PROJECT FOR THE CREATION OF A UNIFIED TELECOMMUNICATIONS NUMBERING SPACE IN AFRICA

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  AFRICAN UNION
  UNION AFRICAINE  
UNIÃO AFRICANA

• PROJECT FOR THE CREATION OF A UNIFIED
  TELECOMMUNICATIONS NUMBERING SPACE IN AFRICA
• ----
• Presentation By Dr. Zouli BONKOUNGOU
• Telecoms and ICT Consultant
• AFRICAN UNION
• FTRA 2005 Maputo

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CONTENTS

• I Justification of the Project
• II. Objectives and Beneficiaries of the Project
• III Options and Modalities for the Creation of a
  Unified Space
• IV Implementation methodology
• VI Decision and recommendation from Experts
  meeting March, 22-24 Addis Ababa

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I Justification of the project

• Situation of telecommunications and
  ICT(Insufficiency and disparity in development of
  infrastructures of networks and services, absence
  of common sectoral policy, disparity in the
  quality of basic technical service, plans)
• The search for a powerful symbol of African unity
  and integration

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I Justification of the project

• Lack of solid foundations for cooperation between
  regulators, which can promote the harmonization
  of telecoms and ICTpolicies and regulations
• Absence of Pan-African telecommunication services
  
• Lack of a vast continental market which can
  attract investors in networks and services

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II Objectives and beneficiaries

• 2.1 Objectives
• Stir the interest of telecoms operators to build
  regional federating networks with African
  Internet exchange points
• Promote and step up the harmonization of telecoms
  policies
• Strengthen the interconnection of networks and
  promote the establishment of Pan-African services
• Provide a powerful symbol for African unity and
  integration

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II Objectives and beneficiaries

• 2.1 Objectives(cont.)
• Contribute to strengthening cooperation between
  regulatory organs and officials in charge of
  telecoms and ICT policies and regulation
• Contribute to increasing competition and the
  telecoms and ICT services market in Africa.
• Contribute to reducing the digital divide and
  implementation of the Geneva 2003 WSIS Plan of
  Action SMSI

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II Objectives and beneficiaries

• 2.2 Beneficiaries of the project
• The principal beneficiaries are
• African States
• Network operators and service providers
• Users
• The Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the
  African Union
• Investors in telecommunications and ICT networks
  and/or services

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III Options and modalities for a unified space

• 3.1 Present numbering situation
• Recommendations of the IE Series by ITU
• E164 International Public Telecoms Numbering
  Plan
• E164-1 Procedures and reservation criteria,
  attribution and withdrawal of country codes as
  well as identification codes for geographical
  spaces and special networks
• Supplement 3 and 4 to recom. E164 are related to
  the ENUM Protocol

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III Options and modalities for a unified space

• 3.1 Present numbering situation(cont.)
• b) Geographical space country code
• On the basis of recommendation E164 countries
  received individual international codes
• USA, CANADA, the Pacific Island and the Caribbean
  constituted the North American Numbering Plan
  NANP) with 1
• Countries of the European Union in addition to
  their individual codes recently created in 2000
  the ETNS with 388 3

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III Options and modalities for a unified space

• African Countries
• with Individual
• Codes

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III Options and modalities for a unified space
3.1 Present numbering situation (cont.)

• c) Reserve codes as at 1-03-2004
• Codes with forwarding note(note de renvoi) for
  their use according to E164
• 280 to 288, 289 801 to 809 830 to 839 890 to
  899
• Codes without forwarding note
• 210 to 219 259 292 to 296382 to 384 422 to
  429671 to 699 851 to 859 883 to 889 978 990
  997

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III Options and modalities for a unified space
3.2 Scenarios for creation of a unified space

• a) Creation of a unified space with integrated
  numbering plan
• It would be difficult (obtain the agreement of
  the ITU, other non-African countries have a code
  beginning with 2), costly (harmonization of
  current country plans, denumbering, etc.) and not
  indispensable to achieve the the target
  objectives if we choose to create an integrated
  numbering space with the number 2 like the NANP

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III Options and modalities for a unified space

• 3.2 Scenarios for creation of a unified space
• b) Creation of an African Telecommunications
  Numbering Space (ATNS)
• Like the European ETNS, the ATNS approach
  consists of
• Obtaining from ITU, in conformity with recom.
  E164 a country code (28 or 288) common to the
  group of African countries that will co-exist
  with the current individual codes
• This common country code will be used by
  Pan-African services essentially oriented towards
  ICT

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III Options and modalities for a unified space

• 3.2 Scenarios for the creation of a unified
  space
• African
• Telecommunication
• Numbering
• Space (ATNS)

International code for each individual country
ATNS Code for Unified Space
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III Options and modalities for a unified space

• 3.3 Strategy to create a unified space
• Given that the projects should be in line with a
  long term vision and considering the rapid
  technological and regulatory changes in the
  telecommunications and ICT sector, the creation
  of a unified numbering space may be envisaged
  within a developing framework. The following two
  principal phases are therefore proposed

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III Options and modalities for a unified space

• 3.3 Strategy for the creation of the unified
  space(cont.)
• Phase 1 Creation of the ATNS which will co-exist
  with the current individual country codes
• Phase 2 Development towards an integrated
  numbering plan with the integration of other
  functions

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IV Implementation methodology

• 4.1 Major steps to create ATNS
• Mobilise the required resources
• Obtain the commitment of States for a MoU to
  support the application for the attribution of
  common country codes (group of countries)
• Submit and support application for common country
  codes to ITU

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IV Implementation methodology

• 4.1 Major steps to create ATNS(cont.)
• Carry out studies (technical,legal, commercial,
  etc.)
• Prepare and submit to States an ATNS Convention ,
  Study the structure, functioning and put the
  ATENSA managing organ in place.

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IV Implementation methodology

• 4.2 Institutional framework and organisation
• a) Main actors
• States, RECs, IGOs, ATU, AU
• Network operators and service providers,
  investors
• Rascom, UPAP, ITU, ECA, ADB, NEPAD, Associations
  of Regulators, e-Africa Commission
• Service users/Consumers

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IV Implementation methodology

• 4.2Institutional framework /organisation(cont.)
• b) Elements to consider
• Decision EX.CL/Dec.101(V) of the AU establishing
  an Inter-Institution Coordination Committee
  (IICC) chaired by the AU Commission and made of
  ADB, ATU, RASCOM, RECs, ECA
• Objectives, duties and/or missions (AU Commission
  and ATU)
• Experience acquired by OAU
• Internal pratices and procedures of potential
  funding partners.

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IV Implementation methodology

• 4.2 Institutional framework and
  organisation(cont.)
• c) Decision-making framework
• It consists of
• Meeting of Expetrs
• Conference of Telecommunication and ITC
  Ministers
• d) Operational implementation framework
• The Inter-Institution Coordination Committee
  (IICC) ADB, ECA, RECs, ATU, AU, PAPU, RASCOM,

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Conference of Ministers
IV Implementation methodology
4.2 Institutional framework and
organisation(cont.)

• Meeting of Experts

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IV Implementation methodology

• 4.3 Activities to be carried out
• Setting up the conditions
• Carry out studies and acquire common country
  codes
• Examine and adopt results of feasibility studies
• Organize seminars/Workshops for ATNS
  beneficiaries
• Effective installation of ATNS

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IV Implementation methodology

• 4.4 Required resources and planning
• The key resources required are Experts and
  Miscellaneous services and supplies. The budget
  is 1 5000 000 US
• From the 1st acitivity (meeting of Experts Addis
  Ababa)To the last activity (takeoff of ATENSA
  actitivies and the exploitation of ATNS
  resources) Target planning goes from March 2005
  to Dec. 2006 .Overall time limit for execution is
  from 1 year and 9 months

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V Decision and recommendation from Experts
meeting March, 22-24 Addis Ababa

• The meeting noted
• The complexity of the project and consequently
  calls for a strong involvement of different
  players
• The member state should encourage telecom
  operators and regulators to adhere to the
  project
• The creation of the ATNS while maintaining the
  present numbering plan of each country and the
  evolution of ATNS towards a unified numbering
  plan

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V Decision and recommendation from Experts
meeting March, 22-24 Addis Ababa

• The meeting adopt the Implementation methodology
  and make the follows recommendations
• Elaborate a public relation plan for the
  promotion of the project with a view to
  sensitizing all the players and stakeholders,
  enlisting the support from other regions of the
  world
• Organize an exchange forum through the website

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V Decision and recommendation from Experts
meeting March, 22-24 Addis Ababa

• Conduct sensitization and information campaigns
  during regional or international events organized
  in the sector
• Initiate the necessary contacts for the
  mobilization of resources with a view to
  launching the initial preparatory activities,
  which include the economic studies
• Sensitize ITU member countries, TSB officials,
  the stakeholders in each African State
• Finalize and get the ATNS-MoU signed by the
  maximum number of country.

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ATNS

• I thank
• you for
• your kind
• attention

ATNS CONVENTION
ATENSA