Alcatel has initiated the "Bridging the digital divide" program allowing to combine forces and foster synergy among telecom and IT suppliers, as well as among financial institutions and related government bodies in order to spur the modernization of telecom infrastructures in developing countries across the world.
Alcatel`s initiative in bridging the digital divide is focussed in three main areas:
* Diffusion of ICT know-how, via training programs, usage invention and pilot projects -Network solutions, using leapfrogging technologies, project catalysts and business modelling
* Value creation by project subcontracting, software house creation, and building training activities.
As an important tool in this bridge building, Alcatel is participating in major satellite programs Eurostar and Rascom, as well as the SAT3/WASC submarine optic fiber project linking coastal West Africa, from Capetown to Dakar, to Europe.
SAT 3 will be the backbone express route between Africa and Europe, upgradeable when demand warrants, to 120 Gbit/s. The Director of SONATEL`s International operations summed it up perfectly when he said "it will allow our enterprises to compete in an international environment".
Rascom, the satellite project sponsored by many pan-African countries, will connect people virtually anywhere on the entire African continent to telephone, Internet or broadcast media, complementing and re-inforcing existing network facilities by providing interconnection Gateways. Village Empowerment Terminals (VET`s) will be the next generation VSAT`s, ready for pilot operations as soon a s mid 2002.
Access Technologies will provide local leapfrogs using standard technologies - GSM, GPRS, IP, Broadband WLL and ADSL - to new users over fixed or mobile services, wireline or wireless, narrow- or broad-band, voice or data.
Broadband access will be particularly appropriate for community access, creating cyber cafes as demonstrated on the Alcatel stand.
The mobile infrastructure can be used to reach extended areas, whilst satellite solutions will bring fast Internet access and VoIP everywhere.
To learn more about how Alcatel is helping build bridges over the Digital Divide, visit the Alcatel stand in Hall 2 at Gallagher Estates.
Tomorrow: Re-inventing Internet usage.
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