- Elind Sulmina
- Aisha Jenkins
- Patricia Schlageter
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Description
The training aims to strengthen the policy, legal and regulatory capacities of the eleven national authorities responsible for broadband mapping governance and data-driven connectivity planning. This training is open also to external NRAs. The training will examine regulatory frameworks that enable national broadband mapping systems, including legal instruments for telecommunications data collection, governance arrangements between regulators and operators, and institutional coordination mechanisms. Particular attention will be given to regulatory challenges encountered in establishing broadband mapping obligations and ensuring the quality, transparency, and sustainability of geospatial connectivity data.
The training will combine European and African experiences. The host country European national regulatory authorities will present case studies on the implementation of broadband mapping systems, including lessons learned from the adoption of EU directives and national legislation governing telecommunications data reporting. African participants will present national contexts, highlighting current policy frameworks, and regulatory constraints and implementation challenges identified through the Africa-BB-Maps policy analysis process.
This training will be held online and participants will virtually audit the sessions held in the BB-Maps Face-to-Face training
This training is designed for policymakers, regulators and technical focal points involved in the governance, regulation or implementation of national broadband mapping systems.
Participants will primarily include representatives from national regulatory authorities and and relevant ministries in Côte d’Ivoire, Benin and Burundi as well as the Regional Regulatory Association of West Africa WATRA, all responsible for broadband infrastructure data governance and digital connectivity policy.
To participate in the face to face training, please apply ahead of time for the course
Participants need to have completed by 30 April the following two self-paced courses:
Having attended the National Events of Broadband Mapping systems in his/her country in 2025 is an advantage.
Selection criteria:
- Nomination by the participating countries
- Relevance of role to national broadband mapping implementation
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Analyse policy and regulatory frameworks supporting national broadband mapping systems.
- Evaluate legal instruments used by regulators to obtain telecommunications infrastructure data from operators.
- Compare governance models for broadband mapping implementation across different regulatory environments.
- Assess institutional and legal challenges affecting the collection and management of broadband infrastructure data.
- Formulate regulatory responses to situations involving incomplete data reporting, data quality issues or operator resistance.
- Develop policy recommendations aimed at strengthening national broadband mapping governance frameworks.
This training course will consist of the following activities:
- Auditing of policy simulation exercises including on legal and regulatory frameworks for data sharing; enforcement, compliance, and accountability, as well as policy decision making under uncertainty.
- Theoretical and case-based approaches to learning, illustrating broadband mapping systems and grounding them in real implementation environments
Online participants are invited to audit the face-to-face course which will be streamed, this would include the following elements:
- Jury challenges and reflection exercises
- Peer learning for greater insight into the simulations
Activity and Weighting (%)
Attendance: 100%
Participants will receive an ITU badge upon successfully attending the course.
Day 1 – Morning: Presentation of ITU Policy Analysis Results and EU–Africa Exchange
The morning of Day 1 will focus on the theoretical foundations of national broadband mapping systems, combining European Union regulatory frameworks with the practical experience of Romania. The Romanian regulatory authority ANCOM will present case studies illustrating how broadband mapping systems were established in line with EU directives and national legislation, including legal challenges related to data-sharing obligations, regulatory enforcement, and institutional coordination. African participants will present their national contexts and key policy and regulatory challenges identified through the Africa-BB-Maps analyses, grounding the discussion in real implementation environments.
Day 1 – Afternoon: Simulation 1 – Legal and Regulatory Frameworks for Data Sharing
The afternoon of Day 1 will introduce the first policy simulation, focused on the design of legal and regulatory frameworks enabling data collection for broadband mapping systems. Participants will work in groups representing regulators, ministries, and operators, and will be tasked with establishing a legally sound and enforceable data-sharing regime.
The 1st Policy Simulation focus:
- Define the legal mandate for data collection within existing frameworks
- Design regulatory instruments (laws, decisions, obligations) for operator data submission
- Address confidentiality, data protection, and competition concerns
- Establish governance models for data ownership, access, and use
- Coordinate roles between institutions (regulators, ministries, stakeholders)
- Ensure proportionality and enforceability of obligations
Jury Challenge (Mid-Session Disruption):
At mid-point, the ITU–ANCOM jury will introduce a scenario in which major operators formally challenge the legality of the data-sharing obligations, citing commercial confidentiality and lack of explicit legal mandate.
Participants will be required to reassess their frameworks, strengthen the legal basis of their proposals, and redesign regulatory instruments to ensure compliance while maintaining legal defensibility and stakeholder acceptance.
Day 2 - Morning: Simulation 2 - Policy Decision-Making Under Uncertainty
The morning of Day 2 will focus on a second simulation addressing policy decision-making in contexts where data is incomplete, inconsistent, or contested. Participants will be placed in a scenario where a regulatory authority must take strategic decisions despite imperfect datasets.
The Policy Simulation Focus:
- Assess limitations and reliability of available data
- Define thresholds for evidence-based decision-making
- Develop interim regulatory measures under uncertainty
- Balance legal certainty with policy urgency
- Address disputes over data accuracy between stakeholders
- Integrate economic and regulatory considerations
Jury challenge (mid-session disruption):
At mid-point, the jury will introduce new information indicating that:
- key datasets used by participants are partially inaccurate, and that operators are contesting regulatory conclusions.
Participants will be required to revise their policy decisions, justify their approach under legal scrutiny, and introduce safeguards to ensure that decisions remain defensible despite uncertainty.
Day 2 - Afternoon: Simulation 3 - Enforcement, Compliance and Accountability
The afternoon of Day 2 will focus on enforcement and compliance mechanisms, addressing the transition from regulatory design to practical implementation. Participants will work on ensuring that obligations related to broadband mapping are effectively enforced and sustained over time.
Policy simulation focus:
- Design enforcement mechanisms (sanctions, incentives, compliance frameworks)
- Define monitoring and verification processes
- Ensure due process and procedural safeguards
- Address non-compliance, delays, and disputes
- Maintain proportionality and legal defensibility of enforcement actions
- Strengthen institutional capacity and regulatory credibility
Jury challenge (mid-session disruption):
At mid-point, the jury will introduce a scenario where operators refuse to comply with reporting obligations and initiate legal appeals against the regulator’s decisions. Participants will need to adapt their enforcement strategies, reinforce procedural safeguards, and propose legally robust responses that ensure compliance while mitigating litigation risks and preserving institutional credibility.
Day 3 – Morning: Evaluation, Consolidation and Certification
The morning of Day 3 will focus on the consolidation and evaluation of the simulation outcomes. Participants will present their final policy proposals, regulatory approaches, and lessons learned across the three simulations. The session will allow for collective reflection on how these approaches can be applied within national contexts.
At the end of the session, the ITU–ANCOM jury will review the results and provide final feedback.
Participants who have attended all the sessions will receive certificates an ITU Academy digital badge.
Registration information
Unless specified otherwise, all ITU Academy training courses are open to all interested professionals, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, economic status and other diverse backgrounds. We strongly encourage registrations from female participants, and participants from developing countries. This includes least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked developing countries.
