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TRIP REPORT USAID Mozambique Bilateral Programs and AfricaLink Maputo May 18-22, 1997 Jeffrey A. Cochrane July 24, 1997 The USAID/AfricaLink Advisor visited Maputo, Mozambique, primarily to observe a workshop held at the University of Eduardo Modlane, conducted by SANGONeT of Johannesberg, and sponsored by SACCAR. While in Maputo, discussions were held with staff of USAID/Maputo concerning their bilateral programs and possibilities for collaboration with the more regional activities of AfricaLink. USAID/Maputo has employed Enrique Portillo as the local Leland Initiative Coordinator to oversee the installation of infrastructural improvements providing high-speed access to the Internet for retail Internet service providers. The Mission expressed interest in assuring that access to the Internet be extended to the broadest possible cross-section of the population. It is expected that the Mission will dedicate a member of staff for the next two years or so to oversee the complicated issues of Internet access. A Leland Initiative Memorandum of Understanding was agreed with the Mozambique government in October of 1996, and it was expected that the Leland Initiative would have equipment in place for an Internet international link at the national telecommunications company offices by March. That equipment was in customs at the time of the visit to Mozambique, and installation and full operations were expected by the end of June. This will be a 128kbps satellite link, that will be branched to three local ISPs, each having a 64kbps link. Note that one of the three ISPs is partially owned by the national telecommunications company, TDM. Note that an additional satellite link already exists, funded by a Dutch agency, serving the University with a 64kbps link. Also, the IDRC's Acacia Initiative has expressed an interest in funding telecenters in Mozambique. A brief meeting was held in Johannesburg after leaving Maputo, during which an IDRC representative asked for details of USAID activities and ways Acacia might take advantage of them. Mr. Portillo estimates that an additional $100,000 is required to install an additional satellite-serviced international hub in a second city. The purpose would be to extend effective Internet access to other regions. Financing will be complicated because of problems with the credit system locally, and a feeling on the part of many vendors that all such projects should be funded in advance by donors. Discussions focused on how the more regional interests of AfricaLink's Southern Africa Program can be integrated into the nationally oriented program of the Mozambique USAID mission. AfricaLink has targeted the Mozambique members of regional research committees, who are typically in head offices of key research institutions. USAID/Maputo would quite naturally like to see that access extended to research stations distributed around the country. By linking the two efforts, remote research stations are tied into the global network. Motivation will hopefully come from national leadership that have already been introduced to Internet technologies through their AfricaLink affiliation. Top priority for the Leland Initiative Coordinator is the infrastructural program. Completion of major tasks in that regard is expected within the next few months, at which point attention will be turned to issues of access. Persons Visited: USAID/Maputo Enrique Portillo, Mission Leland Initiative Coordinator Timothy Born, Program Officer Richard Newberg, Agriculture Programs IDRC/Johannesburg Kate Wild

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