Category 9: Government Leadership Award 2009

About this category:

The economy of a country and its people benefit when the national regulatory framework stimulates competition and investment, enabling a thriving mobile sector to contribute fully to social and economic development.

This category is designed to recognise governments around the world that have established sound regulatory policies, based on clear principles, that encourage private investment such as policies that support transparency, competition and regulatory independence.

The GSMA is committed to these principles in its global work with governments and regulators, in order to increase access and the use of mobile services. Each year during the industry's flagship event, the Mobile World Congress, the GSMA presents a government with its Government Leadership Award in recognition of that administration's world class leadership in telecommunications policy and regulation.

Past Winners include:

Judging Criteria

The Judges for this category will include top GSMA member executives and Board Members, and other world leading academics and industry stakeholders. Further details to be announced after the entry deadline.

The Judges will consider the performance of governments in a number of key areas that provide a positive environment for investment and growth and enable increased communications to the unconnected, including:

• Level of regulatory independence;
• Creation of regulatory and policy framework that balances governments and investors needs;
• Government policies and actions to bridge the digital divide;
• Level of Government transparency and public consultation;
• Good management of scarce resources, e.g., spectrum;
• Government policies and regulations that promote innovation and long term investment.

The 2009 award will be presented during the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona in February 2009. The GSMA will accept nominations from now until 28th November 2008.

Entry Process

In order to ensure a consistent input for judging, entries must be submitted using the Government Leadership entry form [Link to Government Leadership ENTRY FORM]. Entries not using the web based entry form will not be considered. All entries must be submitted by Friday 28th November 2008.

Specific Entry Form Questions :

On the entry form, in addition to submitting contact and organisation information, you will be asked to answer the following questions (maximum text/character length for your answers also shown in brackets below):

• What are the policies and regulations that have been implemented in your country to help bridge the digital divide using mobile telecommunications and to help promote mobile usage by those most in need of access to voice and data services? (3,000 characters = approx 510 words)
• What steps have been taken to encourage and sustain independence in terms of the regulation of mobile services? (2,000 characters = approx 350 words)
• What steps has your government/regulator taken to increase transparency, including measures to improve its consultation with the industry in advance of making critical decisions in telecommunications policy? (2,000 characters = approx 350 words)
• In what way has your government implemented policies that maximize the utilisation of, and access to, spectrum. How have these policies been created to deliver benefits to consumers and operators alike? (2,000 characters = approx 350 words)
• What steps is your government taking to minimize the cost of mobile services to its citizens? I.e: reduction of overall taxation of mobile usage. (2,000 characters = approx 350 words)
• How effective are your policies and regulations in promoting innovation and inward investment in mobile services? Please provide specific information, in terms of positive investment impact as a result of your government’s policies (3,000 characters = approx 510 words)
• Are there specific initiatives that have been implemented to promote the use of mobile communications and innovative applications in terms of public services i.e. in the areas of health, education, emergency situations or public welfare, for example? (2,000 characters = approx 350 words)

Please note: Use URLs when they are specific/ relevant to the category and will help judges further understand your entry, but due to the number of entries received, judges will not have time to surf company websites looking for further information on the entered product/service or initiative.