[APCPress] SAT3 media briefing Tuesday 24-07-06

[Frederic Dubois]

Dear journalists and editors,

We´d like to invite you to a press conference that will be held at the
end of the workshop: SAT3: What happens when national monopolies end,
and what does this mean for policy-makers and regulators? Africa has
some of the highest international bandwidth prices in the world and
the existence of the SAT3 cable has not really helped reduce them

This is the first time that Government policy-makers and regulators
from countries along the route of the SAT3 fibre have come together to
discuss the issues raised. There will be a statement from participants
at the press conference and an opportunity to talk to the organisers
of the conference.

The press conference will take place at 17h15 at the Indaba Hotel,
William Nicol Drive, Fourways, Johannesburg - tel +27 11 840 6600 -
fax +27 11 840 6614 http://www.indabahotel.co.za

Could you please RSVP by e-mail or phone: Anriette Esterhuysen on 083
456 3224 or Coco on +27 083 264 2243. Email: anriette at apc.org

Below is a short press release announcing the event and attached is a
background briefing paper with an explanatory map showing the route of
SAT3 on the western side of the continent. Feel free to reproduce the
map but please credit the source: Paul Hamilton, The Acacia Atlas,
IDRC.

We hope that you will be able to attend and look forward to meeting
you.

Yours sincerely

Anriette Esterhuysen, APC


PRESS RELEASE

JOHANNESBURG, 21July 2006

Government policy-makers and regulators come together for the first
time to look at how Africa can get cheaper international bandwidth on
SAT3 cable

In June 2007 the national monopolies the African SAT3 members granted
themselves will come to end. On Monday next week, Government policy-
makers and regulators from along the route of the SAT3 fibre will come
together for two days to discuss the issues raised.

Up until now, the price of international fibre bandwidth has either
been the same as or only slightly higher than that offered by
satellite operators. For high volumes of traffic, fibre ought to be
cheaper.

The development of the EASSy fibre project for the eastern side of the
continent has been accompanied by a discussion of who will get access
to the capacity and how can this be achieved as cheaply as possible.

SAT3 is the subject of a (confidential) international shareholders
agreement that binds the parties involved. Also those countries whose
traffic has to cross other countries to get to the SAT3 landing
stations are affected by pricing decisions made in another country.
Policy-makers and regulators have it within their power to address
monopolies and the pricing issues they create in a number of different
ways.

In the case of the proposed EASSy cable, Government policy-makers and
regulators were able to create a policy climate that looks set to
ensure that the mistakes of the SAT3 consortium are not repeated. The
end of the national monopolies in June 2007 provides an opportunity to
examine how best to deliver cheaper international access prices on the
western side of the continent. This forthcoming workshop looks at how
best this might be achieved.

The workshop has been organised by: APC (Association for Progressive
Communications), AFRISPA (African Internet Service Providers´
Association), CATIA (Catalysing Access to ICT in Africa), CRASA
(Communications Regulators Association of Southern Africa) and
Balancing Act with the support of the Open Society Institute and the
Open Society Institute of West Africa.

Visit www.fibreforafrica.net for additional information.

ENDS

CONTACTS
Russell Southwood, Balancing Act or Anriette Esterhuysen, APC

TEL NO
Russell Southwood Cell: +44 7973 561 987
Anriette Esterhuysen Cell: +27 83 456 3224

E-MAIL ADDRESS
russell southwood <editorial at balancingact-africa.com>
anriette esterhuysen <anriette at apc.org.

Note to the editor

Along with this press release there is a background briefing paper
that provides more detail about the issues that will be discussed.
Please feel free to use this information in whatever way you like.
Also there is an explanatory map showing the route of SAT3 on the
western side of the continent. Again feel free to reproduce the map
but please credit the source: Paul Hamilton, The Acacia Atlas, IDRC.

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