The UbuntuNet Alliance aims to enhance affordable high-speed connectivity for African researchers and educators to facilitate intellectual property generation and strengthen collaboration within the global research and education community. Key strategies include developing national research and education networks (NRENs) across Africa, securing sufficient bandwidth, and fostering interconnections. Progress includes advancements in member NRENs and significant reductions in connectivity costs over the past five years.

1. UbuntuNet Alliance www.ubuntunet.net Information for Change: Securing affordable high speed connectivity and efficient ICT access and usage for African Researchers and Educators F F Tusubira, CEO - ceo@ubuntunet.net

2. Content.. Why the Alliance? Strategy Progress Prognosis But first a submission: Publishers are key stakeholders and should support research and education networking

3. Why the Alliance? Our thesis.. “ Improved and affordable regional and international connectivity will enable African researchers to generate a proportionate amount of intellectual property goods to achieve parity with the rest of the world” Note – this is predicated on change in attitudes and behaviour

4. Why the Alliance? UbuntuNet Alliance Overall goal : Enable an environment… African Education and Research Institutions can exploit their full potential.. contributing to national and international human development…increasing contribution to, and share in intellectual property output… effective national, regional and international collaboration. Principle Objective: Integration of African institutions into the global research and education community through provision of intra-African connectivity and enabling access to sufficient and affordable bandwidth.

5. Strategy: Some Strategic Priorities (2009 – 2013) Develop National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) in Africa – e.g. KENET; Sufficiency and affordability of bandwidth; Increased interconnections among NRENs within Africa and to the rest of the world. Increased and effective support for regional content (includes research) networks.

6. Strategy: UbuntuNet Backbone Vision Note the African Indian Ocean Wave (AI-Wave)

7. International Connectivity - SEACOM and TEAMS landed and operational Map: Thanks to Steve Song. www.manypossibilities.net

8. Progress: Membership Status

9. Progress: Status of the Member NRENs Formal REN, fairly advanced network and sufficient bandwidth: South Africa Formal REN and underlying operational infrastructure: Kenya, Sudan, Malawi, Uganda Formal REN but not operational: Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, DRC, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Somalia REN in formation: Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Burundi, Angola, Mauritius, Djibouti

10. Progress: Some NREN Initiatives South Africa: 10Gbps on SEACOM at $20m for 20-year IRUs (less than $10/Mbps per month over fiber lifetime) KENET: 155Mbps on SEACOM; Donated 600Mbps on TEAMS (but with high related costs) from government RwEdNet: 155Mbps donation from government on SEACOM to London (not operational yet) RENU: Working on 10Gbps connectivity on SEACOM with USAID and IEEAF

11. Progress: UbuntuNet Current Operations (1) Internet SEACOM 155Mbps Géant UbuntuNet, London UbuntuNet, Johannesburg TENET/ SANReN KENET Swaziland Lesotho SEACOM 10Gbps Namibia Botswana MoRENet

12. Progress : Where are we with costs? 5 years ago: 1+1 Mbps per month typically $6,000, often higher. Now: 1+1 Mbps per month typically $1,000. Current trends for educational institutions (especially South Africa): 1+1 Mbps per month less than $100 Europe, USA, etc: 1+1 Mbps per month <$15

13. Prognosis: We are creating the future of research and education networking.. “ We know that we have it in ourselves as Africans, to change all this [the challenges we face ]. We must assert our will to do so. We must say there is no obstacle big enough to stop us from bringing about an African renaissance.” Nelson Mandela Thank you