Eassy continues after disappointment

By Paul Vecchiatto, ITWeb Cape Town correspondent

Cape Town, 17 Oct 2006

Although disappointed that only two countries signed the East African Submarine Cable System (Eassy) protocol yesterday, communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri remains confident more will join the $300 million fibre optic cable project.

Seven countries were expected to sign the protocol in Cape Town yesterday, under the auspices of Nepad`s e-Africa Commission. However, this number was first whittled down to three, as four of the delegations could not organise their logistics and diplomatic credentials. Finally, only two - Botswana and Zimbabwe - penned their signatures, after Zambia balked at the last minute.

This signing ceremony was a follow up to the first round in August when the first seven countries - SA, Madagascar, Lesotho, Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda and Uganda - signed the protocol.

"A number of countries have been going through changes, such as general elections, and that does delay things somewhat. However, I am confident most of those who signed the memorandum of understanding will eventually join," Matsepe-Casaburri says.

Remains committed

Zambia`s minister of transport and communications, Peter Daku, explained towards the end of the meeting that he had decided not to sign because he had only been in office for a week following that country`s general elections.

"I need time to familiarise myself with the documents. However, my country remains committed to Eassy and its objectives," he said.

Zambia`s decision not to sign the protocol leaves a gap in the proposed land link between the northern East African countries and their counterparts in the south. This land link is supposed to be vital to ensure landlocked countries are not overly dependent on the goodwill of their coastal neighbours.

Delegates at the meeting pointed out that the open access model of the fibre optic cable system, that has land and undersea components, will avoid the trap of the West African cable system, SAT-3, that leaves landing rights in the hands of a few.

Costs of telecoms

"We are committed to the open access model and ensuring the cost of telecommunications in Africa comes down drastically," Matsepe-Casaburri says.

She says while the Eassy cable is important for SA`s 2010 World Cup preparations, its real objective is to bring down communications costs on the continent.

In terms of the protocol, countries can nominate their own companies to take part and any firm that is a licensed operator can become part of the consortium.

Matsepe-Casaburri says a number of South African companies, which were not licensed as primary telecommunications operators, had approached her ministry to become part of the consortium.

In terms of the Eassy timeline, the final date for countries signing the protocol is 30 November and ratification (a country`s parliamentary approval) should be done by 30 June next year.