The Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) is bringing together prominent players from the private sector, public sector, and civil society to provide a unified voice and coordinated focus in addressing the shared goal of open, affordable access to the Internet in the developing world.

The Alliance aims to increase the affordability of both mobile and fixed-line Internet access dramatically, with a focus on achieving the UN Broadband Commission Broadband Target of entry-level broadband services priced at less than 5% of average monthly income.

At the start of its work in Ghana, A4AI held a successful maiden A4AI-Ghana Forum in which a number of priority issues were identified.

The issues identified according to A4AI have the potential to undermine efforts to increase Internet access and affordability to broadband in Ghana.

The priority issues identified in Ghana were taxation, infrastructure sharing and open access, research and data collection and consumer awareness and pricing transparency.

These issues will form the basis of the discussion at the forth coming forum scheduled for Thursday November 26, 2016 at the Kofi Annan Centre for Excellence in ICT.

Various industry players are slated to present papers on Internet and Broadband Affordability in Ghana, Internet and broadband affordability statistics in Ghana and the impact on access, the Challenges to Affordability in Ghana.

Four working groups will deal with the details of the priority issues that stand in the way of affordability and access.

The working groups will come up with policy and regulatory proposals and recommendations designed to resolve the key challenges.

The meeting will also provide an opportunity for all participants to discuss the work of each working group, the wider Coalition and its upcoming activities.

Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the forum.