The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report RCIP4 - Regional Communications Infrastructure Program - APL 4 (RI) (P118213) RCIP4 - Regional Communications Infrastructure Program - APL 4 (RI) (P118213) AFRICA EAST | Eastern Africa | Digital Development Global Practice | IBRD/IDA | Investment Project Financing | FY 2014 | Seq No: 16 | ARCHIVED on 29-Jan-2021 | ISR43726 | Implementing Agencies: Cellule de réformes économiques et financières (CREF) - Ministère des Finances et du Budget, Bureau RCIP-4 (4th Phase of the Regional Communications Infrastructure Program), Union of the Comoros Key Dates Key Project Dates Bank Approval Date: 10-Sep-2013 Effectiveness Date: 19-Nov-2013 Planned Mid Term Review Date: 14-Sep-2015 Actual Mid-Term Review Date: 14-Sep-2015 Original Closing Date: 30-Jun-2018 Revised Closing Date: 30-Jun-2021 pdoTable Project Development Objectives Project Development Objective (from Project Appraisal Document) The development objectives of this project, in line with the overall RCIP program, are to support the Recipient’s efforts to lower prices for international capacity and extend the geographic reach of broadband networks. Has the Project Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project Objective? No Components Table Name Enabling Environment: promote further regional market integration, sector liberalization (through the award of a second license), an d legal and regulatory reforms.:(Cost $4.00 M) Connectivity: finance Comoros’s membership and participation in the FLY cable and provide demand stimulation through advance purchas e of capacity, promotion of ISPs and establishing an IXP.:(Cost $25.00 M) Project management: support to finance project management costs including project coordination, procurement, financial management, m onitoring & evaluation, etc.:(Cost $3.00 M) Overall Ratings Name Previous Rating Current Rating Progress towards achievement of PDO Satisfactory Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Satisfactory Satisfactory Overall Risk Rating Substantial Moderate Implementation Status and Key Decisions The project continues to be on track to meet the Project Development Objective and exceeds a majority of targets set. In respect to Component 1 (Enabling Environment), the project has facilitated the progressive liberalization of the telecoms sector. However, the state-owned incumbent Comores Telecom (CT) has been slow to adjust to competition. Technical assistance has been provided to the Government to help identify possible restructuring options for CT. Government and the WB continue to engage on how to move this forward. Comores Cable has 1/29/2021 Page 1 of 7 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report RCIP4 - Regional Communications Infrastructure Program - APL 4 (RI) (P118213) received technical assistance to revise its business plan, based on the additional capacity now available through FLY-LION 3, financed by the project. However, the entity charged with managing most of the international cables connecting Comoros remains state-owned (not a public private partnership as intended) and some challenges remains in relation to its supervision. In respect to Component 2 (Connectivity), a second phase of demand stimulation is underway, focused on increasing government digitization. The project has made progress in relation to the strategic and institutional underpinnings of e-government, but also completed a first round of feasibility studies for a handful of strategic e-applications. The implementation of a series of pilot applications is now underway, including a centrally managed external government portal, government email and initial modules of a public e-procurement system. In respect to Component 3 (Project Management), a full project management team is in place, with a new Coordinator and M&E Specialists having recently joined the team. Risks Systematic Operations Risk-rating Tool Risk Category Rating at Approval Previous Rating Current Rating Political and Governance -- High Moderate Macroeconomic -- Substantial Moderate Sector Strategies and Policies -- High Substantial Technical Design of Project or Program -- Moderate Low Institutional Capacity for Implementation and -- Substantial Moderate Sustainability Fiduciary -- Substantial Substantial Environment and Social -- Substantial Low Stakeholders -- Moderate Moderate Other -- Substantial Substantial Overall -- Substantial Moderate Results PDO Indicators by Objectives / Outcomes Support the recipient's effort to lower prices for international connectivity IN00900601 ►International Internet Bandwidth (Text, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 175 Mbit/s 10885 Mbit/s 7,500 Mbit/s 3611 Mbit/s Date 31-Dec-2011 17-Apr-2020 04-Nov-2020 30-Jun-2021 1/29/2021 Page 2 of 7 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report RCIP4 - Regional Communications Infrastructure Program - APL 4 (RI) (P118213) This is the contracted international bandwidth capacity by the 2 operators as follows: Comoros Telecom: 5,000 Mbps Telco: 2,500 Mbps. Total: 7,500 Mbps. Comments: The apparent drop in the current value of this indicator (7,500) was caused by the fact that the previously reported value (10,885) was not accurately reported by the regulator. The current figure shows the combined contracted capacity as opposed to the available capacity as erroneously reported previously. IN00900603 International Internet Bandwidth per inhabitant (Text, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 232 bit/s 13.7 kbit/s 9.21 kbit/s 4.13 kbit/s IN00900605 ►Average price of wholesale internet capacity (Amount(USD), Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 5,500.00 18.70 60.00 1,000.00 Date 29-Jun-2012 17-Apr-2020 04-Nov-2020 30-Jun-2021 This price value was determined on the basis of the price catalog validated by the regulator ANRTIC. Comments: Support the recipient's efforts to extend the reach of broadband networks IN00900602 ►Access to Internet Services (number of subscribers per 100 people) (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.70 49.50 42.28 37.70 Date 31-Dec-2011 17-Apr-2020 04-Nov-2020 30-Jun-2021 Total internet subscription figures – 344,181. 1. Mobile internet subscribers: 343,000 - Indicator reflects 2G, 3G, 4G and above subscriptions. 2. Fixed broadband subscribers: 1,181 Data collected from the regulator shows the number of internet subscribers broken down by operator as follows: Comments: 1. Telco: 118,000 2. CT: 225000 (Mobile) and 1,181 (Fixed) The drop in subscriptions can be explained by the fact that operators where previously not accurately differentiating data from voice users, and therefore counting some voice users as internet subscribers. IN00900604 Total number of Internet subscriptions (Number, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 5,416.00 403,122.00 344,181.00 300,000.00 IN00900606 Mobile internet subscriptions (Number, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target 1/29/2021 Page 3 of 7 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report RCIP4 - Regional Communications Infrastructure Program - APL 4 (RI) (P118213) Value 0.00 401,762.00 343,000.00 295,000.00 IN00900607 Population (Number, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 735,375.00 813,912.00 813,912.00 800,000.00 IN00900608 ►Total number of mobile subscriptions (per 100 inhabitants) (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 27.39 75.56 96.42 72.75 Date 31-Dec-2011 17-Apr-2020 04-Nov-2020 30-Jun-2021 There has been a significant increase in the number of mobile subscriptions reported. This could partly be due to COVID-19, which has increased demand for ICT services. Comments: IN00900609 Mobile subscriptions (Number, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 216,438.00 573,000.00 784,848.00 582,000.00 IN00900610 ►Direct project beneficiaries (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 369,242.00 370,671.00 365,562.00 Date 31-Dec-2012 17-Apr-2020 04-Nov-2020 30-Jun-2021 The data on direct project beneficiaries included new mobile subscribers (since the start of the project) as well as people who use ComorLab and students who benefited from the interconnection of the 8 Comments: University sites, all supported by the project. IN00900611 Female beneficiaries (Percentage, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 50.00 50.09 50.30 50.00 Intermediate Results Indicators by Components 1. Enabling environment IN00900612 ►Number of licensed ISPs (Number, Custom) 1/29/2021 Page 4 of 7 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report RCIP4 - Regional Communications Infrastructure Program - APL 4 (RI) (P118213) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 1.00 5.00 5.00 4.00 Date 31-Dec-2011 17-Apr-2020 17-Apr-2020 30-Jun-2021 Five Internet Service Providers (ISP) are now licensed to offer services in Comoros, under the Regulator's authorization regime. No new ISPs have been licensed since the last ISR. However, the three newly Comments: registered ISPs are not operational yet. The Bank has encouraged the PIU to liaise with the regulator to look into this matter to understand why the new ISPs are not operational. 2. Connectivity and demand stimulation IN00900613 ►Broadband Internet Subscriptions (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 150.00 378,331.00 256,152.00 300,000.00 Date 31-Dec-2011 17-Apr-2020 04-Nov-2020 30-Jun-2021 The figures reported in the previous report were not accurately differentiating data from voice users, and 2G from 3G and above subscriptions. This explains the drop in the figure this time, which only represents Broadband Internet users. Mobile broadband subscribers: 254,971 - measures 3G and above Comments:  Telco: 118,000.  Comores Télécom: 136,971 Fixed broadband subscribers: 1,181 IN00900614 Mobile broadband subscribers (Number, Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 376,971.00 254,971.00 295,000.00 Date 31-Dec-2011 17-Apr-2020 04-Nov-2020 30-Jun-2021 IN00900615 Fixed and mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants (Number, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.02 46.50 31.47 37.70 IN00900616 Broadband subscribers as a percentage of total ICT subscriptions (Percentage, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.04 70.17 46.61 50.00 IN00900617 ►Number of E-Systems connected to an interoperable Government-administered digital platform (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target 1/29/2021 Page 5 of 7 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report RCIP4 - Regional Communications Infrastructure Program - APL 4 (RI) (P118213) Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.00 Date 02-Jul-2018 26-Apr-2019 26-Apr-2019 30-Jun-2021 Work on defining a strategy and road-map for e-government, including a whole-of-government enterprise architecture (GEA) and interoperability framework is complete. A series of services/applications will be developed that are in line with this framework, informed by initial feasibility studies (including process mapping and re-engineering): As it stands, likely e-systems include:  a cloud-based government email and communications services for an initial pool of Comments: approximately 1,200 civil servants (G2G) - due to launched;  a central government portal, offering information-as-a-service (G2P/G2B) - due to be launched;  two initial modules for an e-procurement systems (G2B) - due to be launched; and/or  a system used by the new computer emergency response team (CERT) (G2G);  an online business registration system (G2B). IN00900618 ►Number of female beneficiaries of the co-working space (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 368.00 393.00 100.00 Date 02-Jul-2018 31-Mar-2020 04-Nov-2020 30-Jun-2021 As of October 2020, the number of women using the co-working space increased to 393. Comments: IN00900619 ►Number of crowdsourced reports from citizens on quality of service for telecommunication services (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 Date 28-Jun-2018 07-Jan-2020 04-Nov-2020 30-Jun-2021 Three reports have been produced so far. A website has been commissioned, where all reports are published, to ensure effective dissemination. This will also provide an online forum for providing Comments: consumer feedback. The team is currently in the process of deciding how to focus and conduct the 4th and final study. Performance-Based Conditions Data on Financial Performance Disbursements (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Currency Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed % Disbursed P118213 IDA-D3820 Effective USD 10.00 10.00 0.00 5.33 4.87 52% P118213 IDA-H8780 Effective USD 22.00 22.00 0.00 20.17 0.00 100% 1/29/2021 Page 6 of 7 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report RCIP4 - Regional Communications Infrastructure Program - APL 4 (RI) (P118213) Key Dates (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Approval Date Signing Date Effectiveness Date Orig. Closing Date Rev. Closing Date P118213 IDA-D3820 Effective 28-Sep-2018 19-Nov-2018 19-Nov-2018 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 P118213 IDA-H8780 Effective 10-Sep-2013 24-Sep-2013 19-Nov-2013 30-Jun-2018 30-Jun-2021 Cumulative Disbursements PBC Disbursement Achievement Disbursed amount in Disbursement % PBC ID PBC Type Description Coc PBC Amount Status Coc for PBC Restructuring History Level 2 Approved on 28-Feb-2018 ,Level Approved on 25-Jun-2020 Related Project(s) P166737-Additional Financing for the Comoros program of the 4th Phase of the Regional Communications Infrastructure Program 1/29/2021 Page 7 of 7