The LTA has implemented the broadcast frequency management function since the establishment of the Authority and has the requisite skills and human capital to implement this responsibility. The LTA has worked with the ITU and has developed Liberia's National Table of Frequency Allocations, the National Frequency Register and National Radio Spectrum Plan. Liberia is informed by international and regional best practice and needs to retain radio spectrum management with the LTA to avoid regulatory uncertainty in the Telecommunications/ICT sector, duplication of functions and the waste of scarce national resources. 6.7 The Role of Libtelco The government has made considerable investments in Libtelco for which it is currently evaluating the most effective strategy moving forward in order to leverage this investment to the benefit of the country. One option is that Libtelco could be responsible for operating the necessary ICT infrastructure so that all government agencies are fully interconnected nationally, and to regional and international networks such as the ECOWAS Wide Area Network (ECOWAN). Another option would be to privatize Libtelco so that it can compete effectively with other players in the market. These and other options will be assessed in 2020 to ensure government's investment in Libtelco is leveraged for the benefit of the Liberian people. 6.8 The Role of the Universal Access/Service Fund The core mandate of Universal Access/Service Fund is to channel collective industry financial resources toward investments that will fill gaps in access and stimulate overall market expansion15. The USAF therefore, can be viewed as equivalent to a financial institution, such as a commercial bank or investment fund: it manages capital assets, evaluates and defines projects for investment opportunities, and provides financing to implementing contractors, whose operations must be overseen and evaluated to ensure the Fund’s resources are well spent. In fulfilling this mission, the LTA is responsible for USAF’s management and will thus employ human and technical resources of comparable quality and magnitude to similar organizations in the public and private sector. Legislative and regulatory changes may be needed in order to give the USAFs the flexibility to support initiatives and programs. The fund’s responsibilities include the following: 1. Establish strategic planning and internal operating procedures, which guide management and staff, as well as public stakeholders, in the Fund���s mission and activities; 2. Provide an annual gap analysis of underserved and unserved areas in collaborations with the Regulator and requisite ministries (eg. Interior, Health, Education); 3. Establish and implement a strategy for closing gaps to achieve universal access objectives in a fair and transparent manner; 4. Undertake periodic assessment of initiatives and publish annual reports; 5. Provide adequate technical resources and support, such as internal equipment and software, field personnel and equipment, access to outsourced expertise, etc; 6. promote cooperation with the ICT industry and government, to obtain necessary sector data, regulatory and policy support, and collaboration on “ The role of USAF in broadband strategies” http://a4ai.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/A4AI-USAFs2015_Final-v.2.pdf 15 56