NICI Policy
A National Information and
Communications Infrastructure Framework Study Task Force was set up in the Office of the
Prime Minister to indicate directions and approach for the establishment and
implementation of an integrated, comprehensive and effective National Information and
Communication Infrastructure Framework (NICIF.) The document prepared in January 1999
containing the Executive
Summary and the Conclusion stressed the need for an adequate ICT national policy,
rules and regulations.
In March 1999, the government
assigned a high-level IT Development Sub-committee with the following task groups for ICT
development.
National Information &
Telematics Policy Group (NITP)
Responsible body: Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission (ESTC)
National Information
Infrastructure Development Group (NIID)
Responsible body: Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC)
Human Resource Development
Group (HRD)
Responsible body: Addis Ababa University (AAU)
Standard and Content
Development Group (SCD)
Responsible bodies: Central Statistical Authority (CSA) / Ethiopian Science and
Technology Commission (ESTC)
In January 1999, the Ethiopian
Science and Technology Commission (ESTC) with support from the Development Information
Services Division (DISD) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) took the lead in
stimulating debates and discussions on ICT policy formulation and implementation in
Ethiopia. Preparations followed shortly to call a national workshop that will bring
together all the stakeholders in the information and communication sectors, government
policy makers, researchers and others, to facilitate the formulation of a national
information and communications policy. ECA's support covered: development of concept
papers, intellectual input to the work of the technical committee, dissemination of best
practices in other countries and providing supporting documents. A national workshop on
information and communication technology was then held in September 1999.
A National ICTs Policy
and Strategies Draft Document was then prepared by the ESTC in December 1999. This
document was refined and in July 2001 the National Computers and Information Center (NCIC)
of the ESTC came up with a Draft National ICT Policy. The document was open for comments
and discussions until November 2001. It aims at developing a National Information
Infrastructure (NII.) The document put forward the objectives, visions, goals, policy
statements, national strategies and priority areas. The priority areas included in the
national ICT policy are:
building telecommunication
infrastructure
sectoral and institutional
in-house network capacity building
human resources development
content and applications
diffusion and dissemination
of ICT services and products
data security
standards
research and development in
ICT
Back
to Top
Telecommunications Structure
and Policy
The Ethiopian telecommunications sector
started with a humble beginning in 1894 by establishing a telephone link between the
capital city and some major provincial cities and it became the Ethiopian
Telecommunications Authority in 1981. In 1996, an independent regulatory body known as the
Ethiopian Telecommunications Agency
(ETA) was established, and the Ethiopian Telecommunications Authority was
renamed the Ethiopian
Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) and is the national telecom operator.
In 2002, there were over 351,600 telephone
and over 45,000 mobile telephone subscribers in the country. Today, the telecommunications
network in Ethiopia uses various communication technologies such as microwaves, UHF, VHF,
and open wire system, to connect towns and cities all over the country and to the whole
world. The newly introduced facility, Digital Radio Multi-Access System (DRMAS), has been
included to the national network serving some remote towns at different locations. In line
with this, 543 cities and towns have been inter-connected within the country. A total of
187 towns have automatic and semi-automatic exchanges, the remaining 247 are on manual
exchanges and 109 are served using rural radio call and pay stations. For international
telecommunication traffic, INTELSAT standard "A" earth stations for most
countries and the PANAFTEL microwave system for south-eastern Africa are used.
The Sululta earth station is used to access :
- Western Europe and America using INTELSAT
Atlantic Ocean region satellite;
- Europe, Asia and the Far East using the
INTELSAT Indian Ocean region satellite; and
- The Middle East, Far-East and Western Europe
using the SEA-WE-ME cable.
Some African countries (Kenya, Uganda,
Tanzania, Zambia and Djibouti) are accessed through the PANAFTEL microwave network.
Eritrea is accessed by both microwave and satellite connections.
In 1999, ETC announced plans to add a further
550,000 lines as part of an integrated accelerator development programme covering the
period 1998-2000, and it has signed contracts in 1997 with three major telecom
manufacturers. As part of the programme, ETC has started installing a network of 250 VSAT
stations to link 250 isolated villages in rural Ethiopia. A further 200 VSATs were planned
for the following year.
In April 1999, the Council of Ministers
issued regulations
related to telecommunications services. The regulations defined the role of
the Ethiopian Telecommunications Agency as the regulatory authority, responsible for the
application for telecommunication service licence, pricing and tariff of
telecommunications services, and technical standards for telecommunications network.
According to the newly established regulations, duration and fees for the issuance of
licences will be as follows:
| |
Fees |
Duration |
| Public switching
telecommunication service |
Birr
200,000 |
25 years |
| Cellular mobile service |
Birr
200,000 |
10 years |
| Internet service |
Birr
100,000 |
10 years |
| Data communication
service |
Birr
100,000 |
10 years |
(where US$ 1.00 = Birr 8.11 as
of August 1999)
Fees to be paid for the amendment, upon
request of the licensee, or renewal of a licence shall be 50% of the fee required for the
issuance of such licence. The fees do not include those to be paid for frequency
allocation.
EthioMobile, the mobile
division of ETC, is the sole mobile operator. Ericsson
was awarded a contract by ETC covering turnkey solutions for the GSM
network in Ethiopia. The contract marked the first mobile network in the country and was
initially expected to serve 36,000 subscribers in the Addis Ababa area. EthioMobile
presently operates in the GSM 900 MHz frequency range covering Addis Ababa, Debre Zeit,
Nazareth, Modjo and Sodere. Supplementary services available at extra charges include Voice
Mail, Call Forwarding, Call Barring, Call Waiting and Advice of Charge. By July
2002, there were more than 42,000 subscribers. Amidst the growing waiting list, EthioMobile
is conducting tests to launch a pre-paid service.
Ethiopia's Internet service is run on a
monopoly basis by the Ethiopian
Telecommunications Corporation (ETC). The ETC operates a 10,240 KBPS
connection, with 8 POPs and a capacity to accommodate 14,000 dial-up subscribers. This was
achieved from the original 512 KBPS through an expansion project implemented by the
Government working jointly with UNDP. It involved a funding of US$ 600,000 from UNDP and a
contribution of US$ 700,000 from the government. The ETC introduced new tariffs as of
August 2002 following the completion of the upgrading process. This has brought a 40 - 50
% reduction in monthly fees.
Back
to Top
ICT Networking Development
Addis Ababa is the location of the
headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) which has long
supported electronic networking in the region through its Pan African Development
Information System (PADIS) which used to operate an e-mail service (PADISNET). This was established in 1990 as a pilot project on
computer networking in Africa, primarily for disseminating development information in the
region.
In 1993, this was followed by the Capacity
Building for Electronic Communication in Africa (CABECA) project which has helped
establish low-cost store-and-forward FidoNet systems in 24 African countries including
Ethiopia. An e-mail FidoNet node which links to GreenNet (UK) provides connectivity for an
estimated 2,500 users in Ethiopia, 20% of whom live outside the capital Addis Ababa. The
operations of PADISNET in Ethiopia ceased as of January 1999 after the
country got full Internet Connectivity.
PADIS has now subsumed under the Development
Information Services Division (DISD) which has spearheaded the African Information Society Initiative (AISI),
an action framework to build Africa's information and communication infrastructure.
A new institute, the Institute of
Capacity Building in Africa (ICBA) has been established in April 1999 in Addis
Ababa by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) with the aim to provide the first electronic link-up of educational
planning, management, teacher's education and curriculum development institution in
Africa. As part of UNESCO, the Institute will work closely with other UN and African
agencies which share similar objectives. The ICBA is one of the first steps in modernising
and bringing education in Africa up-to-date with the rest of the world.
The National Computer and Information
Centre (NCIC) is a semi-autonomous government institution under the overall direction
of the Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission. Since 1987, it has been responsible
for promoting computer technology and information systems and services in the country. The
objectives of the Centre include:
- Building national capacity in the areas of
information systems and services, computer hardware and software training, consultancy and
data communication;
- Collecting, processing, analysing and
organising information sources on science and technology to provide computer-based library
and information services; and
- Developing, strengthening and coordinating
national and sectoral information systems to improve information sharing and data
communication.
The NCIC's network
development strategy has been incremental, starting with FidoNet technology as a satellite
node of PADIS before developing an independent national network and moving towards
Internet connectivity. The NCIC has been successful in:
- providing training and consultancy services
to organisations on the development and management of computer-based documentation and
information systems;
- developing the science and technology
network, Ethionet;
- linking over 20 science and technology
institutions, mostly in the rural areas; and
- reducing the professional isolation of
experts working in the field through providing improved access and dissemination of
information.
Efforts are also being made by a number of
non-professional associations to support ICT penetration in the country:
The Ethiopian Computer and
Information Technology Association (EthCITA) was established in 1991
by a group of Ethiopians in the computing industry to promote the use and expansion of
Information Technology in general and computers in particular, among the Ethiopian
community residing both at home and abroad.
The Ethiopian
Computer Standard Association (ECOSA), with the basic aim of coding
appropriate Amharic and Geez characters, was established on August 1997. ECOSA, in liaison
with international standards organisations, is expected to curb the disorderly working
system generated by using various Amharic scripts. The creation of ECOSA would facilitate
interaction among Ethiopian computer professionals to keep abreast with the fast advances
of the technology.
The Ethiopian
scientific society (ESS) was established as a non-profit organisation in the
State of Maryland in December 1987. The society is a non-political organisation and has
the following as its primary goals:
- Foster better relation and promote interaction
among Ethiopian scientists and engineers;
- Provide a medium for technical information
exchange among Ethiopians and other scientists; and
- Encourage collaboration among technical
experts on projects that would contribute to the development of Ethiopia.
Ethiopian Distance
Learning Association (EDLA): EDLA
is committed to the education of the Ethiopian youth in collaboration with grass-root
organisations including, the International Open College of Ethiopia, the Virtual School of
Ethiopian Studies and the Ethiopian Virtual University.
Ethiopian
Information Technology Professionals Association (EITPA): Established in
December 1996, EITPA acquired its certificate of registration from the
authorised government agency in December 1997, and has as objectives the promotion of
Information Technology (IT) in Ethiopia and the enhancement of the professional interest
of its members.
The Commission for Disaster Prevention and
Preparedness (CDPP) has been implementing a Management Information strategy
based on a wide area network, integrating three independent networks based in Addis Ababa,
to integrate early warning, relief transport operations, air services and food-aid
management in line with the national strategy of Disaster Prevention and Preparedness. The
long-term objective is to develop a networking structure which systematically integrates
the ports, warehouses, and the various CDPP departments to enable access to data and
information by the CDPP and regional bureaux, partners in the UN system, donors and NGOs
through the establishment of a common database.
As a member state of the Preferential Trade
Area for Eastern and South African states (PTA), Ethiopia has a designated national
"focal point" of TINET - the PTA Trade Information Network. The
Information Processing and Analysis Division of the Ministry of Trade is the liaison
office and has the TINET Databases which can be used by the business sector, trade
associations and manufacturers for the purposes of accessing information on products,
imports, exports and market opportunities.
Pact Ethiopia administered by Pact, a
US-based international development non-profit organisation, has a mission to strengthen
the institutional capacity of Ethiopian NGOs. Pact Ethiopia has set up a Development
Resource Center which will serve as a focus for information networking, and
provide access to resource materials and various facilities such as Internet and e-mail,
fax, printing and duplication facilities.
The Ethiopian Agricultural Research
Organization (EARO) has earmarked a budget of 6.5 Million US Dollar for
Internetworking (LAN – WAN) project spanning 30 research centers across the country.
The Addis
Ababa University (AAU) has began a big Internetworking project among its five
departments under three campuses at an estimated budgetary allocation of 1.52 Million US
Dollar.
The Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce
(ECC) and the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce (AACC) have jointly drafted an ICT
development project to establish a web-based information clearinghouse and an ICT training
center, at an allocated budget of 1.22 Million Birr.
The Amhara Bureau of Planning &
Economic Development (BoPED) has put together a project document for a TCP/IP
based Internetworking system to link its Head Quarter with 11 Zonal Offices.
The number of professionals trained in areas
of computer science and information technology is growing due to improved training
opportunities. The main training providers in the computer and information fields are:
The School of Information Studies
for Africa (SISA): a regional training centre established in September 1990
with the assistance of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada and
UNESCO at the Addis Ababa University (AAU). Following the merger with the Department of
Library Sciences in 1995, SISA has started offering a diploma programme in Library Science
and a degree programme in Library and Information Sciences, in addition to its two-year
programme for regular students leading to an M.Sc. in Information Science.
The Computer
Center of the Addis Ababa University which is part of the Department of
Mathematics started its functions in September 1986 with financial aid obtained from the
French Embassy and UNDP. The Center offers the following courses: certificate, diploma and
degree programmes.
The Electrical Engineering
Department of the Faculty
of Technology at the Addis Ababa University has been active in the area
of communication and computer engineering. Basic courses in signals and systems,
communication systems and theory, computer methods, computer programming, logic design,
computer architecture and microprocessors are offered to undergraduates. The department
also offers M.Sc. course in communication systems.
Ethiopian Telecommunications
Training Institute (ETTI) which belongs the Ethiopian Telecommunications
Corporation (ETC) was set up to provide basic training in plant maintenance, telegraph and
telex, switching, transmission, traffic and management of telecommunications networks.
ETTI has recently begun basic training on computer applications. The institute is geared
toward producing low- and middle-level technicians and management in telecommunications
technology. Advanced training in data communication, transmission, network management is
usually sponsored by donor agencies such as ITU, JICA, UNDP, the World Bank, bilateral
donors and equipment suppliers. Most of these training courses are offered for four to six
weeks.
The Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission (ESTC)
offers a wide range of accredited courses at different levels.
The private sector has
responded quickly to the growing demand for basic computer training in software
applications by established computer training centres. Most of these computer training
centers offer the following services: training courses on application packages, sales of
hardware and software, systems analysis and design, and computer maintenance and upgrade.
By July 2002, there were 138 such institutions in the capital city and 21 in seven other
cities.
A number of privately ran
colleges have emerged following the opening to private investment of the education sector.
These provide degree, diploma, and postgraduate diploma training in computer science and
information systems. The main ones are Atlanta College, Beza College, Grace College,
HiLCoE, Kisama Africa University, Microlink, Royal College and Unity University.
Back
to Top
|
