The Importance And Affordability Of Integrated Communication Network In Ethiopian Defense Force
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Date
2017-06-24
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Military communications involve different actors and technologies that facilitate the effectiveness and efficiency of the army command and control system. The integrated communication network (ICN) is one of the recent global communication technologies which different countries are currently using. Conversely, the FDRE Ministry of National Defense Force couldn’t introduce such centralized network system. Thus, this study was intended to describe the importance and affordability of the integrated communication network by a mixed research design or approach with descriptive methodology. Hence, 160 defense communication staffs and higher officials targeted as a study population and 114 sample respondents computed by Solvin’s formula and structured in to two groups that account 70 technical staff and 36 higher officials and 8 key informants purposively selected to collect data by semi structured interview and open and closed ended questionnaire and substantiated with document analysis. The data analyzed in both quantitative and qualitative manner. The findings were; there are various challenges of the existing network system; there are better understandings on benefits of the ICN over its costs; comparatively ICN is better in its technique, mission and costs and stakeholders are willing to accept it. Based on the major findings it is concluded that, the integrated communication network is important and affordable to the Ethiopian National Defense Force. The network infrastructure found to be a leased line for current program and for the future it will be an independent network. The study also recommended that further cost benefit analysis or financial analysis on the Integrated Communication Network more important to show the affordability.
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importance, affordability, integrated communication network