AFRICAN UNION
UNION AFRICAINE
UNIÃO AFRICANA
Third Meeting of the Steering Committee of
the EU-Africa Partnership
Tunis, Tunisia , 7th April 2010
Implementation Status of
initiatives and projects in the ICT
Sector in Africa
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
2
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
3
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;
4
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
5
What’s in the reference framework?
• 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
6
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
7
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
8
Connect Africa goal 1: Broadband
connectivity for Africa (1)
• To connect all African capitals to capitals of
neighboring countries by broadband fiberoptic 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 &
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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.
10
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 linksQuick 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 multimodal 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!!!
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‫شكرا لكم‬
Merci
Thank you