Digital Infrastructure Initiative in Togo & Gambia

Recently HIP Consult had the opportunity to visit Togo and Gambia to meet with public and private sector ICT stakeholders as part of the World Bank – International Finance Corporation (IFC) Digital Infrastructure Initiative (DII). DII is a global undertaking spanning more than 50 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, which aims to increase access to, and uptake of, broadband Internet and other digital services in underserved markets. 

Leveraging extensive broadband and other ICT-related research across emerging markets, DII considers how the wider ecosystem of infrastructure, connectivity and value-add service providers impact each country’s market structure and competitive environment. This also takes into account regulatory and demand-side considerations in an analysis of broadband assets for insights into potential market gaps and bottlenecks to identify opportunities for greater broadband connectivity.

““By supporting broadband business models that promote shared infrastructure, DII will reduce entry barriers and deployment costs in the telecommunications sector, increase affordability, and enable the development of digital economies.””

— Aniko Szigetvari, the IFC’s Global Head of Telecom, Media and Technology Investments

“Each market faces unique challenges based on its legacy structural, investment and competitive dynamics,” noted Judah J. Levine, Chief Executive Officer of HIP Consult. “This initiative seeks not only to reveal gaps and opportunities across the digital ecosystem, but also to identify practical steps to engage and help expand the reach and affordability of services.”

HIP Consult has supported DII efforts in Africa and the Middle East. For more information, please contact us at info@hipconsult.com.

Paraguay Geo-Analytics Connectivity Study

HIP Consult recently completed a consulting and data analytics engagement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) exploring cross-border and national fiber connectivity options to bolster the availability, quality and cost of broadband Internet access in Paraguay.  

Expanding broadband Internet access in developing countries has been linked through various studies to boosting national GDP, stimulating job creation, reducing poverty, and abating climate change. With this in mind, Paraguayan policymakers have been exploring mechanisms to stimulate the deployment of broadband networks across the country, with a particular focus on rural areas, while maintaining and strengthening the involvement of the private sector and the level of competition.

HIP Consult’s remit was to develop practical, data-driven insights to help optimize between economic and development objectives and inform national investment decisions.

 Through visualizing and contextualizing connectivity and socio-economic data, geographic zones for potential fiber backbone expansion were identified and prioritized. The project employed spatial clustering, route planning, and optimization algorithms to prioritize infrastructure investment, and deployment for hospitals, schools and government buildings, in particular.

“We have been impressed by HIP Consult’s steadfast commitment to delivering meaningful results, particularly its novel approach to applying sophisticated data visualization and analytics to qualifying and addressing real-world problems”

— Antonio Garcia Zaballos, the IDB’s Lead Telecommunications Specialist

For more information on the project or the firm’s capabilities, please contact us at info@hipconsult.com.