Shamsudin Ahmed, Associate Director, Technical Sales and Solutions Architecture at GIGL, has called for a regulatory framework that reflects the higher operating costs and infrastructure challenges facing telecommunications operators expanding broadband access in rural communities.
Ahmed said a more flexible approach to quality-of-service requirements would help reduce barriers to rural broadband deployment while protecting consumers’ internet experience.
Speaking during a presentation on sustainable rural connectivity, he noted that telecommunications infrastructure in remote communities often operates under different conditions from urban networks, including limited power supply, satellite connectivity requirements and higher maintenance costs.
“A more flexible and context-sensitive KPI regime for quality of service and quality of experience would help reduce some of these barriers to expanding broadband into rural communities while still protecting the customer experience,” he said.
Ahmed explained that while urban telecommunications sites may have access to reliable electricity and multiple transmission options, remote locations often depend on solar power, batteries and satellite connectivity, with technicians sometimes required to travel long distances to maintain equipment.
He argued that these differences should inform regulatory requirements for operators serving rural communities.
Ahmed also urged telecommunications operators to prioritise upgrading existing sites that provide basic voice services but lack adequate broadband capacity, rather than focusing solely on building additional base stations.
“If a community already has basic services, should our first step be to build another site? Or should we ask whether we can upgrade that site for the problem that is currently being faced?” he said.
He added that upgrading existing infrastructure could deliver greater value where communities already have network coverage but cannot access reliable broadband services.
The GIGL executive also highlighted the financial challenges of rural connectivity, noting that telecommunications operators face a gap between the low prices customers pay for services and the high costs of providing them.
According to him, the industry must assess the long-term cost of maintaining connectivity rather than focusing only on the initial investment required to connect a community.
He said the choice of technology should reflect the capacity, reliability, cost and long-term sustainability requirements of each location, while public funding and industry collaboration could help address upfront investment barriers.
Ahmed stressed that expanding rural connectivity should go beyond increasing the number of telecommunications sites to ensuring that communities receive meaningful and sustainable broadband access.