Network Operating Centre/Switch Room inspection tour at State House
Dignitaries from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Chief of Defence Staff, the Inspector General of Police, the National Security Coordinator, the Director of Prisons, the National Fire Officer, the Chief Immigration Officer, the Chief Security Officer, State House have conducted an inspection tour at the Network Operating Centre/Switch Room at State House. (Photo: NATCOM DG and CEO Mohamed Bangura inspecting the installation and configuration of Oracle Server running on Solaris Operating system)
The purpose of the inspection tour was to get first hand information and update of the progress made so far on the Dedicated Security Information System [DSIS].
The 15 million Dollar project which has now been successfully implemented under the Chairmanship of the Director General of the National Telecommunications Commission, Mr. Mohamed Bangura created an avenue where the beneficiaries asked questions and seek clarifications with regards how the system can effectively and efficiently serve them well.
An official from the Ministry of Information and Communications who welcomed the stakeholders and gave a brief background on the DSIS project sought the cooperation of the stakeholders to ensure that the project is sustainable and serve its intended purpose.
The DSIS system is based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 2000 technology and comes complete with 5,500 mobile phones and 1,000 USB modems. The phones will be distributed at the official dedication of the system, though at the moment it is on test trial with few stakeholders.
All phone calls on this network are 100% free and fully encrypted to guard against bugging and other malicious cellular interceptions. The current phase of the implementation consists of 34 cell sites and covers Magburaka, Rural and Urban Freetown, Lunsar, Port Loko, Makeni, Moyamba, Bo, Mano, Kenema, Lungi, Bumbuna, and African Minerals. The Communication coverage also includes all Communities within 5-mile radius of the aforementioned cell sites.
As with any developmental project, the benefits of the DSIS project are immense including the establishment of an effective and reliable communication system for security organizations which will provide a Command and Control Communication Centre, protect national borders, police the country, monitor and manage emergency services effectively.
The project will allow security authorities with different jurisdictions to communicate electronically on computers, cell phones and vehicle mounted units. The system will also be beneficial to Government offices, Office of National Security (ONS), Sierra Leone Police, the Military, Anti-Corruption Commission, Fire Force, Prisons Department, Immigration Department, Hospitals, etc.
Other stakeholders will be invited in due course prior to the commissioning of the network.
The Government of Sierra Leone signed a contract with ZTE Corporation of China to fully deliver a turn-key Dedicated Security Information System (DSIS) on 5th May, 2008. The project is funded from a concessional loan from the Chinese Government through the EXIM bank of China, to the tune of USD 15,000,000 (Fifteen million United States Dollars).
His Excellency, Dr Ernest Bai Koroma directed the former Minister of Information and Communications, Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo to provide leadership for the complete implementation of the aforementioned project. Consequently, on 21st February, 2011 the erstwhile Minister Alhaji I.B. Kargbo created an Implementation Steering Committee chaired by the Director-General of NATCOM, Mr. Mohamed Bangura, to coordinate and oversee the implementation of the project. Members of the Committee have recruited administrative and technical staff for the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) including officers from SLP, ONS and RSLAF on secondment, all in the bid to fulfill Government’s commitments. These young men and women have been working alongside the Chinese contractors to successfully carryout the installation and testing of the network.
By A. R. Bedor
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