Endale Assefa
22 August 2007
Addis Ababa — CISCO, a global leading internet service provider on Sunday said it was set to provide faster broadband services, free of charge, as part of efforts to curb and ameliorate the "broadband" internet connection service rendered by the Ethiopian telecommunication Corporation (ETC).
Briefing reporters on the new service on Monday, on the sidelines of the World IT forum, Director General of the Ethiopian Information Communication Agency Debretsion Gebremichael, said the task was already underway by six CISCO IT engineers who will seek ways of shifting to a new broadband connection in place of the older one aimed with a view to render better quality service to subscribers.
Debretsion said the prevailing problems broadband service in the country which "has become a bottle-neck" to development activities will ease after the completion of the task.
He said CISCO's operation was being done free of charge and the new broadband service is expected to be accomplished and become available to subscribers in less than a year.
The project is hoped to give short term solution to the complicated system problem with the broadband today, Debretsion said, adding the government was working on a more sustainable and long-term solution which he said would take 2-3 years.
The solution is known as the Ring Net or Ring Fiber Optics Solutions, according to the Director General.
"Ring net solutions is a networking platform having improved gate way pipe lines with more routes( could be 2,3 or up to 5) which is capable of rendering high quality, sustainable with better connection service to Ethiopia with the rest of the world," the Director General said explaining on the solution.
He said the system would be able to link government institutions through a "high speed" and "reliable" network capable of providing video, voice, data and internet connectivity services for improving the delivery of services to government institution's community and to the citizens at large.
ETC's service is said to be "fractured" and provides poor access in networking system The Broadband service, a novelty to the country until 2005, was introduced by ETC which "so proudly" announced about the new internet service, inviting clients to subscribe for it.
To the dismay and embarrassment of customers who took the advertisement for granted and hastened to buy the new service, the "broadband" was found to be not any better than the Dial UP connection.
The fact that the so called broadband was too costly was the only difference that was there fro the Dial UP, subscribers' complain.
Broadband service started in Ethiopia in 2005.
According to available information, around 26, 642 subscribers to the service were registered until March, 2006; while a growing number of households, private and government institutions are using the relatively cheaper tariff Dial Up leased line and shared DSL internet service.
The broadband service has also enabled to provide telephone services to some 5000 rural kebeles of the country by March, 2006.
Globally, over 63 million new subscribers of broadband service appear every year and the number of users is estimated to reach 72% by the year 2010, according to a publication prepared by the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporations, 2007.
Studies have shown advancement in use of ICTs in developing nations is a key booster of socio-economic development, as well as the general progress and well-being of individuals and communities.
ICT has been identified as a key factor that determines a country's ability to attain the Millennium Development Goals, such as eliminating poverty, combating serious diseases, improving access to education and providing equal opportunities to women.
ICT experts say partnerships involving governments, regulators and the private sector can offer sustainable and widespread access to the 80 percent of the African population that remains outside the technology platform.
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