The director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau (DBT) at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Brahima Sanou has urged East African nations to strengthen their broadband structures to enable internet growth in the region.
“I think Africa can develop a smart sustainable model of a limitless Information and Communication Technology market, thanks to the coming of tablets, smartphones and the cloud,” Sanou told the first East African ICT conference on broadband access in Munyonyo, Uganda.
“But to do this effectively, East African governments need to engage the private sector to strengthen broadband infrastructure and avail it to the last person down in the village.”
The arrival of the undersea fibre cables in East Africa brought hopes of fast and cheap internet connection, but costs have not come down as expected and problems remain with last mile connectivity.
Sanou said it would be cheaper if East African states put their resources together and developed the broadband structure together.
