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Analysis of Barclays Bank EssayIntroductionThe outgrowth of restructuring the telecommunication sector truly got under way in Cameroon in June 1995, when the authorities decided well to reform ne twainrk industry sectors such as water, electricity and telecommunications with a arrest to creating a approbative environment in which to develop their infrastructure and services and thus to satisfy increasingly exigent demand. The go took the form of liberalization, State withdrawal from the sectors concerned and the establishment of amarket structure enabling Cameroon to preserve in step with the especially rapid global ontogenesiss in the telecommunication sector indeed, in malevolence of the investments made, the coverage rate and quality of service offered had remained largely inadequate. The process was carried out non only by defining the conditions and mechanisms liable to guarantee the sectors opening to snobbish initiative, but also by enacting regulations and takin g mea positive(predicate)s think to enable the sector to play the decisive role incumbent on it in Cameroons economic evolution. telecom sector reform in Cameroon is not limited to the establishment of new regulations and legislation, to the revision of the institutional manikin and the establishment of an interconnection regime or to the introduction of competition. It should also comprise bringing behaviour in line with the times. One of our chief concerns is therefore also effective application of the regulations with a view to fulfilling the oecumenic service obligation, ensuring consumer protection and providing for effective and appropriate regulation of true competition. The acquisition of the required know-how is the biggest challenge we face. The institutional players on Cameroons telecommunications scene atomic number 18, as in m both other African countries, of the opinion that any fellowship that delays in jumping on the NTIC train get out remain mired in a are a of under reading.Observations BackgroundBefore 1990, as in most African countries, telecommunication services were managed by a national humankindly-owned monopoly. The administration in charge of telecommunications mystify the rules, ensured they were applied and was itself an operator. The results did not always live up to expectations. In June 1990, the President of the Republic signed the order on the programme to privatize public and semi-public enterprises. The telecommunication sector was added to the programme in June 1995. In July 1998, law 98/014 governing telecommunications in Cameroon (the telecoms Act) was promulgated.It completed the telecom Regulatory assurance and attributed sector responsibilities to a variety of players the operation oftelecommunication networks to operators, regulative matters, i.e. application of the rules and inadvertence of operators, to a regulatory body, the definition of sector policy and the enactment of market regulations to the t elecommunication administration. In phratry of the same year, two public enterprises, CAMTEL for the stubborn teleph unmatchable service and CAMTEL MOBILE for the mobile telephone service, were set up to take over the telecommunication activities of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and of the public enterprise INTELCAM, which was in charge of operating(a) and developing international telecommunication installations.The Telecommunication Regulatory Agency was set up at thesame time. Immediately after, the sale of a mobile telephone licence and the process of privatizing CAMTEL and CAMTEL MOBILE got under way. In June 1999, a mobile telephone licence was granted to a closed-door enterprise. The privatization of CAMTEL MOBILE was completed in February 2000. The privatization of CAMTEL is not yet complete. A third mobile telephone licence is to be issued. In slight than two years, the sector has undergone sweeping change. Suffice it to mention one indicator in January 20 00 there was one mobile telephone operator with about 5 000 subscribers on 31 March 2001 there were two operators with over 140 000 subscribers. This rapid and in-depth transformation is taking place within a constantly meliorate legal framework.IIA liberal legal frameworkThe development of new technologies and liberalization fork out permitted access to new telecommunication services which, depending on their specific natures, require appropriate regulation. The Telecommunications Act sets forrader a new regulatory framework, opening the telecommunication sector to competition. The framework, which distinguishes between public and private networks, provi stilboestrol for collar legal exhibitions yieldings, warrantsand declarations.1ConcessionsThe State can grant one or several public or private corporate bodies all or part of its rights to establish and/or operate telecommunication networks. The concession is subject to strict compliance with the requirements set forth in a propensity of terms and conditions. This arrangement allows the State not only to keep a watchful eye on the sympathetic development of modern telecommunication infrastructure, but also and above all to h octeten its control over the development and supply of the basic services and facilities us ually demanded by the majority of users.2AuthorizationsThe arrangement of prior authorization applies to the establishment and/or operation of telecommunication networks by physical persons or corporate bodies with a view to providing the public with a basic telecommunication service, a value-added service, a bearer service or any other service by using one or several radio frequencies. A list of terms and conditions containing the requirements to be met is attached to the licence issued to the bearer of a prior authorization. The authorization is issued for a fixed period and can be withdrawn under certain circumstances.3DeclarationsDeclarations apply to the establishment of private inter nal networks, low-range and low-capacity private independent networks (that are not radio networks), low-range and low-capacity radio installations (to be determinedby the Administration), and the provision to the public of telecommunication services other than those subject to the arrangements of concession and authorization. Telecommunication destination equipment is any freely provided or subject to type-approval.Certain provisions of the Telecommunications Act are detailed in decrees and implementing legislation. We shall not examine all of them here indeed, some of them are suave being drafted. The reform in Cameroon established the separation between the regulatory and operating functions. It works in favour of operators being entities controlled by private capital. The general framework for competition is governed by legislation on competition. The legal framework is supplemented by institutions. trinity 1A revised institutional framework The telecommunication administrati onSpectrum management and the legislation and regulations relating to telecommunications are the exclusive domain of the State. The telecommunication administration has been invested, on behalf of the government, with general jurisdiction over the sector. It sets the general regulatory framework. It therefore establishes and implements telecommunication sector policy, whose aim must be to safeguard the missions of public service, to promote harmonious network development throughout the national territory and effective private sector participation in the sectors wealth and employment-generating activities, and to ensure compliance by all operators with the applicable treaties, laws and regulations.In addition, the administration supervises the telecommunication sector, oversees public telecommunication enterprises, represents the State at international telecommunication-related organizations and events, and manages the radio spectrum on behalf of the State. The Telecommunication Regu latory Agency, which technically answers to the telecommunication administration, is the specialized body in charge offacilitating actual application of the regulations issued.2The Telecommunication Regulatory AgencyThe organization of the Telecommunication Regulatory Agency established by the Telecommunications Act is set forth in decree No. 98/197 of 8 September 1998. The Agency has three main duties to ensure the regulations are implemented to guarantee respect for the regulations and the exercise of competition to settle certain disputes between operators. The Agencys regulatory liberty is subject to performance of the following activities definition of the principles governing tariffs for services examination of requests for authorization and declaration and of type-approval files for terminal equipment to be connected to public networks establishment of principles for calculating interconnection costs establishment and management of be plans management of the frequen cies attributed to telecommunications submission to the government of proposals aimed at developing and modernizing the sector opinions on draft legislative and regulatory texts concerning telecommunicationscontrol and penalties for infractions.The Agency is specifically competent to settle disputes concerning interconnection, access to a public network, numbering, cases of harmful interference, and share-out of infrastructure. The Telecommunications Act provides the Agency with a quasi-judicial body and an arbitration procedure can be set in motion should one or the other of the parties be opposed. The parties remain free to bring their case out front the competent court.IVHuman resourcesHuman resources are the key to management and progress, for they have knowledge, that rarest of economic commodities in the 21st century. The current transition from a monopoly environment to that of controlled competition has given rise to new demands in terms of basic knowledge and know- how i n telecommunication regulation. Telecommunication leaders and ply in Cameroon were still dealing with the transition from analogue to digital when circuit switching was suddenly replaced by packet switching. This new-fangled change has reshaped the concept and definition of telecommunication networks and services. Everything must therefore be done to make sure the human resources acquire the skills they need for their own development and that of companies, which create wealth for the well-being of peoples.The Ecole Nationale Suprieure des Postes et Tlcommunications, an independent facility run by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, provides basic instruction in telecommunications and ICT to technicians (technical and operating staff), supervising technicians (operating technicians and supervisors) and senior technical managers (works engineers and operating inspectors). It plans to organize standing professional certification for the staff of public and private enterprise s and of the public administrations in charge of telecommunications and ICT.VInternational cooperationCameroon has always been present and dynamic in regional and international telecommunication organizations. It is a member of the Administrative Councils of both the African Telecommunication Union (ATU) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It has had very few bilateral exchanges of experience and information with other African countries. The ineffectiveness of regional (ATU) and subregional organizations (CAPTAC) has precluded the launch at subregional level of cooperation activities aimed at developing telecommunications in Cameroon. At the international level, ITUhas not been closely involved in telecommunication sector reform.In the past eight years, it has provided some technical assistance but otherwise almost no support for telecommunication development projects in Cameroon, possibly because the Area Office in Yaound is not functioning. The capacities of the Area Office in Yaound should be reinforced. Its main duties should be To disseminate ITU documents and information in the area. For this, it should have the means required to provide the financial backing centres of the main players in each of the areas countries with the documents and books needed to acquire knowledge in telecommunications and ICT, for most of the sectors African managers will have to teach themselves. In this respect, hard as opposed to electronic copies remain invaluable in Africa.