Malawi has announced a US$72.4m international connectivity contract to improve access to ICT infrastructure for the public and private sectors.

The contract was signed recently in Blantyre and forms part of the Digital Malawi Project, a government initiative being implemented by the Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC) and funded by the World Bank.

According to the terms of the contract, PPPC has entered into an agreement with the Malawi Research and Education Network (MAREN) – the global connectivity capacity component of the main project – and UbuntuNet Alliance, a multinational research and education networking organisation.

As part of the agreement, the Alliance will use its broadband UbuntuNet Network to inter-connect National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) within the region.

MAREN will manage the connectivity services for the country's higher education and research institutions and leverage 1200Mbps UbuntuNet network for a period of ten years.

"Noteworthy is also the fact that this contract will be handled on cost-recovery method," said the acting chief executive officer of PPPC Audrey Mwala.

MAREN chief executive officer Solomon Dindi described the contract as an important milestone in the history of advanced internet services for higher education and research.

UbuntuNet Alliance chief executive officer Eng. Dr. Matthews Mtumbuka said: "It is a basic requirement that a 21st century institution of higher learning must have the described internet connection to be able to add meaningful value to transformative teaching and learning. Higher education and research institutions need dedicated interconnectivity to help them achieve their missions."