The national backbone network, which will be replacing WoredaNet, is the foundation for all ICT projects and help to deliver highly specialized skill services such as health and education
ADDIS ABABA (ENA)–Aiming at increasing internet gateway capacity, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology set to replace the old WoredaNet with the latest version of national backbone network ICT infrastructure.
This was disclosed during a workshop organized the Ministry on 23rd January to discuss on the government initiative to enhance national core network and competing infrastructure among stakeholders.
Opening the discussion, Innovation and Technology Minister, Getahun Mekuria (PhD) said that in terms of speed, connectivity and capacity of the internet in the country the ICT structure is low as compared with the number of population in the country.
◌ ALSO: Ethio ICT Village: Ethiopia’s Information Technology Village first phase construction completed
The national backbone network aims to replace the old WoredaNet, which is current government network used to connect the nine regions, two city administrations, 950 Woredas and other sites, through enhancing internet gateway capacity, he added.
Dr. Getahun He pointed out that the Ministry intends to increase internet getaway capacity and replacing the existing WoredaNet by national backbone network to give reliable and cost effective internet service to the public.
The current estimated internet gateway capacity of the country is 40 GB per second. Hence, it is planned to increase internet gate way capacity from 50 GB per second to at up to 10000 GB per second after two years, he stated.
The initiative also aims to enhance the capacity of National Data Center of the country even if the center is found in good performance, he indicated.
Website manager of the Ministry, Dawit Birhanu said the need for high capacity national backbone network in the country is because it is fundamental engine for a robust national economy.
The national backbone network is the foundation for all ICT projects and help to deliver highly specialized skill services such as health and education, he added.
Declining cost of routers, architectural simplifications as well as Ethiopia’s significant long haul fiber development with a good coverage having over 22,000km total long haul fiber are some of the opportunities to accomplish the national backbone network project, he indicated.
The National Data Center hub also helps to activate multiple services for all government institutes and provides better security, he noted.
WoredaNet is a terrestrial and satellite-based communications network that provides Internet connectivity and allied services such as video conferencing and messaging to federal, regional, and woreda-level government entities in Ethiopia. WoredaNet seeks to establish a multi-service Internet Protocol (IP)-based system using broadband and very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) infrastructure for government communications and e-government service delivery to citizens. WoredaNet aspires to optimize federal and regional government administrative efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity, and provide information on e-government services to the public.
Source: ENA