Kenya’s Garsen, Moyale and Lamu are the first towns in the country that will receive government funding aimed at providing broadcasting and telecoms systems in marginal areas, according to a report.
Business Daily reports the support falls under the Universal Service Fund initiative, which began last year, whereby operators and broadcasters are required to contribute 0.5 per cent of their gross revenue to be used in rolling out communications in more rural areas.
However, delays in constituting the Universal Service Advisory Council (USAC) had held up the delivery of services
However, according to Ministry of ICT cabinet secretary Dr Fred Matiangi, the recruitment of the council members was in progress.
“As a government we have a duty to see that all parts of the country get services. It is for this reason that the government set up the Universal Service Fund which will be used to put telecommunication and broadcasting infrastructure where the private sector have not been able to do so,” Matiangi is quoted as saying.
He said marginalised areas would be able to make use of the government-owned Signet and the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) to to start community television and radio stations.
