DO POLICIES MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

I suspect that policies make a difference in the rate of growth of connectivity to the Internet, and to the development of ICT infrastructure in general.

The Leland Initiative identified several policies that it would consider critical to the extension of the Internet, including the existence of an international portal open to private ISPs, Cost Based pricing, and some degree of openness for content. I did a study some time ago showing that African countries accepted by Leland on the basis of these policies did have more Internet connectivity:

I love the map of ICT policies in Africa.

One might look at NICI for some useful tips on the topic.

Here are a couple of good African Information Society Initiative resources:

Towards an Information Society in Africa: The Case for National Policies

Status of Information and Communication Technologies in Africa: the changing regulatory environment

From 1999 and available on Mike Jensen's website:

Status of Telecommunications Privatization and Sector Reform in Sub-Saharan Africa

He also provides this site, which includes things like information on countries with independent regulators.

Of course the ITU has a lot of material on this topic

Notice especially its World Telecommunications Policy Forum,

The complementary World Dialog on Regulation

And the Telecommunications Regulatory Handbook.