Transcript Document

Development of Telecom
Networks in Africa
Brian AYRES
CEO, GlobalNet Inc.
[email protected]
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Media
• Continuing our discussion of
yesterday, there are 2 main
media used by telecom
networks in Africa that
interest us:


Fiber optic cable
Satellite
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Geographical Availability
• Fiber optic (terrestrial) – in certain
cities/countries.
• Fiber optic (undersea) – at coastal
locations in West Africa.
• Satellite – everywhere.
• The two media are generally
complementary.
3
Bandwidth availabilty
• New Skies

Virtually none
• Intelsat

None to Africa on certain satellites
• SAT-3



Currently used 20 Gbps
Upgrading to 40 Gbps.
120 Gbps is the limit
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Reliability
• Fiber

Excellent but subject to the response
time of the PTT in time of outage.
• Satellite


Excellent but subject to outages of a few
minutes for a few days during eclipses
twice per year.
This morning’s comments on VSAT
availability.
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Developments (1)
• Fiber Optic Cable, undersea


EASSy (NEPAD)
IWTGC
• Fiber Optic Cable, terrestrial

Rail, pipeline
 CBG
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EASSy project
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IWTGC
• The submarine cable system will run
from Portugal to Cameroon along the
coast of West Africa and will link
Nigeria, Benin, Liberia, Senegal, Cote
d'lvoire and Ghana.
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Developments (2)
• Satellite

New
 RASCOM
(2006)
 NSS-8 (2006)
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RASCOM – C & Ku band
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RASCOM – Ku band
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RASCOM – C band
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NSS-8 Transponders
• 36 x Ku-Band
• 56 x C-Band
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NSS-8 C band West Hemi
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NSS-8 Ku band spot beam
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NSS-8 European spot
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"TRUTH and technology will
triumph over BS and
bureaucracy."
• Rene Anselmo, founder of PanAmSat
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Dog Spot
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Mergers

Intelsat and PanAmSat
Fleet of 53 satellites
28
from Intelsat, 25 from PanAmSat
Good news – economy of scale
• Better prices§
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Fiber Optic vs Satellite
• Is there a choice?

Not necessarily.
only satellite available – go satellite.
 Maybe fiber less expensive – go fiber.
 Maybe

They are complementary.
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Fiber Optic vs Satellite (2)
• Is a homogeneous network
necessary?


It is not even possible at the moment,
unless it is satellite.
Why should it be necessary?
 Why
not use the best of fiber and satellite?
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Fiber Optic vs Satellite (3)
• Pricing




Is satellite more expensive than fiber?
SAT-3 Fiber: $3.7 / kbps in Cameroon.
Fiber pricing in other countries?
Satellite pricing $2 to $6, depending on
satellite, beam, etc.
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Thank you for your attention!
• Brian Ayres
currently based at GlobalNet Guinée
[email protected]
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