Acacia Economics has unique and extensive experience in digital and ICT services in various countries in African and developing country markets.
Digitalisation is changing how firms in markets operate, creating new opportunities and new challenges for competition and regulation. Acacia Economics is well positioned to consider digital and ICT markets with unique and extensive experience in digital and ICT services in various countries in African and developing country markets.
Our economists have a strong understanding of ICT and digital markets having conducted numerous inquiries into mobile markets on behalf of regulatory authorities. This includes market inquiries into mobile broadband services for the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and for the National Communications Authority of Somalia on behalf of the World Bank. We have conducted a full cost study for the Communications Authority of Kenya focusing on interconnection, roaming and site sharing regulatory frameworks, including bottom-up cost models for each area. We have also undertaken a market inquiry into USSD services for the Competition Authority of Kenya and a study into USSD and SMS services for the Ugandan Communications Commission.
We are comfortable engaging with the technical aspects of regulation and market mechanisms. For example, we, together with partners, carried out a spectrum valuation and drafted an invitation to apply for spectrum in the 700MHz, 800MHz, 2300MHz, 2600MHz and 3500MHz bands for ICASA. We have engaged in analysis of legislation for ICASA and have been appointed as experts for litigation on their behalf in several matters.
We have also been involved in various competition focused disputes in the ICT sector for private sector and regulator clients. This includes as a market review in connection with the proposed merger of Vodacom and Neotel in South Africa, an essential facilities dispute in relation to access to ducts in South Africa, a dispute in relation to requests for roaming for a large operator in the SADC region, and a dispute relating to numbering. We have assessed competition issues in terms of access to USSD markets in an East African country on behalf of a new entrant. We have assisted with various merger filings for the competition and communications authorities. We have several private sector clients across this sector including mobile operators, resellers, and satellite communications companies.
Furthermore, our senior economists have also engaged in various research projects on digital markets, including on data governance, trade and taxation in digital markets, competition, links with global value chains and regulatory requirements. For example, our economists have engaged in research into digital markets and the digital value chains for the Industrial Development Think Tank for the Department of Trade and Industry in South Africa, for the International Telecommunications Union as well as for academic institutions. We are particularly interested digital financial markets and have engaged in projects on interchange for mobile money and integration of digital markets for clients such as the World Bank.