SONIA NUNES JORGE

Consultant in Telecommunications

Policy, Regulation, Economics

E-mail: sjorge@att.net

Expertise: Telecommunications regulation, economics and public policy; international telecommunications development and policy; tariff regulation methods and policies; costing methodologies and demand analysis; regulatory and policy responses to privatization and emerging competition; universal service and universal access policy; investment and productivity analysis; and gender analysis in ICT policy.

Education: Master of Public Policy, Tufts University, Boston, May 2000.

Thesis: A Gender Analysis of the Economic and Social Crisis in Angola - Urban Women’s Strategies to Cope with the Development Crisis

B.A./B.S. Cum Laude in Economics and Business Finance, specialization in International Economics and Development, University of Massachusetts, Boston, 1991.

Certificate of German Language, Goethe Institute of Lisbon, 1987.

Professional Experience:

Vice-President, David N. Townsend & Associates (1999-present). Provides consulting expertise in the areas of telecommunications policy, regulation and economics, with special focus on regulatory frameworks, universal service and universal access in the context of development, and gender analysis and awareness in the process of planing for information and communication technologies (ICTs).

Recent projects include, among others, the development of sector policy for the Government of Mozambique, the development of sector policy and a Corporate Plan for the telecommunications regulator in Sri Lanka, the design of the social and economic policy to be adopted for implementation of the Telecommunications Development Fund in the Dominican Republic, the development of Internet case studies with the ITU-UN, the development of training curriculum on gender perspectives in telecommunications policy for the ITU, technical assistance to the Santa Clara County in California to develop and recommend the optimal network structure and costs, technical assistance to the Bolivian Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones to determine the price cap system for non-competitive services, and the development of the Telecentre Implementation Plan for the Universal Service Agency of the Department of Communications of the Republic of South Africa. In addition, conducts various workshops on regulatory and policy issues.

Senior Consultant, Economics and Technology, Inc. (1991-1998)

As a Senior Consultant at ETI, responsibilities included providing expert testimony, economic and regulatory analysis and client support in the areas of telecommunications sector reform, econometric models, regulatory and policy responses to emerging competition, financial and investment analysis, infrastructure development, and costing methodology. Frequently advised national telecommunications ministries and regulatory authorities on issues such as privatization, competitive market entry, and establishment of regulatory frameworks designed to accommodate these policy initiatives.

Contributed to a broad range of projects and regulatory proceedings throughout the US, at both the state and federal levels, as well as projects in international telecommunications policy and economics, tariff comparison and financial analysis, demand modeling and forecasts, regulatory and policy responses to emerging competition, interconnection, and cost models, in Mexico, Turkmenistan, the Philippines, China, Ivory Coast, and Costa Rica. In the course of various international assignments, spent extensive on-site periods conducting several project activities, including research, assistance in implementing new policies and training staff in regulatory methods and analysis.

In the United States, assignments included the development of expert testimony, comments and reports for regulatory proceedings at the FCC and in the state of California, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Hawaii on such issues as alternative regulation plans, universal service requirements, costing methodologies, local competition issues, and proposed telecommunications companies’ mergers. Submitted testimony in the states of Hawaii and Connecticut and testified at the Hawaii Public Utility Commission on costing methodologies.

Since joining ETI in 1991, served as Consultant, Senior Analyst and Analyst.

Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant, University of Massachusetts, Boston. (1989-1991). Provided research and analysis to an Economics Professor and contributed research and analysis for a book in economics theory. Organized and presented workshops in Microeconomics and Financial Theory, conducted study session and provided assistance to students.

Languages: Portuguese(Native), English (Fluent), Spanish (Fluent), German (Good), French (basic understanding).

Memberships: International Association for Feminist Economists (IAFFE).

Articles, Papers, Reports: