel: +33 1 48 00 48 00
Fax: +33 1 48 00 41 51
Contact: French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry
Natexis is responsible for activities in the implementation of overseas development assistance on behalf of the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry.
The organization is operational in developing countries except those managed by the Agence Française de
Développement.
GERMANY
Bundesministerium fur Wirtschaftliche
Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
40 Friedrich-Ebert-Allee
53113 Bonn
Germany
Tel: +49 228 535 3757
Fax: +49 228 535 3755
Contact: Georg Lührs, Deputy Head of Infrastructure Division
BMZ provides overseas development assistance to developing countries in Africa, the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW)
5-9 Palmengartenstrasse
60325 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Tel: +49 69 7431 0
Fax: +49 69 7431 2944
E-mail: jens.clausen@kfw.de
Website: www.kfw.de
Contact: Jens Clausen, Sector Economist, Sector Policy Department
KfW finances telecommunication infrastructure projects and project-related consulting services, particularly for countries prepared to implement sector reforms which will attract private capital and management. Assistance will primarily be dedicated to supporting the needs of commercial and administrative end-users.
IRELAND
Agency for Personal Service Overseas
(APSO)
29-30 Fitzwilliam Square
Dublin 2
Ireland
Tel: +353 1 661 4411
Fax: +353 1 661 4202
E-mail: apso@iol.ie
APSO assists qualified Irish personnel primarily to train and transfer technical know-how to staff in telecommunication projects in the developing world. APSO funds only personnel, not projects.
ITALY
Direzione Generale per la Cooperazione allo
Sviluppo (DGCS)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Piazza Della Farnesina
00194 Roma, Italy
Tel: +39 06 3235916
Telecommunications are not a priority for the DGCS, according to the guidelines approved in 1995 by the
Inter-Ministerial Committee for Economic Planning. However, grant and loan demands for telecommunication projects should be addressed to the DGCS by authorities from developing countries in
Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Mediocredito Centrale (MCC)
51 via Piemonte
00187 Rome
Italy
Tel: +39 06 47 91 777
Fax: +39 06 47 91 642
E-mail: project@mcc.it
Website: www.mcc.it
Contact: Valerio Bellamoli, Director, Project Finance Department
MCC was founded as a credit institute to provide loans to small and medium-sized business and to support export credits. MCC will finance telecommunication projects (cable, satellite, cellular and fixed networks) in developed and emerging markets.
JAPAN
Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA)
Shinjuku Maynds Tower Building
2-1-1, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Tel: +81 3 5352 5311 4
Fax: +81 3 5352 5032
JICA aims to promote economic and social development and thus improve living standards in developing countries. Economic infrastructure is one of the main sectors benefiting from Japanese aid, a sector including communications and transportation.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
1-3-2 Kasumigaseki
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Tel: +81 3 3580 3311 (ext. 2748)
Fax: +81 3 3593 8021
E-mail: koji.matsuoka@mofa.go.jp
Contact: Koji Matsuoka, Research and Planning Division, Economic Cooperation Bureau
MOFA finances the construction of basic information and communication infrastructure, and provides assistance to help transfer technology and train personnel necessary for the operation, maintenance and management of information and communication systems. For growing economies such as those of southeast Asia, it mainly provides loans. For poorer countries, it provides grants.
Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund
(OECF)
4-1 Ohtemachi 1-Chome
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100
Japan
Tel: +81 3 3215 1419
Fax: +81 3 3215 1307
E-mail: copr@oecf.go.jp
Website: www.oecf.go.jp
Contact: Takayuki Ohgai, Director, Public Relations Division, Coordination Department
OECF provides overseas development assistance loans to finance telecommunication infrastructure projects aimed at both expanding telecommunication capacity and improving quality of service by system modernization and the introduction of new technologies.
NETHERLANDS
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
P.O. Box 20061
2500 EB The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +31 70 348 6186/5075
Fax: +31 70 348 4848/6167
Telex: 31326 Buza nl
Contact: J.P. Mout, Dept. DVN/CI
Ministry of Foreign Affairs-funded telecommunication projects are usually infrastructural projects. Special emphasis is laid on private participation. Assistance is focused on developing countries wishing to achieve connectivity to rapid developments in the field of innovative information and communication technologies.
NEW ZEALAND
Development Cooperation Division (DEV)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Private Bag 18-90
Wellington
New Zealand
Tel: +64 4 494 8500
Fax: +64 4 494 8515
New Zealand’s DEV provides the Southeast Asian and South Pacific regions with financing for telecommunication projects, equipment, training and maintenance. Current themes of New Zealand’s development cooperation are women in development and environmental enhancement
NORWAY
Norwegian Post and Telecommunications
Authority (NPT)
Revierstredet 2
P.O. Box 447 Sentrum
0104 Oslo, Norway
Tel: +47 22 82 46 00
Fax: +47 22 82 48 40
Telex: 79 544 NTRA N
E-mail: firmapost@npt.no
Website: www.npt.no
Contact: Oistein Iversen, Senior Adviser, Director’s Staff;
Steinar Hagen, Infrastructure Division, Deputy Director, Technical Department, Economics Development
Section, Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD)
NPT represents NORAD in the telecommunication sector. Norway provides grants to finance telecommunication infrastructure projects and technical assistance in developing countries. This support is mainly for the establishment of joint ventures, training courses and feasibility studies. Norway has a particular interest in Russian projects.
SWEDEN
Swedish International Development
Authority (Sida)
S-105 25 Stockholm, Sweden
Tel: +46 8 698 50 00
Fax: +46 8 20 88 64
Telex: 11450 SIDA sithim
E-mail: lars.glimbert@sida.se
Website: www.sida.se
Contact: Lars Glimbert or Benst Oberger, Department for Infrastructure and Economic Cooperation Sida provides resources to stimulate changes in policy which favour the commercialization and privatization of the sector, support the formation of international alliances, contribute to human resources and organizational development, and support innovative information technology projects in different sectors of society.
SWITZERLAND Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel: +41 31 322 34 27
Fax: +41 31 324 16 91
The bulk of Swiss development cooperation in the field of communications takes the form of technical assistance, provided to countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America for projects including telecommunications. SDC’s technical and financial assistance is deliberately concentrated on 19 countries.
UNITED KINGDOM Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC)
One Bessborough Gardens
London SW1V 2JQ
UK
Tel: +44 171 828 4488
Fax: +44 171 828 6505
E-mail: infrastruc@cdc.co.uk
Contact: Adrian Robinson, Manager, Telecoms
CDC helps finance telecom projects in developing countries, providing finance for private sector companies or public sector entities going through the privatization process. CDC also invests in small and medium-sized enterprises.
Department for International Development (DFID)
94 Victoria Street
London SW1E 5JL
UK
Tel: +44 171 917 0116
Fax: +44 171 917 0072
Contact: John Hodges, Chief Engineering Adviser
Direct investment in telecommunication has low priority, but DFID gives some support for sector regulation and enabling legislation for private sector inputs. DFID does encourage private sector investment and public/private partnerships.
UNITED STATES of AMERICA
United States Agency for International
Development (USAID)
Ronald Reagan Building
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20523
USA
For financial data:
Contact: Mary Knox, PPC/DP
Tel: +1 202 712 0978
Fax: +1 202 216 3394
E-mail: mknox@usaid.gov
For information technology for development:
Contact: Paula Bagasao, PPC/SPG
Tel: +1 202 712 1062
Fax: +1 202 216 3124
E-mail: pbagasao@usaid.gov
USAID recognizes the importance of incorporating access to data and information and communication technology (including telecommunication-related development activities) across all sectors.
Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD)
P.O. Box 814
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 2 72 5800
Fax: +971 2 72 8890
Telex: 22287 FUND EM
Cable: FUND ABU DHABI
Contact: H.E. Saeed Khalfan Al Rumaithi
ADFD provides assistance to African, Arab and Asian economies by promoting development projects. The softest terms for loans are given for infrastructural, rural development and telecommunication projects;
the hardest, for industrial and tourism projects. Co-financing with other development finance institutions
is encouraged.
Arab Fund for Economic and Social
Development (AFESD)
P.O. Box 21923
Safat 13080
Kuwait
Tel: +965 484 4500
Fax: +965 481 5750/60/70
Telex: INMARABI 22143 KT
Cable: INMARABI KUWAIT
Contact: H.E. Abdlatif Yousef Al-Hamad, Director General/Chairman of the Board of Directors
AFESD is a regional development institution that finances projects for economic and social development, with emphasis on regional Arab projects. AFSD also provides grants for technical assistance for preparation of feasibility studies, institutional capacity building, research and seminars, and training.
Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic
Development (KFAED)
P.O. Box 2921
Safat 13030
Kuwait
Tel: +965 246 8800
Fax: +965 241 9091
Telex: 22613 KFEAD KT
Cable: ALSUNDUK, Kuwait
Contact: Hesham Al-Waqayan, Deputy Director General (Operations and Disbursement);
Fawzi Yousef Al-Hunaif, Director of Operations
KFAED provides grants to all developing nations, to finance telecommunication activities including pre-investment studies, recruitment of experts and vocational training programmes.
Saudi Fund for Development (SFD)
P.O. Box 1887
Riyadh 11441
Saudi Arabia
Tel: +966 1 464 0292
Fax: +966 1 464 7450
Telex: 401744, 401145 SANDOQ SJ
Contact: H.E. Sheikh Mohammed A. Al-Sugair
SFD provides loans for development projects, in all sectors of developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania, with a strong preference for infrastructure projects, in particular transport and communication. It may finance feasibility and engineering studies but it does not, as a general rule, make any technical assistance grants.
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