ICT professionals from Policy-makers, National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) and ITU Sector Members in need to get a deep understanding of ICT Business Planning design and implementation for the deployment of ICT infrastructure in rural and isolated areas.

Familiarity with basic digital network and digital economics applied to telecom concepts and terminologies.

Participants should have Microsoft Excel intermediate-level knowledge, as well as good knowledge of the main gaps in the telecommunication/ICT infrastructure of their country.

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

-  list theories related to how to evaluate projects by using the Net Present Value (NPV) of a cash flow;

-  explain a practical methodology for the accurate economic evaluation of broadband infrastructure installation and deployment plans;

-  describe the principles and technical practices related to building business plans focusing on 5G technologies, that support policy and regulatory decision-making for infrastructure development.

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to :

• recognize the main aspects regarding using business planning as a public policy tool;
• analyse and compare different infrastructure projects;
• apply the key elements for a successful business planning implementation for ICT infrastructure development (estimating demand, revenues, CAPEX, OPEX and WACC);
• discuss financing mechanisms for the implementation of a broadband public policy.

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• identify, quantify and objectively compare different infrastructure projects in order to evaluate a given public policy based on solid technical parameters;
• estimate the demand for broadband services;
• estimate the revenues from broadband services provision;
• estimate the investments required to deploy fixed and mobile broadband networks;
• estimate operational expenses related to the provision of broadband services;
• estimate the weighted average capital cost (WACC) of a broadband infrastructure project;
• analyse the financing mechanisms related to broadband infrastructure projects.

The course is delivered using the ITU Academy Learning Management System, with interactive activities like quizzes, drag and drop exercises, flip cards, and recorded videos.

A total score above 70% on the final exam is required to obtain the ITU digital badge.

Module 1: Broadband Business Planning

Challenges in developing a business plan; business planning as a public policy tool, the ICT Business Planning Toolkit.

Module 2: Estimating demand for broadband services

Estimation of demand through econometric methods and the Delphi method; decomposition of demand into different segments; estimating the market share of the potential new operator.

Module 3: Estimating revenue from broadband service provision

Basic Approach in estimating revenue; main challenges; estimating revenue for mobile, fixed broadband projects and transport network projects; revenue behaviour throughout the project.

Module 4: Estimating investments in broadband networks (CAPEX)

Estimation for 4G/5G Mobile broadband access networks; FTTH Fixed broadband access networks; Optic fiber transport networks.

Module 5: Estimating operational expenditures (OPEX) for broadband service provision

Concepts of OPEX; using cost models; using past costs and expenses; using benchmarks

Module 6: Estimating Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)

WACC parameters, estimating the Cost of debt, the Cost of equity (the Market Risk Premium (MRP) and the local capital asset pricing model (CAPM) or global CAPM); converting nominal WACC to real WACC.

Module 8: Financing Mechanisms to Enable Broadband Infrastructure Projects

Project and licensing financing mechanisms; infrastructure deployment financing mechanisms; service provision financing mechanisms.

Module 9: Case for 5G networks

This Module will present the use of the Business Planning for 5G Networks

Module 10: Case for Satellite networks

This Module will present the use of the Business Planning for Satellite Networks