InternationalTelecommunicationUnion
HIPSSA ProjectHIPSSA Project
Support for Harmonization of the ICT Policies Support for Harmonization of the ICT Policies in Sub-Sahara Africa in Sub-Sahara Africa
An overview of the international bandwidth
market: An African perspective
Isabelle Gross – Balancing Act
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Table of contentsTable of contents
Introduction
Major changes in the international bandwidth market over the last 2 to 3 years
The SAT3 experience
International bandwidth: an essential element in the value chain of delivering affordable broadband services in Africa
International bandwidth: the way forward for Africa
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Introduction:
► Bandwidth is the petrol of the new global economy (rich content; e-commerce; e-government, etc… )
► Affordable international bandwidth is an essential component for any African country to remain competitive in an more and more interconnected world.
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Major changes in the international bandwidth market over the last 2 to 3 years
International bandwidth went from scarcity to abundance
International bandwidth is progressively switching from satellite to sub-marine fibre cables
Several African countries will have for the first time a direct connection to international fibre capacity
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International bandwidth went from scarcity to abundance
Cable Timing Maximum capacity
East coast
Seacom Implemented 1.2 Tbps
TEAMS Implemented 1.2 Tbps
EASSy Implemented 1.4 Tbps
LION 1 and 2 implemented
N/A
West coast
SAT3 2002 340 Gbps
Glo One Implemented 2.5 Tbps
Main One Implemented 2 Tbps
WACS Q3, 2012 1.97 Tbps
ACE Q4, 2012 5.2 Tbps
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International bandwidth is progressively switching from satellite to sub-marine fibre cables
yes, in the coastal countries/cities
but
- national backbones needs still to be built out
- landlocked countries need to be connected too
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- in East Africa: all countries connected to Team, Seacom, EASSy or Lion
- in West Africa: Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, Sao&Principe, Equatorial Guinea
- in Central Africa: Congo DRC, Congo, Namibia
Several African countries will have for the first time a direct connection to international fibre capacity
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The SAT3 experience
► Learning from the past is essential… …
- mismanagement
- artificial scarcity of bandwidth
- high prices
- major access issues
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The SAT3 experience
► Learning from the past is essential… …
- mismanagement: the case of Nitel in Nigeria (alternate exit route to SAT3 via Benin, the neighbouring country)
- international capacity remained scare despite availability
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The SAT3 experience
► Learning from the past is essential… …
- prices were very high: +US$5,000
- it was very difficult to access international capacity because of the monopoly of the national incumbent on the international cable and landing station (Camtel in Cameroon; Benin Telecom in Benin, Telkom in South Africa, etc…)
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International bandwidth: an essential element in the value chain of delivering affordable broadband services in Africa
► Most African countries have an ICT programme/plan
► Most ICT programmes/plans pledge to promote the delivery of affordable broadband services to the population
► Ask participants about the situation in their country?
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International bandwidth: an essential element in the value chain of delivering affordable broadband services in Africa
► the value chain of delivering affordable broadband services can be schematically sliced down to 3 segments:
- local access (access to the customer)- national link- international link (submarine cable
and landing station)
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International bandwidth: an essential element in the value chain of delivering affordable broadband services in Africa
► high prices and/or restricted access (monopoly) in any of these 3 segments will impair the delivery of affordable broadband services
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International bandwidth: the way forward for Africa
► The goals are:
- improve access to international capacity
- make prices more affordable
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International bandwidth: the way forward for Africa
► How to do it?
- leave it to free market forces to play their role (possible in countries with more than 3 cables e.g. Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana)
- regulation (essential in particular in countries with a single landing station) – the example of Liberia
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Thanks a lot for your Thanks a lot for your attentionattention
Union Internationale des Télécommunications International Telecommunication Union