e-readiness in Africa ICT infrastructures for e-Governance

-oJoachim TANKOANO Email : joachim.tankoano@delgi.gov.bf

Agenda

Recall of obstacles for e-government Inventory of the infrastructures Obstacles for their development Perspectives

Recall of obstacles for the e-government

Generalisation of the use of NTIC is perceived today as the most promissing alternative for the stimulation of government and the transformation of the African society. The concretisation of opportunities offered by the NTIC necessitates however, a prerequisite to lift obstacles linked to : an insufficiency of the sensitivity by the actors involved a low level of adaptation to these technologies by individuals, administration and businesses resistance to change existing infrastructures

Inventory of infrastructures
1. Inadequacy of existing infrastructures
In most countries, the networks used, and in particular for data transport, happen to be telephone networks, mainly digitised but badly adapted for high rate :
% automatic LP in 2000 Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania World 96.7 99.8 100.0 99.9 100.0 99.9 % digital LP in 2000 94.3 92.9 96.8 83.7 99.9 91.4

Inventory of infrastructures
1. Inadequacy of existing infrastructures
At present, use of alternative technologies (xDSL, local radio loops, optic fibre) susceptible to allow the setting up of high rate is still very low The same applies for technologies (RNIS, Voice on IP, unified messaging, VPN) susceptible to allow the development of multi-service networks at reduced access costs In addition, the non-evolution in most countries towards digital radio and television limitates possible use of these media and runs the risk to make up in time a brake to the development of audio-visual.

Inventory of infrastructures
2. Inadequacy of existing infrastructures
In addition to having unsuited infrastructures, Africa is the continent where these infrastructures are also developped in the lowest manner

Tel subscribers / 100 hts in 2001 (fixed + cellular) Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania World 5.56 61.54 19.83 84.39 84.97 32.77

Televisions / 100 hts in 2000 7.3 48.0 20.3 52.1 54.8 27.0

Computers / 100 hts in 2001 1.06 26.57 3.31 17.94 39.91 8.42

Inventory of infrastructures
3. About access costs not very affordable
Although Africa is the continent where more than half the population still survives on less than $ 1 per day, access costs to infrastructure are amongst the highest :
Fixed Tel. local 3 mn in 2000 Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania World 0.08 0.07 0.04 0.10 0.13 0.07 Mobile 3 mn in 2000 0.56 0.78 0.47 0.59 1.40 0.62 ISP Taxes 30h/month in 2001 52.3 26.3 36.0 14.1 76.4 40.9

Obstacles for the development of infrastructures

The political instability factor, inadequate management and natural disasters through repetitive coups dEtat, wars, drought, illnesses, corruption etc. lead towards a tendancy to other priorities or preoccupations Absence of a global vision for setting up good governance in the NTIC sector Human factor through a lack of sensitisation of low appropriation level of technologies Regulation factor through low organisation level of the sector that does not favour through culture competitiveness of excellence and does not lean towards attracting investors The environment factor through climatic constraints and the very low penetration of electricity, especially in rural areas

Obstacles for the development of infrastructures

The economic factor through (1) low density in rural areas and low income of the population in these areas, (2) low development level of activities in the formal sector, (3) access cost to terminal equipment compared with the average income of the households, (4) high level of taxes, (5) difficulty in access to credit % hts biggest towns in 2000 Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania World 12.0 13.6 4.8 10.9 17.8 7.7 Teledensity biggest town in 2000 6.42 21.72 25.97 48.24 45.97 25.25 Teledensity in the rest of the country in 2000 1.39 11.39 6.94 30.19 36.77 9.20 National Teledensity in 2000 1.99 13.65 7.84 31.98 38.38 10.35

Perspectives for the development of infrastructures

Comparatively with other continents, Africa is visibly late in setting up a modern infrestructure adapted to the requirements of e-governance. However, perspectives to install good governance in the NTIC sector and fill up, in a relatively short time, this lateness exist and are highly promising

Perspectives for the development of infrastructures

1. An increasingly more adapted regulation
Most of the countries are specifically engaged in reform process of the telecommunication sector with very encouraging results when it concerns development of cellular telephone system and the Internet (k) cellular tel. in 1995 Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania 652.0 40 257.1 23 104.7 24 083.9 2 618.3 (k) cellular tel. in 2001 23 830.2 220 103.3 333 437.8 350 172.4 13 823.0 (k) Internet Users in 2001 6 867.7 182 514.1 156 508.5 144 413.1 8 505.3

cellulaires Perspectives for the development of

infrastructures
2. An increasingly clearer vision
The formulation of NICI plans allows increasingly to place the infrastructure development in a vision and a clear and realistic strategy taking into consideration the requirements of different sectors of activity Importance of a regional coopration to allow the continent to have consistent and performing communication infrastructures is beginning to be well perceived and constitutes one of the major axis of NEPAD In such context, global consensus on the importance of NTIC for development will, without any doubt, easily make the mobilisation of financial resources which are required.

Perspectives for the development of infrastructures

3. A technology offer increasingly more accessible
Deployment cost of infrastructures constantly decreases and technologies used (Satellites, optic fibres, local radio loops, WiFi, VPN, VoIP, digital radio and television) allow to offer more diversified services at a lower cost An increasingly more important utilisation of free software allows, moreover to reduce the cost of computers and to reinforce the development of local expertise Finally, important regional projects or on the scale of the planet susceptible to bring rapid changes in the development of infrastructure on the continent have been initiated (Africa One, SAT 3, RASCOM, INTELCOM II, World Space, etc.)

Perspectives for the development of infrastructures

4. Emergence of economically viable models
Economically viable models in the African context that could favour the generalisation of the utilisation of NTIC in all tiers of the society begin to emerge : the Internet model for the development of networks, shared public access points serving the convergency of technologies (telecentres, cybercafes, stands in working places, community radios, multi-purpose community telecentres, etc) establishment of IP administrative networks, voices and data at national level, specific funds for a universal service

Thank You.