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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Good read regarding EASSy,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> Jim Forster
[mailto:forster@cisco.com] <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, November 08, 2005
7:07 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> vkyalo<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Cc:</span></b> David Ochanda<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: Interesting and
provocative essay on EASSy</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Hello Victor,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Nice to meet you. I've been following and starting to
participate in some issues and activities in networking in <st1:place w:st="on">Africa</st1:place>.
I heard of this essay by Roland Alden and forwarded it to people
that I know that I thought might be interested. I don't have any
particular discussion group for it; I'm sure you're involved in discussion
groups that might be interested in this, so go ahead and forward it and discuss
it as you see fit. I did see a reference to Richard Bell's article
on a Kictanet archive. I hadn't known about Kictanet; those people
might be interested in the essay.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>In September Richard Bell, the founder of Kenya Data Network, wrote a
brief about EASSy, the proposed East African undersea fiber optic cable,
which was critical of the planned financial structure. Now Roland
Alden, a telecommunications consultant, has written a very interesting
and provocative essay on EASSy as well. Here's the opening paragraph:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Just say No to EASSy</span></font></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span class=apple-style-span><font
size=1 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana'> </span></font></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><i><font size=2
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic'>by
Roland H. Alden</span></font></i></span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span class=apple-style-span><font
size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><font size=2
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>African governments and
global institutions like the World Bank are being asked to help finance another
telecommunications project. This one is called </span></font></span><a
href="http://eassy.org/"><span class=apple-style-span><font size=2
color="#003eee"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#003EEE'>EASSy</span></font></span></a><span
class=apple-style-span><font size=2><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> (East
African Submarine Cable System). While more and cheaper telecommunications is
surely needed all across <st1:place w:st="on">Africa</st1:place> , East African
citizens would do well to ask their governments to take a step back from EASSy
and find better ways to sponsor telecommunications projects that will result in
real progress. As it stands today, EASSy could become a giant step backwards
for Africa; and, with a US$200 million price tag, it has the potential of being
an economic disaster <st1:place w:st="on">Africa</st1:place> can ill-afford.</span></font></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<div style='min-height: 16px'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I encourage you to read the rest of the essay at <a
href="http://www.ralden.com/C1/EASSy"><font color="#002fe3"><span
style='color:#002FE3'>http://www.ralden.com/C1/EASSy</span></font></a> and
would welcome your thoughts on this very important issue.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<div style='min-height: 14px'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Thanks,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<div style='min-height: 14px'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> -- Jim Forster<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div style='min-height: 14px'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> Distinguished Engineer<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> Cisco Systems<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">San
Jose</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">CA</st1:State></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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