Africa–Europe Broadband Mapping Study Visit and Policy Training Workshop (CRASA)

The course will be delivered in a face-to-face format in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Arrival Day (8 June) – Participant Arrival and Orientation

Participants will arrive in Vilnius and take part in an informal meet-and-greet session. This introductory gathering will provide an opportunity to become acquainted with fellow participants, receive logistical information related to the training, and prepare for the programme activities that will follow over the subsequent three days.

Day 1 – Morning: Policy Foundations and EU–Africa Exchange

The morning of Day 1 will focus on the policy, governance, and regulatory foundations required to establish national broadband mapping systems. Participants will examine the policy rationale for broadband mapping, institutional governance arrangements, and the legal frameworks necessary to support sustainable data collection and management processes.

The session will include presentations on the European Union regulatory framework as well as practical experience from Lithuania, providing participants with insights into how broadband mapping systems were established and operationalized within both national and European contexts. Particular attention will be given to legislation, regulatory mandates, operator obligations, and institutional coordination mechanisms.

African participants will present their national contexts and discuss key policy, legal, and institutional challenges identified through the Africa-BB-Maps analyses, facilitating a comparative exchange of experiences and implementation realities across participating countries.

Day 1 – Afternoon: Simulation 1 – Designing a National Broadband Data Reporting and QA/QC Framework

The afternoon of Day 1 will introduce the first policy simulation, focused on the development of a national framework for broadband data collection, reporting, and quality assurance. Participants will work in groups representing regulatory authorities and relevant stakeholders and will be tasked with designing a legally sound and operationally feasible system for collecting broadband mapping data from operators.

The 1st Policy Simulation Focus:

• Define minimum reporting obligations for broadband operators.
• Establish metadata requirements and reporting standards.
• Design quality assurance and quality control procedures.
• Address confidentiality and commercially sensitive information.
• Develop compliance mechanisms proportionate to operators’ capacities.
• Balance rapid implementation needs with legal robustness and data quality requirements.

Jury Challenge (Mid-Session Disruption):

At mid-point, the ITU–EU Host jury will introduce a formal objection from telecommunications operators claiming that the proposed reporting obligations are excessively broad, that the distinction between predicted coverage and actual service availability remains unclear, and that certain infrastructure datasets requested by regulators are commercially sensitive.

Participants will be required to revise their frameworks, clarify legal definitions, reduce unnecessary compliance burdens, strengthen confidentiality safeguards, and identify the minimum viable reporting system that can be implemented quickly while maintaining legal defensibility and data reliability.

At the conclusion of the simulation, groups will present and defend their proposed reporting and QA/QC frameworks, receiving feedback from the jury regarding legal robustness, institutional feasibility, and practical implementation considerations.

Day 2 – Morning: Simulation 2 – Cross-Border Interoperability and Metadata Harmonisation

The morning of Day 2 will focus on a second simulation addressing cross-border interoperability between national broadband mapping systems. Participants will examine the challenges that arise when neighbouring countries seek to compare, aggregate, and jointly analyse broadband infrastructure and coverage data.

The Policy Simulation Focus:

• Identify barriers to interoperability between national broadband mapping systems.
• Define minimum metadata requirements for cross-border analysis.
• Harmonise classification systems and technical standards.
• Establish governance arrangements for data-sharing and coordination.
• Develop practical approaches for phased interoperability improvements.
• Support evidence-based regional planning and corridor development initiatives.

Jury Challenge (Mid-Session Disruption):

At mid-point, the jury will reveal that one of the datasets intended for joint cross-border analysis contains incomplete metadata, inconsistent date fields, and infrastructure layers collected under confidentiality arrangements that do not permit wider publication.

Participants will be required to determine which datasets remain suitable for analysis, what information should be caveated or withheld, and what minimum harmonisation package can realistically be agreed in the short term while preserving confidence in the planning exercise.

Following the challenge, participants will revise their interoperability proposals and develop practical recommendations for both immediate and longer-term harmonisation measures capable of supporting sustained regional cooperation.

Day 2 – Afternoon: Simulation 3 – Regulatory Enforcement, Appeals and Institutional Credibility

The afternoon of Day 2 will focus on enforcement, compliance, and accountability mechanisms necessary to ensure the integrity of broadband mapping systems over time. Participants will address situations involving inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading operator submissions and will design regulatory responses that remain legally defensible while maintaining public confidence in the mapping system.

The Policy Simulation Focus:

• Design enforcement mechanisms for non-compliance and inaccurate reporting.
• Define evidentiary standards and verification procedures.
• Establish corrective measures and procedural safeguards.
• Manage appeals and regulatory disputes.
• Develop public communication strategies during periods of controversy.
• Strengthen institutional credibility and long-term compliance incentives.

Jury Challenge (Mid-Session Disruption):

At mid-point, the jury will introduce two simultaneous developments. A major operator files a formal legal appeal challenging a regulatory corrective notice, while media coverage portrays the dispute as evidence that the national broadband map cannot be trusted.

Participants will be required to determine whether enforcement actions should continue during the appeal process, defend the regulator’s verification methodology and evidentiary standards, and develop a communication strategy that preserves confidence in the mapping system while transparently addressing the ongoing dispute.

At the conclusion of the simulation, groups will present their proposed enforcement responses, accountability measures, and policy recommendations, receiving structured feedback from the ITU and EU Host jury.

Day 3 – Morning: Consolidation, Evaluation and Policy Recommendations

The morning of Day 3 will focus on consolidating lessons learned from all three simulations. Participants will compare approaches to legal design, policy decision-making, cross-border cooperation, enforcement, and institutional governance, reflecting on how different strategies may be adapted to national broadband mapping contexts.

Participants will present their final policy recommendations and receive structured feedback from the ITU and EU Host jury regarding the applicability, feasibility, and sustainability of their proposed approaches.

The session will conclude with the official closing ceremony. Participants who successfully complete the programme will receive certificates of completion.

Day 3 – Afternoon: Study Visit and Peer-to-Peer Exchange

The afternoon of Day 3 will be dedicated to a study visit hosted by the Lithuanian authorities. This session will complement the policy discussions and simulation exercises through a practical peer-to-peer exchange, providing participants with direct insight into the institutional, operational, and regulatory dimensions of Lithuania’s broadband mapping system.

Through discussions with representatives of the host institution, participants will explore practical implementation experiences, governance arrangements, data management processes, and lessons learned from the development and operation of the national broadband mapping framework.