5. Conclusions and recommendations

5.6.4 E health

deployment because it operates

largely on the basis of cash flow from

The health sector in Ethiopia as in

revenue generation. ETC has not

most other parts of the world lags

exploited the local (or international)

behind other sectors in the country in

capital markets for loans, which could

adopting ICTs. Much of this slow pace

be a ready source of finance for

is associated with a lack of awareness

increasing the pace of rollout of the

among the medical community of the

network. Fortunately access to hard

cost/benefit that underlies the

currency appears not to be a problem,

adoption of new technologies like the

as it is in many other African countries.

Internet. An existing proposed

telemedicine project supported by ETC

Adopting regional type approval of

and ITU has not yet got off the ground,

telecom equipment would reduce

but measures such as this will clearly

delays in adoption of new technologies

help to approve the awareness in this

and decrease the demands on limited

sector. This delay should be

resources within ETA.

addressed, and other measures that

could be considered include:

To provide temporary access for

visitors to Ethiopia and for EthioNet

a)

Develop an awareness campaign

customers travelling abroad it is

to highlight with precise data to

suggested that ETC consider joining

the health sector, the cost and

one of the two major roaming service

benefit relation if technologies

providers, IPASS (www.ipass.com) or

like the Internet are adopted.

GRIC (www.gric.com). These services

operate by using the Radius protocols

b)

Support an annual conference on

to authenticate users remotely and

telemedicine in Ethiopia where

charging a small additional fee

experiences are presented and

(usually about USD 6 per hour) which

opportunities offered by new

is billed back to the user's home

communication technologies are

system, allowing the providers of the

discussed.

roaming service to earn extra income

from roving users. As there are many

c)

Identify, at the international

temporary diplomatic and

level, the institutions that are

international agency users visiting

currently providing support

Ethiopia, EthioNet should be able to

(through soft, long term loans,

derive significant income from the

and philanthropic projects) for

service.

the advancement of e health and

telemedicine in developing

A web based version of the public

nations and solicit their support

telephone directory should be required

for the implementation of specific

by the Telecom operator's licence and

pilot projects in the country.

requested to ETC for the 2002 update.

d)

Incorporate health related

5.8

Other observations

functions, applications, and links

to the Internet connected

The extremely low tariff of the mobile

telecentres that are being created

service (up to 5 times lower than

throughout the country. Promote

many other African GSM providers)

such opportunities among the local

would be worth further study and

health community.

promotion as a case study. The

advantages of not having to pay a high

5.7

General operational

licence fee and excessive interconnect

strategies for ETC and ETA

charges is clearly benefiting the

consumer considerably, but this does

On a financial basis, ETC only pays

not entirely explain why GSM

corporate tax to the Government but

operators in much more competitive

is still limited in its ability to increase

environments in other countries are

expenditures on infrastructure

charging such high tariffs

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