AFRICA

BDT has pledged a total contribution of some US$ 500’000 for 5 MCT pilot projects in Benin, Mali, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda. This programme is to be implemented within the BAAP P9 and the framework of the UN Special Initiative for Africa, in partnership with national partners, UNESCO and IDRC, each of who have pledged matching contributions to this programme. Other agencies are now joining.

BENIN

Project site: Malanville. Duration: 3 years. Starting date: End 1998 (to be confirmed)

International partners: ITU, UNESCO/DANIDA, IDRC and possibly CIDA. UNDP/SDNP has developed a complementary proposal for a project in Benin and expressed the intention to participate in the pilot project (not yet defined).

National partners: OPT plus concerned Ministries and local authorities

Status: Project Document not yet finalized. Draft proposal, including preliminary business plan, received in 1997, following ITU missions (preparatory assistance). A joint ITU/UNESCO/IDRC/UNDP (SDNP) mission together with representatives of potential local partners visited Malanville in April 98 and reported that local authorities and user groups are very enthusiastic. A local project committee has been established and local authorities have offered to contribute to the project by providing land and building.

A joint IDRC/UNESCO mission was also undertaken to Cotonou and Malanville in August 98 to assist in finalizing the project document (report not yet available).

An ITU consultant carried out a mission to Benin in September/October 98 with the task of assisting in the planning and specification of the VSAT system for the MCT in Malanville (preparatory assistance funded by BAAP P9).

MALI

Project site: Timbuktu, Duration: 3 years. Starting date: 1 December. 97 (delayed to January 98).

International partners: ITU, UNESCO/DANIDA, IDRC, FAO, WHO

National partners: SOTELMA, National Commission for UNESCO, Ministère de la Culture et du Tourism

Status: Project Document signed (by all the above partners, except WHO and local authorities) in December98/January 99. Since then FAO has joined the project. FAO has a community radio project which may be complementary to the MCT pilot project. WHO has expressed the intention to join.

National executing agency: SOTELMA. SOTELMA will initially be responsible for the operation of the MCT. By the end of the pilot project, the intention is to hand it over to the local authority/association and/or that it be operated by a franchisee.

The National and local steering committees have been established. A national project co-ordinator was appointed in October. As part of the start up activities, a workshop was organized in Timbuktu in May 1998 to develop training plans for the various user groups. Some 40 representatives, consisting of local Malian partners and user groups, participated in the workshop.

The MCT is now operating in temporary premises in an underused wing of the local hospital, while awaiting the construction of a building, provided by the local community, to be located in an attractive setting in the centre of Timbuktu. The existing Domsat link Timbuktu - Bamako will be upgraded to handle a leased 64 kbs line to the MCT.

Short-term international volunteers have been active in helping to install PCs and to establish the network. They are also providing the local community with training and on how to use personal computers and Internet applications such as e-mail and the WWW. A Web site has been established for the Timbuktu project (hosted on a server in Bamako).  

Evaluation (see Uganda below).

MOZAMBIQUE

Project site: Mahnica and Namaacha, Duration: 4 years. Starting date: end 1998
International partners: ITU, UNESCO/DANIDA, IDRC

National partners: Eduardo Mondlane University Informatics Centre (CIUEM)

Status: Feasibility study and development of project proposal with tentative business plan done by national team with members from CIUEM, TDM (Mozambique Telecommunication Company) and social sciences, funded by IDRC and with support of the Mozambique Acacia Advisory Committee Secretariat (MAACS). Project approved by IDRC (?) will be revised after planned round-table meeting with partners.

SENEGAL

The ITU is currently studying a proposal to set up a series of Multipurpose Community Telecentres in small towns and rural areas in Senegal. Other agencies like CIDA and the World Bank have expressed interest.

TANZANIA

Project site: Sengerema, Duration: 3 years. Starting date: 1999.

International partners: ITU, UNESCO/DANIDA, IDRC (and possibly CIDA)

National partners (proposed) Tanzania Telecom Company Ltd., Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science, Technology & Environment (COSTECH), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Peoples Communities, local Government, Open University in Tanzania, Hospital and Health organizations in provinces/area, Local industries and/or sales offices in Tanzania, DATEL

Status: Project Document still to be finalized. Initial proposal received 1996. Revised draft proposal received in 1997 following joint ITU/UNESCO mission (preparatory assistance). A joint ITU/UNESCO/IDRC mission together with representatives of potential local partners visited Tanzania to assist in finalizing project document in September 98.

UGANDA

Project site: Nakaseke, Duration: 3 years. Starting date: 1 Oct. 97 (delayed to January 98).

International partners: ITU, UNESCO/DANIDA, IDRC, British Council

National partners: UPTC, Uganda Public Library Board and Uganda National Commission for UNESCO

Status: Project document signed (by all the above partners) in December98/January 99.

National executing agency: National UNESCO Commission in collaboration with other national partners. However the telecom infrastructure required to link the Nakaseke MCT with Kampala will be executed by Uganda Telecom Ltd. (UTL former UPTC) and a separate agreement with ITU is being developed which will stipulate how they will use the ITU contribution allocated for this purpose.

National and local steering committees have been established. A national co-ordinator has been appointed. The Nakaseke sub-county council will initially own the MCT.  After three years, transfer of ownership to a private entrepreneur is envisaged.

The Uganda Telecom Ltd. (UTL) is providing the telecommunication link to Nakaseke, waiving the justification in terms of economic potential and financial viability normally required. The cost of this link will be partly covered by the ITU contribution allocated for this purpose. The link is expected to be in operation by December 1998.

The local council provides the building for the MCT, currently being refurbished and secured.  The council will also be responsible for providing local assistants and ensuring maintenance. A small branch library based in the Telecentre is already stocked with donated books and the IDRC, within the framework of its Acacia programme, will fund the implementation of 4 additional MCTs in Uganda that will be linked to Nakaseke pilot project.

The Nakaseke Multipurpose Community Telecentre is expected to start operating by the end of 1998.

Evaluation

Following an initiative by the BDT, a common framework for evaluation of the MCT pilot projects is now being developed collaboratively by the three main partners in the African pilot projects. A first attempt to use this was made by sending a consultant (funded by BAAP P9) to Suriname in May/June 98.

It is envisaged to contract a consultant firm to assist in the refinement of this framework, develop tools, train local counterparts and undertake a baseline study in Uganda and Mali before the end of 1998.

Similar allocations have been made for the Mali project and it is envisaged to pool these resources in order to use the same consultant firm for both projects. A proposal for execution has been received by a US based NGO by name of PACT. The framework and tools developed for Mali and Uganda could then be used also in other MCT pilot projects.

AMERICAS

HONDURAS

Project site: Valle de Angeles Duration: 3 years (approx.) Starting date: End 1998

International Partners: ITU, UNESCO, and UNDP/SDNP

National partners: Hondutel and local authorities

National Executing Agency: Hondutel

Status: Draft project document prepared and reviewed by Hondutel (now being revised)

ITU has funded a study of the network for MCTs in Honduras and the preparation of a prototype web page for the MCT. Round table meeting with potential partners held in June 98. (preparatory assistance)

HAITI

Site, duration and starting dates not yet defined

Feasibility study for an MCT pilot project, funded by ITU being carried out in August 1998 (report will be available in October).

SURINAME

Project site: Brownsweg and Gujaba Duration: 1 year. Starting date: January 1996

International partners: ITU, Dutch Government, Berocan International, Canada Northern Telecom (in kind), UNESCO (complementary project), WHO (to be defined)

National partners: Telesur, concerned Ministries and NGOs

Status: First phase, including the base line evaluation May 98 (report pending).

ASIA & PACIFIC

BHUTAN

Project site: Jakar Duration: 3 years. Starting date: October 1997.

International partners: ITU, UNESCO, FAO, WHO and bilateral agencies (Danida and Dutch) have expressed their intention to participate. Telemedicine equipment (X-ray scanner and software) offered by Japanese supplier. IDRC is implementing a complementary project aiming at the establishment of an Intranet in Bhutan and will collaborate in capacity building.

National partners: Division of Telecom, Bhutan. Other proposed partners include the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and the hospitals in Jakar.

National executing agency: Telecom Division, Royal Government of Bhutan. National Co-ordinator appointed.

Status: Feasibility study carried out with ITU assistance in 1996. Project document signed by RGoB in May 98. The project started in 1997 on the basis of exchange of correspondence between the BDT and the Division of Telecom, implying mutual acceptance of the project.

Equipment has been purchased and will be installed in November/December 98. Mission to identify telemedicine applications carried out in 1997. The MCT building is being refurbished. Training will start at this time and the MCT will be connected to the Intranet to be implemented with assistance from the IDRC.

INDIA

Project site: 12 MCTs in rural villages in the Rajkot, State of Gujarat. Duration: 3 approximately years Starting date: End 1998 (tentatively).

International partners: ITU, UNESCO. Other international partners who have indicated intention to participate include FAO, WHO and CIDA

National partners (to be confirmed): Department of Telecommunications (DOT), India: and State Government of Gujarat: other proposed partners include National Diary Development Board, Worldtel, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Health and the hospitals in Rajkot.

National executing agency: DOT or State Government of Gujarat (to be defined)

Status: Feasibility studies and business plan, including project proposal was prepared with minimum ITU support and submitted in 1997. Following a roundtable meeting with potential partners in May 1998, the project document now being revised. A draft MOU has also been prepared and now awaiting comments national partners.

MALDIVES

Feasibility study and preliminary project proposal carried out in January 98 under BAAP P9. Four islands tentatively short listed.

VIETNAM

Project site: Two MCTs in villages in the Dac Lac province, two MCTs in villages in the Ha Bac province. Duration: 3 years. Starting date: March 1998.

International partners: ITU, Sida, Sweden, Ericsson, Siemens, Sagem. UNESCO, FAO, WHO, UNIDO and International Red Cross/Red Crescent have expressed their intention to participate.

National partners: DGPT/VNPT and local partners. Other proposed partners include Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and hospitals in the concerned regions and Ministry of Science and Technology.

National executing agency: VNPT

Status: Agreements with Sida signed in 1995 (for preparatory assistance) and 1997. Project Document signed by ITU and DGPT, Vietnam in February 98. National project coordinator appointed.

Networks for the two regions are being planned in collaboration with suppliers (private sector partners). Preliminary plans for development of services and applications have been prepared with assistance from international partners. Mission to identify telemedicine applications undertaken in 1997. Mission of 3 ITU experts (review of work plan, project planning and telemedicine applications) will take place in October 1998. Vietnam plans to convert post offices throughout the country to become MCTs in a longer perspective.

EUROPE

ROMANIA

Project site: Balotesti. Duration: 3 years? Starting date: 99?

International partners(proposed): ITU, UNDP

National partners (proposed): ROM Telecom, Prisma supermarket

National executing agency: ROM Telecom (to be confirmed)

Status: Feasibility study and business plan, including project proposal was prepared by ITU consultant under BAAP P9 in November 1996.