RCIP4 - Regional Communications Infrastructure Program - APL 4 (RI)

closed

The development objectives of Fourth Phase of the Regional Communications Infrastructure Program Project for Comoros are to support the recipient's efforts to lower prices for international capacity and extend the geographic reach of broadband networks. The project has three components. The first component is enabling environment. This component aims to promote further regional market integration, sector liberalization, and legal and regulatory reforms, and will include subcomponents focused on Technical Assistance (TA), capacity building, and training including the TA to assist the government with preparatory work for the submarine cable FLY-LION3 (From Comoros to Mayotte and Madagascar), including environmental studies feasibility studies and demand analysis. The second component is connectivity. This component will finance (i) membership and participation in the FLY-LION3 cable -- the link between Comoros, Mayotte and Madagascar-- under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, which will ensure connectivity with LION-2; (ii) advance purchase of additional broadband capacity from East African Submarine System (EASSy), FLY-LION3 and/or LION2 and its use to provide demand stimulation measures by providing affordable bandwidth to key users such as the university, schools, hospitals, etc.; and (iii) additional measures to stimulate demand including by promoting the creation of local ISPs and establishing a carrier-independent Internet Exchange Point (IXP). And the third component is project management. This component will consist of support to finance project management costs including project coordination, procurement, financial management, monitoring & evaluation, communication, environmental and social safeguards, office equipment, incremental operating costs, and audits.