adopt strategies to stimulate demand among users, so that they are willing to pay for services, in order that areas will not be considered “uneconomic” by operators. Secondly, if user demand in one or more particular areas really does not support network roll-out, to redistribute funds to support under-served groups of users, rather than to support operators. The Government’s demand-side strategies are designed to promote: 91.  Availability of ICT – in all inhabited areas;  Accessibility of ICT – to all regardless of gender, disability or educational attainment; and  92. Affordability of ICT – for all citizens. Encourage user demand is also based on developing locally relevant content so that there is material available that people are eager to use, and building people’s skills so that they know how to access material once they get the chance. Strategies to implement ICT Objective 1 must include promoting the creation of locally relevant content and capacity-building for both content-producers and content-users, including for those in rural areas. 93. In order to promote the creation of locally relevant content, various measures might be adopted. These include legal (as well as informal) measures to protect the rights of groups to the traditional styles, methods and works of which they are the custodians. Conventional intellectual property laws might or might not be ideal in this setting – further consideration must be given to this issue. 94. Providing financial support to under-served users rather than to operators, requires amendment of the Telecommunications Act. While legal stability is a vitally important consideration for investment, amendment of the universal access provisions is unlikely to adversely affect investment. Providing service to a universal access area is (or should be) revenue-neutral for an operator, and carried out as a public service rather than as a profit opportunity. Consideration must be given to the form of assistance that might be provided to under-served users: cash payments might not be used to purchase ICT services. Vouchers that are redeemable for service or direct credits to a local service provider might be superior. Consideration must also be given to the best source of funding for such a system. The Telecommunications Act currently empowers the Telecommunications Page | 33 Solomon Islands National ICT Policy