X-ICS: a local network that keeps working without the internet
In much of Senegal, the internet connection is slow, cut for several hours a day, or absent. Management software that depends on a distant server stops at the same time as the connection. Temperature readings, delivery notes and the day’s sales are no longer recorded.
X-ICS is a distributed network platform developed by NICT (National Institute of Information and Communications Technology), Japan’s public research institute for telecommunications. Each site keeps its own data. Sites synchronise with each other whenever a connection exists, over the internet or over a local link. When the connection drops, each site keeps working. When it returns, the data is brought back into line.
The trial in Senegal
In 2026, Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications entrusted the group with a trial of X-ICS in Senegal. The question is simple: can Senegalese staff, with no special IT training, run their daily work on this system in an environment where the connection is not guaranteed?
| Site | Role |
|---|---|
| Site A, Sandiara | Solar cold store and KIOSK. Recording of cold readings, sales and KIOSK use |
| Site B, Sandiara | Cold storage and processing site. Recording of lots and temperature readings |
| Management site, Dakar | Remote consultation and updating of data. This site was set up by TUMIQUI JAPON SASU’s Senegalese technicians |
| Mobile node | Equipment carried between the sites that synchronises data over a local link when the internet is down |
Three situations are tested: normal connection, connection cut, connection restored. In all three, the data must be complete, with no duplicates and no contradictions. The system must run for 30 days in a row.
TUMIQUI JAPON SASU handles customs clearance, installation, daily operation and interviews with Senegalese administrations and companies. The trial is the first year of a programme planned over three years. The first-year report is delivered in March 2027.
With the university
On 20 August 2026, the group signed a cooperation agreement with the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) of Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD). The agreement covers training and research on distributed networks and local uses of X-ICS.
What it can be used for
| Field | Possible use |
|---|---|
| Agriculture and cold storage | Tracking of lots and temperatures across several sites, without depending on the internet |
| Health | Consultation registers and monthly reports in isolated health posts |
| Local government | Municipal registers and information for residents in villages without a network |
| Education | Distribution of teaching content to schools without a stable connection |
These uses are under study. Only observed results will be published on this page.
For administrations, universities and companies
The Sandiara and Dakar sites can be visited by appointment. Local authorities, ministries, universities and companies that wish to evaluate X-ICS in their field can write to us.