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Research and Education networks: Responding to the challenges of African Research

Regional Internet Development Dialogue-AfricaKigali,Rwanda,8-9May,2017

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Regional Internet Development Dialogue-Africa

Pascal Hoba, PhDCEO, Ubuntunet Alliance

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qIntroduction & Challenges on ICT infrastructureqHow RRENs & NRENs respond to the challenges of African

Research qWhat’s ubuntunet alliance actions?qBest PracticesqRecommendations

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OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION

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History: February 2005: AAU General assembly in Capt Town - Higher cost of Internet (Bandwidth)

- Inadequate infrastructure: In term of capacity and dedicated network for Higher Education and research institutions

- Poor quality of infrastructure of: Campus network, National Backbone infrastructure in many countries

Challenges that affect ICT infrastructure

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Necessity to mutualize resources…on campus level, national level and regional level

• Necessity to create adequate ICT infrastructure: national fiber infrastructure

• Necessity to create dedicated Network for connectivity

• Training on bandwidth management

• National, regional and international collaboration as solution of African research challenges

How RREN & NRENs responded to African Reseach Challenges

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• The regional Research andEducation Network of ESA region

• NRENs from 16 countries§ Eb@le, DRC § EthERNet, Ethiopia § iRENALA, Madagascar § KENET, Kenya § MAREN, Malawi § MoRENet, Mozambique § XNet, Namibia § RwEdNet, Rwanda § SomaliREN, Somalia § SudREN, Sudan § TENET, South Africa § TERNET, Tanzania § RENU, Uganda § ZAMREN, Zambia § BERNET, Burundi§ ZARNET Zimbabwe

WHATISUBUNTUNETALLIANCE?

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WHEREAREWENOW?- CURRENTNETWORK• 10 POPs in total

q8 in Alliance regionq2 in Europe (London and Amsterdam)

• Backbone covering 7 countries in ESA region• 2.18Gbps capacity between Africa PoPs and European PoPs

q2 links along the west coastq2 links on the eastern coast

• Some NRENs connecting directly to our European PoPsqKENET(Kenya) – (approx. 4 Gbps)qTENET(South Africa) – 2 x 10GbpsqMoRENet (Mozambique) – 1xSTM-1qTERNET (Tanzania) – 1xSTM-1

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ü Peering with GÉANT in London and Amsterdam• Transit to Research and Education community World-wide

ü Peering at London Internet exchange (LINX)ü Peering at Amsterdam Internet Exchange and (AMS-IX)ü Peering at NAPAfrica (Johannesburg)ü Transit to Internet at LINX and AMS-IX

Our current Network…

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Ubuntunet Alliance’s Network Topology

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• NationalResearchandEducationNetworks(NREN)typicallyprovideadvancedcongestion-freeinternetconnectivityandservicesdedicatedtosupporttheworkofuniversitiesandresearchinstitutesinacountry.

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WhatisanNREN?

• Vitaltoprogresslocalandglobaleducationandresearchbyprovidinge-learningande-scienceapplications(eg.telemedicine).

• Over100NRENsworldwide,33inAfrica.

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https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300

NRENsareSDGenablers

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HowdoNRENsconnectstudentsandresearchers?

NRENB

RegionalREN

Universities

Researchcentres

HospitalsLaboratories

NRENA

NRENC

RegionalREN

RegionalREN

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• 2011– 2015:EUco-fundedAfricaConnectprojectbroughttolifethe1st sustainableregionalresearchandeducationnetworkinSub-SaharanAfrica,interconnecting7NRENsandconnectingtheregiontotherestoftheworldviatheEuropeanregionalnetwork

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WhatisthesituationinAfrica

SouthernandEasternAfricaDGDEVCOco-funding

2011-2015ubuntunet-map-latest-may2015.jpg

• Startedin2015:AfricaConnect2aimstobuildothersustainableregionalnetworksinAfricatocreateapan-Africannetworkfullyconnectedtotheglobalresearchandeducationnetwork.

Pan-AfricanDGDEVCOco-funding

Startedin2015

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WhataretheAfricanregionalpartnersinvolved?

• Theregionalapproachallowstoadapttothesizeofthecontinent(nearly3timesEurope)anditsexistingregionalspecificities(regulations,politicalintegration,language,stageofNRENdevelopment,etc.)inordertofacilitatethebuildingofaviablepan-Africannetwork.

• TheAfricaConnect2projectisself-inclusive,i.e.allinterestedandreadycountriesareinvitedtoparticipatetoexpandthenetwork.

• Interconnectionswilltakeplaceeitherviainternationalroutesand/ordirectroutesdependingoncostsandfunding.

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WhydoweneedtheseEUco-fundedprojects?

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Africaisstilltheleastconnectedcontinentontheplanet

Source:WorldBank

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Africainternetpenetrationhasmorethandoubledsince2011

Source:InternetWorldStats– 30June2016

13%

28.70%

2011 2016

x2.2

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+51%

Africainternetcapacitygrowthcontinuestoleadworld

Source:TeleGeography

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Source:NRENs

NRENs,Countries Capacitygrowth

Costdrop(perMb)

ZAMREN,Zambia2011/2015

X60 -94%

RENU, Uganda2012/ 2015

X8 -77%

ARN,Algeria2003 /2015

X55 -97%

Connectedcountriessharehigheconomiesofscale

BeforeandAfterconnectingtotheEU-fundednetwork

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ConnectedCountries (NRENs) Institutions(HigherEd&Research)

ASRENNorthAfrica 154Algeria(ARN) 124Egypt(EUN) 30

Ubuntunet Alliance 513Kenya(KENET) 180SouthAfrica(TENET) 86Mozambique(MoRENet) 83Uganda(RENU) 42Zambia(ZAMREN) 75Tanzania(TERNET) 27Rwanda(RwEdNet) 20

WACRENNetworkunderconstruction na

TOTAL2016 667

• Outof33existingAfricanNRENs,9areconnectingover650institutionstotheglobalresearchandeducationnetwork:

₋ training,developingandretaininglocaltalents₋ helpingtoconnectremoteusers₋ allowinginternationalresearchersandstudentsto

gainvaluableinputfromtheircolleaguesinAfrica

ConnectingAfricanresearchandeducationcommunities

Allthreeregionalnetworksarestillbeingdevelopedorconsolidated

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•Challenge:AgricultureisakeydriverofSub-Saharaneconomyandattheheartofthefoodsecuritychallenge.Onedifficultyisidentifyingsoilsthataresuitableforagriculture.

•Solution:UsetheAfricaConnectnetworktoaccess,processandmodelizesatellitemapstoidentifysoilpropertiesandclassifylands.

•Benefit: ProvideinputtosustainablelandmanagementinZambia.

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Enablingscientiststofeedtheworld

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HowdoNRENsconnectstudentsandresearchers?

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LinkingStudentsToTheGlobalCommunity

• Kenyattauniversityconnects70000studentsthankstoeduroam

• InZambia,over40000 canaccessdigitalresourcesonandoff-campusthankstoeduroam

• Freesecurewifi providedbyNRENsbetweencampuses.

• Aglobalnetworkofusersacross80countries.Over2billioninternationalauthenticationsandcounting

• 6AfricanNRENshavedeployededuroam

• 9areconductingpilots

A worldwide success story From its early beginnings 10 years ago as a joint venture between a few European universities to today –with millions of users in over 80 countries worldwide, eduroam has been an amazing success story and an example of research and education collaboration.

www.eduroam.org

eduroaminAfrica

Legend:Darkblue:eduroam;Lightblue:eduroam pilots

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National strategy on ICT infrastructuresAfrican Governments support to RENsDevelopment partners contributions: EUC, World Bank, SIDA, ADB, AUCPlatform for research collaborationCollaboration between African Higher Educations Institutions Global strategy on ICT integration

Recommendations

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ThankYouForYourAttentionMerciPourVotre Ecoute

Tolearnmorevisit:www.africaconnect2.net

Followuson:@AfricaConnect2

Formoreinformationabouttheprojectpartners:http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid

www.geant.orgwww.ubuntunet.netwww.wacren.netwww.asrenorg.net

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AfricanEarthObservationGroup

•Challenge: ensurescientists,regulatorsandtechnologyworktogethertotackleclimatechange.

•Solution:

•Benefit: speedupglobalresearchonclimatechange(incl.watermanagementandfoodsecurity)byallowingpan-Africanandinternationalexchangeofearthobservationdata.

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Enablingscientiststotackleclimatechange

supportedby

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LandpreservationinMorocco

•Challenge:AgadirprotectedUNESCOBiosphereReserveplaysakeypartinMorocco’sfruitandvegetablesexportBUTthelandisveryvulnerabletoman-madeandclimaticchanges.

•Solution: MoroccanandFrenchresearchershaveusedtheEumedconnectnetworktodownload,processandanalysesatelliteimagestoproducethematicmapsofthearea.

•Benefit: Monitorlandcover,waterresourcesortheprogressofnaturalhazards,whichcouldhavesocio-economicimpactontheregion.

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Enablingscientiststotackleclimatechange

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CancerResearchinNorthernAfrica

•Challenge: acureforcancerispossiblebutdependsonhowwellresearchersaresupportedandcanworktogether.

•Solution:ane-learningportal,TheEuMedCancer– GeMednetwork,deployedunderEumedconnect2allowedcancerresearchstudentsinNorthernAfricatogetspecialisttrainingandinteractwiththeirpeersinEurope.

•Benefits:₋ remotetraining,empoweringlocalstudents(over130)₋ internationalcollaborationcontributingtoglobalcancerresearch

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Enablingscientiststotacklecancer

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TreatmentofepilepsyinTunisia:

•Challenge: 50millionpeopleworldwidehaveepilepsy.Mostpeoplewithepilepsylivinginlow- andmiddle- incomecountriesdonotgetappropriatetreatment.

•Solution: Eumedconnect2allowedTunisiansurgeonstocollaborateremotelywiththeirFrenchcolleaguesusinge-telemedicineapplicationstodiagnoseandsurgicallytreatepilepsypatients.

•Benefit:₋ Morepatientsabletogetcorrectdiagnosisandtreatmentlocally,

preventingseizureoccurrences.₋ SurgeonsinTunisiacouldadvancetheirworkremotelysavingtime

andmoney.

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Enablingscientiststotackleepilepsy

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ThalassaemiaresearchinNorthernAfrica

•Challenge: Thalassaemiaisapotentiallylife-threateningaffectioncommonamongstpopulationsoriginatingfromtheEuropeanandtheNorthAfricanmarginsoftheMediterranean.

•Solution: EU-fundedITHANETproject(ElectronicinfrastructureforThalassaemiaResearchNetwork)usedtheEumedconnect2networktoallowresearchersinEuropeandNorthernAfricatoworktogethertoimprovediagnosis,treatmentanddrugs.

•Benefit: Hundredsofpeoplewereabletoreceivecorrectdiagnosisandappropriatetreatmentlocally.

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Enablingscientiststotackleregionaldiseases

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Funding

Tolearnmorevisit:www.africaconnect2.net