Addis Ababa — Ethiopia's investment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is considered to be one of the highest in the world, taking into consideration the level of poverty prevailing in the country, Debretsion G. Michael, Director General of Ethiopian ICT Development Agency, told The Reporter yesterday.

Currently, Ethiopia's "committed" investment in ICT accounts for 10 percent of the country's overall GDP, the proportion of the investment standing higher than what is the case in most other countries of the world, according to Debretsion. According to the director, the government has invested over USD 14 billion over the last decade.

"Donor countries were saying the level of the investment in ICT was too high for the country. They, however, were negatively responding to a request to help the country's investment in the field," the director said. "The government believes that the technology is a necessity to the country in helping it to come out of poverty, hence committed to highly investing in it."

Debretsion said that basic internet infrastructure penetration in Ethiopia was also encouraging compared to many other nations, with over half of the country's some 15,000 kebeles presently connected to the network, which, with the basic gadgets and accessories installed, could provide access to the internet.

According to the director, all the 15,000 kebeles in Ethiopia will be connected to the network during the next Ethiopian fiscal year. "The required undertakings to connect the 15,000 kebeles are already under way. If all goes according to plan, all the kebeles will be connected during the coming Ethiopian fiscal year," he said.

With respect to rural connectivity, Ethiopia ranks even higher than India, a better, well performing and emerging economy, both in the internet technology and otherwise, according to Debretsion. "Of the some 600,000 kebeles in India, only about 100,000 are presently connected to the internet," he said. The Director, however, noted that India is a country advanced in the internet and software technology. "There are various factors taken into account in measuring the level of investment in ICT and internet connectivity. Viewed from the context of poverty, Ethiopia is considered as one of those countries highly investing in the field, " he said.

The director, however, would not deny how poor the internet service in Ethiopia is compared to other countries, despite that high infrastructure penetration and investment in the field. He nonetheless said that the internet service would in a few days become better.

The government had drafted and put under way short- and long-term action plans, the director said. The short-term solution, which mainly involves upgrading the core network, will be completed within the coming fifteen days, he said. "The internet service would be a better one after the upgrading of the core internet network (in Addis Ababa) underway completed, which allows a smoother broadband connection".

The long-term plan involves installation of ring fiber optics in the country and expanding the roots to the gateway linking the internal fiber optics with those coming from different countries (including the recently linked one from the Sudan) which links the internal line to the world.

The fiber optics currently installed in the country stretches 4,500 kilometers. Within the coming three years, additional 10,000 kilometers of long fiber optics will be installed internally, according to the director.