Minister to sign ICT broadband protocol

Johannesburg, 28 Aug 2006

Communications minister Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri will sign the New Partnership for Africa`s Development (Nepad) ICT Broadband Policy and Regulatory Framework Protocol this week, in Kigali, Rwanda.

The signing of the protocol will set in motion the roll-out of the Nepad ICT broadband infrastructure network, including the Eastern Africa Submarine System (Eassy) cable. The protocol will be signed by the 23 countries participating in the Nepad ICT Broadband Infrastructure Network.

This week`s ceremony follows an earlier meeting of ICT ministers held in Johannesburg in June, where ministers undertook to work towards ensuring they gain the ratification of the legal and policy framework governing the Eassy cable by their individual countries.

Ministers also agreed to schedule the official signing of the protocol for August in Kigali, after Rwanda agreed to host the headquarters of the Eassy cable`s special purpose vehicle (SPV), a consortium that will manage, maintain and operate the fibre optic cable.

Matsepe-Casaburri highlighted SA`s commitment to this initiative, aimed at building an affordable broadband network, in her budget vote speech this year. The cable will ensure all African countries are connected to one another by the fibre optic broadband cable system that will, in turn, link them to the rest of the world through existing or planned submarine cable systems.

The cable will also integrate Africa by harmonising ICT infrastructure initiatives across the continent, and will cover about 9 900km, connecting the port city of Durban to Port Sudan, in Sudan.