GSMA COLLABORATES with INTERAMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK IN ESTABLISHING BROADBAND TRAINING CENTRE FOR LATIN AMERICA

Designed to Strengthen the Region's Institutional Capacity in ICT, Focusing Specifically on Broadband Development

London: The GSMA announced that it is collaborating with the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) in the development of The Centre for Advanced Studies in Broadband Development, which is based in Managua, Nicaragua and was officially opened today. The Centre is designed to strengthen the institutional capacity in information and communications technology (ICT) by providing government officials of the Spanish-speaking countries in Central America and the Dominican Republic with intensive and in-depth training services focused on broadband development. The GSMA, which serves on the Technical Advisory Group for the Broadband Centre, will develop two five-day courses within a 12-course curriculum on the topics of Spectrum Management and Mobile for Socio-Economic Development .

Mobile broadband has played a key role in Latin America, both in boosting growth and meeting social targets. The region had 234 million mobile broadband connections as of March 2014 and this is forecast to grow by 30 per cent per annum over the next five years. With fixed broadband in the region limited in terms of its household coverage, and also relatively expensive, mobile will continue to play a major role in bringing internet access to the mass market.

There are, however, significant challenges to overcome if the full potential of the mobile industry to drive economic and social development of Latin America is to be realised, said Tom Phillips, Chief Regulatory Officer. A major concern of operators in Latin America is the need for a more transparent, predictable and consultative regulatory regime. We are excited to be working with the IDB to provide the educational foundation that will help regulatory authorities accelerate the adoption of mobile broadband and for the citizens to reap the significant benefits it offers.

Through the establishment of a regional Broadband Training Centre, the aim is to increase the capacity of government officials to identify regulatory and other constraints, and train them on specific issues that foster investment and promotion of sustainable competition, said Antonio Garc a Zaballos, Lead Specialist of Communications, IDB. The Centre will be a hub for the regional dialogue on topics related to broadband, where specific worldwide experiences and lessons learned will be presented and discussed. We are pleased that the GSMA will be contributing its insights and market knowledge to this important programme.

The training courses will be conducted at the Centre, as well as online and off-site at other facilities.

-ENDS-

Translations

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About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators with 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

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