Digital divide and communication satellite services: the opportunity offered by ODA
- Paper number
IAC-18,E3,1,10,x47111
- Author
Dr. Simona di Ciaccio, Italy, Italian Space Agency (ASI)
- Coauthor
Ms. Mirella Fatica, Italy, Italian Space Agency (ASI)
- Coauthor
Dr. Patrizia Sacco, Italy, Italian Space Agency (ASI)
- Year
2018
- Abstract
ICT impact on developing countries economic ambition is well known. As a matter of fact, digital switchover is very high on the agenda in Africa. Seven submarine cable systems since 2009 have transformed the availability of bandwidth in Africa’s coastal regions. Most African countries now have some form of fiber connectivity to one or more submarine cable landing stations. Meanwhile, competition has crashed the wholesale price-per-megabit-per-second by over 80%. These are important gains. Yet, Africa still has very low bandwidth penetration levels. In this contest it increases of significance the opportunities offered by satellites and what they can bring to the timely and cost effective development of the digitalization in Africa. Indeed, in a continent where the deployment of terrestrial telecommunications infrastructures is not always possible or cost prohibitive especially to remote rural communities, satellite is probably the fastest and most effective as well as the most reliable and economical way to distribute content and to instantly connect people everywhere. This opportunity has been well understood by some commercial initiatives: constellations of low earth orbit satellites able to interlock with each other to create a coverage footprint over the entire planet. Small, low-cost user terminals will talk to the satellites in the sky, and emit 3G, LTE, 5G and WiFi to the surrounding areas, providing high-speed access for everyone. The importance of international cooperation for the development of the digitalization in Africa through the services offered by costellations of communication satellites is incontrovertible. The question is how to implement such a cooperation. A possibility is offered by a new phenomen that the OECD is starting to analyse and evaluate, namely the intensification of the link between development aid - “official development assistance” (ODA) - and space applications. These ODA data are very promising and speack of a possible strong increase in the near future. They could well be used for the delivery of satellite communication services in remote areas of developing countries. One project of particular socio-economic impact is the web connection of all schools in the remote areas.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-18,E3,1,10,x47111.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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