We recently decided to change the name of our “Policy and Regulatory Best Practices” document to “Policy and Regulatory Good Practices”. The practices themselves have stayed the same. They provide a recommended policy framework for affordable Internet and they will continue to guide our advocacy and on-the-ground work. Why, then, have we made the switch from best to good?

Though a subtle change, we thought it was an important one to make. While “best practices” is a commonly used term, we realised that it might imply that these practices are the only ones that could be effective in achieving our goal of universal and affordable Internet. The term “good practices” more accurately reflects our belief that these practices are policies and regulatory actions that have previously — and in a range of different contexts — been successful in creating an enabling environment for the conditions needed to drive down prices and enable wider access.

We also believe that “good practices” is a more accurate reflection of how we use these practices in our policy work. These good practices provide a useful reference framework for creating the policy and regulatory environment needed to achieve universal, affordable access. However, the exact paths taken may vary based on local contexts and priorities. Each nation must assess what its primary barriers to affordable access are, and the policies and regulations that would work best in that context to overcome these barriers and expand access to all. This is the basis for our advocacy efforts and is exactly what A4AI’s national multi-stakeholder coalitions are doing in our countries of engagement.

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