DEPLOYING ICT FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT

1. DEPLOYING ICT FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (A CASE STUDY OF KOGI STATE) A PRESENTATION BY LINKSERVE LIMITED AT e-NIGERIA 2005, IN ABUJA.

2. INTRODUCTION • The Internet has revolutionized the world like nothing before. The invention of the telegraph, telephone, radio, and computer actually set the stage for this unprecedented integration of capabilities. The Internet is at once a world-wide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for information dissemination, and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their computers without regard to geographic location. • The Internet today is a widespread information infrastructure, whose influence reaches not only to the technical fields of computer communications but throughout society as we move toward increasing use of online tools to accomplish electronic commerce, information acquisition, and community operations. • Globally, ICT, particularly the Internet has been identified as very useful in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In Africa it is also seen as being very useful for driving the regional vision of NEPAD and the national vision of NEEDS. • In recent times, the government commenced moves to put to operation e-governance in the country. Already some states of the federation realizing the usefulness of ICT in development particularly in the rural areas have started the deployment of ICT in their states. A good example is Kogi State, which has deployed Internet services powered by Linkserve in its 21 Local Government Areas. • But before we talk more about this drive, let me briefly tell you who Linkserve is.

3. Linkserve: Who are we? • Linkserve Limited is the first company to commence Internet Service provision in Nigeria. Incorporated in 1996, the company commenced operations in 1997 with IP connection to the Internet offering full Internet services to the public in real time. • Over the years, Linkserve have remained the first, foremost and leading ISP in Nigeria. • The company has a National Satellite License (VSAT), National Internet License as well as a Pre-paid Card Calling License. • In 2003, Linkserve made IT history when the country again when it became the first Nigerain ISP to acquire a VSAT Internet Hub of its own in the United States of America. The significance is that Linkserve now guarantees its customers 99.95% uptime on service as well as limitless options in terms of rapid deployment of superior, well managed and competitively priced end-to-end VSAT solution. • The company has also broadened the robustness of its carrier capacities through the following: • -Acquisition of more E1 lines. • -Doubling of bandwidth by 50% for Dial-Up customers • -Multiple VSAT nodes for redundancies and sophisticated multiple connections • -New partnership initiatives; an enhanced Network of service supporters and technical partners. • From its 2003 management financial statement, the company’s profit and cumulative profit reserve position rose by double-digit points. Turnover improved by 10% over previous period, while cost of service had been controlled to give a net profit margin of 35%. • Linkserve has offices in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, with presence in the 36 states of the country, as well as some West African countries such as Ghana and Liberia. • Its clientele base cut across financial institutions, foreign missions, NGOs, the oil sector, government establishments, and manufacturing sector, among others. • The company has also partnered with the Ministry of Education towards establishing leveraging and building capacity through education in the country.

4. Kogi State experience • The focus of the deployment in Kogi state was among others to: • Provide fast and reliable real time access to the Internet backbone via a dedicated VSAT link • Provide link availability of 99% • Provide a cost effective solution • BENEFITS

5. THE LINKSERVE ADVANTAGE • Linkserve has its own HUB in the USA and is building one in Nigeria • The network has CIR (committed Interface Rate) Bandwidth configuration, making it possible for customers to go beyond their subscribed bandwidth. • It is a Dedicated Bandwidth Network. • Linkserve’s Bandwidth is provided by Newskies Satellite NSS-7. Some of the features NSS-7 offers: • complete coverage of Latin America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East from a single location;  • connectivity from the heartland of the Internet to the edge of the Web; • high-powered Ku-band coverage

6. NETWORK DIAGRAM

7. BENEFITS • *This project is expected to reduce most of the manual processes in government’s transactions within the state. • It will aid e-Governance in the state. e-Government is a core part of the drive to improve and modernize government and this will bring about greater transparency, as it would provide access to information on how monies are spent, contracts are awarded. • *Bids could also be done online, thus removing elements of time wasting. • *Also, trips taken by citizens to check the position of their files in government offices will be reduced. This will save cost and remove the risk involved in traveling from place to place. • *With the recent introduction of WAEC online, this project will also help Kogi state citizens in easily accessing information on the processes of WAEC. • *It has also created awareness of Information technology to the people, and it also generates revenue and employment. • *Remote areas with or without telecommunication facilities NITEL lines / other PTOs and cyber cafés, can now communicate freely via the Internet and make calls to anywhere in and outside Nigeria at affordable rates using Linkserve VSAT Solution. • It would increase access to information for educational institutions in the state. • It will improve communication within and across the state. • It will increase the economic standards of the state as e-commerce and be actively practiced. The potentials of the state can be better promoted.

8. THE END THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION