A note about the A4AI model and how we work to increase affordable Internet access in our countries of engagement and across the globe.
At A4AI, we pride ourselves on being a unique multi-stakeholder initiative—a diverse, global alliance of civil society organisations, private sector companies, and government agencies all coming together to work toward a shared goal: to reduce the cost of broadband access and enable universal, affordable access for everyone, everywhere. Our members come from around the world and bring to the table a wide range of interests, ideas and experiences. We solicit and value input from each of our member and partner organisations, and work to ensure that all voices are given equal opportunity and equal weight as we approach the complex and multifaceted challenges around affordability.
As an alliance of diverse voices, we come together around a set of Policy and Regulatory Good Practices that guide our work. These practices and principles were developed collaboratively, and reflect actions that have previously been successful—across a range of different contexts—in creating the conditions needed to expand access to affordable Internet. These practices are useful reference points. At the same time, A4AI and its members and partners work everyday to learn from new experiences and innovative approaches to increase affordable access.
A4AI’s work in our countries of engagement is equally led and driven by local country coalitions. These multi-stakeholder coalitions—composed of members from the public sector, private sector, academia, and civil society—identify key barriers to affordable Internet in their country and then work collaboratively to develop local solutions to these issues. Whether it be revitalising stalled national ICT planning processes, undertaking nationwide surveys on consumer issues, lobbying against tax increases on services, or proposing new regulatory instruments, we’re incredibly proud of the efforts and inroads made by each of our national coalitions.
We encourage and believe in the power of evidence-based policy-making, and in developing effective policies by learning from the experiences of other countries. A4AI’s research agenda aims to support the development of such policy, using quantitative and qualitative original research to fill knowledge gaps. Through this, we hope to support informed policy-making processes that will enable prices to come down and billions more to afford to connect.
Our Global Sponsor members (currently Google, USAID and SIDA) make significant financial contributions to A4AI’s work, but the support and insights of each of our member organisations is critical to our collective mission. Our model depends on insights from and open dialogue between our 80 member organisations; no member has more of a say in what A4AI does, nor do they determine the advocacy agenda or policy work we do on the ground in our countries of engagement. We believe that bringing diverse experiences and voices to the table will make our work to drive down Internet costs more robust and effective.