This time around, delegates attending the 2014 connect to connect summit to highlight and entrenches the value of progressive partnerships in ‘Advancing the Knowledge Society through Public Private Partnership’ in Dar es Salaam agreed that information and communications technologies (ICT) can play a vital role in the pathway to an economic recovery.
According to Huawei Technologies, a China Shenzhen based, international leading ICT solutions provider, says increased access to high-speed internet can help to bridge the digital divide between developed and developing countries.
Huawei, which had so far played crucial role in the organisation of the 2014 C2C summit in line with the communication, science and technology ministry and the Tanzania Telecommunication Company Limited (TTCL), believes that ICT is playing a critical role in sustainable development in the global economy.
Even the 2009, published World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Report, highlighted that, “With coordinated, conscientious leadership, new technologies will not only continue to fuel growth but if harnessed, such advancements will also enable a digital revolution that can uplift parts of the world hitherto not reached by the agricultural and industrial revolutions. Achieving this kind of inclusive growth requires new mindsets.”
Senzige Kisenge, Chief Technical officer for TTCL told The Guardian that Tanzania has made tremendous development in the area of promoting ICT. He says, currently with the National ICT Broad Band (NICTBB), has affordably increased connectivity.
“You can not compare micro-wave capacity with the NICTBB … it also offers quality services,” he noted.
For his part, Huawei Network and Connection Director Luo Jianggan says broadband development is widely changing, demanding new strategic thinking and innovative solutions.
His vision is to have a better connected world by speeding up the broadband and early release of new spectrum by Tanzania Government. This of course comes with its challenge!
“To solve spectrum challenges, Huawei provides the one LTE strategy. To facilitate business success with current spectrum assets and speed up new spectrum and ecosystem maturity,” he said, noting that “one LTE (long term evolution - 4G technology) is the trend. It will help operator’s business success based on optimising current spectrum as well as new band development. ” Tanzania which is part of the global community implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has made commendable progress in the ICT area, following the construction of the Terrestrial National Optic Fibre Cable (OFC) countrywide, according to Minister Prof Makame Mbarawa.
The Minister, who was represented at the summit by his Permanent Secretary Prof Patrick Makungu, maintains that the backbone which connects all Administrative Regional and District Centres within Tanzania so far covers a distance of 7,560 kilometres and already terminates at nine (9) border points with Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia and Malawi.
This means, the government is taking serious measures to ensure ICT actively contribute to institutional, individuals and the national economic growth.
World Bank survey reports that improved access to ICT contributes 1.5 percent to the national gross domestic product (GDP).
Additionally, multiple studies also point out that rankings in national competitiveness and network readiness are directly correlated. For example, future broadband investments could generate a total of 968,000 new jobs and result in more than 170 billion Euros of additional GDP (0.60 percent GDP growth) by 2020 in Germany alone.
Connection of the countries to the NICTBB and to the outside world through the submarine cables’ landing points in Dar es Salaam has brought tremendous benefits to the region, internet charges are decreasing, e-services are multiplying, the region is enjoying a robust and resilient network and more and more benefits, Prof Mbarawa laments.
This expanded connectivity is now calling for a new need to expand relevant infrastructures to be able to accommodate the increasing requirements of both operators and their clients.
In this realisation, the minister says, “Tanzania is continuing to invest in corresponding to infrastructures including the state of the art datacentres which in the next few months will be built and operating in Dar es Salaam and subsequently in Dodoma and Zanzibar.”
TTCL Chief Executive Officer Kamugisha Kazaura upholds that areas such as rural community are not attractive for business but the government has to move on to invest in infrastructure construction to enable the areas also actively contribute to the economy.
As of now, he says the government is setting up internet protocol point of presence (IP POP) to facilitate all internet contents downloaded directly from Dar es Salaam.
“There will be no way for internet user to download contents abroad …some countries in the East African region have started subscribing for the service.” He mentioned the countries subscribing as Malawi and Rwanda.
Christian Muhirwa, an official for Rwandan broadband system cooperation hailed TTCL and the development of NICTBB saying the facility provides faster internet. “We’re getting to see the benefit for our neighbourhood,” he says, adding that the penetration can effectively contribute to positive economy transformations. Tanzania’s Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) Managing Director Prof John Mkoma highlights that already plans were in place to develop the national ICT policy. “The policy is at good stage to be approved.” He further said that the government’s already set legislations and legal framework has led to the advancement of communication technology and innovations in the country.
It is clear that the largest ICT solution provider in the country Huawei products and services have been widely used by all telecommunications operators as well as government.
The institutions include, TTCL, Vodacom, Airtel, tigo and Zantel and various government ministries.
Even then, the company that has potentially played a crucial role in the growth and usage of internet and communication devices in the country by providing various mobile terminals such as, modems, routers, media-pads and smart phones, admits that there good sign for the industry’s development.
John Mngondo, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the ministry of communication, Science and technology clarifies that ICT in Tanzania is becoming the backbone of not only the communications sector but as well the economy.
Hailing contribution and role played by top global ICT solution providers especially Huawei Technologies, the secretary said “access to information is now easier than ever, the way we communicate has been revolutionised making it seem like the person was right next to and not all the way across the globe.”
ICT has given rise to a new generation of entrepreneurs and has brought forth the era of social media, he added.
His statement was seconded by Rebecca Okwaci, Telecommunication and Postal Services Minister for South Sudan who went on to say, “With ICT connectivity, you’re never a land locked country.” She says her country is moving fast to improve her ICT but support from neighbor states has been of paramount.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Sylivester Domasa
Quelle/Source: IPPmedia, 06.10.2014
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