/ 28 August 2006

African ministers to sign broadband agreement

African communication ministers are gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, ahead of the signing of a policy framework agreement for one of the continent’s biggest broadband network projects, the South African government’s news service, BuaNews, reported on Monday.

South Africa’s Minister of Communication Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri has joined the two-day e-Africa Commission convergence meeting, which has brought together information and communication technology ministers from Eastern and Southern Africa.

The ministers are expected to commit their countries’ to the Nepad (New Partnership for Africa’s Development) broadband infrastructure network project by signing the policy and regulatory framework protocol for projects, including the Eastern Africa Sub-marine System (EASSy) cable.

The project is aimed at integrating continental communication by connecting information communication technology infrastructure initiatives across the continent. The cable will ensure that the countries are connected through broadband fibre-optic cable systems, the agency reported. — I-Net Bridge