The D’MADD project has completed the procurement of a qualified international consultancy firm to conduct the needs assessment and feasibility study for the stakeholder National Centre for Information Technology (NCIT).

This was part of the technical assistance provided in Subcomponent 1.2 of the project. The contract was signed between the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology and N-ABLE (PVT) LIMITED, a Sri Lankan technology consulting firm.

The National Computer Network (NCN) was established jointly by the NCIT and the Local Government Authority (LGA) in 2013 to establish a separate private network to share internal applications and sharing of data and files. The network operated on lease circuits provided by the two major telecom networks, Dhiraagu and Ooredoo, with a bandwidth of 2MB Capacity. The initiative also helped Ooredoo (formerly Wataniya) to develop its network to the dispersed islands as well.

With the expansion of the government digital services to the islands and cities, the demand for the NCN has grown. Agencies such as the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) utilize the network for their branch offices. However, with the growing demand, the NCN has reached its bandwidth limits. Additional bandwidth will further strain the already stressed financial resources.

As technology has advanced, with high-speed internet connectivity available to most islands, NCIT has opted to capitalize on this development. Hence, it is exploring SDWAN technology to provide secure connectivity over the internet.

The D’MADD project assists the NCIT in identifying the government’s requirements for operating the NCN throughout the councils using SD-WAN technology, which will significantly improve network performance and reduce redundant costs.

The outcome of the initiative will be the government's ability to decentralize more services through the councils. Furthermore, this work will enable sectors such as health and education to expand their local networks to connect medical centers and educational facilities across the islands, opening doors for services such as telemedicine, e-learning, and digital record management.

N-ABLE (PVT) LIMITED is set to work immediately and will conduct a series of meetings with relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries to gather the required information.