Africa sets itself 80 per cent broadband target by 2020

African ministers have set a target of delivering broadband to 80 per cent of the continent’s citizens by 2020. Dina Pule, South Africa’s deputy minister of communications told the delegates of the inaugural ICT Indaba conference, which took place on 4^th-7^th June in South Africa, that a framework had been created that would position Africa on a trajectory of sustained development through the deployment of broadband connectivity.

“In this connected future,” she said, “all of Africa’s major cities, towns and villages will be connected to affordable internet, thereby facilitating the continent’s mass entry into the knowledge and information economy”.

Pule said that a team would be set up to monitor progress of these resolutions and to give feedback at regular intervals.

The function of the Indaba conference was to help reposition South Africa and the continent as a whole as a centre of ICT excellence. As the conference ministers identified six sectors where ICT could play a key role in encouraging development; education, health, infrastructure, agricultural business, trade, and extractive industries.

The minister also said that a target was set to increase Africa’s influence of telecoms standards worldwide by contributing to ITU regulations, a move that would benefit developing countries.

“African experts should also increase participation in the ITU study groups which focuses on these issues to influence their outcomes.”

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