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

The course will be delivered in a face-to-face format in Warsaw, Poland.

Arrival Day (29 June) – Participant Arrival and Orientation

Participants will arrive in Warsaw and take part in an informal meet-and-greet session during the evening. 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 take place over the following 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 and operate national broadband mapping systems. Participants will examine the policy rationale for broadband mapping, the institutional arrangements needed to support implementation, and the legal frameworks that underpin sustainable broadband data collection and management processes.

The session will begin with an introduction to the objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes of the training within the broader Africa-BB-Maps programme. Participants will then explore the governance requirements, legal foundations, and policy considerations associated with developing national broadband mapping systems.

Drawing on experiences from Poland and the wider European Union, participants will examine how broadband mapping systems have been established and operationalised in practice. Particular attention will be given to legislation, regulatory mandates, operator reporting obligations, institutional coordination mechanisms, and lessons learned from implementation across different regulatory environments.

African participants will present their national contexts and discuss key legal, policy, and institutional challenges identified through the Africa-BB-Maps analyses. These exchanges will facilitate comparative learning and peer-to-peer discussion on the opportunities and constraints facing broadband mapping initiatives 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 design of a national framework for broadband data reporting, verification, and quality assurance. Participants will work in groups to develop a legally sound and operationally feasible system for collecting broadband mapping data from telecommunications operators.

The 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 proportionate compliance mechanisms for operators with varying levels of technical capacity.
• Balance implementation timelines with legal robustness and data quality requirements.

Jury Challenge (Mid-Session Disruption):

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

Participants will be required to revise their frameworks, clarify legal definitions, reduce unnecessary compliance burdens, strengthen confidentiality protections, and identify the minimum viable reporting framework that can be implemented rapidly 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 neighbouring national broadband mapping systems. Participants will examine the challenges that arise when countries seek to compare, aggregate, and jointly analyse broadband infrastructure and coverage information across borders.

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 connectivity corridor 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 data 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 joint 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 and cross-border planning.

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 and credibility 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 reporting portrays the dispute as evidence that the national broadband map cannot be trusted.

Participants will be required to determine whether enforcement actions should continue while the appeal is pending, 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 and reflecting on the broader policy implications for national broadband mapping initiatives. Participants will compare approaches to legal design, governance, interoperability, enforcement, and institutional decision-making, while considering how different strategies can be adapted to their respective national 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, during which 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 Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs. This practical component of the programme will complement the policy discussions and simulation exercises through direct engagement with officials responsible for broadband mapping and digital infrastructure policy.

Through discussions with representatives of the host institution, participants will gain first-hand insight into the institutional, operational, and regulatory dimensions of Poland’s broadband mapping system. The visit will provide an opportunity to explore implementation experiences, governance arrangements, data collection and management processes, and lessons learned from the development and operation of the national broadband mapping framework.