The European Union (EU) pledged this week to connect 1,000 Kenyan primary schools to broadband as part of a larger $347.8 million digital package.
Henriette Geiger, the EU ambassador to Kenya, made the announcement at the opening of the Africa Broadband Mapping Systems (Africa-BB-Maps) project in Nairobi.
The European Commission-funded initiative (Africa-BB-Maps) will assist in the establishment of broadband mapping systems across Africa in order to promote investment and digital transformation.
11 countries, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, Eswatini, Malawi, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, will benefit from the $16.5 million set aside to fund the project.
The Communications Authority of Kenya, in conjunction with the International Telecommunication Union and the European Commission, hosted a launch event that brought together ICT and telecommunications sector participants to discuss and shape the future of broadband connectivity.
Aside from the broadband mapping systems, Geiger announced that a subsea blue cable system running from Djibouti through Somalia and Kenya to Tanzania was also in the works.
In addition, Geiger disclosed that the EU has committed to connecting 1,000 Kenyan primary schools to broadband as part of a $347.8 million digital package.
“The EU private sector is mobilising $330 million in this initiative. In Kenya, the EU is connecting 1,000 primary schools with broadband,” she said. “The $16.5 million to be invested in Africa Broadband Mapping Systems will benefit 11 countries, including Kenya.”
Speaking at the event, Kenya’s principal secretary for broadcasting and telecommunications, Steve Isaboke said: “Kenya has firmly positioned itself on the path toward a digital future, with ambitions on broadband penetration by 2030, prioritising the unserved and underserved communities that have historically been left behind in digital connectivity,”
He continued: "The Africa-BB-Maps project is its holistic and inclusive design which integrates broadband data with related sectors such as energy, transport, health, education and urban planning.’’
The four-year project aims to establish or strengthen harmonised national broadband mapping systems in Sub-Saharan national regulatory authorities.
Share
