Walter Wafula & Elias Biryabarema
26 February 2008
Kampala — AFRICA's dream to have faster and cheaper internet connections like the West is now closer to reality.
This follows the approval of the Kigali Protocol on policy and regulatory framework for development of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, Nepad's Information and Communication Technology Broadband Infrastructure Network (NBIN), by Malawi last week.
Malawi thus became the seventh country to ratify the protocol. Ratification by seven countries was the majority needed to bring the protocol into force. Other countries that have already ratified the protocol are: Lesotho, Mauritius, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
Broadband is a high-capacity internet line that transmits data, voice and video at great speeds.
The protocol came into force on February 13, 2008, after Dr Bingu Wa Mutharika, the president of the Republic of Malawi put pen to paper in Malawi, according to Mr Samuel Mikenga, the communications manager of Nepad's e-Africa Commission.
The Nepad e-Africa Commission, tasked with developing ICT policies, strategies and projects, and managing the development of the ICT sector in the Nepad context, has been coordinating the signing and ratification of the Kigali Protocol.
BOOST: A graphic showing the proposed route for the construction internet cables connecting East Africa to the world. Nepad's Information and Communication Technology Broadband Infrastructure Network is set to begin after Malawi ratified the Kigali protocol. Net picture
"What this development means is that we can now go ahead to quickly implement the NBIN, comprising of Uhurunet (the submarine cable), and Umojanet (the terrestrial segment), to provide quality and affordable telecommunications connectivity to Eastern and Southern Africa and to the rest of the African continent," Dr Henry Chasia, the executive deputy chairperson of the commission said.
Connecting Africa
Dr Chasia added that this network will be a major step in interconnecting the African continent and thus helping to bridge the digital divide, and improving lives of Africans.
The Kigali Protocol was negotiated by a wide range of stakeholders and was accepted and signed by 12 countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa. The Protocol takes account of the Nepad network principles in the development of a policy and regulatory framework for the region, as well as in the details of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) that will own, operate and maintain the Nepad.
" We expect construction of the submarine cable to start soon, and to be completed before the 2010 FIFA World Cup," said Dr Edmund Katiti, the Nepad ICT Policy and Regulatory advisor.
It is envisaged that once implemented, the initiative will greatly reduce the costs of telecommunications and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of how Africa does business with the rest of the world.
Benefits will accrue from interconnectivity to national data transmission infrastructure, which are currently underway in most of the countries.
National cable
Uganda has completed the first phase of its national data fibre optic cable and is currently being tested by all the government ministries. At a recent event, Uganda's Minister of ICT Dr Ham Mukasa-Mulira said: "I am delighted to state that phase one of this project which covers Kampala, Entebbe, Jinja and Bombo has been completed and is currently under testing. It should be officially launched very soon."
The cable is making it a reality for Ugandan ministers to communicate with each other in different locations.
If successfully implemented, NBIN would be the third cable to link East and Central Africa to the world via an undersea cable. Currently all of the region's international traffic is routed via satellite technology which is slow and costly. As a result internet access in the region has remained frustratingly limited which subsequently adversely impacted business growth.
The other 2 cables include; the East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy) cable, and The East African Marine Systems (Teams), a joint venture between the Kenyan government and private sector in the region aimed at linking East Africa to United Arab Emirates.
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