Dr. Edmund Katiti, adviser, e-African Commission, a sub-department of National Economic Partnership for African Development (Nepad) has said African initiative study on feasibility of its Umojanet terrestrial network is a step in the right direction in the development of a broadband infrastructure network for Africans.
He stated this at Ithuba forum hosted by Nepad business foundation at the weekend in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The purpose of the Ithuba initiative is to connect African countries to one another and internationally by a broadband fibre-optic cable network. The countries invited to participate in the first phase are Angola, Nigeria, Ethopia, Egypt, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa
According to him the commission will make the Umojanet terrestrial component, a network of connectivity in all land locked and coastal countries in Africa.
The project is likely to be completed by April 2009.
e-African commission has taken a strategic decision to ensure that Nepad submarine cable is owned and managed by Africans and developed a structure or Special Purpose Vehicle (SPU) called Baharicom Agreement.
Katiti said that this input will then determine what the SPU will need to make the network a reality.
Baharicom, was established earlier, to make provision for all African entities and private investors especially the Telecommunication operators that will make strategic investment and own various spheres of the SPU.
Katiti added that, SPU will provide considerable benefit that will include open and affordable access to regional and international communications for citizens on the continent and will help ease the facilitation of economic integration in the various African regions, and the continent as a whole through ICT broadband interconnection between countries.
The Ithuba forum also discussed Nepad e-school project that is harnessing ICT technology to improve the quality of teaching and learning in African primary and secondary schools.
He said it is aimed at impacting ICT skills to young African’s thus enabling them to participate in the global information society and knowledge.
To this end, a demonstration project has been implemented by Nepad through the e-African commission. It will also provide a comprehensive update on the status of the submarine cable initiative and the implementation of e-school project in Africa.
The Ithuba forum also focused on the various information communication technology initiative aimed at connecting Africa to the rest of the world