Opening to the world and uses, the stakes of new telecommunications for Madagascar

The minister of new technologies, Augustin Andriamananoro, wants to bring a taste of Bangalore to Antananarivo.  The imalaka project has been inaugurated at the national telecommunications institute in Antanetibe Ivato. “One can reach a fast and lasting development through the use of NTCC in the domains of healthcare, governance and education “, announced the minister. 

Telemedecine is presented by the telecom ministry as one of the main stakes of Madagascar’s access to high speed networks. “This technique will allow saving lives “, entrusted minister Andriamananoro. In education, the connection of the country’s different universities is being planned, namely with the possibility to follow courses at a distance. 

This videoconferencing technique will be used in governance. The Malagasy Republic’s presidency, in Iavoloha, will be connected to another African institution in a country part of the same network. Thanks to the Pan African e-Network, the Malagasy chief of state will be able to communicate in live with 53 of his or her African counterparts. This vast project is being financed with 130 million dollars. 

The institute in Ivato Antanetibe is going to welcome a high-standard training center in data processing and telecommunication. “We are going to provide to the Malagasy sons the possibility to acquire an internationally recognized graduation without having to leave the country”, explained Augustin Andriamananoro. Such a specialized center requires important means to operate, over 20 000 euros per year. 

The minister of new technologies is betting on quality thanks to cooperation with the prestigious university of Bangalore, an absolute reference concerning technicians and engineers training in data processing. “Many Malagasy technicians will be trained to master technologies “, he enthusiastically said. 

The imalaka project enjoys a partnership with the Indian government which provides technical and material support. The strong tie with the Asian data processing giant is not a hazard. The ICT general manager within the ministry’s technology department has Indian origins, it is much unprecedented in Madagascar, as much as the appointment of a woman for such role. Mrs. Salma Hassanaly is a marketing expert who has been working in the internet sector during the latest years. 

Operators in Madagascar are still waiting for the new law on telecommunications to exploit the very high speed network. Orange has already connected the Great Isle to the Indian ocean’s sister islands. The internet and the telecom giant is expecting to connect the fibber optic in Toamasina to Antananarivo where most uses are concentrated. Such operation should be discussed since Telma’s national backbone is already insuring the Antananarivo-East Coast connection. 

Infrastructures replication is not advised by the ICT national policy. The stake of the common network exploitation policy and indeed the constitution of a dense network to cover the whole national territory will be paramount when the very high speed will be distributed. Orange has been being ready since September 2009. Telma will have to wait again for 2010, and blame the slowness of a consortium of no less than seventeen countries in between.