Optimising Internet Bandwidth in Developing Country Higher Education

This 144-page report was commissioned by the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) in 2003 in response to the concerns of partner organisations in Africa, Asia and Latin America that their use of costly Internet bandwidth was not as effective as it could be. The report was prepared with input from eight countries from Africa, Asia and Europe, of which the African countries were Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. A very small aperture terminal (VSAT) network reaching several African countries (Kenya, Gabon, Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda) is featured amongst the case studies. The study draws on in-depth case studies of bandwidth experiences in higher institutions.

The report was written for three main audiences – senior management, librarians, and IT managers. It first identifies access problems in university environments and then explains why access is frequently slow and costly, and how it can be affected by government policies as well as by other regulatory and economic restrictions. Finally, the report identifies how each stakeholder group can influence and improve online access within their institution. For management, the report explains the institutional decisions that need to be made, including the purchase of bandwidth and delivery of Internet services (cable, satellite or wireless).

The question of usage policies is discussed, including enforcement measures and incentives that help to ensure that all users are aware of their responsibilities and how their actions impinge on others. The various possibilities related to charging users for Internet access are also discussed, along with possible revenue generating options to subsidise such services. The report also looks at the roles that librarians need to play in providing Internet access as part of their information services, and what questions they need to ask of ICT and management in order to ensure that their goals are met.

The full report contains eight case studies of Internet optimization. Each gives first-hand experience of bandwidth problems and solutions from various situations (Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; Malawi College of Medicine; the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria network (MIMCOM); University of Zululand, South Africa; University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Makerere University, Uganda; and the University of Bristol, UK).

Click here to view the contents and download them as separate PDFs.

Click here for a summary of the report in English, French, or Spanish.


Click here to order a print version of the report.

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For more information, contact:

INASP

PO Box 516

Oxford OX1 1WG

UK

Tel: +44 (0)1865 249909

Fax: +44 (0)1865 251060

inasp@inasp.info

INASP website