This week, the A4AI team is in Mozambique for the quarterly meeting of the Mozambique National Coalition. The week’s events will offer the Coalition — which is working to change those policies and regulations that are keeping Internet prices high in Mozambique — the exciting opportunity to have a real impact on how ICT data is collected across the country.
Currently, data on ICT use and utility can be hard to come by in Mozambique. Insights into broadband penetration and ICT use generally result from limited data collection by the national telecom regulator, sporadic news from private sector players, or civil society-led research efforts (including by our colleagues at the Web Foundation’s Gender Research Project and our member Research ICT Africa). As a result, the most up-to-date data available can be years old — not an ideal situation when we’re looking to learn about the fast-growing and ever-evolving world of ICTs.
Thanks to the commitment and advocacy work undertaken by our Coalition members, however, that situation is about to change. The National Institute of Statistics in Mozambique has agreed to work with A4AI, our Mozambique National Coalition, and partner organisation SIITRI to incorporate ICT questions into the country’s upcoming national census.
On July 7 and 8, the Coalition will convene a second workshop on ICT research and methodology (in partnership with CETIC.br and SIITRI), which will focus on gathering stakeholder input to develop Mozambique’s first-ever annual ICT household survey. This two-day workshop will provide the perfect platform for stakeholders from across Mozambique to identify what Mozambicans want to measure and know about ICT in the country — from basic indicators on access, adoption, and use by women and men, to gender-based indicators, and data on the quality of service across the country’s rural and urban areas.
On July 9, we’ll host our quarterly coalition meeting, which will allow stakeholders the opportunity to discuss progress made on key regulatory goals — including on a submission the A4AI Coalition made to the Mozambique tax authority in April, requesting a reduction in the custom duty imposed on ICT equipment and devices — as well as obstacles encountered, and best practices for effectively moving forward.
We are excited to play a role in such an important step forward in Mozambique’s ICT data movement. Stay tuned for updates after the event, and feel free to get in touch here, or via our Twitter or Facebook accounts, with your thoughts.