Issues in R&E Networking in Africa

1. Workshop on African Research and Education Networking CERN Mon, Sept 26 2005 Geneva, Switzerland Mike Jensen International Development Research Centre (IDRC) mikej@sn.apc.org Issues in R&E Networking in Africa

2. African Tertiary Institution Connectivity Survey (ATICS.INFO)

9. Population & Teledensity in Africa Sources: ESRI, GSM Association/Coversoft , ITU, Mike Jensen

10. Backbones and E&R Institutions

11. Restrictive Regulatory Environment - The Key Barrier Lack of telecom restructuring has resulted in high costs and limited investment in infrastructure - State owned monopolies still dominate - Some foreign investment in monopolies in return for continued exclusivity - 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 countries

12. Many systemic barriers:Electricity, Import duties,Skills

13. Other Issues - No benefit in Africa from Dot-Com bubble burst - So far little use of alternative infrastructure - Operators do not want to provide to dark fibre • Few national peering points, no regional IXs • Limited capacity to design, implement and manage networks • E-Rate only in a few countries – Senegal and South Africa • Human networks are undeveloped • Lack of awareness among policy makers of importance of access to bandwidth for R&E institutions • Competition between institutions for funding

14. Infrastructure Builders • Fixed Line Operators, Foreign Carriers • New Players – Rail, Pipeline and Electricity Operators • Mobile Operators esp with Contiguous Borders MTN Vodacom Celtel - Internet Service Providers- Fibre deployment companies- Governments – Regulators and Municipalities- Universities?

15. FIBRE NETWORKS & PLANS 51 52 50 48 33/E22 35 43/E8 E5 43 36/E20 38/E18 43 49 4 E3 E4 20 37/E19 E13 46/E8 1 32 38/E18 44 E2 39/E15 47 45 2 3 15 Links: 6 17 5 34 Actual 19 o 9 56 14 7 Planned/Funded 8 16 11 13 Needed 10 31 21 12 29 24 30 25 Proposed 27 22 18 28 23 26

16. R&E Support Activities Partnership for Higher Education in Africa – campus networks & bandwidth purchasing consortium World Bank funded AVU to survey R&E agencies in 50 African countries (atics.info), WB Africa desk also discussing other options UN University (UNU) in collaboration with the ITU to establish an African Universities Network (AFUNET)

17. Support Activities (2) 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 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

18. Support Activities (3) 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 & Cameroon

19. Support Activities (4) IEEAF in the US supporting initiatives to bring better bandwidth African institutions 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. Also links to South African NREN, TENET IDRC promotes information exchange, research on networks and human capacity - sponsors events and participation - via PAREN project – Promoting African Research and Education Networks

20. 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) with Japanese funding Millenium Science Initiative (MSI) initiatives planned in Uganda, Cameroon, Botswana and Namibia and Tanzania

21. African Activities African Virtual University (AVU) – 24 campus links Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Tanzania and most of North Africa now have NRENS The Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA) plans dark fibre network SA Dept of Science and Technology looking at the feasibility of establishing a Southern African Research and Education Network Advanced Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in SA with Dept of S&T developed NEPAD proposal for connectivity to 20 African tertiary institutions African Union in talks with India to build a satellite network for academic and health networks in Africa At its 11th AGM in Feb ‘05, the African Association of Universities (AAU) decided that b/w is a priority issue and will host a WSIS conference in Tunis, Nov 14 &15 supported by IDRC

22. Conclusions Digital divide is at its most extreme among R&E institutions Agencies supporting R&E sector need more co-ordination and joint projects, and more emphasis on cross cutting and open access infrastructure building African R&E institutions need to collaborate more African policy makers need more awareness of the importance of R&E networks – budgets and telecom restructuring

23. Towards a Framework for Action Five Key Areas => 1. Campus Networks – Training & Investment 2. National Networks – NRENs – capacity building, joint purchasing consortia and policy change lobbying 3. Regional Networks – cross border links, policy change 4. Continental Networking – Africa wide and intercontinental 5. Building and sharing content & applications (human networks)

24. Thank You