BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS
Some possible infrastructure investments
Some possible infrastructure investments
These are estimated costs, including some
options, of possible infrastructure projects. These costs are included to underline
the significant cost of connecting Mongolia to the Internet backbone. At this
time, this project, the ICT Action Plan, should not expect to receive significant
funding for direct infrastructure development. However, other developments,
such as the railroad fiber optic connection and extension of the national telecommunications
grid by TelecoMongolia, could provide the necessary infrastructure to establish
the connection to the Internet backbone. The advantages to Mongolia of so doing
would be considerable. The proposals made in this action plan could be instrumental
in encouraging Government of Mongolia decision-makers to seek such a connection.
International telecommunications infrastructure
- 2.2 Mbps satellite connection: USD 22,000
B 30,000 / month
- Fiber optic links along the railroad
to China and/or Russia. Cost may be high and permissions may not be given,
but the Mongolian part of the link will exist shortly.
National telecommunications infrastructure:
some options
- Use existing VSAT and X.25 connections.
Cost would be minimal for email and low bandwidth connections if the public
corporations that own these facilities agree to make them available as is,
at little or no cost.
- DirecPC (400Kbps) connections for downlink
($50 / month, $ 350 installation) for community access centres with access
to data (128Kbps) or dial-up telephone connections (33.6 Kbps) across the
country. May be compatible with use of existing telecommunications infrastructure
but this technology is only available in the Eastern part of Mongolia because
the satellite footprint does not extend to the Western reaches of the country.
- Enlarge existing dedicated VSAT connections
and extend to all Aimag centres and selected other locations, about 25 sites
in all: $800 B 3,000 / month for 64-128Kbps full duplex connections. $20,000
B 75,000 / month
- Investigate possibility of using existing
capacity of Intelsat channel used for television broadcasting. Note that costs
of the downlink connection to the Internet (a foreign-based ISP) would have
to be paid for and this could be very expensive. Also, Intelsat ground reception
facilities used by individuals is for reception, not for transmission, and
would therefore require costly modifications such as a transmitter.
Training and educational facilities
- Fully equipped IP networking laboratory
for 200 students / semester (priority to Mongolian students: minimum 100 Mongolian
students trained / semester) at the Computer Science and management School
of the Mongolian Technical University
- Fully equipped digital telecommunications
laboratory for 200 students / semester (priority to Mongolian students: minimum
100 Mongolian students trained / semester) at the Institute of Telecommunication
and Information Engineering of the Mongolian Technical University
- Creation of online training centres
locate is aimag centres to work with above training facilities and to open
the possibility of offering distance learning
Costs (of not investing significantly
in ICTs)
- Reduced access to or ability to compete
in the global market place
- Reduced or lack of ability to fully prepare
for and participate in international fora and events, including meetings of
the United Nations and the international community at large on a variety of
issues of direct relevance to Mongolia
- Reduced or lack of ability to participate
in global e-commerce, estimated to be worth upwards of 1.2 trillion USD in
2003 ($1,200,000,000)
- Isolation in an increasingly wired or
networked world
- Slower or stagnant employment growth.
Fewer opportunities for trained Mongolians in and outside of Mongolia. Decreased
remittances from trained Mongolian knowledge workers both in Mongolia and
outside the country
- Decreased tax revenues.