News & insights

Attending a launch event in Tanzania hosted by the World Bank on 4 September 2024, Chris Doyle, head of CEPA's telecoms practice, presented a summary of findings from a CEPA study, "Leveraging Private Sector Investment in Digital Communications Infrastructure in Eastern Africa".

The study provides guidance on The World Bank's involvement in Digital Communications Infrastructure (DCI) projects in which finance has been extended to support build-out. In particular, it provides guidance for three World Bank projects:

1. the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project;
2. the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project; and
3. the Digital and Energy Connectivity for Inclusion in Madagascar Project.

The study also provides a roadmap on what should be included in a Commercial Transaction Manual in cases where the authors recommend that a borrower government pilots a multi-round reverse auction (MRRA). The report introduces the concept of DCI and discusses policy within the context of digital gaps. It then considers:

• the roles of the private sector, government and multilateral banks in Eastern Africa;
• the role expected to be played by private capital mobilization;
• the role of public-private partnerships, procurement; and DCI; and
• risks in DCI projects and their mitigation, focusing in particular on the role of government agencies as anchor tenants and in overseeing MRRAs.

The study, which may be downloaded using the link below, was undertaken by a CEPA team led by Chris Doyle, which included Chris Sutcliffe and Jack Kemp.