ACCESS TO COMPUTERS AND COMMUNICATION NETWORKS IN GHANA Eric M.K Osiakwan of Internet Research @ 2 nd International Wide Open Access Workshop in Sweden.

ACCESS TO COMPUTERS AND ACCESS TO COMPUTERS AND COMMUNICATION NETWORKS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

IN GHANAIN GHANAEric M.K Osiakwan of Internet Research

@2nd International Wide Open Access Workshop in Sweden

On11th May 2004

OutlineOutline• Introduction

• Telecom Reforms

• High Demand

• Efforts

• Solutions

• Javelin

• Pilot Project

• Conclusion

LAND MASS OF 238,537 Sq Km

Political HistoryPolitical History• Gained Independence in March of 1957

• Series of Coups after independence

• Last Coup was 1981 by Flt Lt J.J. Rawlings

• Military Rule for 11 years ( J.J. Rawlings)

• J.J. Rawlings elected president in 1992

• J.A. Kuffour, President 2000 - Date

•Ten (10) Administrative Regions

•110 Districts

•The district is the unit of planning and political administration

The Capital City is Accra

EconomicEconomic

• Foreign exchange is from export of Timber, Cocoa, Pineapple, Gold, DiamondsBauxite and Tourism

• Domestic Economy revolves aroundagriculture which contribute 36% of GDPand employs 60% of work force

GDP($) Per Capita

($)

Growth Rate(%

)

Ghana 39.4 Billion 1,980 3.2

USA 10.08 Trillion 36,300 0.3

Nigeria 105.9 Billion 840 3.5

South Africa 412 Billion 9,400 2.6

Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) in 2002

World Bank Estimates 2001

PeoplePeople

• Total Population is 19.7 Million (2001)

• 36% of Population is Four Urban Areas of Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi and Temale

• Small ethnic groups which Speak 50 differentlanguages and dialect

• English is the official language

• 60% of population are Christians 16% Islamand rest, African Traditional Religion

TriviaTrivia

Telecom ReformsTelecom ReformsAccelerated Development Programme (ADP) – 1994 - 2000

• Liberalization of Telecom Sector (Westel, SNO)

• Separation of Post from Telecoms (GP and GT)

• Privatization of Ghana Telecom (30% to GCOM, SP)

• National Communication Authority (NCA Act, Regulator)

• Licensing of Internet Service Providers (ISPs as VAS)

• Teledensity (0.34lines for 1000inhabitants to 1.16)

• Public Phones (0.001 to 0.16 per 1000inhabitants)

• Licensing of Private Television and Radio Stations

High Demand High Demand • Demand for Telecoms has being growing exponentially (3%

teledensity)

• Interest in the Internet created another level of demand (Served by Cyber Cafes or Community Access Centre in urban areas)

• Demand for Computers still very high (400,000 for 20 million)

• Internet in Schools (2,500 Secondary (and Post) Schools is 1% )

• Per capita income is less than US$500

Computers, Internet, Telecom Infrastructure for rural areas?Computers, Internet, Telecom Infrastructure for rural areas?

EffortsEfforts• Education

• Worldlinks • GeSCI

• Health• MIMCom• Healthnet• Satellife PDA Project

• Rural Entrepreneurship• Cashew and Pineapple Farmers supported by

Technoserve• IICD ICT in Agriculture Programme

GeSCIGeSCI• Ministry of Education @ the Core

• McKinsey & Co nationwide research

• Establishment of Project with UNICT Taskforce

• Stakeholder Consultation in April

• Development of rollout Plan

• Institutional Building

• Implementation

• Infrastructure, Content, PCs and Teacher Training

Look @ GeSCI Slides from McKinsey

MIMCom.NETMIMCom.NETA malaria research network for Africa

• Formed in 1997 at Multilateral Initiative on Malariaconference in Dakar

• African scientist identified lack of communication asa major barrier to carry out their work; combating themorbidity and mortality of Malaria

• A working group was formed to discuss ways in whichresearch scientists in Africa may have the same level of Internet access as colleagues elsewhere in the world

• The National Library of Medicine was charge with leading the effort to create the necessary communication network

MIMCom.NETA malaria research network for Africa

Implementation:

MIMCom.Net

Ghanaian Sites1. Noguchi2. Navarongo

HealthNetHealthNet• This is the SATELLIFE’s Global Communication

Network which links Health workers around theworld by email

• HealthNet utilized SATELLIFE's low- earth-orbitsatellite to establish e-mail connectivity in various locations throughout Africa.

• Allowed Health care providers who had been workingin isolation were finally able to communicate, share experiences and access information critical to their work.

• Ghanaian researchers use HealthNet to communicatewith London School of Hygiene and the Tropical DiseaseResearch Centre in Geneva

HealthNetHealthNet

• In what has been described as a major public healthsuccess story in recent times, African researchersused the network in the control of Onchocerciasis

• This was as a result of Multinational collaboration including Ghana to track the Black Fly (Simulium)larvae, the vector of the disease along the Volta river

SATELLIFE’S PDA SATELLIFE’S PDA PROJECTPROJECT

• A collaborative effort between SATELLIFE and theAmerican Red Cross Society(ARC)

• The project was to demonstrate the Usefulness andFeasibility of using relatively inexpensive handheldtechnology in the conditions found in Africa.

• Phase One of the project was carried out in Ghana during a massive measles immunization campaignby the ARC in December of 2001

SATELLIFE’S PDA PROJECTSATELLIFE’S PDA PROJECT

• The project was a success.• The speed and ease of gathering data was unprecedented• The in country costs was $2000

Conclusion

Rural EntrepreneurshipRural Entrepreneurship• Most rural entrepreneurs are FARMERS• How can we use ICT to support and enhance what

they are doing for Efficiency and Effectiveness• Provision of Telephone and Internet in Rural

Areas• Cashew and Pineapple Farmers supported by

Technoserve• IICD ICT in Agriculture Programme

• E-commerce for Non-Traditional Exports Project

• Agricultural Information System

Solutions Solutions SAVA SERIES

• Broadband wireless platform on DSS 802.11b

• Developed using Free and Open Source

• Does routing, web serving, dns, webmail, firewall

• Being used by 170 Internet cafes now in Accra

• Developed by Intercom Data Networks using process engineering

Javelin™Javelin™ Just Another Very Easy Link Into the ‘NetJust Another Very Easy Link Into the ‘Net

• Narrowband Wireless Platform on UHF Frequency

• Software Suite developed using Free and Open Source Software

• Caching of sites and implementation of access policies

• Customizable Interface to address specific needs – e-mail, Web Presence (Challenge)

Partnership PilotPartnership Pilot

• Arrow Network System (developers of Javelin) provide Free Internet Access in exchange for land to establish their repeater

• Ola Teacher Training College provide full air-conditioned facility to house 32-node Computer Centre

• Internet Research provide project design, development and implementation strategy

• Support of US 65,000 from ?

ContactContact

Eric M.K Osiakwan

Internet Research

[email protected]

Pilot Project Site

www.arrownetworks.net