The East African telecommunications & broadcasting exhibition & conference: strategies improving information and communication technologies in Eastern Africa

Abstract

This paper discusses opportunities provided by new information and communication technologies, policy options to attain growth, and activities to date in developing broad-based national information and communication infrastructure in eastern Africa. A summary of challenges is presented first followed by recommendations for improving information and communication infrastructure in eastern Africa. The African telecommunications sector has been growing 10% every year during the same time. However, this was off a very low base, much of the growth is in the urban areas and the overall tele-density is still only about one per 200 inhabitants in sub-Saharan Africa. Internet growth in Africa has also been substantial. Surveys conducted in 1998 show that there were 12 major initiatives in information and communication area with total budget of over $100 million. These range from the Acacia project by the International Development Research Center, Leland Initiative by the USAID, by UNDP, UNCTAD, to the African Information Society Initiative by Economic Commission for Africa.