EX Summary of African Bandwidth Paper -Mike Jenson

Summary Points of this Mike Jensen white paper

• Most of Africa is as yet unconnected to the global
  fibre backbones.


• Optic fibre is the only way to supply sufficient international
  low-cost bandwidth.


• As elsewhere, the limited fibre that has been laid in
  Africa is not competitively priced, and uses business
  models developed by cartels of monopoly telecommunication
  operators.


• A cable planned for the East coast of Africa (EASSy)
  which will have a major impact on bandwidth availability
  in the region, was being developed as a club
  of mostly state monopoly operators with high prices
  and low volumes in mind.


• The strategy for the deployment of an open access
  model for EASSy is in the process of being legislated
  by policy makers in the region.


• The adoption of a low-cost open access model for
  EASSy would likely have a major impact on the way
  new fibre projects are planned in other regions in
  Africa.