Comesa states root for reduced Internet costs
A woman uses internet. Internet access improves productivity of firms and workers. PHOTO/JUSTIN EMEDOT
What you need to know:
- Having digital interconnections between countries is a great score for Africa. However, countries must use the network seamlessly.
Delegates from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) yesterday convened in Kampala to draft a policy framework that will cut the cost of Internet usage.
The initiative will enable digital infrastructural development and optic fibre connection across member states.
Fibre optics is the technology that transmits data, voice, and images using light pulses through thin, transparent fibres. They are made of glass or plastic and are coated with a protective layer to prevent damage and interference.
The technology is widely used in telecommunications, Internet, cable TV, medical imaging, industrial sensors, and aerospace applications.
Themed: The Enhancement of Government and Enabling Environment in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector project (EGEE-ICT) in Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, and the Indian Ocean Region, the project aims at promoting fair competition for affordable, reliable, and accessible Internet for all as well as harmonising high service charged in ICT.
“The discussion we are having today is geared towards have policies in place that will improve communication, but also bring down the costs of Internet, the cost of communication, and the cost of digital infrastructure,” the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Ms Aminah Zawedde, told Monitor.
According to her, having digital interconnections between countries is a great score for Africa. However, she said the countries must use the network seamlessly.
Ms Zawedde further revealed that land-locked countries face a lot of challenges in terms of high Internet costs because of the cost of transportation of data from overseas.
Business perspective
She said low Internet cost will spur services online and allow the growth of different businesses.
“In Uganda, we are extending connectivity to the entire country. We have started ensuring that all major cities and sub-counties are connected to the Internet. We also have World Bank funded projects that are aimed at ensuring connectivity of the Internet, if possible, to the parish level,” she said.
Mr Leonard Chitundu, a telecommunications officer at Comesa, said they do not have much control over the fibre and it causes duplication sometimes.
“So we are introducing a concept of open access where if you have fibre, others can also use it at a cheap rate and other clients will remain in the market. You give them prices [of fibre] which reflect the cost of investment and the cost of operation,” he said
The event attracted about 29 member states of Comesa.
Comesa is a regional economic community in Africa with twenty-one member states stretching from Tunisia to Eswatini. Comesa was formed in December 1994.
