“Satellite Internet Project for Afghan High Schools”

January 12, 2003

Eiji Hayashi

BHN Association

                      

The introduction of BHN Association

                      

• Established in 1992

• Humanitarian Aid utilizing Telecommunication

• Refugees and Disaster Relief utilizing Telecommunication

• Educating Telecommunication Staffs in Developing Countries

Organizations outline ．No. of Private Member 　　　　 792

No. of Corporate Member 　　　　 83

No. of Office Staff 　　　　 5

No of Volunteer Staff over 53

Oversee branch 10

Annual Budget 　　　　 US$900,000

Supporting Developing Countries

• Improving Telecommunication Infrastructure

• Improving In-Hospital Telephone System

• Constructing Telecommunication Network between Hospitals and Local Clinics

• Installing Telemedicine System

                                      

Information Communication as Basic Human Needs

• Access to Information Infrastructure and Meaningful Content – Basic Human Right

• ICT – Essential for :– Activities to support Basic Human Needs

(disaster relief, e-health)– Capacity Building, Training Human Resources

(e-learning)

ICT Needs in Underdeveloped Region

• Lack of Infrastructure

• Lack of Money

• Lack of ICT Skill

Top-down Approach vs Bottom-up Approach

• To build IC infrastructure, Top-down approach and Bottom-up Approach are complementary

Top down Bottom up

Large project

Big investment

Universal Service

Government/Commercial

Small project

Small funding

Specific needs

NGO

Project history • Improving Telecommunication Infrastructure

Microwave Link between Moscow and Obninsk to support Chernobyl Accident (1996)

• Improving In-Hospital Telephone SystemUkrainian National Emergency and Trauma Center (1997)

• Improving In-Hospital Telephone SystemYangon General Hospital, Myanmar (1998)

• Installing Telemedicine SystemSatellite Telemedicine Systembetween Gomel, Belarus and Shinshu Univ.Japan (1999)

• Installing Telemedicine SystemTelemedicine between remote hospitals inSarawak, Malaysia (2000)

Project history – cont’d

• Telecommunication materials for Hurricane Mitch Disaster(1998)

• Big Earthquake in Turkey(1999)

• Big Earthquake in Taiwan(2000)

• Refugees in East Timor(2000)

• Snow Damage in Mongolia(2001)

• Big Earthquake in India(2001)

BHN ICT PROJCT in Afghanistan

• Wireless Networks for Afghan NGOs• FM Community Radio station • Tracking Administration System• Public Telephone Service for Refugees• School Net (IT Support for High Schools)• Wireless Network for Hospitals and Clinics in

Rural Area

A Status of Education in Afghanistan

1. No investment in education in past 23 years,

2. Lack of teachers,

3. Few school facilities

4. Shortage of text books and materials.

Internet Education will cover those problems.

What is the ICT Education• Skill to use personal computer

Key typing and Mouse control Word processing software Spreadsheet software

• Skill to use the InternetE-mail Communication Information retrieval using w.w.w. website

• e-EducationCourseware – Science and MathematicsElectronic library for education materialsVirtual science laboratory

Prodelin 3.8m Les

Jcsat-3

PSKDigitalSatellite Modem

HUB

3600

Mail Proxy www proxy SW-HUB

radius

Max ３km

Internet BackboneHAWAI TIMEBRS

C Band

SATLLITE SYSTEM

PROVIDER SYSTEM

ACCESS SYSTEM

IEEE-802.11b

A school

B school

C school

D school

C school

Communication System PlanFull Fledged System

512kbps Leased line

Simplified Configuration forPilot High School Network

router Max 20 Pc

Web-sat

64kbps shared link Educational contents sever

Electric Power Supply System

High school ICT room

Local internet

Local internet

The Characteristics of the System.

• High schools in city and rural area are covered• Applicable in the area where power supply is

unstable • Web-sat system may be relocated to another

school when the local Internet becomes available

• Use of the Internet is limited only to e-mail when using Web-sat (due to limited bandwidth)

Estimated Implementation Cost of Each High School System

$US

Hardware 21PC 21,000

Web-sat 4,300

Network equipment

2,000

Power equipment 10,000

Inst cost 5,000

Software license of business software

10,000

total 52,300

Running cost $US

$6,000/year

Training cost of teachers and technicians is not included.

Proposal of More Comprehensive System

• Use of Higher Bandwidth for Satellite– Where cost is justified

• Development of Courseware– International cooperation of various organizations

• Extensive Training of Teachers and Technicians

• Integration with the Restoration Plan of Afghan Education System

The Expansion of the Project

• ICT Education is helpful for the war widow as well

• Support women for economic independence

• The equipment at the high school may be shared with widow’s holiday school

Project Formation

Project Manager School Restoration/Education Planning School Building Design/Construction Planning Training Plan Planning Curriculum (ICT Materials) Coordination

Afghan School Restoration Support Group CoAR Women for Relief Hands - - -

Japanese Support Group for Development of ICTEducation Materials

Contents Subgroup PADECO NTT Learning - -Technology Support Subgroup BHN Association JSAT XEROX - -

Afghan ICT Education Materials DevelopmentGroup

Contents Subgroup Ministry of Education University of Education - -Technology Subgroup BHN Afghanistan CoAR - -

To Ensure the Sustainability of the System

• The training of 　 young technicians

Construction of Web-sat and NetworkTest operating at Kabul

To Ensure the Sustainability of the System – cont’d

• Maintain and Expand the Use of the System– Cooperation with Local NGOs, Local

Government and Local Communities

• Regulatory Orientation to Support Such System

• International Support Scheme to Alleviate the Burden of Communication Cost

The end• BHN hopes that peace in Afghanistan goes

on by the diffusion of ICT.

AACA BHN UNDP

http://www.bhn.or.jp/