Connect Africa plans Internet access improvements
By Leah McBride Mensching, Wednesday 31 October 2007 at 21:50 :: General :: #787 :: rss
Fewer than four percent of Africans have an Internet connection, a depressing statistic Connect Africa, a summit of African politicians, international lenders and IT leaders, hopes to change.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was able to persuade Microsoft to help monitor the progress of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) investment in the continent with an online application called Global View, based on Microsoft's Virtual Earth, but hosted by the ITU, Heise Online reported Wednesday.
The application will make it easier to give an overview, preventing wasteful dual investments. Microsoft used the summit to highlight several ICT initiatives for developing countries, known by the watchword Unlimited Potential, which the company has launched in partnership with the United Nations, according to Heise Online.
The ITU, together with the African Development Bank, announced at the summit the common goal of connecting all African capitals with broadband lines by 2012. Those gathering at the summit hope Africa's high mobile growth rates, twice the global average in the past three years, will cause fixed-line operators to jump into action.
The World Bank at the summit also announced its plan to double its ICT investment in the continent in the years until 2012 to US$2 billion. In the past five years, the bank has invested US$1 billion. The World Bank said it will try to focus its fixed-line infrastructure investments in rural areas and small towns, because private investors tend to neglect those places.
Comments
No comment.
Post comment