Satellite Communications

Tool for Sustainable

Development in Africa

Tihomir DIVJAK

EURO World Network

Current status

Information Society became major domain of human society

Life within IS: daily usage of ICT – an indispensable privilege

Need for daily online communication

Devastating ICT statistic in Africa

Digital gap and how to overcome it in the shortest timeframe

Answer: over satellite

Benefits of satellite solutions

Immediate availability, 24/7, everywhere

High QoS and large transfer of data

Economically feasible system

Two-way connectivity and interactivity

Instant bridging of the digital gap

Modest tariffication - similar to ADSL

Satellite Broadband is the main stream for Africa

Implementation of ICT and the

Information Society

Investments in ICT increase national GDP

WB 2009 study: ICT for economic development and new jobs creation

10% increase of investment in introduction of fast internet causes a 1.3% rise of GDP

Doubling broadband speed upgrades GDP by 0.3%

BB key of economic growth and education development in the world

Actual situation

Modestly developed ICT systems in Africa

Submarine cables are the main transmission systems

Cable cuts disrupt the free flow of information

Africa regional BC and BB

projects via satellite

RASCOM-QAF1R

Nilesat-201

Many national DTH platforms

Kufra, the largest district in Libya, KASAT

Available capacity on satellites over Africa: KASAT, Yahsat, ST2, T11N, Intelsat22, NSS12…

Best case practice of BB via

Satellite

Satellite broadband services for the parliamentary elections in Burkina Faso on December 2, 2012

Connectivity between the 45 electoral district offices with the central election office in Ouagadougou

14,698 polling stations across the country

Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited Project

Nigeria NigComSat-1R satellite Ka band coverage

NSS-12 Ku-band capacity linking Europe and West Africa

SatADSL new high-speed satellite broadband ATM networks for banks based in Ghana, Cameroon and Zambia

Satellite broadband brings cash machines to rural areas in Africa

June2012

341 million people in sub-Saharan Africa to travel at least 50 kilometers to the place with BB Internet

Estimated 40% of sub-Saharan Africa will not have access to BB

Greater use of satellites is needed.

Digital Internet Café, Kampala, Uganda

Relevant policy documents

ITU Broadband Commission

UNDP

UNESCO

UNICEF

Millennium Project

WEF - The Global Information Technology Report 2012

UNESCO data for 2010

61 million children not enrolled in primary schools

71 million of lower-secondary school students not included in education system

Most of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa

Need for additional 1.7 million teachers

ITU data end of 2012

Nearly 2.5 billion people using the Internet services

Only 25% live in developing countries

6% in least developed countries

In 17 countries Internet subscription exceeds average monthly salary

Education as pillar for future

development and growth

Broadband satellite systems for sustainable development

"Healing" of the local economy

Introduction of new electronic services and systems

Growing needs in the field of new e-Services: e-Learning, e-Democracy, e-Health, and e-Governance

Advantages and benefits of

implementation

Citizens

Municipalities and cities management

Business persons

Spatial Planers

Governments

Broader and faster implementation

Use of special VPN networks

SITE - Satellite Instructional

Television Experiment

School-year: 1975/76

More than 2400 villages in six Indian states

ATS-6 satellite

SITE was followed by similar experiments in various countries

Important role of satellite TV for education

Importance of e-Learning

For primary, secondary or university education

For SOHO, SME or studying at home

For individual B2C, and business B2B needs

Satisfy the needs of the population in rural areas too

Imperative to bridge the severe digital divide

Actual needs and “Must Be”

program

Particular importance in Africa’s developing countries

ICT must be intensively used in the African region

ICT is the catalyst for sustainable development in the near future

Starting with an e-Learning project No time for further delay in development Lack of funding could be solved with banking

assistance from: WB, EBRD, EIB, EC Fonds and similar financial institutions

Bottom-up proposal (1)

Higher usage of ICT for Africa

Greater application of modern satellite technologies

ICT as a guarantee for sustainable development

Use of Ku and new Ka band satellites

Price of two-way ground equipment an important factor

Bottom-up proposal (2)

Definition and implementation of general development project

Create conditions for the parallel and better development in Africa

ICT improves education

New job creation

Support for local development and democratization

Use of specialized satellite systems on the case by case basis

Strategic conclusions

Recommendation of the Conference to support this initiative

GFS Institute to assist and coordinate the developing of project

Creation of e-Learning Task Force Group

Project as real European aid to Africa

Coordinating potential partners in Africa and abroad

Support of EC - facilitating implementation

Thank you for your attention

tihomir@euro-worldnetwork.com