Margaret E Ngwira – mngwira@kcn.unima.mw & Anthony Muyepa – muyepaa@medcol.mw

1. Progress and Challenges in Building National Research and Education Networks in Africa : a view from the fieldNational Research and Education Networks: getting started in Malawi Margaret E Ngwira – mngwira@kcn.unima.mw & Anthony Muyepa – muyepaa@medcol.mw Building NRENs in Africa

2. NREN : Getting Started in Malawi A brief introduction to Malawi • Republic in Southern Africa • Area 45747 sq miles • 10.5 million population • Agriculture-based economy • Low and falling life expectancy of around 37 years • University of Malawi is 40 years old and has sound academic standards but many resource constraints Building NRENs in Africa

3. NREN : Getting Started in Malawi • The Millennium Development Goals cover eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, improving health, combating HIV/AIDS , ensuring environmental sustainability, developing a global partnership for development • All can be addressed in various measures if connectivity is faster and cheaper! • http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ Building NRENs in Africa

4. NREN : Getting Started in Malawi Connectivity Issues in Malawi • Internet access is Malawi has until now been slow and expensive • Bandwidth comes though leased lines and VSATs • The Regulatory Framework is supportive of Academic and ResearchNetworking Building NRENs in Africa

5. NREN : Getting Started in MalawiMalawi Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Policy (draft 2003) Some Policy Objectives (section 3) • Improve ICT infrastructure • Build ICT R&D capacity in Malawi’s universities…and …research institutions • Facilitate the development and utilisation of ICTs to support the activities of the health Sector Building NRENs in Africa

6. NREN : Getting Started in MalawiThe MALICO VSATs • One response to the slow connectivity in the academic sector was to investigate the possible contribution of VSATs • In February 2005, through the efforts of the Malawi Library and Information Consortium, MALICO, with funding support from OSI, OSISA and World Bank, 4 3.7 metre VSATs were installed at academic sites from north to south of Malawi • Since then they have been providing excellent access to a rich variety of available e-resources Building NRENs in Africa

7. NREN : Getting Started in Malawi M A L I C O VSAT SITES Mzuzu University University of Malawi: Bunda College of Agriculture Chancellor College College of Medicine Image by CSIR Building NRENs in Africa

8. NREN : Getting Started in Malawi RFP – Satellite Linkage VSAT Launch, 8 May 2005 Building NRENs in Africa

9. NREN : Getting Started in MalawiWhere does Fibre fit into Malawi Academic Networking? • For Malawi, realisation that VSATs are just a step in a journey towards fast low cost academic bandwidth • The bandwidth the VSATs provide, while infinitely better than what was before, is expensive: approximately US$3500 per Mb • So in June 2005, Malawi joined the SARUA Fibre initiative • This is in order to explore possible available (including dark) fibre and how it might benefit the academic sector Building NRENs in Africa

10. NREN : Getting Started in MalawiThe Bigger Picture : AAU , SARUA and the quest for Fibre • AAU General Assembly in Capetown, South Africa, Feb 2005 : ICT Task Force • SARUA born at AAU GA : Southern African Regional Universities Association • SARUA Fibre Initiative an output • Working with SIDA Sweden, IDRC and World Bank to identify available fibre and find ways of using it for academic networking Building NRENs in Africa

11. NREN : Getting Started in MalawiWhat steps have been undertaken so far in the Malawi Fibre quest? • Establishment of a National Research and Education Network Task Force representing the two major public Universities, with top level leadership August 2005. It is chaired by Professor L Kamwanja, the Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Malawi and has a broad membership • We are collecting all the documentation necessary to prepare a project proposal to move the process on. Building NRENs in Africa

12. NREN : Getting Started in MalawiWhere is the fibre? • We started a process of consultation : to identify any Fibre, existing or planned • This is a new area for Malawi and information is not readily available • We were able to get the fibre plans for ESCOM, the Electricity supply company for Malawi • There are immediate plans for Fibre from Blantyre to Lilongwe and Salima . The continuation to Mzuzu is dependent on the metal power transmission poles • This means it is dependent on a major World Bank Infrastructure project, the Southern Africa Power Project. We are in touch with World Bank trying to get further details. • We have checked with the Railway company but they have no fibre. Building NRENs in Africa

13. NREN : Getting Started in MalawiWhat else have we done? • Members of the NREN Task Force are also involved in helping get 2 National Internet Exchanges established to ensure local traffic goes locally • We have met with our Communications and Regulatory Authority and gained their support for the NREN concept • We have also got the blessing of the Ministry of Information Building NRENs in Africa

14. NREN : Getting Started in MalawiA planned modular approach • Given the enormity of the project, it is proposed to start with local academic gigabit fibre networks in Blantyre, Zomba, Lilongwe and Mzuzu • The drawings have been done for Blantyre, connecting all the higher education and health institutions to a fibre backbone and then connecting it to the Electricity Company Fibre or the Telecomms Company Building NRENs in Africa

15. NREN : Getting Started in MalawiAny other challenges? • With all the constraints of international procurement and delays in obtaining Foreign Exchange in a hunger year, and the devaluating currency, and freight charges costs and possible duty, costs to set up the network are proving higher than expected • Human capacity in this area is very limited nationally • Mzuzu University and Chancellor College and Bunda College of Agriculture are off the path for fibre for some years yet are major academic sites. Building NRENs in Africa

16. NREN : Getting Started in MalawiThe Way Forward • The availability of fibre for a regional academic backbone infrastructure is being investigated, including the East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy) and alternative fibre from power utilities, railway companies, etc. • It is proposed that an African Bandwidth Consortium is registered, with members from each of the user countries, and that a regional model inspired by DANTE, Delivery of Advanced Network Technologies for Europe, is used for operating the backbone. • This could be called DANTA Building NRENs in Africa

17. NREN : Getting Started in Malawi CONCLUSION • The theme of the day is Progress and Challenges in Building National Research and Education Networks in Africa : a view from the FieldAt the moment the “Field” seems more like a steep mountain • But “Where there is no vision, the people perish!” • We have the vision. • The Millenium Development Goals also shape our vision. • We hope that partners will assist us in its implementation, and then we will also work with our neighbouring countries in our global village! Building NRENs in Africa

18. NREN : Getting Started in Malawi Thank you! Building NRENs in Africa