Greetings Afrik-ITes!

My greatest expectation about Rwanda, my first ever visit, has been
that it would not be at all what newspapers and other sources would
lead one to expect.  No disappointment there.

The Alliance Airline flight from Entebbe was superb, a joint venture of
Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, and some others, twin prop, nice
breakfast, American carriers could learn a few lessons... Kigali airport
was a bit quiet -- a sign advertised free transport to Mille Collines, but
a call to the hotel was curiously indeterminate, look for an unmarked
vehicle and a guy without a sign... OK, I took a taxi.

Two weeks ago a memorandum of understanding was signed with the
Rwandan government, USAID, and UNDP on a joint program to install
VSAT links at the University in Butare and the Technology Institute
in Kigali, with a terrestrial link between them.  Wireless spokes will
then extend from these national hubs to major research institutes,
including the one of interest to my program, ISAR.  Some details yet to
work out, such as the pricing of the spokes.  Ambitious
implementation schedule, by September for the dishes, December for
the spokes.  Stay tuned!

As my own project isn't a "national infrastructure" project, it was great
to learn about these new developments.  We're concerned about the
build out of local networks at ISAR in particular (the Rwandan
agricultural research institute).  It appears the infrastructure project
will place a router at the institute, and then the institute will have the
challenge of taking advantage of it.  We'll think about wireless LANs
and NICs today as we tour the facilities and talk with the Director
General.

The Hotel Ibis (no apparent connection with the French chain) in
Butare is comfortable.  The automatic telephone in the room was quite
a surprise, though the 2400bps link to Kigali was not!

Cheers!
Jeff @ Butare

-----
SETA Corporation Senior Analyst
USAID/M/IRM/CIS: Program Technology Transfer
USAID/AFR/SD/ANRE: AfricaLink
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