APC’s “open spectrum” initiative aims to provide an understanding of spectrum regulation by examining the situation in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The timely research coincides with the rapid growth of wireless and mobile in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and raises fresh questions about the use of spectrum and the policies that govern it. The research looks at how spectrum is assigned, who assigns it, and what policy or regulatory framework they use.

Read the full-length policy brief on open spectrum for development.

Synthesis of the national reports from Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, and the preliminary versions of the reports in spanish:

The need to build alliances in Ecuador for better spectrum use and regulation
Finding a balance in spectrum regulation in Venezuela
Spectrum regulation in Argentina: The need to move from broadcasting to access
A key moment for getting spectrum in the public agenda in Peru
Spectrum in Colombia: Towards a participative model

The synthesis of the national reports are also available in Spanish.

You can also find the national reports’ synthesis written by Carlos Afonso, in spanish: Uso del espectro en América Latina: síntesis complementaria de los informes a los estudios de caso de Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú y Venezuela

Reports by the participating countries are now online:

• Brazil
• India
• Kenya
• Nigeria
• South Africa

Short articles that synthesise policy gaps and the potential for growth in the sector:

• APC starts research into spectrum regulation in Brazil, India, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa
• Moving with the times: Opening sepctrum so we can all communicate
• India’s untapped potential: Are a billion people losing out because of spectrum?
• Opening up spectrum can prevent Kenya from running out
• More spectrum could make licensing a more transparent process in Nigeria
• South Africa: Untapped TV spectrum can make internet more affordable
• Brazil: high speed connections reach excluded populations over the air

Photo by y.caradec. Used with permission under the Creative Commons licence 2.0