Africa`s Pipe Dream?

The problem is that said headway has been in the making for some time now - at least four years by my count. However, when you consider the monumental scale of the projects the partnership is tackling, involving 53 countries continent-wide, to quote Dr Henry Chasia, "it`s a bit ambitious to expect things to go quickly".

Chasia is the executive deputy chairman of the e-Africa Commission, Nepad`s ICT task team, which it adopted in 2002. Not only is this e-Africa Commission responsible for developing a broad ICT strategy and action plan for the continent, it also has to "accelerate the development of African inter-country, intra-country and global connectivity". And it must "promote conditions for Africa to be an equal and active participant in the global information society".

A tall order by any standards, but especially given that the dark continent has been dubbed "the least wired region in the world". At the last official count (in 2004), less than three out of every 100 Africans used the Internet, compared with an average of one out of every two inhabitants of the G8 countries. Africa also has the highest ratio of mobile to total telephone subscribers of any world region. In 2004, it had close to 100 million total telephone subscribers, 76 million of which were mobile subscribers.

"Nothing on this scale has been done before. We are breaking new ground," Chasia says.

Bi-focal

While the commission initially outlined various focus areas, it earmarked two high-priority projects: the e-Schools Initiative and the ICT Infrastructure Project. "Because of a lack of resources, we`ve only been able to undertake two seriously," explains Chasia.

In the area of ICT infrastructure, the idea was to build broadband networks to link all 54 African countries to each other and the rest of the world. Because the East Coast had no submarine cable, while the West Coast did (in the shape of SAT-3), it was decided to begin there, linking coastal and land-locked countries with each other and the world, while reducing the cost of such communications, he continues.

Slowed down by squabbles

But, as expected, disputes about ownership and financing of the infrastructure soon broke out. While the e-Africa Commission has favoured an `open access` model, signatory companies for the memorandum of understanding for the development of the submarine cable have favoured a members-only model.

Tensions between countries also developed, particularly between Kenya and South Africa. To date, only 12 of 23 countries involved in the project have signed the protocol for the establishment of a special purpose vehicle to own and manage the submarine cable. "The others will accede as time goes on - they need time to harmonise their laws [with the provisions of Nepad]," says Chasia.

"Nepad must be commended for giving some impetus to the initiative, as the organisation has had the unenviable task of forcing intra- and inter-governmental co-operation, which has probably been the biggest inhibitor to the project," observes Richard Hurst, senior telecoms analyst at tech research firm BMI-TechKnowledge.

Yet, Kenya has since opted to have its own cable, the East African Marine Systems (Teams) - a $110 million project expected to connect countries in East Africa in a joint venture between government and the private sector.

Chasia`s not in the least perturbed by this. "The more the merrier. After all, the costs will be even lower for consumers," he predicts.

Eassy has, however, been renamed the Nepad Broadband Infrastructure Network (NBIN), because Kenya has opted out of the project.

Getting going

In early March, French telecoms giant Alcatel-Lucent was awarded the $240 million contract for the construction of Eassy by its operating consortium. The 9 900 km network will run from Mtunzini in SA to Port Sudan in the Sudan, with landing points in six countries and connections to at least five landlocked countries, which will no longer have to rely on expensive satellite systems to carry voice and data systems.

Chasia expects the cable to be commissioned by the end of 2008. Under Nepad`s open access arrangement, the cable will be owned by African governments and African private companies licensed to operate telecoms networks. Foreign-owned telecoms operators will be allowed to participate, although they will not be allowed to have controlling stakes.

While Telkom has effectively been SA`s representative in the project, it has been loath to compromise its investment in the SAT-3 submarine cable. Chasia`s view is that because Telkom is such an important operator in the region, it will have to participate in the project. SA`s Communications Department has also indicated that government will use its board voting power to make Telkom toe the line in participating in Eassy.

Digital learning

Nepad`s e-Schools Initiative has made for somewhat plainer sailing. The project aims to provide some 600 000 African schools with necessary infrastructure and ICT equipment and digital content, and put in place appropriately trained teachers.

This project is already in a demonstration phase, involving twenty countries and six schools in each country. "At the end of this phase, we will have learnt something from the successes and failures for the roll-out phase," predicts Chasia. By year-end, the e-Africa Commission will make known the results of the phase, and will then use the lessons learnt to develop a business plan and estimate costs and management functions.

This information will provide a basis for a "meaningful discussion" with the various governments next year, and help them to budget for and look for funding, he explains. Chasia then expects roll-out of the ten-year project to begin as of the end of 2008.

One hurdle is the need for connectivity at what are often rural schools. Nepad is planning the roll-out of the world`s biggest satellite network (VSATs) to connect the schools. "Size is a problem, but it is also a solution - it provides us with critical mass," he says of the network.

"The Nepad projects coming to fruition are both noble, but for them to be of benefit, Nepad needs to balance the socio-economic goals with the needs of business," reminds Hurst.

The e-Schools project, like Eassy, has been driven by private-sector funding. Five consortia, led by HP, Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco and AMD, have rolled out the solutions for the schools in the demo phase at their own cost.

"It is an ambitious project and there are challenges, but the children of Africa deserve the same tools and skills if they are to be competitive in the new globalised economy - they deserve the same opportunities," says Richard Kiplagat, Microsoft`s strategic accounts manager in West, East and Central Africa.

Microsoft is also working with Nepad on a number of other projects, such as e-parliament and e-tourism ventures, although it`s still early days for these projects.

Similarly, Nepad`s e-Africa Commission is preparing to widen its net to tackle ICT projects in other spheres, such as health and governance, and other regions of the continent, most notably West Africa. "We`re also trying to see how we might bring reality to the statement by President Mbeki that the [soccer] World Cup is not just a South African cup, but an African cup. We`re trying to find ways of how ICT can help Africans enjoy the World Cup," elaborates Chasia.