Wireless: a help line for agricultural development?

Report of the 4th Consultative Expert meeting of CTA's Observatory on ICTs

Rutger Engelhard (moderator)
Wageningen, 31 May - 1 June 2001

Executive summary
Introduction
Wireless: Access to the Internet via Satellite
ICM Framework: Exploring a Model
Concluding remarks
Annex 1: Internet via Satellite. A paper based on the presentation of M. Hegener
Annex 2: Programme
Annex 3: List of Participants
Acknowledgments

Executive Summary

On 31 May and 1 June 2001, CTA convened its annual Consultative Expert Meeting of its Observatory on ICTs for Agricultural Development in ACP countries (www.agricta.org/observatory). The meeting focused on an exploration of the feasibility of wireless ICT applications for two-way access to the Internet via satellite and re-visited a strategic model of an Information Communication Management (ICM) framework for CTA and its partners in ACP countries which it developed at the Observatory 2000 meeting.

While increasing connectivity is continuing apace throughout ACP countries, this development is uneven and often slow and lags far behind the developed North. For this reason, the appearance of affordable wireless ICT applications presents a very real opportunity to overcome the existing poor connectivity in ACP countries.

The meeting examined the different wireless ICTs available and their possible implementation within the model of the ICM framework. The meeting looked in particular at a new generation of high-tech, small-scale and simple to use systems for two-way access to the Internet via satellite which are now entering the market.

The meeting concluded that these systems represent technically feasible and affordable solutions for the current connectivity restrictions faced by most of CTA's partners and recommended that CTA and its partners start to explore - in operational terms - the feasibility of these systems. The meeting did not however recommend satellite-based systems as the universal solution to underpin an ICM framework for CTA and its partners. Connectivity restrictions vary enormously from country to country and the application of systems providing Internet access via satellite should therefore be considered on a country-by-country basis.

The Consultative Expert Meeting discussed the appropriateness of CTA's model of an ICM framework (which was developed at the Observatory 2000 meeting) in the light of new insights gained from developments in the fast moving ICT arena.

The meeting concluded the current model emphasized a vertical integration of the information programmes of CTA and its key partners in ACP countries and recommended that CTA consider adding to the framework a dimension of a much needed horizontal integration of information activities of the NA(R)S organizations in ACP countries. In that way, the ICM framework could become the basis for the establishment of an ACP agricultural knowledge network, thus reinforcing other international efforts (such as the DOT Force of the G8 Heads of State) that aim to close the "digital divide".

Introduction

This report summarizes the conclusions and recommendations of the 4th Consultative Expert Meeting of CTA's Observatory on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), held in Wageningen on 31 May and 1 June 2001. During the meeting, senior CTA management and programme staff met with 11 invited international experts and policy makers involved in the introduction of ICTs in ACP countries and in related initiatives in Europe.

CTA asked the 4th Consultative Expert Meeting to elaborate on its advice of last year and 'to explore feasible wireless connectivity solutions that could facilitate CTA's partners in ACP countries to upload and download information via the Internet on agricultural and rural development from CTA and its partner organizations'. The expected outputs of the meeting included the formulation of pragmatic, strategic advice on (i) the support required by CTA's partners to apply wireless connectivity solutions; and (ii) how CTA might adjust itself in order to optimize the use of wireless connectivity solutions as means to further decentralize its work to ACP countries.

The programme of this 4th Consultative Expert Meeting differed slightly from that of previous meetings. During the morning session on the first day, CTA organized three public lectures on satellite communication for development. Invited speakers were:

• Gracia Hillman, President of the WorldSpace Foundation. "WorldSpace, a gadget for the urban rich or a help line for the rural poor in ACP countries?"

• Michiel Hegener, Science Writer and Journalist. "VSAT in rural Africa: a reality check of promising technologies"

• Mike Jensen, ICT for Development Consultant. "Wireless, the last help line for agricultural development in ACP countries?".

In addition, the Centre asked a wireless service provider (P.S. Shawket, Telecom International & Space Consultancy) to demonstrate state of the art equipment for high-speed two-way Internet access via satellite (see www.tiscsat.com). A short paper on satellite technologies based on M. Hegener's presentation can be found in Annex 1.

Prior to and in preparation for this meeting, the invited experts and CTA staff participated in three rounds of e-consultations. During the consultation process, the participants explored the desirability and feasibility of two-way Internet access via satellite. This consultation used as a context CTA's model of an Information and Communication Management (ICM) framework that the Centre is considering to introduce as the basis for the decentralization of its information services to ACP countries. The opinions expressed were summarized in a report which served as a background document for the meeting.

This report is organized as follows. The next section presents concrete recommendations with respect to wireless technology that provides two-way access to the Internet via satellite. This is followed by a section presenting recommendations that arose from the discussions on the ICM framework and on the opportunities to develop it into the basis on which an ACP agricultural knowledge network could be established. The final section summarizes some concluding comments made by the invited experts.

Wireless: ICTs for two-way access to the Internet via satellite

Adequate Internet access is a precondition for participating in ICM frameworks such as the one being considered by CTA. At present, however, connectivity levels in most ACP countries are poor. This situation looks set to change as a new generation of high-tech, small-scale, simple to use and cheap wireless technologies are starting to appear on the market, some of which may provide promising solutions to this connectivity problem. In view of these developments, the 4th Consultative Expert Meeting explored wireless connectivity solutions that might provide CTA's ACP partners realistic options to quickly secure adequate Internet access without having to wait for improvements in the present national telecom infrastructures.

A number of wireless technologies were reviewed during the meeting and these are summarised below. A more detailed treatment of satellite technologies is given in Annex 1.

Cellular/mobile GSM

These are highly popular among individual consumers both the Europe and in ACP countries. However, coverage is restricted to urban (densely populated) areas. Costs of use are high, moreover they currently have limited bandwidth, mostly without data communication services provided by operators. However, SMS (Short Message Service) in view of its popularity may well become a "killer application" comparable with email. For adequate access to the Internet, data cellular telephony is not really a feasible option.

Global Mobile Personal Communication Systems (GMPCS via satellites)

The high hopes that these systems would provide an 'Internet-in-the-sky' have been shattered after the financial difficulties of Iridium, ICO, GlobalStar and comparable operators. GMPCS offer very limited bandwidth and its operational costs are high and is therefore not currently a feasible option for Internet access.

HF radio

This is a technology that is in use for data communication in situations where large distances have to be spanned and where no other alternatives are available - in spite of very low bandwidth and expensive equipment ($ 5,000 per station). HF radio provides an option for "store and forward" email services but for adequate online access to the Internet, it is not really a feasible option.

"Little Leo" Data Satellites

These have limited bandwidth and are only available for 11-15 minutes periods, 5-7 times per day. They have low costs and are appropriate for transferring small amounts of data. Service providers are mainly international development NGOs such as VITA (VitaSat) or HealthNet (SatelLife). As with HF Radio, Little Leo's provide an option for store and forward email services but for adequate access to the Internet, they are not a feasible option.

Data Broadcasting (e.g. WorldSpace)

These are one-way satellite data communication systems that are often used in combination with terrestrial telecom links (uploading via a terrestrial telecom link - downloading via a satellite link). In this hybrid form, data broadcasting certainly deserves a proper assessment of its feasibility for downloading of large volumes of data within the context of new ICM frameworks.

Very Small Aperture Technology (VSAT)

VSAT provides broad bandwidth, two-way data communication systems via satellites, including access to the Internet. In developing countries, these systems are widely used by embassies and branch offices of international corporations, banks and by UN organizations. Until recently, these systems were complex, expensive and difficult to install and operate. Recent developments have resulted in small, 'off-the-shelf' equipment which represents a technically feasible and affordable solution to the current connectivity restrictions that affect most of CTA's partners. These systems are 'stand-alone' and are therefore particularly promising for organizations in ACP countries because they can be operated independently of the national telecom systems. For this reason alone, current telecom regulatory frameworks of many developing countries discourage VSAT systems through the high price of permits and complicated, lengthy application procedures. Nevertheless, this new generation of VSAT systems represents a very promising solution for connectivity restrictions faced by information centres, research stations and other civil society and other non profit organizations that need daily broad bandwidth access to the Internet.

In spite of the very promising new developments in the area of VSAT technology, the Consultative Expert Meeting wishes to caution for any quick optimism. It notes that the field of wireless technologies is a fast moving area and that most technologies should be considered as interim solutions pending broadband Internet access in the future. Nevertheless, the meeting concluded and recommended that:

1. CTA and its partners should start to explore - in operational terms - the feasibility of small scale 'off-the-shelf' VSAT systems for two-way Internet access via satellite. However, the meeting did not recommend this satellite-based system as the universal solution to underpin any ICM framework for CTA and its partners because the connectivity restrictions vary too much from country to country. The application of this system should therefore be considered on a country-by-country basis according to the relevant telecom regulations, ISP market maturity and the available infrastructure (namely, its scalability and accessibility).

2. In exploring the feasibility of the new generation of VSAT systems, CTA and its partners need to consider a number of factors:

   • pragmatic ways in which to accommodate national regulatory frameworks that often discourage the use of two-way Internet access via satellite and to share 'lesson learned' in this field;

   • the sustainability of the technology, including the reliability of the equipment, the availability of local suppliers who can take care of system maintenance, and the dependability of electricity supplies;

   • the financial sustainability of these systems, including implications such as operating costs, licence fees, etc., that would be incurred by institutions in ACP countries; and

   • the organizational sustainability of the applications, including the preparedness of staff to use the technology and the resources that will be required to move staff into an online work environment.

   In making a decision to use a VSAT system, the meeting advises CTA and its partners to ensure that:

   • the vendors provide sufficient capacity building arrangements, such as training on the system's platform (e.g. installation, adjusting default settings etc.), its applications and first-level troubleshooting;

   • the vendors offer reliable and effective backstopping, hardware and application support, security facilities, disaster recovery procedures;

   • the system itself is sufficiently flexible, in that it:

     • meets various needs for data management, feeding and dissemination systems (which may differ from one ACP organization to another);

     • can be made easy to use;

     • will be fully compatible with existing technological environments, both within ACP organizations and in their local environments;

     • satisfies the required capacity, speed, bandwidth, etc.

     • allows several staff members to use the system simultaneously; and

     • meets the specific language requirements of CTA's target groups.

      

   With the introduction of this technology, changes in organisations and the way that they operate are inevitable. The meeting stressed therefore that new regional agricultural information centres may need to be set up, and that different types of relationships with other national and regional partner organizations may need to be considered. The role of the ACP organizations involved may have to shift from being a 'traditional service provider' to a 'facilitator/broker' that can help to develop the capacities needed to generate 'content' and to handle the flood of information arriving from developed countries. Existing ICM systems will need to be redesigned and new structures and procedures introduced in order to move the organization into a fully online work environment.

   To achieve this, the Consultative Expert Meeting suggested that the ACP organizations involved:

   • put aside resources - human and financial - and allocate equipment and office space;

   • integrate old and new activities, and revise budgets for documentation upwards;

   • introduce new or strengthen existing staffing structures to ensure that sufficient qualified manpower will be available to operate the new equipment; and

   • develop among their staff members a wide range of skills in tailoring and repackaging information so that it meets local requirements.

   In order to make this happen, the staff of CTA's partner organizations must be 'brought on board', i.e. they must be convinced of the merits and usefulness of the new set-up and services, and must be prepared to accept the new technology, to accommodate new services, and to cope with the changing workload. They must be at ease with working in an environment that will increasingly rely on online operations.

ICM framework: exploring a model

The Consultative Expert Meeting in 2000 focused on an exploration and assessment of potential ICT policy directions for CTA for the years 2001-2005 and developed a model that CTA and its partners could consider for their future ICM strategy. This year's meeting decided to re-visit this ICM framework and to explore its appropriateness in the light of new insights gained from developments in this fast-moving ICT arena.

Figure 1 - A strategic model of an ICM framework for CTA and its partners

The Consultative Expert Meeting in 2000 recommended that CTA address - within the context of the above model - four principal issues simultaneously:

1. applications of ICTs for delivering CTA's own programmes such as for distributing publications; for communicating with partners; for articulating existing expertise; for networking and building policy platforms;

2. facilitating CTA's partners in ACP countries to use ICTs for downloading and uploading information from and to digital databases at CTA and elsewhere, and applying appropriate 'new' and 'conventional' media for disseminating and gathering information to and from farmers and their communities who have no direct access to ICT-based information and communication services;

3. the use of low-bandwidth technologies (such as email) for intensifying regional and international networking, collaboration and building policy platforms for international advocacy; and

4. capacity building among NAS stakeholders for using ICT applications that will help them to improve the gathering, management and dissemination of information, and to enhance their services to farmers and their associations.

Last year's meeting concluded that the introduction of an ICM framework would provide new opportunities for improving the vertical and horizontal integration of the work of CTA and its partner organizations in ACP countries, and would enable CTA to accelerate a number of innovative programme policies, including:

• the development of ICT-based communication and information services that would allow National Agricultural System (NAS) institutes and organizations to share information and expertise, thus fostering more effective networking and collaboration at the national, regional and international levels; and

• the decentralization of CTA's own communication and information services to its partners in ACP countries, i.e. regional agricultural networks and information services in the private and public sectors.

In re-visiting the model of an ICM framework for CTA and its partners, some of the invited experts to this year's Consultative Expert Meeting argued that the framework was 'underselling' CTA's unique position. As depicted in the diagram, the ICM framework appears to emphasize vertical integration of CTA's information programmes, at the expense of the much needed horizontal integration of information activities of CTA's partners and other NA(R)S organizations in ACP countries.

Unlike other organizations, CTA functions as a sort of 'hub' in an agricultural knowledge network consisting of hundreds of NA(R)S organizations in both the public and private sectors in ACP countries. With its revised mandate under the Cotonou Agreement, CTA could exploit this position more than ever by bringing out the strengths of this agricultural knowledge network and by transforming itself into a pro-active broker between NA(R)S organizations. In this way, CTA could promote and facilitate the horizontal integration of information activities in ACP countries by:

1. establishing forums (both physical and virtual) to articulate innovative collaborative programmes for sharing information; and

2. by facilitating and coordinating the creation of platforms (such as the ICM framework) for the actual management of such horizontally integrated information programmes.

In addition, the invited experts cautioned against setting up new information databases which overlap with those already being managed by the bilateral and multilateral organizations with which the Centre shares the stage. The Consultative Expert Meeting therefore argued that the notion of horizontal integration, if better articulated in the ICM framework, could add substantially to the framework's appeal and value.

This year's Consultative Expert Meeting therefore recommended that:

• the concept of horizontal integration be added to the ICM framework, and that the framework be widened to include explicitly a platform for networking and information sharing among NA(R)S organizations in ACP countries (in addition to its current vertical oriented purpose of facilitating the decentralization of CTA's information services);

• CTA encourage a wide variety of NA(R)S organizations, multilateral organizations and European agricultural institutes to collaborate in true partnerships in the development of the ICM framework itself;

• CTA take the lead in these partnerships by organizing an integrated series of intra-regional and inter-regional (co-)seminars/workshops to which NA(R)S organizations, multilateral organizations and European agricultural institutes can be invited in order to hammer out jointly the philosophy, the design and architecture, and the requirements of an ICM framework as the basis for an ACP agricultural knowledge network.

This year's meeting further suggested that:

• CTA review the nature of its relationships with its partners and, if required, move away from contractual relationships and begin to establish a network of true partnership arrangements. As one expert put it: "CTA has the exceptional opportunity to bring people together [in workshops and (co-)seminars] and to support innovative initiatives with seed money. However, CTA can not be expected to continue to pay for everything; others have to share the burden too";

• ACP organizations become more pro-active with respect to CTA, in order to ensure that any new ICM framework meets their own ICM needs ("of course compromises will have to be made");

• CTA be commended for its plans to transform its address database into a multipurpose contact database, which NA(R)S organizations in ACP countries can use for a wide variety of information and networking purposes, including subject matter professional networks within an ACP agricultural knowledge network;

• CTA encourage NA(R)S organizations in ACP countries to build their own databases, and to link them into the ICM framework;

• CTA explore opportunities to encourage other multilateral and European agricultural organizations to link their existing databases to the ICM platform;

• CTA draw inspiration (and take note of the lessons learned) from innovative web portals and resources, such as the 'Africa Connect' initiative (which uses XML standards in developing a network of African national websites that all link into a wide variety of databases) and the EIARD-InfoSys initiative;

• CTA and its partners pay particular attention to the packaging of 'content from electronic databases' using appropriate (conventional) media that are accessible to farmers, farmers' associations and service organizations;

• CTA itself become the centre of information services and a promoter of ICT capacities, while its partners could focus on developing content, building their own information databases and improving the dissemination of information that is available in ACP countries;

• CTA direct technical skills training (supported by CTA and others) in the field of developing and applying new procedures to generate and disseminate 'content' and to manage and assess new resources and programmes; and

• CTA and its ACP partners consider the development of a search tool in order to improve access from ACP countries to the databases of international organizations such as the FAO, GFAR and IFAD, and European institutes such as KIT, CIRAD or NRI. As part of this approach, CTA could also assess the opportunities to strengthen the existing cooperation with EIARD/InfoSys, or enter into a collaborative partnership with SHARED (a web-resource for medical information relevant to ACP countries).

Concluding remarks

The Consultative Expert Meeting noted that CTA's plans represented a valuable addition to the many international efforts to bridge the digital divide between the "developed North" and ACP countries. For instance, CTA's plans could contribute to the implementation of Action Point 8 ("National and International Efforts to Support Local Content and Applications Creation") of the Digital Opportunity Task Force (DOT Force) created by the G8 Heads of State in July 2000 (see DOT Force report, May 2001 www.dotforce.org/reports).

The meeting emphasized that staff and researchers of CTA and its partner organizations that are directly involved in making a new ICM framework work in practice should become the first customers and consumers of its products and services. Therefore, technical ICT skills training will need to be provided by CTA and its partner organizations (possibly in cooperation with initiative in other sectors such education, health or good governance).

New procedures will need to be developed and applied or generated, and new budget control and reporting schedules may have to be introduced. Realizing a new ICM framework holds both promises and challenges and embarking on its implementation involves much more than selecting a technology which provides a solution for connectivity restrictions in ACP countries. It has to do with (i) organizational changes - to accommodate a network mode of operation; with (ii) a transition to an online work environment, taking calculated risks in employing new (often hardly tested) ICT applications; and also with (iii) common sense and the ability to say 'no' to technology driven solutions which take little account of the realities of ACP organisations' operational environment.

The meeting concluded that a culture of merit and reward for achievement and a network of true partnerships between CTA and its partners lay at the roots of the success of embarking on the challenge of building an ICM framework on which an ACP agricultural knowledge network could be established.

Annex 1:

Internet via Satellite

This paper is based on the presentation given by M. Hegener

Introduction

In spite of the enthusiasm and hype generated over the potential of the Internet for stimulating economic development, lack of connectivity often appears to be the biggest stumbling block in ICT projects in developing countries. This is especially true for agricultural projects because they are often located in places with poor communications and where no cables are to be found. Wireless communication is the obvious solution, and this usually means communication mediated through satellites.

A communications satellite is a complex device in orbit around the Earth, often two stories tall and with a mass of about four cars, that picks up radio signals from the Earth, amplifies them using solar power, and beams them back to a receiving station on Earth. In this way, two or more satellite stations on Earth can communicate with each other without the need for land cables. Satellites are therefore ideal for mediating access to the Internet, provided of course that one of the communicating Earth stations, usually the largest one, is linked to the Internet backbone. The smaller satellite Earth stations are often called VSATs (Very Small Aperture Terminals). Typically, they consist of a dish (0.6 -2.5 metres), a box full of electronics and a PC and are fairly straightforward to install.

In theory, a fast, two-way Internet link using satellite technology can be set up in almost any location within a few hours. In practice, however, there are often two serious limitations. Firstly, the cost: until 1995 a small satellite link (64 kilobits both ways) would cost at least $ 50, 000 for the Earth station (VSAT) and around $ 5,000 per month for the line charges (or more correctly, the "space segment"). Secondly, the difficulty in obtaining permits and their costs: in the past, few countries were willing to allow the free use of satellite communications as they would bypass the infrastructure of the state telecoms monopoly. To compensate for this loss, licences were very expensive if indeed they could be obtained at all.

On account of these limitations, it would serve little to pursue the possibility of connecting to the Internet via satellite were it not for the astonishing developments in the technology itself and a markedly favourable shift in government policy over the licensing of these technologies. Today, satellite technology is a very attractive option for connecting many remote locations.

Discussions about satellite technology are usually technical and often confusing for the newcomer. However, it is useful to distinguish between the technology itself (and the satellite companies), the coverage of the satellites (so-called "footprints") and bandwidth provision (the strategies for providing access to single users, collective access etc).

The Technology

There is always a fixed relationship between a satellite's orbiting time and the orbit's altitude: the lower the satellite, the faster the orbit.

A Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) means that a satellite's orbit is such that the satellite does not move in relation to the surface of the Earth as the Earth turns on its axis. This means the satellite's altitude is 35, 786.1 kilometers above sea level, an enormous distance, equivalent to almost three times the diameter of the Earth. Of course, to be geostationary, the satellite has to turn anti-clockwise as seen from the North Pole and it has to find itself in the equatorial plane.

A GEO can "see" 42 percent of the Earth's surface, but most of them have so-called "spot beams": dish antennas that focus the signal on certain geographical areas and that enhance reception of signals sent from those same areas. The result is that users in those regions can make do with smaller, lighter and cheaper equipment and that the available bandwidth can be used more efficiently. The signal strength is called EIRP (Effective Isotropic Radiated Power) which is measured in DbW (decibel watts).

In any location where you might wish to set up a satellite link - a village, a piece of bush - one satellite operator will have the strongest DbW. Satellite operators publish the DbW value maps of all their satellites and these can be consulted on their websites (e.g. www.loralskynet.com/fleet/euro_star1/es1ft_us.asp, which shows how spot beams are being directed at wealthier areas rather than the poor areas where, arguably, the strong signals are needed most).

Most satellites operate in both the C-band frequency and in the Ku-band, the Ku-band being the usually preferred choice. Of course, to make a final choice, to procure the equipment, to get a licence and to have the dish installed, it's absolutely necessary to bring in expert advice.

A Low Earth Orbit satellite (LEO) can be anywhere between 700 and 1,900 kilometres above the Earth, or at around 10,000 kilometres. (Cosmic radiation belts make orbits between 2000 and 10,000 kilometres hazardous for the solar cells and semiconductors and are therefore not used). LEO's often follow polar orbits, like the Iridium satellites, or inclined orbits (somewhere between equatorial and polar) like the Globalstar and the New ICO satellites. LEO's do not have spot beams and often operate in fleets - just as one LEO disappears behind the horizon, another member of the same fleet passes overhead.

It is unlikely that LEO's will be important for Internet connectivity over the next few years since operational LEO systems like Iridium, Globalstar and Orbcomm do not currently offer fast internet connectivity at a competitive price. But there are a few LEO systems in the making that could be very interesting when they are launched:

• Teledesic. 288 satellites at under 1,400 kilometres altitude; see www.teledesic.com, now scheduled for 2005

• SkyBridge. 80 satellites at 1,469 kilometres altitude; see www.skybridgesatellite.com

• New ICO. 12 satellites at 10,390 kilometres altitude, due to be operational by 2003. New ICO will offer 144 kilobit per second duplex for mobile terminals: simply connect a laptop to the pocket size ICO device, and away you go.

Bandwidth provision
DAMA: Demand Assigned Multiple Access

Satellite vendors are keen to sell point to point connections of fixed throughput and charges because these are lucrative and easy to administer. For many users, however, this is an expensive and rather inflexible solution to opt for.

A different approach is for groups of users, often several hundred users, to share a large chunk of bandwidth and then operate on a "pay as you go" basis. This is the rationale behind DAMA networks. A DAMA network has a central hub station within a particular satellite's footprint. This hub station acts a broker by linking all users of the network to the rest of the world (e.g. the Internet or the Public Switched Telephone Network, PSTN). Various West and East African satellite networks use a hub in South Africa, because South Africa has cable links to Europe and the rest of the world. Indeed, the submarine fibre optic cables SAT-3, SAFE and Africa One will link a whole range of coastal African towns during 2001-2003 so hub stations will be possible there too.

DAMA networks come in two basic flavours: mesh and hub. In mesh networks, each station can communicate directly by satellite with any other station in the network. Somewhat confusingly, a mesh network still has a hub which provides the Internet or PSTN connectivity. In a hub or star network, one station communicates with another station by first going through the hub; a direct connection between the stations is not possible. What this means in practice is that hub networks use more satellite capacity than mesh networks to send a file of the same length. In telephone conversations, this can lead to unnerving delays (so-called "latency") and can slow down Internet communication. However, hub networks do have their advantages:

• the technology is simpler;

• the hub, having a very large dish antenna, can detect far weaker signals than a regular station;

• the hub will amplify the signal before re-transmitting it;

• as a result, the regular stations (VSATs) can be cheaper, smaller, and simpler.

If one is considering bringing Internet connectivity to a particular area, there are two questions which should be addressed:

1. Is a DAMA arrangement available? If not, can another vendor (maybe abroad) sell it?

2. Rather than just setting up a VSAT in one location, is it possible set up a DAMA network by getting in contact with other potential users, with NGO's, with donors or even the government?

In fact, hundreds of ISPs in developing countries work by setting up DAMA networks themselves: they rent satellite capacity and divide it up among their users.

The Problem of Latency

Delays in sending/receiving signals in satellite communications is called latency and is an acknowledged problem with GEO satellites. Being so far from the Earth, it takes a signal a quarter of a second to travel from a station to the hub. When surfing the web, each mouse click is followed by a half a second pause before the response is received (a quarter of a second to send the request, a quarter of a second to receive a response). To complicate matters further, the Internet TCP/IP protocol requires an acknowledgement of receipt after sending each 8 kilobytes (64 kilobits), adding a half a second delay. This places a limit therefore on the maximum speed possible. One way to get round this is to modify the TCP/IP protocol, which is the line pursued by a number of satellite operators. The downside to this is that the satellite Internet connections become to an extent proprietary networks, which goes against the open nature of the Internet. Latency is one of the main reasons why LEO Internet networks are being set up.

For further information, see www.isoc.org/oti/articles/0997/hegener.html or pweb.cs.ru.ac.za/mmcourse/leo/latency.html.

Some new developments

In 2000 the first ready made DAMA networks were being set up in the West by entrepreneurs who did two things:

• they developed satellite communication equipment that was so cheap that it became attractive and affordable to individual end users such as small companies and organisations who wanted fast Internet access, and

• they rented a big slice of satellite capacity on a strong satellite with a footprint that reached interesting potential markets such as Europe or the USA.

In effect they simplified access for potential users: individual users can now participate by buying the hardware and paying a monthly subscription fee without any worries about having to arrange a network themselves. Some systems that are operational today in the West are:

• WebSat (www.web-sat.com), serving Europe, North Africa, the Red Sea Coast, Northern Iraq, Western Iran, and areas in between, via a Eutelsat satellite. Required hardware: two PC cards (one for sending, one for receiving) and a satellite dish of 60 centimetres (a larger dish is needed near the edges of the satellite footprint). WebSat works well with a DbW value of 39 or higher. Speed: uplink (to the satellite) 64 kilobit/s, downlink flexible, maximum 2 megabit/s. Costs: hardware $ 2,000, subscription $ 200 per month including the first 200 megabytes sent or received.

• StarBand (www.starband.com). Similar to WebSat, but reported to be less reliable. Backed by MicroSoft. Available in the USA at the time of writing, but with plans to expand to Europe.

• Tachyon (www.tachyon.net), a system with speeds similar to WebSat, but more expensive with hardware costs of $ 4,800.

One reason for highlighting WebSat - which was demonstrated at the CTA Observatory meeting in Wageningen on May 31 2001 - is the fact that WebSat intends to expand into Africa in the course of 2001. This is a fast and rather unexpected development. They will use the PanAmSat 1R satellite, which has a 48 DbW signal (even higher even in the footprint centre) stretching from Senegal to Cameroon and Chad (www.panamsat.com). In order to venture into Africa, WebSat wanted to be sure of a customer base that would justify renting satellite capacity and setting up a second hub dish near Dublin in Ireland where the first hub is also located. Their web site contains details of African WebSat dealers. No doubt, WebSat will be followed by others, indeed Tachyon has already announced that they want to provide world coverage. It is hoped that prices will continue to drop as new regions are added.

One observation should be made about these developments. The satellite operators are seeing a new market emerging - duplex internet links for end users - and they understand that WebSat and similar systems will of course rent capacity on the best satellites - those with the strongest signals, those best equipped for digital traffic, those with the most interesting footprints, and so on. Therefore, a number of satellite operators are planning new satellites, including:

• Eutelsat (www.eutelsat.org), planning to bring coverage to Africa as well.

• New Skies (www.newskies.com)

• PanAmSat (www.panamsat.com)

• Intelsat (www.intelsat.int)

• Loral Skynet (www.loralskynet.com)

In Africa there is also Rascom, the Regional African Satellite Communications Organisation based in Abidjan. They hope to have their first satellite (to be built by Alcatel www.alcatel.com) up and running in the third quarter of 2003, with 16 Ku-band footprints in Africa, especially to cater for the myriad of small Earth stations that will provide duplex internet links to telecenters etc. It should be noted, however, that Rascom (founded in 1992) has a history of postponing plans and financing it all remains a stumbling block.

Specialised satellites with specialised networks

A few years ago the trend was to design specialsed satellite fleets in order to bring fast Internet connectivity and other services via satellite to very many end users in developed countries, especially to the sparsely cabled areas like the Rocky Mountains in the USA or even the remote areas of Scotland, the assumption being that city dwellers would also use satellite communications if it was fast and cheap enough.

Of the dozens of special, very costly satellite fleets that were announced, only a few serious contenders remain. A number of GEO systems are being developed that promise a number of broadband services such as interactive television, real multimedia data applications, high-quality videoconferencing, multimedia Internet access and radio. These promise an extremely fast Internet connection (hundreds of kilobits per second upload speed, dozens of megabits per second download) for as little as $1,000 for the hardware and very affordable subscriptions. Affordable it will have to be, as these fleets will cost several billions of dollars each and can only be profitable with millions of users. There are two serious contenders worth mentioning: SpaceWay (www.spaceway.com) and AstroLink (www.astrolink.com). SpaceWay will become available in the USA by the third quarter of 2002, and, if successful, plans to expand worldwide for which additional satellites will be needed. Spaceway have declared that their second satellite (or cluster of satellites) will cover Europe and Africa depending, of course, on its success in the USA.

Forthcoming publications

For additional information about Internet via satellite: the International Institute for Communication in Development (www.iicd.org) is publishing a printed brochure about "Internet via Satellite in Africa", with a more elaborate interactive version on their website (expected July 2001). The International Internet Society (www.isoc.org) is also working on a paper about Internet via satellite, to be made available on their website later in 2001.

Annex 2

Programme

Thursday, 31 May 2001

Friday, 1 June 2001

Annex 3

List of Participants

Mr Peter Ballantyne
IICD
Juffrouw Idastraat 11
2502 AN The Hague, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)70 311 7311, Fax: +31 (0)70 311 7322
Email: ballantyne@iicd.org

Dr Isaac Bekele
Deputy Dean, School of Agriculture
The University of the West Indies
St. Augustine, Trinidad, W.I.
Tel: +1 868 663 1334, Fax: +1 868 663 9686
Email: Isaac@trinidad.net

Mr Christophe Brun
Information Systems Officer, FAO/WAICENT
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
Rome, Italy
Tel: +39 06 5705 2135, Fax: +39 06 5705 4049
Email: christophe.brun@fao.org

Dr Jean-Francois Giovannetti
CIRAD-DIST
Avenue Agropolis TA 183/04
34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
Tel: +33 467615846, Fax: +33 467615547
Email: jean-francois.giovannetti@cirad.fr

Mr Mike Jensen
PO Box 101
Port St Johns, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Tel: +27 47 564 1351 or 27 82 574 6035, Fax: +27 47 564 1351
Email: mikej@wn.apc.org

Mr Chris Kamlongera
Director, Centre of Communication for Development
SADC
PO Box 3730
Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel: +263 4 722723/722734, Fax: +263 4 722713/795345
Email: ckamlogera@fanr.sade-co.zw

Mr Mathew Wela Kanua
First Assistant Secretary, Technical Services
Department of Agriculture and Livestock
PO Box 417
Konedobu, NCD, Papua New Guinea
Tel: +675 321 3302 / 321 2271, Fax: +675 321 1387
Email: twainp@datec.com.pg or twainp@hotmail.com

Mrs Jacqueline Nyagahima
Programme Assistant, AfricaLink Project
ASARECA
PO Box 765, Plot 13, John Bahiiha Road
Entebbe, Uganda
Tel: +256 41 321751/2, Fax: +256 41 321126
Email: africalink@swiftuganda.com

Mr S. Naidu
Food and Agricultural Research Council (FARC)
Réduit, Mauritius
Tel: +230 4660143, Fax: +230 454 7026
Email: areu@intnet.mu

Mr Amos Tincani
Head of Unit B/3, DG for Development
European Commission
200, rue de la Loi 1049
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 295 94 44, Fax: +32 2 299 2897
Email: amos.tincani@cec.eu.int

Mr Gaston Zongo
Executive Director, Communities and Information Society in Africa
IDRC/ACACIA
BP 11007, CD Annexe
Dakar, Senegal
Tel: +221 864 0000 ext 2233, Fax: +221 825 32 55
Email: gzongo@idrc.org.sn

Invited Keynote Speakers

Dr Gracia Hillman
President, WorldSpace Foundation
Washington DC

Mr Michiel Hegener
Science journalist, specializing in ICT in Africa
Email: mh@nrc.nl

Moderator

Ir. Rutger Engelhard
Consultant
Nieuwe Mare 23
2312 NL Leiden, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)71 512 7274, Fax: +31 (0)71 71 513 3106
Email: Rutger@contactivity.org

CTA

Mr Carl B. Greenidge
Director

Information and Capacity Development Department

Mr Kevin Painting
ICT Manager

Dr Thiendou Niang
Head

Mrs Dorothy Mukhebi
Project Manager

Mr. A. Koda Traoré
Project Manager

Mrs A. Lisette-Vidal
Project Manager

Information Policies and Partnerships Department

Mr Ibrahim Khadar
Deputy Head

Publications and Dissemination Department

Mr Sam Matsangaise
Deputy Head

Seminars and Studies Department

Mrs Gesa Wessler
Project Manager

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank CTA for the opportunity to help organizing and to moderate this year's Consultative Expert Meeting. He is particularly grateful to CTA's Kevin Painting, who had the overall coordination of the meeting's preparations and after-care and Lucie Scheepers for her invaluable attention to details of the logistics. He would also like to thank the keynote speakers, Gracia Hillman (World Space Foundation), Michiel Hegener, P.S. Shawket (Telecom International & Space Consultancy) and Mike Jensen for candidly sharing their knowledge of wireless communication technologies as solutions for connectivity restrictions in many ACP countries. Last but not least, the author would like to thank the workshop's participants and especially those who generously provided their insights and ideas during a process of e-consultations on ICTs for development that took place in preparation of the meeting.