Workshop 6d, 08 May 2008 IST-Africa 2008 Copyright 2008 Digital World Forum Digital World Forum WP3...

Workshop 6d, 08 May 2008 IST-Africa 2008 Copyright 2008 Digital World Forum

Digital World ForumWP3 – low-cost broadband access and

infrastructure

Pierre-Yves DanetOrange Labs, France

representing Bruno Conquet [email protected]


The FT-Orange Group: key facts Overview of DWF/WP3

Project content WP3 context WP3 objectives Description of tasks

Focus on the Meraka-Orange experiment Objectives Modus operandi Timetable

Perspectives

Content


FT-Orange: one of the world’s leading telecom operators

present in 220 countries and territories

160 million customers around the world

2007 Revenues: 52.9 billion euros

6.3 billion euros in net income in 2007

191,000 employees

one of the world’s leading communication brands


FT-Orange's positions in Africa

Tunisiainternet: Planet Tunisie (franchise)

Moroccointernet: Maroc Connect (franchise)Malifixed-line: 1,000mobile: 1.17 millionSenegalfixed-line: 0.28 millionmobile: 2.09 millioninternet: 29,000

Ivory Coastfixed-line: 0.27 millionmobile : 1,75 millioninternet: 12,000

Cameroonmobile: 1.35 million

Algeriainternet: EEPAD (franchise)

Equatorial Guineamobile: 57,000

Jordanfixed-line: 0.61 millionmobile: 1.40 millioninternet: 33,000

Egyptmobile: 6.60 million

Madagascarmobile: 0.64 million internet: DTS (franchise)

Botswanamobile: 0.44 million

Mauritiusfixed-line: 0.14 millionmobile: 0.19 million internet: 26,000

Guinea

Guinea Bissau

Kenyafixed-line: 0.28 million

The Group's footprint in Africa is growing steadily, with the ambition of giving our customers access to continuously enriched services that leverage convergence

fixed-line internet mobile

customer base as of Dec. 31, 2006in consolidated companies

franchise only


Orange Labs: an R&D, source of innovation

3,800 researchers and engineers

500 inventions patented each year, for a total of more than 8,500 patents important investments in R&D800 million euros, i.e. 1.6% of turn-over in 2006

a recognized talent: 2004 : one of the “most innovative European telcos in 2004”, Forrester 2005 : “Best Innovator” France, category “Innovation & Technology”, AT Kearney 2006 : featured in a case study in "A French Revolution in Innovation is unfolding", Forrester


DigitalWorld's strategic goal is to bring together ICT experts, NGOs and key players from developing countries, through international events and workgroups, with a view to bridging the digital divide in Africa and Latin America.

The project includes 4 work packages: WP1: mobile web applications

to understand the key challenges to tackle in order to enable the next generation of mobile applications based on Web technologies (the Mobile Web) which would overcome the limitations of the current SMS technology.

WP2: low-cost laptops to get an understanding and updated scenario of the current state-of-the-art in the

sector of low-cost laptop technologies for developing countries. WP3: low-cost broadband access and infrastructure

to devise a generic approach to the "last mile" issue in developing countries, by assessing each key technological solution in the light of a typology of local contextual factors.

WP4: dissemination and outreach to create the conditions for future successful implementations of the defined

roadmaps in WP1, WP2 and WP3.

DWF project content


Wireline: xDSL, usually in urban areas; technology using high

frequencies of the copper telephone line to transport Internet data, VoIP or IPTV, typically 512kbps up to 2Mbps, 8Mbps in projects

Dialup on PSTN, whenever the technological constraints prevent from using xDSL, typically 40kbps up to 80kbps with accelerator

Radio access depends on frequency and spectrum available, density and application for targeted areas: CDMA1x or EVDO, on extended areas with low density,

115kbps up to 512kbps GPRS/Edge, GSM data evolution, typically 150/30kbps,

usually covering the GSM footprint HSxPA, based on UMTS 6/1,2Mbps currently available

in Egypt Wimax, used in CAR, Botswana, Mali, Cameroon,

Guinea-Bissau; planned in all countries where a wireless alternative to xDSL is required

Wifi: indoor coverage/ hotspots coverage in complement to Edge/WCDMA/HSxPA

Urban center(wired)

BFWA

WLAN

Individual rural users

Satellite

Wired coveragelimit

Collective wirelesscoverage zone

Fixed and

Nomadic users

DTT

Urban center(wired)

BFWA

WLAN

Individual rural users

Satellite

Wired coveragelimit

Collective wirelesscoverage zone

Fixed and

Nomadic users

DTT

WP3 – elements of context 1/4typology of access technologies


WP3 – elements of context 2/4Current broadband situation and challenges

Current broadband customers in Africa Rich individual customers (upper class, 5% of population): target partly

reached by xDSL, CDMA2000 and WiMax deployment Business customers partly reached by these deployments Existing collective access by cyber centers in urban areas to be

expanded

Challenge for ISPs: to increase broadband customers at lower cost beyond high-end customers toward mass market in emerging countries

Action plan to develop the broadband penetration in emerging countries based on collective access offers adapted to these markets

To complement existing xDSL coverage To launch offers in areas not covered by copper lines To launch offers in new markets


Very high investments necessary to extend fixed networks Strong presence of deployed mobile networks to support wireless network

deployments Potential upgrade to EDGE, EDGE+, even 3G/HSxPA (with refarming of 900 MHz) Cost mutualization (acquisition, maintenance, exploitation of sites) of access networks Backhauling capacity (existing or not) Possible leverage of existing WiMax deployments (Active, Pilots or forecast networks) License acquisition Potential xVNO agreements

Do not single out one radio access technology, but to analyze different solutions and access modes depending on local conditions To promote local content distribution at lower cost

(no systematic international connectivity contrary to satellite solution)

In time, potential cause of decrease of costs related to IP transit based on satellite and submarine cables

WP3 – elements of context 3/4Why choose a broadband access based on a terrestrial wireless network as a priority


EASSy project

An initiative to connect countries of Eastern Africa via a high bandwidth optical fiber to the rest of the world

Continental deployments of optical fibers

WP3 – elements of context 4/4Deployment projects of optical fibers and sub-marine cables in Africa


WP3 objectives The goal of the work package is to devise a generic approach to the "last

mile" issue in developing countries, by assessing each key technological solution in the light of a typology of local contextual factors. The expected outcome is a set of recommendations (technological roadmap) for initiatives to be considered in the domain.

Modus operandi: To study each technological solution relatively to local socio-economic

conditions and to specific constraints and costs (like power supply or international Internet connectivity)

To define a set of optimal technology/context mixes, by focusing on a limited – yet representative – number of sub-Saharan African countries

Deliverables: D3.1 State-of-the-art analysis of the broadband access and infrastructure

domain (June, 2008) D3.2 Workshop on wireless access and infrastructure in Africa (October, 2008) D3.3 Access and infrastructure roadmap (December, 2008)


The aim of this task is to work out a thorough evaluation of existing or emerging wireless technologies which can be used to serve the local loop in developing countries: WiFi and WiFi mesh, WiMax, Edge, Edge+ CDMA, 3G/HSxPA, …An additional workstream will be dedicated to the analysis of the first commercial

offerings currently available in Africa. Expected outcomes: the document is expected to provide a state-of-the-art

study of the relevant technologies (including available CPE per system), identifying key players in the domain (manufacturers, service providers, and carriers), existing local initiatives in broadband market and potential EU stakeholders to be involved in the future initiatives.

Methodology: both in-lab work and field work will be conducted. The bulk of "back-office" investigations are being carried out within Orange Labs, as other in-house research capabilities can be leveraged in this respect. Field interactions will take the form of joint research projects between Orange Labs and local Orange business units in Africa, and interactions with local research institutes and NGOs.

WP3–task 1: state-of-the-art study 1/2Orientations

Target delivery

date: June 27, 2008


Research currently conducted within Orange Labs is distributed among 6 sub-WPs: Access networks and architecture

→ performance of each access technology and network architecture deployment→ cost of network infrastructure and user terminal

CPEs for emerging markets→ benchmark of CPEs with wireless infrastructures

Use cases→ collective uses, B2B2C, individual...

Transit IP / backhaul / transmission→ solutions to cut costs of transmission / backbone / transit

Business analysis and solutions → benchmark of ICT players (Nokia, Microsoft, …) in emerging countries

Low-cost terminals→ coordination with DWF WP2

Availability of internal key deliverables: 1st version of "use cases" document released on Apr. 14

→ see focus on the experiment planned in Botswana in the 2nd part of this presentation Benchmark of CPEs with wireless infrastructures: Apr. 30 Benchmark of ICT players (Nokia, Microsoft, …) in emerging countries: May 31 "Performance and architectures of radio access networks" study: Jun. 15 Presentation of the state-of-the art study in Brussels: Jun. 27.

WP3–task 1: state-of-the-art study 2/2Modus operandi


The objective is to set-up an event organized locally to verify the main findings gathered in stage 1 and enrich them with additional interactions with local actors. The event should gather actors involved in the production of the state-of-the-art study, and other relevant local institutions and organizations.

We expect the workshop to generate the following outputs: refined view (as compared to that generated in stage 1) of existing

and emerging technologies, local initiatives, and players identification of research tracks previously unexplored expansion of the DigitalWorld ecosystem in the field of

access/infrastructure Methodology: Participants will be recruited among actors mobilized in

stage 1, other DigitalWorld contributors and local relevant organizations. The meeting will naturally take place in Sub-Saharan Africa as the project focuses on this region; the precise location has yet to be defined, however the host organization is likely to be a DWF partner or an Orange business unit for practicality.

WP3 – task 2: workshop on wireless access & infrastructure in Africa

Target date for the

event: mid-Oct., 2008


The objective is to come up with a technological "toolbox" that can be used in most developing countries. For any given "market profile", our goal is to identify the best suited technology, or possibly a combination of technologies in some cases.

Expected outcomes: the document is expected to provide a synthesis of main findings generated in stages 1 and 2, and a set of recommendations for appropriate initiatives to be undertaken at EU level.

Methodology: putting together the outputs of the workshop and the main findings collected in task 1, Orange Labs, jointly with local partners, will first strive to identify homogeneous market profiles. The following task will consist in equating a given technology to a set of local parameters, so as to work out a matrix view likely to describe most market situations.

WP3 – task 3: construction of an access and infrastructure roadmap

Target delivery

date: Dec. 15, 2008


Focus on the Meraka-Orange experiment 1/5Objectives

"Raison d'être" of the proposed field experiment: to give the technological roadmap a credibility boost by incorporating the feedbacks of potential users.

The proposed approach is a 2-stage one:1. Capitalization on experimentations currently deployed or co-deployed by the

Meraka Institute with a focus on "collaboration@Rural"/C@R: local network relying on existing mobile infrastructure (eg GPRS), with a pivotal role of Infopreneurs in the provision of social/business information,

2. Based on inputs collected in stage 1, establishment of a new experimentation facility in Orange footprint, with: attention to professional usages expansion of the C@R approach to the broadband domain


Focus on the Meraka-Orange experiment 2/5Modus operandi: main lines

The experimentation stage is scheduled to be undertaken over a period of 3 months.

It should be designed around a narrow use case which allows for testing the impressions of users about the following issues: cross subsidization or sponsorship of access to broadband infrastructure

amongst business users; appropriateness of services that encourage collaborative business activities.

For practicality, the experiment ought to take place in an English-speaking country (so as to easily leverage existing Meraka materials) located within Orange footprint: Botswana is a perfect candidate for the first instance…

… with a possible subsequent replication of the experiment in Kenya, with Telkom Kenya's support…

… and Ghana (leadership: DWF partner OneVillage Foundation).

work in progres

s


The following ICT-empowering package could be deployed on 4-5 so-called

"Infopreneurs": 1 laptop EDGE access VoIP networked apps

The Infopreneur model has been developed by the Meraka Institute as a

means of addressing staffing and sustainability problems experienced at

community level service centers: Infopreneurs are self-employed “social” entrepreneurs utilizing ICTs to enhance the

range of their service offering. They are ideally based at community centers that aim to service small medium & micro enterprises (SMMEs) and ordinary citizens; these centers usually lack the human capacity to successfully deliver on their mandate.

In order to achieve the relevant skills, Infopreneurs are put through appropriate training programs.

Focus on the Meraka-Orange experiment 3/5Modus operandi: the key role of Infopreneurs

work in progres

s


An exemplary use case is the collaborative replenishment of stock amongst shop owners

in rural villages as is being implemented in the FP6 project C@R. The background of the

use case is as follows:

Most rural villages in South Africa are about 30km away from towns, where wholesalers are

located;

For a shop owners to replenish stock, they have to travel to town to make the purchase and

arrange transport to deliver the stock back to the village; a shop owner can make up 2 to 3 trips

per week to town as they buy in fairly low quantities: transport is therefore a very significant cost

factor in the operations of such shops;

In the c@R project, a solution is being tested to allow shop owners to place orders for goods

through mobile phones (e.g. SMS);

These orders are agglomerated by an Inforpreneur who places the orders with wholesalers and,

where possible, arranges for joint delivery of the stock.

This use case could be adopted in the envisaged experiment provided similar

circumstances are encountered in the targeted user community. Otherwise some

adaptations may be made or a similarly simple use case will have to be designed.

Focus on the Meraka-Orange experiment 4/5Modus operandi : target use case

work in progres

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Week 7 - 15: iterative brainstorming sessions between the Meraka

Institute and Orange Labs to evolve the experimentation scenario

Week 16 - 19: coordination meetings between the Meraka Institute,

Orange Labs and Orange Botswana (involvement of OVFG for

information)

Week 20: 1st Meraka preparatory mission in the field

Week 22: finalization of the experiment (joint Orange-Meraka mission)

Week 23: inception of the experiment

Week 35: end of the experiment

Week 40: main results of the experiment are made available

Focus on the Meraka-Orange experiment 5/5provisional work plan

work in progres

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All remarks, reactions, contributions, relevant to DWF / WP3 are

welcome!

[email protected]

+33 1 45 29 45 01

DWF / WP3 is but the first of many such cooperative actions that

the FT-Orange Group wishes to undertake in the years to come:

We are open to partnerships of all kinds with organizations who want

to address the "North-South divide" from an ICT perspective

Please feel free to contact us!

Perspectives


thank you!

Workshop 6d, 08 May 2008 IST-Africa 2008 Copyright 2008 Digital World Forum Digital World Forum WP3...

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Transcript of Workshop 6d, 08 May 2008 IST-Africa 2008 Copyright 2008 Digital World Forum Digital World Forum WP3...