More than 500 delegates are expected to attend an international conference in Rwanda in October aimed at providing Africa with greater access to information technology, the UN Information Centre (UNIC) said on Monday.
The two-day conference, which is expected to draw participants from China, India, the European Commission, the Group of Eight (G8) nations, Arab countries and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), as well as major companies, is scheduled to begin on October 29, the UNIC said in a statement.
The Connect Africa Summit aims to mobilise human, technical and financial resources needed to close the major gaps in Africa's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, including broadband.
"Participants are expected to showcase ICT and African development projects to potential partners and donors and announce concrete initiatives to connect Africa. "They will also focus on requirements such as expanding broadband infrastructure, wireless and mobile access technologies, creating the right business environment, developing an ICT-savvy workforce and promoting innovative financing," the statement said.
While investment in ICT infrastructure has improved dramatically in recent years, reaching eight billion dollars in 2005, up from 3.5 billion in 2000, and growth in mobile phones has increased by as much as 400 percent, Africa has fallen back in overall connectivity.
Fewer than four percent of Africans have Internet access and broadband penetration remains below one percent, while 70 percent of all Internet traffic within Africa is re-routed outside the continent, driving up costs for businesses and consumers, the statement said.
Expressing his support for the initiative, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said it represented a significant step in overcoming the digital divide. "This is an important vision. We need to make our best efforts to bridge this gap," the UNIC said.
The event is being organised by the International Tele-communications Union, the UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development, the World Bank and the African Union, in partnership with the African Development Bank, the African Telecommunication Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, with the support of Intel.
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