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Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 15:00:53 +0200 From: Thandi Mbvundula <ThandiM@eomw.net> To: AFRIK-IT@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE, Gerry Torrence <ROBMIGROW@worldnet.att.net>, sghuter@NSRC.ORG, Elwin Mandowa <emandowa@mindspring.com>, Fadzai Gwaradzimba <fadzai.gwaradzimba@undp.org>, Clement Dzidonu <dzidonu@africaonline.com.gh>, ApampaA@logica.com, Ann Bauer <abauer34@aol.com>, Adeola Oludemi <adeola.oludemi@virgin.net>, A.H.Mvula@mgt.hull.ac.uk, Joyce Stanley <jstanley@legacyfound.org>, Richard Stanley <rstanley@legacyfound.org>, sislev@erols.com, j.kazembe@student.murdoch.edu.au, nyasanet@crosswinds.net, Niamani Mutima <nmutima@hotmail.com>, GISproject@mail.eomw.net, mazloum@malawi.net, hhw@malawi.net, gabro@malawi.net, kankhwende@malawi.net, fdimmock@malawi.net, jrmalawi@malawi.net, nazir@malawi.net, malawicargo@mail.eomw.net, sadp@malawi.net, wam@malawi.net, dean@malawi.net, teklemichael@malawi.net, meunier@malawi.net, shaanti@malawi.net, peera@malawi.net, gkazembe@malawi.net, ijakhura@yahoo.com, jdzuwani@sccgroup.com, britcomm@malawi.net, john_upton@hotmail.com, mjunaid@malawi.net, lloydk@malawi.net, bheda@malawi.net, epi@mail.eomw.net, c-malawi@plan.geis.com, whomalawi@malawi.net, swl@malawi.net, wmkandawire@mail.eomw.net, vnyirongo@yahoo.com, 9917214@rsftew.luc.ac.be, Viola Kamkwalala <vkamkwalala@goSPS.com>, ntnp@interlog.com, JOP99DJL@sheffield.ac.uk, jmetzger@igc.org, jmetzger@usaid.gov Subject: Opening Internet Access in Malawi Dear Friends and Colleagues Some of you may be aware that I have spent a good portion of my time over the last few years contributing to a quest to open up Internet access in Malawi. After a 3 year battle of lobbying, cajoling and very lengthy discussions with contributions from a number of people, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) - an independent licensing authority established according to the new Telecommunications Act of 1998 - has issued the first Internet Service Provision (ISP) Licenses in Malawi. Epsilon and Omega was privileged to receive the first license on Friday 18th February 2000. Currently 9 more licenses have been issued, including those to the existing ISP's, MalawiNet and SDNP (the UNDP funded Internet gateway), which were previously operating without licenses, as there was no previous classification for Internet Services in the telecommunications tariffs. The licenses still have one controversial issue to be addressed, apart from the annual registration fee of US$ 1,000 MACRA has included a 5% levy on net annual operating revenue. This is obviously an issue that is going to undergo heated debates, both from the ISP's and USAID who have funded the Leland gateway. The question is what does this mean for Malawi, which previously only had one, and until more recently two ISP's? This opens the way forward for Malawi to join the rest of the world with competitive options for Internet access firstly through the national gateway installed through the USAID funded Leland Initiative or should one so wish, using a VSAT's. As has been my long-term dream Malawi now has an opportunity to facilitate Internet access throughout the country. Within Epsilon and Omega, I intend to make further contributions to the effective use of the Internet within the country and am working towards promoting more content development in indigenous tongues on the web in the region. One obvious constraint is the status of the telecommunications infrastructure in the country. Malawi Telecommunications Limited (the recently established telecommunications arm of the previous Malawi Posts and Telecommunications Corporation) has been upgrading the national telecommunications infrastructure and are gradually facilitating more reliable digital exchanges throughout the country. The last year has seen Malawi Telecommunications Limited laying a fibre-optic backbone throughout the country to which these upgraded exchanges will be connected. I believe (maybe optimistically) that within the next 3 years, most of the rural exchanges will be in a position to take advantage of these upgrades. This leaves us with the other major infrastructure constraint - power! Unfortunately, Malawi still has a long way to go in terms of providing reliable, stable power, easily accessible in both the urban and the rural areas. There are still a number of further developments in the IT arena, we are currently working on the establishment of a National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy through the Ministry of Information and a number of high-level government representatives are contributing to raising the level of awareness in the country on the potential contribution that IT can make to our national development. I look forward to more exciting developments in this new millenium. Best Regards Thandi Mbvundula Ms Thandi Mbvundula Managing Partner Epsilon & Omega 2nd Floor, ADL House P O Box 31125 Lilongwe 3 Malawi Tel: +265-784444 Cell: +265-824446 Fax: +265-781231 Email: thandim@eomw.net or tpcm@yahoo.com
