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Digital Divide Issues for RE Networks in Africa
International ICFA Workshop onHEP Networking, Grid & Digital Divide
Issues for Global e-Science
Tues, May 24 2005Daegu, Korea
Mike JensenInternational Development Research Centre (Canada)[email protected]
Sources: ESRI, GSM Association/Coversoft , ITU, Mike Jensen
Population,Teledensity &
IP POPsin Africa
Wireless GSM Coverage
International & National Backbones
Lake Chad
Lake Tana
Lake Turkana
Lake Albert
Lake Victoria
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Nyasa
Libya
Niger
Chad
Sudan
EthiopiaNigeria
Cameroon
Djibouti
SomaliaCentral African Republ
KenyaUganda
CongoGabon
Rwanda
Eritrea
Congo, DRCBurundi
Tanzania
Angola
Zambia Malawi
Juba
Many systemic factors:Electricity,
Import duties,Skills
Capacity of Connection: Averagen=82
537.4128
7168
769.1728
7168
0.00
1000.00
2000.00
3000.00
4000.00
5000.00
6000.00
7000.00
8000.00
Average Minimum Maximum
Kbps
Uplink Downlink
African Tertiary Institution Connectivity Survey (ATICS.INFO)
Average Cost per Kbpsn=70
0.00
36.33
5.46
0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00 35.00 40.00
Minimum
Maximum
Average
Bandw
ith
Cost/Kbps
Service Provider Typen=82
VSAT Company
18%
National
Telecom
34%
Other
20% Private ISP
28%
Users per networked computers by regionsn=66
11
171
50
63
15
55
0 50 100 150 200
Southern Africa
Central Africa
East Africa
West Africa
North Africa
Average
Regions
Average number of users per networked computer
Bandwidth per networked computern=73
0.32
36.57
3.36
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Minimum Maximum Mean
Mean Kbps per
networked computer
Campus Networks Utilizing Fibre Technology in Surveyed Institutions
n=83
Without Fibre in
Network
52%
With Fibre in
Network
48%
Do you manage your bandwidth in any way?N=83
limited
5%
no
54%yes
41%
Average hours link is down/month by type of connectivityn=82
0.151.65 1.08
10.63
1.330.08
2.62
0.00
6.50
0.000.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
8.00
10.00
12.00
fibre wire radiolinkwireless
VSAT dialup
Connectivity type
Hours
per m
onth
Average Hours/Month link Down
Average Hours/Month link Down due to electricity cuts
Satellite Regulation
Restrictive Regulatory Environment - The Key Barrier
- State owned monopolies still dominate- Some foreign investment in monopolies in return for continued exclusivity- Mauritius trying to buy out its monopoly
- Limited introduction of competition - 1 or 2 additional fixed line players in a few
countries
- Use of satellite, and wireless data (Wifi/Wimax etc) restricted in most countriues
Other Considerations- No benefit in Africa from Dot-Com/ bubble burst- Little use of alternative infrastructure- No access to dark fibre - Few peering points (SA, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique)- V little capacity to design, implement and manage
networks- E-Rate only in a few countries – Senegal and South
Africa - Few NRENS as yet- Most institutions are fairly isolated, v limited skills- Human networks are undeveloped- No access to commodity Internet via Geant/NSF
EASSy project plus backhaul links
East African Regional Network Plans
EASSy project plus backhaul links
Plus SRII projectPlus Comtel projectPlus other infrastructure
R&E Support Activities● African Virtual University (AVU) – 24 campus links● Partnership for Higher Education in Africa – b/w
purchasing consortium● International Network for Availability of Scientific
Publications (INASP) b/w management workshops● Advanced Institute for Mathematical Sciences
(AIMS) in SA with Department of Science and Technology developed NEPAD proposal for connectivity to 20 African tertiary institutions
● WB funded AVU to survey 100 R&E agencies in 50 African countries (atics.info), WB Africa desk also discussing other options
● Millenium Science Initiative (MSI) initiatives planned in Uganda, Cameroon, Botswana and Namibia and Tanzania
Support Activities (2)● UN University (UNU) developing a proposal in
collaboration with the ITU to establish an African Universities Network (AUN)
● USAID supports the development of Internet connectivity for some African Universities as part of the Leland Project
● World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organisations (WAITRO) is assisting in building the capacity of its 48 members in 25 countries comprising all the major research and technology organisations (RTOs) on the continent. CSIR in South Africa is African focal point.
● Initiatives to provide electronic content identify need for better b/w: INASP, Eifl.Net, National Academies Press, AGORA /TEEAL, HINARI, Jstor
Support Activities (3)French/Canadian government projects:
The Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) hosts the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) in charge of project cooperation between universities. The AUF have a variety of university support programmes such as the Campus numérique and ADEN
Scientific and Technical Information System (SIST) promotes integration of African research in the international scientific networks, develops tools for sharing S&T info to encourage African production of S&T data
RESAFAD (Réseau Africain de Formation à Distance) will foster use of ICTs in the education systems of ten French -speaking African countries, provide distance learning for ICT trainers + support for pilot projects with civil society
Projets COMETES & MADSUP: training trainers in the field of ICTs, developing tools for sharing S&T info and institutional support, interconnect Universities in Madagascar and Cameroon
Support Activities (4)● NSF/IEEAF in the US supporting initiatives to bring better
bandwidth African institutions● GEANT provides link to South Africa via SAT-3● The Georgia Institute of Technology has developed the
NectarNet project to support the development of high speed links to key points in Africa, most notably South Africa and points in West Africa including Senegal
● The EU supports EUMEDCONNECT and EMISPHER Projects - Euro-Mediterranean Internet-Satellite Platform for Health, Medical, Education and Research co-ordinated by DANTE, project connects NRENs in North Africa to GEANT
● IDRC promotes information exchange, research on networks and human networking - sponsors events and participation - via PAREN project – Promoting African Research and Education Networks
Support Activities (5)● The Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM)
research network Mimcom supported by the US National Institutes of Health, providing connectivity to a variety of African medical research organisations
● The International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) has been assisting with capacity building for improved Internet connectivity in a variety of African Universities
● Global University System (GUS) aims to establish a worldwide e-learning system for higher education -Ethiopia (U’s of Addis, Bahr Dar and Debub), Nigeria (OAU), Uganda (UNCST), and Malawi (U of Malawi)
● India in talks with African Union to build a satellite for academic and health networks in Africa
African Stakeholder Activities ● Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Tanzania and
most of North Africa now have NRENS which could help consolidate bandwidth requirements and provide capacity building
● The Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA) has been tasked by the SA Dept of Science and Technology to look at the feasibility of establishing a Southern African Research and Education Network
● At its 11th AGM in Feb ‘05, the African Association of Universities (AAU) decided that b/w is a priority issue and is carrying out a strategy planning process leading to WSIS event / announcement
Questions?