Satellite Access in Africa
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2004 Open and Closed Skies… Satellite Access in Africa Policy Reform and Regulatory Issues in Bridging the Digital Divide through Satellite Technologies Open and Closed SkiesForeword Foreword The publication of this Report – an entire nation or region, satellites are “Open and Closed Skies: Satellite Ac- a valuable tool for establishing links cess in Africa” – takes place during a throughout the Continent. Even now, period of momentous change on the Africans who formerly were counted African Continent. Privatisation, strate- among the “have nots”, are being pro- gic liberalisation, and the establishment vided with satellite-based communica- of separate regulatory authorities are in- tions, either via stand-alone services or creasingly apparent. Further, national in combination with complementary Administrations and regional inter-gov- technologies such as GSM, Wi-Fi and ernmental groups of regulators have fibre. begun moving toward harmonised tel- This Report examines how satellite- ecommunication regulations and poli- based systems are being successfully cies. This is in order to facilitate ex- provided throughout Africa and analy- panded access to voice, data and video ses key contributing factors, including services, to help bridge the “Digital regulation and policy, bandwidth and Divide”. systems availability, end-user considera- Accompanying these trends are nu- tions, and more. Conversely, the Report merous technological improvements highlights what challenges remain to that are being applied by the private be addressed before the full potential sector to telecommunication systems. of satellite-based solutions can be real- Some of these enhancements have re- ised in Africa. As such, the Report sulted in lower-cost digital solutions, serves as a practical guideline for all and this has begun to have a favourable stakeholders with an interest in expand- impact on the extent to which services ing African’s access to Information and can be made available to end users, in- Communication Technologies. ! cluding those living in both Develop- ing and Least Developed Countries – as well as remote areas. Hamadoun Touré Satellite-based communications are Director notable in this regard. Because of their Telecommunication Development Bureau inherent ability to provide coverage of International Telecommunication Union Published by DS Air Limited 1 Langhurstwood Road Horsham West Sussex RH12 4QD United Kingdom email: [email protected] Tel: +44 1403 273973 All editorial contents Copyright © 2004 IDRC all rights reserved OPEN AND CLOSED SKIES: SATELLITE ACCESS IN AFRICA 1 Open and Closed Skies Open and Closed Skies: Satellite Access in Africa 2 OPEN AND CLOSED SKIES: SATELLITE ACCESS IN AFRICA Open and ClosedAcknowledgements Skies Acknowledgements Front Cover: Photo courtesy of Hughes Network Systems This report was made possible through sup- nications Consulting and Stephen Esselaar of port from the International Development Re- LinkCentre. search Centre of Canada (IDRC). As part of its The report also draws upon recent work programme of assistance for developing coun- conducted by the International Telecommuni- tries, IDRC has carried out a Pan-Africa Satel- cation Union’s Study Question 17-1: “Satellite lite Survey and selected country case studies regulation in developing countries”, the that provides the basis for this report. The re- GVF’s “Satellite Policy & Regulatory Guide- port supports the Catalysing Access to ICTs in line”, a World Bank-funded report conducted Africa (CATIA) programme of the U.K. Depart- by DeTeCon International for the African Vir- ment for International Development (DfID). It tual University (AVU) on “Low Cost VSAT Tech- draws upon a broad base of experts and re- nologies and Licensing Regimes”, as well as sources in the field of communications, both legal expertise from Squire, Sanders & in Africa and throughout the world and was Dempsey and Coudert Brothers, and consult- prepared by a drafting group led jointly by ing by Access Partnership, COMSYS, DeTeCon, David Hartshorn and Mike Jensen. Key contri- DTT Consulting, Euroconsult and Northern Sky butions were made by Geoff Daniell Commu- Research. Project funding provided by copyright holder Contact: www.idrc.ca Supporting the DfID project Connectivity Africa Team Contact: Contact: Claire Sibthorpe, Programme Manager Heloise Emdon Catalysing Access to ICTs in Africa Senior Programme Officer Atos KPMG Consulting, Block F Administratrice de programmes principal Gillooley’s View Office Park Southern Africa Satellite office 1 Osborne Road, Bedfordview c/o Development Bank of Southern Africa South Africa PO Box 1234, Halfway House 1685 Tel: + 27 11 607 8296 Gauteng, South Africa Email [email protected] Tel: +27 11 313 3086 Fax: +27 11 313 3086/3796 Research led by Contact: David Hartshorn, Secretary General, GVF, 2 Victoria Square, Victoria Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 3TF, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 1727 884 739 E-mail: [email protected] OPEN AND CLOSED SKIES: SATELLITE ACCESS IN AFRICA 3 OpenContents and Closed Skies Table of Contents Foreword 1 Map 2 Acknowledgements 3 1. Satellite Communications: Bridging Africa’s Last and First Mile 8 1.1 Project Overview and Summary 8 1.2 The General Context: Promoting Access to Information and Communications in Africa 10 1.3 The Potential for Satellite Communications in Africa 12 1.3.1 Relevant Content and Applications 12 1.3.2 Affordable and Available Bandwidth 12 1.3.3 Telecommunication Policy Reform 13 2. Satellite Communications: The Tool 18 2.1 Applications for Satellite Services 18 2.2 The Demand for Satellite Communications in Africa 18 2.2.1 African Enterprise: Small, Medium and Large 18 2.2.2 Domestic and Residential Satellite Demand 23 3. African VSAT Regulation Today 28 3.1 National Experiences in Satellite Regulation and Policy 29 3.1.1 Nigeria Case Study 29 3.1.2 Algeria Case Study 32 3.1.3 Tanzania Case Study 34 3.1.4 Implications of Three-Country Analysis 36 4: Challenges & Solutions: Satellite Regulatory Guidelines for Africa 40 4.1 Optimising the Regulatory Framework 40 4.2 Strategic Liberalisation in the VSAT Sector 41 4.3 Liberalisation and Universal Access 43 4.4 Creating Transparency 44 4.5 Streamlining Licensing 45 4.6 Licensing Fees 47 4.7 Addressing Commercial or Local Presence 49 4.8 Technology Neutrality and Convergence 49 4.9 Managing Spectrum 50 4.10 Optimising Equipment Certification 51 4.11 Achieving Content Neutrality 51 4.12 Enforcing Compliance 52 5. Global Regulatory and Policy Trends 54 5.1 WTO: Making Satellite Commitments 54 5.2 GMPCS-MoU: Implementing The Arrangements 55 5.3 ITU Radio Regulations: Coordinating Satellite Services 55 5.4 Tampere Convention: Mitigating Disasters 56 4 OPEN AND CLOSED SKIES: SATELLITE ACCESS IN AFRICA Open and Closed SkiesContents 6. Toward National and Regional Strategies in the African Context 60 6.1 Regional Trade, Regional Economy, Regional Policy 60 6.2 TRASA: Southern Africa: 14 Administrations, One Region 61 6.3 WATRA: The West African ‘Hub’ 62 6.4 EARPTO: The Regional-Licensing Opportunity 63 7. Where to From Here? Mapping the Future of Satellite Regulation In Africa 66 7.1 The European Experience: Harmonising 46 Regulatory Regimes 66 7.2 CITEL: Harmonising Satellite Regulations in the Americas 68 7.3 CATIA: Supporting the Development of Satellite Regulation in Africa 8. Conclusions 72 Glossary 74 Expanding teleconnectivity into economically emergent regions will accelerate growth (Copyright: Charley Lewis) An Ethiopian cyber club - it’s never too early to start getting online! (Copyright: Mike Jensen) OPEN AND CLOSED SKIES: SATELLITE ACCESS IN AFRICA 5 Satellite Communications Bridging Africa’s Last – and First – Mile Section 1 Open1. Satellite Communications:and Closed Bridging Africa’s Skies Last – and First – Mile Satellite Communications: Bridging Africa’s Last – and First – Mile 1.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY regulations that more effectively facilitate their being mainly used for post and telecommuni- It is now widely recognised that access to in- use. Many national policies in Africa still re- cation organisations (PTOs), multinationals and formation and knowledge through affordable strict the delivery of services through private large corporate branch offices. But now, with communications represents a significant op- satellite systems. Although restructuring of the terminal prices below $2,000, and subscrip- portunity for social and economic develop- telecommunication sector is now gaining mo- tion fees of $100/month, there are new oppor- ment, for regional cooperation and integration, mentum in the region, most countries in Af- tunities for ubiquitous deployment of low-cost and for increasing the participation of people rica continue to be protective of their mo- satellite services to small businesses and con- in the emerging global information society. nopoly national telecom operators. However, sumers. This means there is an important need Addressing deficiencies in access to low-cost the use of satellite can actually be a comple- to facilitate access to these solutions by imple- communication services is therefore now re- ment to emerging national and regional back- menting “Open Skies” policies, adopting blan- garded as an urgent imperative for improving bones2. ket licensing and other regulatory reforms. the quality of life in African communities, es- Currently there are few African regional To eliminate time-consuming bottlenecks pecially in remote and rural areas where the policies on satellite services