The inaugural Africa ICT Indaba has ended with a deadline being set for deploying broadband to 80% of Africa by 2020.
"In this connected future, all of Africa’s major cities, town and villages will be connected to affordable internet, thereby facilitating the continent’s mass entry into the knowledge and information economy,” said South Africa’s minister for communications, Dina Pule.
Pule said the ICT Indaba would set a team that would monitor the progress in the implementation of its resolutions and give feedback at regular intervals.
"This feedback will be shared with all African countries,” she said.
“It is undeniable and it is very clear that delivering broadband to every citizen on the continent will accelerate the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals," she added.
She said the ICT Indaba would also assist African governments identify and close the skills gap within their countries.
"Part of this process is contained in the plans to encourage the development of electronic manufacturing, through the local manufacturing of the set-top Boxes for digital migration. The greatest achievement of this approach would be to help Africa create its own technologies, instead of the continent just being a consumer," said added.
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