Third Meeting of the Steering Committee of the EU-Africa Partnership

Tunis, Tunisia , 7th April 2010

 AFRICAN UNION

 

UNION AFRICAINE UNIÃO AFRICANA

Implementation Status of initiatives and projects in the ICT

Sector in Africa

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Content• The AU Reference Framework for the

harmonization of Policy and regulation in Africa– HIPPSA

• Connect Africa goal 1:– CAB project

• Africa initiatives for the WTDC• Other initiatives:

– Postal sector Master plan– ASA– ASO

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The TWO AU specific Objectives

• One -(Inter)CONNECTING AFRICA and

• Two -BRIDGING THE DIGITAL GAP• To that end there is a need for:

– Harmonization of policies and regulations – Interconnection and interconnected

networks of all members states among them and to the rest of the world

– Implementation e- Applications– Sharing of resources – Capacity Building

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The Guiding Principles for the AUC Action

• Principles of the WSIS;• Meeting the MDGs objectives• Goals of Connect Africa Summit

(Kigali, Oct 2007)• Finance viability, technical feasibility

and political acceptability of the projects;

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Major Milestone : Decisions of the second CIT conference , Cairo MAY 08

• Adoption of: – The reference framework for the harmonization

of Telecom/ICT policies and regulation in Africa– Strategy and plan of action for the

development of postal sector– Governance of the Conference

• Recommendations: – The African Union Conference of Ministers on CIT as the

highest coordination body for all ICTs issues/activities in the continent. All Decisions emanating from other foras in Africa [to be submitted to the HoS&G ] should be endorsed by the Bureau and Conference of Ministers on CIT.

• These decisions have been endorsed by the HoS&G Summit 23 June 1 July 2008 in Sharm El Cheikh, Egypt

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• The Strategies to achieve Objectives:– Establishment of harmonized policy and regulatory

framework– Support to Industrialization, Research &

Development – Development of Integrated Infrastructures and

Access Networks– Development of Human Resources and Increase of

Awareness– Development of Telecommunication/ICT applications

• Priority programs at Continental, Regional and National levels

• Plan of Action

What’s in the reference framework?

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Implementation of the RF: HIPSSA (1)

• The Project:

– 3 years program

– 5.6 millions USD budget by EU

– 43 Countries divided in 4 geographical regions

– SWOT Analysis completed

• Global objective:

– to provide support towards creating harmonised policies for

ICTs and an efficient regulatory environment, conductive to

massive investments required by ICT infrastructures and

applications in the African Countries

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Implementation of the RF: HIPSSA (2)

• Deliverables: Further to the completion of the Regional activities, the implementation at national level will include the following steps:– Appropriation of harmonized regional framework

by stakeholders in each beneficiary country– Implementation of regional guidelines into the

national legislative and regulatory frameworks of beneficiary countries in coherence with the national strategies of each of them

– Human capacity building at national level with a focus on national experts

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Connect Africa goal 1: Broadband connectivity for Africa (1)

• To connect all African capitals to capitals of neighboring countries by broadband fiber-optic cable network that is, in turn, linked to the rest of the world through submarine cables. (By 2012)

• AUC – Appointed as political catalyst for the implementation of the Kigali commitments

• Need for assessment of Missing Links• Need for (replication of) projects like the CAB

Project in central Africa

Département Infrastructure & Énergie

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Connect Africa goal 1: Broadband connectivity for Africa (2)

• Central African Backbone– terrestrial fiber connections to submarine fiber optical

cable systems linking several Central African countries and providing the region with a digital broadband access to the global fiber network. (The most un-connected region)

– A pre-feasibility study was completed in March 2007 in Cameroon, CAR and Chad.

–  The study developed several scenarios, highlighted key principles to be applied (like PPP and open Access),

– confirmed the feasibility of the CAB Program (attractive financial returns under certain conditions, very important economic return)

– Estimated cost: (IDA and IBRD):$215 million.

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Africa initiatives for the WTDC• One: Harmonization of Policies and

regulation in Africa (HIPSSA Expansion?– May be)

• Two: Human and Capacity Building (Noting concrete has been done so far)

• Three: ICT Broadband infrastructure development (PIDA)

• Four: ASO• Five: Implementation of Connect Africa

Commitments (Africa Ownership: Special African Program to follow up and contribute to the implementation)

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Other initiatives:

• Master plan for the Postal sector• African Space Agency (ASA)• Analog to Digital Switch Over

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Needed support from international development partners

• EXPANSION & ADAPTATION of HIPSSA for the implementation of the RF

• Assessment of terrestrial broadband missing links- Quick WIN

• Support in implementing ongoing AU initiatives: ASA, Posts etc…

• Support to ASO Project: Support to Member states to achieve the migration

• Support to African proposals for WTDC (Initiative in the international arena)

• Master plan for development of postal sector as the major platform for the diffusion of ICT into remote and rural areas

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Conclusion (1)

• ICTs are at the basis of the Information Society revolution, a revolution that Africa cannot let pass, like the Industrial Revolution.

• We should come to a total holistic approach:– investments in transport or energy would make sense only

if they are not supported by an equivalent investment in ICTs.

• We should find synergies between the ICT sector and other infrastructure projects,

• to develop a coherent, balanced and multi-modal approach regarding infrastructures development where Telecom cables are systematically part and parcel of the energy and transport sector investments.

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Conclusion (2)• Political will exists:

– AU Summit has declared that the ICT sector is a sector of top priority in our development programs and have therefore encouraged the AU Member States and development partners to consider telecommunications and ICT infrastructure and services, as a basic public utility infrastructure.

– Implementation of the Reference Framework for Harmonisation of Telecommunication Regulations in Africa. This is a condition sine qua non for the private sector to invest in the sector;

• There is an urgent need for: – Strengthening regional cooperation for interconnection of

broadband infrastructures, – Deployment of Regional Internet Exchange Points, – Improvement of rural area connectivity based on the principles of

technological neutrality, non discrimination and open access,– Support of the PIDA and through the use of synergies with the

transport and energy sectors;

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Conclusion (3)• The AU has made an appeal to the

development partners, more especially the financing institutions, to support the implementation of the AU Summit Declaration and integrate Telecommunications and ICT into their priorities by granting them financing conditions similar to those of other basic public utility infrastructures.

• This plea I'm repeating to you know, help us to develop the ICT sector!!!

لكم شكرا Merci

Thank you