Africa’s IT infrastructure got a potentially significant boost last year. During a Summit of Leaders in Kigali, Rwanda, in October, a strategic global partnership was born, called Connect Africa.
Organizers included the International Telecommunications Union, the African Union, the World Bank Group and the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development. Working with the African Development Bank, the African Telecommunications Union, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the Global Digital Solidarity Fund, Connect Africa aims to bring Internet connectivity and improved broadband infrastructure to the capitals and major cities of Africa by 2012.
The goal is to increase broadband connectivity in order to increase Africa’s economic competitiveness. According to the ITU, less than 4% of Africans have Internet access, with a broadband penetration of 1%. Hoping to change these numbers, the project has already received USD 55 billion in grants and loans. It will be interesting to see what the Project’s next four years bring to Africa and what it will mean for African commerce.
Further updates and information about Connect Africa can be found on ITU’s website:
http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/connect/africa/2007/index.html.
Organizers included the International Telecommunications Union, the African Union, the World Bank Group and the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development. Working with the African Development Bank, the African Telecommunications Union, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the Global Digital Solidarity Fund, Connect Africa aims to bring Internet connectivity and improved broadband infrastructure to the capitals and major cities of Africa by 2012.
The goal is to increase broadband connectivity in order to increase Africa’s economic competitiveness. According to the ITU, less than 4% of Africans have Internet access, with a broadband penetration of 1%. Hoping to change these numbers, the project has already received USD 55 billion in grants and loans. It will be interesting to see what the Project’s next four years bring to Africa and what it will mean for African commerce.
Further updates and information about Connect Africa can be found on ITU’s website:
http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/connect/africa/2007/index.html.
