Africa sea cable to be ready by 2010
Sep 10, 2008
CONSTRUCTION of the $180m Uhurunet broadband cable network that will link Africa to the rest of the world has started. Radakrishna Roy Padayache, South Africa's deputy minister for the Department of Communications, said construction was expected to end in 2010.
By David Muwanga
in Grahamstown, Soth Africa
CONSTRUCTION of the $180m Uhurunet broadband cable network that will link Africa to the rest of the world has started. Radakrishna Roy Padayache, the deputy minister for the Department of Communications, said construction was expected to end in 2010.
“We signed a memorandum with the New Economic Partnership for African Development e-commission for the construction late last year. The cable will have a capacity of 3.84 terabits/second,†Padayache said.
“We cannot allow Africa to lag behind, be marginalised and disconnected from the frontiers of knowledge through the information and communications technologies (ICT),†he said in a keynote address at the opening of the 12th Highway Africa conference in Grahamstown, South Africa.
The conference was held under the theme: “Citizen Journalism, Journalism for Citizens.†It attracted 700 participants.
Padayache said African governments should formulate policies and enact regulations that favour development of ICT. He said government support would lead to development of the communication network.
“Governments have the responsibility to mobilse funds for the infrastructure and should not be involved in the business but leave it to the private sector.â€
“We have to ensure the infrastructure and the network are available not only in urban areas but up to the remotest village. This will enable the ordinary person access information from the Internet, mobile and fixed line phone lines.â€
Padayache said the cable would facilitate high-quality, high-speed, reliable communications with the rest of the world at competitive market-based prices for wholesale capacity.
in Grahamstown, Soth Africa
CONSTRUCTION of the $180m Uhurunet broadband cable network that will link Africa to the rest of the world has started. Radakrishna Roy Padayache, the deputy minister for the Department of Communications, said construction was expected to end in 2010.
“We signed a memorandum with the New Economic Partnership for African Development e-commission for the construction late last year. The cable will have a capacity of 3.84 terabits/second,†Padayache said.
“We cannot allow Africa to lag behind, be marginalised and disconnected from the frontiers of knowledge through the information and communications technologies (ICT),†he said in a keynote address at the opening of the 12th Highway Africa conference in Grahamstown, South Africa.
The conference was held under the theme: “Citizen Journalism, Journalism for Citizens.†It attracted 700 participants.
Padayache said African governments should formulate policies and enact regulations that favour development of ICT. He said government support would lead to development of the communication network.
“Governments have the responsibility to mobilse funds for the infrastructure and should not be involved in the business but leave it to the private sector.â€
“We have to ensure the infrastructure and the network are available not only in urban areas but up to the remotest village. This will enable the ordinary person access information from the Internet, mobile and fixed line phone lines.â€
Padayache said the cable would facilitate high-quality, high-speed, reliable communications with the rest of the world at competitive market-based prices for wholesale capacity.