Nairobi — Jamii Telecom has set up a Sh340 million satellite earth station to boost Internet connectivity.

The locally-owned information and communication technology (ICT) company has rolled out the international gateway service as part of its growth strategy, which focuses on lowering costs for local and international communication.

Speaking at the site of the tele-port equipment in Nairobi, general manager John Kamau said the technology was part of efforts to bridge the information gap between towns and villages.

"The facility makes it possible for licensed ICT operators to lower their costs, thus putting Internet and telephone services within the reach of more Kenyans," said Mr Kamau.

He said Kenyan professionals could now work for clients abroad through call centres.

"An accountant working for a client in Britain does not have to travel all the way to London to look at books," Mr Kamau said. "With the new technology, all accounting information can be provided online and fast-paced communication sustained as the accountant works out."

The immense human resource capital that Kenya boasted could benefit from deployment of satellite. The satellite facility could be used in electronic news gathering such that media coverage of events in remote areas could be delivered instantly to all parts of the country and worldwide.

The Communications Commission of Kenya licensed 10 companies to provide international gateway services last year out of which only three are operational.

"With the entrance of new international gateway services providers, network providers now have a choice to route their international traffic through alternative service providers, thus making the cost of telephone calls and the Internet access cheaper," said Mr Kamau