SASEC Information Highway Project Design and Implementation

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SASEC Information Highway ProjectDesign and
Implementation

• Regional Workshop on Community e-Centres
• for Rural Development
• 30 October 2009
• New Delhi, India
• Susan Lim, Transport Specialist
• Asian Development Bank

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Objectives

• The SASEC ICT Working Group (ICTWG) established
  in 2003, has identified three most urgent areas
  for improvements in ICT in the subregion (i)
  cross-border connectivity, (ii) rural access to
  information, and (iii) human resource capacity.

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Background

• Approved in December 2007
• The Project consists
• Loan (Bangladesh)
• Grants (Bhutan and Nepal)
• India participates in and facilitates
• TA for four countries
• Effective July 2009

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Implementation Arrangements

• Executive Agencies (EAs)
• The Ministry of Science and ICT - Bangladesh
• The Ministry of Information and Communications -
  Bhutan
• The Department of Information Technology of the
  Ministry of Communications and Information
  Technology - India
• The Ministry of Information and Communication -
  Nepal

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Implementation Arrangements

• Steering Committee
• Secretaries of the EAs
• Project Management Unit (PMU)
• Headed by a project director (joint
  secretary/director)
• A technical expert (project manager)
• An administrative staff
• A representative of service agency

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Implementation Arrangements
EA
Project Management Consultants
guide
engage
Steering Committee
PMU
report
report
observe
report progress
ADB
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Component 1 SASEC Regional Network

• A regional network with fiber-optic and data
  interchange capacity, directly connecting the
  four countries

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SASEC Regional Network
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Component 2Community e-Centers

• A village network expanding broadband ICT access
  to 110 rural communities in the four countries
  and directly connecting the communities for local
  networking and information sourcing

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Component 3SASEC Research Training Network

• A research and training network building
  technical and business skills in ICT,
  particularly in developing local content and
  e-applications for the needs of the poor

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Piggybacked TA

• Grant from ADBs RCI fund
• Assist research and training centers for ICT
  skill and business development

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Implementation Schedule
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Thank You

• Susan Lim
• slim_at_adb.org