1. (Satellite, fiber and Wireless) INDIA – AFRICA UNION ICT Initiative
Pan African e-Network
(Satellite, fiber and Wireless)
INDIA – AFRICA UNION ICT Initiative By
V. PONRAJ
Director (Technology Interface)
President’s Office
Rashtrapati Bhavan
NewDelhi –

2. PAN-AFRICAN NETWORK – Proposal
“…In honour of Indo-Pan African partnership our Government has decided to provide seamless and integrated satellite, fiber-optic and wireless network connecting 53 African countries for Tele- education, Tele-medicine and e-services. This will connect 5 Universities, 53 Learning centres, 10 Super specialty hospitals and 53 Patient-end locations in rural areas… Pan-African Parliament can form task teams for the speedy and smooth implementation of the program. We can jointly work together…”
His Excellency Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
The President of India
During the inaugural session of the Second PAN-African Parliament session of AU on 16 Sept 2004

3. SCOPE of PAN-AFRICAN NETWORK
53 PAN-African countries are to be connected through Satellite, Fiber optics links.
The network will primarily provide
tele-education, tele-medicine
Internet, videoconferencing and VOIP services and
Supports e-governance, e-commerce, infotainment, resource mapping and meteorological services Connectivity.
Heads of States Connectivity - Internet, VOIP and videoconferencing.
$50 Million budget for its installation, initial operation and maintenance for 3 years.

4. PAN-AFRICAN NETWORK – Overall Architecture
VSAT Network
53 Heads of States Network
Voice Over IP
Video Conference
Internet
HUB
Tele-Education
53 Learning Centers
5 Universities
(3+2)
Tele-Medicine
53 Remote Hospitals
10 SSHs
(7+3)
Common Outbound
1 mbps (Broadcast)
( ) kbps (Return bandwidth)

5. SCOPE of PAN-AFRICAN NETWORK
It is proposed that out of 53 telemedicine terminals, 43 are fixed terminals installed in Remote Hospital and 10 are mobile terminals installed in mobile vans.
10 Super Specialty Hospitals will have the capability to provide the Continuing Medical Education (CME).
5 Tele-education studio’s with post production setup, Non-linear editing facility at each of the universities and the appropriate Data centers.
The network is designed to have 169 terminals and a central hub to deliver the services mentioned above.
Use of INTELSAT/Other till INSAT capacity is available through RASCOM
The Pan-African Hub will be linked with Indian Universities and Super Speciality Hospitals through Under-Sea Cable (Fiber Optics).
The probable countries that have technical merits for establishing VSAT hub are Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Botswana.
Will be operational by 3rd Quarter of 2006

6. PAN African - Heads of States Network
Connecting 53 countries Heads of the state and national parliament
VSAT based connectivity
Enables Virtual Meeting and discussion
Collaboration
Secured File sharing leading to e-governance
VOIP Network
Multimedia interaction
INTELSAT 904 – 60degree/
RASCOM Satellite
University
University
University
HUB Station
PAN Africa

7. PAN African - Tele-Education Network – Overall Architecture
INSAT 3A
INTELSAT 904 – 60degree
University
University
HUB Station
Ahamedabad
India
VSAT Hub at Selected PAN-African Country
Three African Universities
connected to HUB through 2 mbps broadband/VSAT
53 VSAT based Remote Virtual Class Rooms in 53 Countries
University
University
ISRO Hub at Ahamedabad
Two Universities
connected to ISRO through 2 mbps broadband
University
HUB Station
PAN Africa
SAT-3/WASC/SAFE CABLE ROUTE

8. PAN African - Tele-Education
CONNETIVITY
Satellite, Broadband, Wireless Communication
Provides a highway for reaching Quality Education to all
Tele-Education Delivery System
Digital Library integration
Content management
Internet Resource availability
Remote Virtual Classroom
Cost effective Connectivity
Universal Tele-education System
Multi-Class Environment
Seamless – two way connectivity
Synchronized multi-media delivery
Collaborative environment
A remote teacher can become a teacher to all remote Virtual Classrooms
Unique, Innovative and Creative Content and assimilation through animation
Lectures
Laboratory
Library
Books
Internet
Quality Content Generation

9. PAN African - Tele-Education Network Tele-Education Delivery System
5 Universities
53 remote Virtual Classrooms
Easily scalable
University Studio
Internet B a y N e t w o r k s
Broadband
Remote Class / Teacher
Remote Class / Teacher
Remote Class / Teacher

10. PAN African - Tele-Education Network Architecture requirement
SAT-3/WASC/SAFE CABLE ROUTE
HUB Station
PAN Africa
Bangalore
India
INSAT 3A
INTELSAT 904 – 60degree
University
Indian University Studio /Data Centre
Africa University Studio /Data Centre
Africa University Studio /Data Centre
2 Mbps
Return bandwidth From
53 Remote VSATs each
Min 384 kbps – Max 512 kbps
Min 4 simultaneous link at a time
Unicast /Multicast support
2 Mbps
2 Mbps
2 Mbps Fiber/VSAT
SAFE Cable - Min 4 MB – MAX 8 MB
VSAT Hub at Selected PAN-African Country
Three African Universities
connected to HUB through 2 mbps broadband/VSAT
53 VSAT based Remote Virtual Class Rooms in 53 Countries
Indian University Studio /Data Centre
Africa University Studio /Data Centre
2 Mbps
Uplink bandwidth From HUB
Min 5 mbps – Max 10 mbps
Broadcast /Multicast
DVB/IP
53 PAN-African Countries will be connected through VSAT Terminals in one identified location per country for setting up Remote Class Rooms

11. Tele-Education System
PAN African - Tele-Education Network – Studio Configuration (Teacher End)
Internet
Tele-Education System
University Studio
Teacher PC
Tele-Education System
Data Centre
Data
Tele-Education Server
(Tele-Education/ Content Management/ Digital Library Server Software)
Web Server/ Application Server/ Data base Server
Clustered /Load balanced
Audio Mixer
Video Switcher
SAN S/W
PP/NLE
Backup Library
Video
SAN
Storage
NAS G/W
Audio

12. PAN African - Tele-Education Network – Remote Classroom Configuration
Student End
VSAT based Remote
Class Room Configuration
INTELSAT 904 – 60degree
University
Remote Class rooms are connected through VSAT for each PAN-African Countries
VSAT/IDU/ODU – 2.4 mtr C-band
Switch/ Personal Computer
Web Camera/ DVCAM
Video Capture Card
Wire Less Mike, External Speaker
LCD Projector
Remote Class Room – Tele-Education Software
384 kbps – 512 kbps return bandwidth
University
University
HUB Station
PAN Africa
SAT-3/WASC/SAFE CABLE ROUTE

13. PAN African Network – Tele-Education ( Data Centre and Remote Configuration)
Router
MODEM
Internet
University DATA Center
NAS
Gateway
1 TB
File Storage
Block I/O
SAN
Storage
SAN S/W
10/100/1000 S/W
Central
HUB
Fiber
Cable
Remote 1
Remote 2
Remote . . N
Web Server Cluster
Application
Server cluster DB
Server
53 Remote Virtual
Classrooms in
53 PAN African
Countries each

14. PAN African Network – Digital Library
Tele-Education System

15. Virtual University - Through Universal Tele-Education
Universities
Other Institutions
International
Institutions
CORE COMPETENCE
Central HUB of all
Universities
Coordinate
Organize
Schedule
Broadcast
Manage
Maintain
Infrastructure - Storage
Delivery through
E-learning
Tele-education
Remote Class rooms
Online Tele-Education
Virtual Interaction
Live sessions
Effective Two way
communication
Synchronized
Multimedia
Collaboration
Identification of Experts
Content Development
Content Generation
Content Workflow
Content Deployment
Delivery through
e-Learning
Tele-Education
Digital Library
Affiliated Colleges
Study Centres
Learning centres
Individual Students
Village Panchayat
Knowledge Centres
Beneficiaries
VSAT for Remote
Access, BROADBAND
FIBRE OPTICS to
to connect major cities
WIRELESS for Last mile

16. PAN-AFRICAN NETWORK (Satellite, Fiber Optics and Wireless)
TELE-MEDICINE
Fiber - Backbone
VSAT - for Remote access
Wireless - for Last mile
Super specialty hospitals
Pan-African
VSAT Hub
Patient end hospitals
10 (3 India +7 Africa) Super specialty Hospitals in the Cites; 53 Rural Health Centers

17. TELEMEDICINE VIA SATELLITE
Remote Hospitals
Video Conferencing
Pathology
Cardiology
Super Speciality Hospital
Reaching the un-reached
Extension education for Doctors in rural/remote areas
Rural/
Remote/ Inaccessible
Panel of Doctors

18. A typical Telemedicine Centre in operation
in Southern India

19. TELEMEDICINE Station in India
Video-Conferencing Unit
Tele-Medicine Unit
A typical Telemedicine Centre in operation
in Southern India

20. TELE-MEDICINE Configuration
Patient-End Configuration
C Band Antenna and ODU
VSAT IDU
(IP Based)
LAN Switch
Multimedia Computer
Other Medical Devices
12 Lead
ECG
IP Based Videoconferencing
Equipment
Printer
Video Screen/Projector
for CME
UPS
VOIP phone

21. TELE-MEDICINE Configuration
Doctor-End Configuration
C Band Antenna and ODU
Multimedia Computer
IP Based Videoconferencing
Equipment
LAN Switch
VSAT IDU
(IP Based)
VOIP phone
UPS
CME
Facility
Telemedicine Server

22. TELE-MEDICINE Configuration
CME Configuration
Ethernet
Switch
TV Monitor
2.4m/3.8 m Antenna
& ODU
LCD Projector
Video Camera
(Common for
TM & CME)
Document
Camera
Microphone
2 Nos
VSAT Modem
Telemedicine
Computer A V M I X E R

23. PAN-AFRICAN e-NETWORK - Status
India Submitted its proposal to African Union by MAY 2005
African Union has constituted a Technical Committee to study, review and suggest during JUL 2005
AU Technical Committee consists of 21 organisations from AU and other world wide institutions such as AU, WHO, ATU, ITU, AVU, NEPAD, RASCOM, URTNA, UEMOA, INTIF, PAPU, ECCAS, IGAD, CONESSA, ADB, CTO, WHO etc had detailed deliberation with the representatives from the Government of India (Ministry of External Affairs, President’s Office, ISRO, TCIL and IGNOU).
AU Technical committee recommended for the projects adoption.
In its recommendation to AU, the committee observed that Government of India has provided a great proposal which is in line with the mission and objectives of the African Union and provides tremendous potential for achieving the MDG (Millennium Development Goals) through the use of innovative ICT.
Signing of MOU between AU and India is in process and it is expected to be completed by OCT 2005 and then the project starts and will be completed with in 12 months time.