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By Emmanuel E. Ekuwem, Vice Chairman/CEO, Teledom International Limited.

Broadband Wireless Access Solutions as a Platform to Bridge the Digital Divide: A real life experience from Africa. By Emmanuel E. Ekuwem, Vice Chairman/CEO, Teledom International Limited. info@teledominternational.com 24, Bamishile Str., (By New World), Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria

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By Emmanuel E. Ekuwem, Vice Chairman/CEO, Teledom International Limited.

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  1. Broadband Wireless Access Solutions as a Platform to Bridge the Digital Divide: A real life experience from Africa By Emmanuel E. Ekuwem, Vice Chairman/CEO, Teledom International Limited. info@teledominternational.com 24, Bamishile Str., (By New World), Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria Tel/Fax: 234 1 4976229, 4976220, 4716398, 7730528, 8129467. School on Digital Radio Communications for Research and Training in Developing Countries 9-27 February 2004, ICTP,Trieste, Italy

  2. Key Words/Expressions •  Process and Progress of Human Civilization • Thoughts and Ideas • Creativity and Productivity • Academia – Universities • Human Resource Development • Data and Information • Resources • Knowledge Pipes – ICT Infrastructure • Access Technologies and Techniques • Sharing of Resources • Elimination of Isolation • Empowerment • Global Competitiveness School on Radio'2004

  3. Thought & Ideas •  Intellectual Ability (IA) = function (Genetic Endowment (GE) + Environment (E)) i.e IA=GE + E • Environment • family – parents, brothers/sisters/relations, wife/husband), etc • school – Day care, nursery, primary & Sec. school, universities, etc) • while in school – teacher.class/hall mates, friends,books,events,etc • larger society – Religious affiliation, clubs, TV, Newspapers, social • outlets, governments, jobs, travels,events, etc School on Radio '2004

  4. The Thought Process •  Thoughts create ideas • Created ides become prevailing ideas, albeit for a while • prevailing ideas provide platforms for new ideas • Mastery of prevailing ideas and the application of same for meeting of needs: • Creation of new ideas either in protest against or in enrichment/advancement of prevailing ideas with potentials for applications: • Mastery of ideas and their potentials: productivity creativity knowledge School on Radio '2004

  5. Epochal Progress of Civilization Stone Age Bone Age • Inter-epoch transition • determined by the quality • of ‘quantity’ of knowledge • ----- impact of IA on • environment. • Succeeding epochs – • richer in knowledge than • the preceeding. Iron Age Steam/ Industrial Age Space Age Information Age School on Radio '2004

  6. Why do we do all these? Mass Whetting of Appetite for Information to boost economic productivity School on Radio '2004

  7. Context1998-1999 Nigeria – With: • Large geographically dispersed land mass. • Population of about 120 million – a restless lot! • Low teledensity. • Poor quality of telecommunication infrastructure. • Low penetration telecom infrastructures, • Narrowband-dominated facilities. • Few private telecom Operators (PTOs) – voice only. School on Radio '2004

  8. Very few ISPs – mostly dial-up. • Insufficient capacity at the National Carrier (NITEL level) – Switching and transport. • 41 large Universities and University centres with city-based multi-campuses. • 35 airports and aerodromes/airstrips. • Tens of banks with mainly dial-up inter-branch networking. • Few Private telecom Operators (PTOs) – voice only. School on Radio '2004

  9. Without: • Second Network Operator (SNO). • GSM Operators. • FWA Operators. • Community Telephone Operators. • Wire Nigeria (Win) Project. • SAT3 optical fibre ring. • etc. School on Radio '2004

  10. Setting • An almighty NITEL! • Not-sufficiently-competent NITEL • Demoralized NITEL • A NITEL in which the federal government was not proud of • A NITEL looked down on by Nigerians School on Radio '2004

  11. Socio-political Scenario • A new democratic dispension! • End of pariah state status • Not proud of its past of military dictatorship • Dire need to re-integrate into the rest of the civilized world • A patriotic and perfectionist presidency • A dynamic citizenry – unhappy with their late arrival in the global digital economic scene. • Popular willingness and readiness to participate in the digital revolution. School on Radio '2004

  12. Converting Digital Divide into Digital Opportunities In the global Information and knowledge-based economy (IKE). • Data and information are a factor of production • The speed and ease with which real-time access to data and information is made as well as the translation of same into productive ventures gives one a competitive advantage in any field of human endeavor School on Radio '2004

  13. Knowledge is power because it empowers! • Think globally act locally • The world for me and I for the world! School on Radio '2004

  14. Missing Link & Digital Divide ”Missing link” = Low Teledensity = Poor Infrastructure Digital Divide = ? School on Radio '2004

  15. The Digital Divide • Digital Divide = Poor ICT Infrastructures + Digital illiteracy • Digital illiteracy = Educational (il)literacy + computer illiteracy. • Digital Divide = Poor ICT Infrastructures + Educational (il)literacy + computer illiteracy School on Radio '2004

  16. Overcoming the Digital Divide • Cable-bridge the divide to improve ICT infrastructures. • Education via tele-education – distance and on-line learning, etc. • Computer literacy School on Radio '2004

  17. Cable-bridging will • Take time • Invade the environment • Not be flexible • Not be fast to deploy and dismantle • Not be fast to re-locate. • Not be rapidly scalable • Not cover large geographic land mass in a sweep School on Radio '2004

  18. Nigeria needed a leap-frogging platform Leap-frogging platform? Launch pad? Stepping stone? Yes! Wireless Access Solutions? Yes! Yes! Narrowband Wireless Access? No! No! The digital divide is not narrow! Broadband Wireless Access? Yes! Yes! Yes! School on Radio '2004

  19. At the beginning of the wireless explosion • All kind of narrow band wireless systems • A few low capacity broadband systems • Broadband Wireless systems arrived late on the scene • Broadband must be really broad Plug and play and not Plug and pray School on Radio '2004

  20. And radio waves tried to blow across the scene, but • Initial reluctance to change • Business loyalties to less powerful technologies • Fear of new capital expenses Constituted a frictional layer to the smooth flow of the breeze • Wireless Technology was clearly an underdog technology at the time School on Radio '2004

  21. From the Rear to the Fore Our Vision: A Nigeria with Wireless facilities providing ‘pipes’ for rapid ICT services penetration of every village, ward, local government headquarter, state capital and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja in order to have a knowledge-empowered citizenry for global competitiveness. School on Radio '2004

  22. Our Mission: To make Broadband Wireless technology the preferred port of call by all seekers after Broadband Access facilities in Nigeria for the utilization of same for national economic development. School on Radio '2004

  23. Strategy + Tactics • Stay totally focused • Smell, drink, dream, yearn, dance, eat, hug wireless • Convince by demonstrations (demos) • Seeing is believing! • Feeling is accepting! • Participate in ALL major or key ICT conferences/summit exhibitions as • Sponsor (for extra visibility) • Exhibitor (visibility) • Resource Person/paper presenter (further visibility, opportunity for further exhibition via demos) School on Radio '2004

  24. Develop a formidable CV by hooking sector leaders: • Banks – • Central bank of Nigeria • Zenith International Bank • Academia – Obafemi Awolowo University • Telco – NITEL • Aviation – Ministry of Aviation/Lagos Airport • Insurance – NDIC • ISPs – Linkserve, Cyberspace, etc • Government – • Federal Secretariat • NITDA • NCC • Presidential Network • Industries - ABB School on Radio '2004

  25. Develop good press Relations • Electronic media (TV, radio, etc) • Print (Newspapers, magazines) • Writing of features articles • Product advertisements School on Radio '2004

  26. High level Contacts • Government • Private Sectors • Academia • Relevant NGOs and Youth Groups • In Nigeria embassies School on Radio '2004

  27. Apply the Wireless products to Good causes: • AgroVisionTM • HydroVisionTM • Aviation • Nigerian Universities Network (NuNet) • Distance and on-line learning for mass literacy campaign • Tele-health • Tele-training, job creation/poverty alleviation • Youth Empowerment • e-government Infrastructure. School on Radio '2004

  28. The Situation today • Avalanche of inquiries daily on wireless products! • All the universities that have implemented a campus-wide wireless LAN projects are using Alvarion! Others are queuing up for the products! • Whoever is worth being called an ISP in Nigeria is using wireless in one form or the other. • A Resource technology to Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC). NCC is one of our clients. School on Radio '2004

  29. Private Telecom Operators (PTOs) go wireless Fixed Wireless operators are wireless SNO NITEL/M-TEL GSM operators are of course wireless School on Radio '2004

  30. Point-to-Multipoint campus-wide wireless LAN using BreezeNet with VSAT-based Internet Access School on Radio '2004

  31. Intra-city Banking Network (Inter-Branch) On-line banking Withdrawal/payment irrespective of branch Intra-bank administration School on Radio '2004

  32. Strategic Partner to National Information Technology Development agency (NITDA) on BWA. NITDA is one of our clients. • Utilized in the Implementation of the Presidential Network. School on Radio '2004

  33. School on Radio '2004

  34. IT Resource Centre City-Based IP Broadband Wireless Local Loop Access Voice and Data (PTOs, FW Operators, ISPs, etc) Nitel (PSTN) • Non Line of Sight • Ubiquitous Penetration • Access Anywhere School on Radio '2004

  35. City/State Capital Broadband Inter local Government trunking from City to Local Government Headquarters School on Radio '2004

  36. Map of Nigeria with VSAT & BreezeAccess Base Stations • FCT, Abuja • 36 state Capitals • 774 LG Headquarters School on Radio '2004

  37. Inter-Tier e-government model INTRA-TIER Model: School on Radio '2004

  38. Inter-Tier e-government model School on Radio '2004

  39. Rush by the FWA operators to contact Teledom for wireless products. • All ICT conferences/workshops/seminar/summit organizers in Nigeria almost always invite Teledom to present a paper on Wireless Infrastructures. • Contacted by many state Governments for State-wide IP wireless INTRANet • National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award by the President and People of Nigeria to the Teledom CEO for his contributions to National Development via High Technology, Innovations and resourcefulness. School on Radio '2004

  40. Tele-Education • Learning where you are School on Radio '2004

  41. Tele-Medicine/Health • medical expertise at your • disposal where you are School on Radio '2004

  42. School on Radio '2004

  43. Dr. Emmanuel E. Ekuwem explains technical intricacies of AgroVision to Mr. President. School on Radio '2004

  44. School on Radio '2004

  45. Phone-in TV Interview on Wireless Access Solutions School on Radio '2004

  46. The Wireless Edge School on Radio '2004

  47. News Paper Headlines School on Radio '2004

  48. Nigerian Telecom Summit: Post-event analysis School on Radio '2004

  49. Newspaper Interviews School on Radio '2004

  50. Adverts School on Radio '2004

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