This past January the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) presented the draft of their National Broadband Strategy for public review. The strategy outlines a comprehensive plan for bringing communications services and ICT business development to all of Kenya. Expected to cost US$ 2.4 billion, 70% is budgeted for national infrastructure while the remainder will be [...]
On October 23 Integra wrapped up its technical assistance in Colombia, with the presentation of a strategic plan for Compartel, a telecommunications organization under the direction of the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MINTIC). The “Broadband Strategic Plan: 2013-2017” (below, in Spanish), was developed by Compartel in collaboration with Integra’s consultants working under USAID’s [...]
The broadband revolution is proceeding apace across the globe as internet speed and adoption have increased at faster paces. The Akamai company recently released its First Quarter, 2012 State of the Internet report which discusses important global broadband statistics like internet penetration rates, mobile connection speeds, regional and global connection speeds, and broadband adoption among many others. [...]
National Broadband Strategies (NBSs) are becoming a necessity for each nation nowadays considering the immerse benefit of such policies or strategies or plans to unlock the full potential of the broadband network and maintain an open Internet. As a result, a NBS should be seen as a social contract to develop the industry base within any country. [...]
Bandwidth problems in West Africa may soon become a thing of the past when the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) broadband submarine cable comes online this December. The US$700 million will interconnect a total of 23 countries in Europe and West Africa, including two Integra and GBI clients, Nigeria and Ghana. This massive infrastructure project aims [...]
In a joint statement issued today ahead of the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development, the Broadband Commission noted that “We believe broadband is a fundamental technology to achieve sustainable development that should also be recognized in future Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. The statement came as a follow-up to its April call to action to the delegates at the [...]
Last month Integra representatives met with telecommunications sector leaders from 17 countries in Istanbul, Turkey. Focused on sharing broadband strategies and implementations, the meeting provided a unique opportunity for Integra to discuss next steps with GBI clients as well as an opportunity to meet with other country representatives interested in collaborating with USAID. The meeting [...]
President Obama, last weekend, in prepared remarks, announced the creation of the Broadband Partnership of the Americas, an effort set to improve internet access across the Latin America and Caribbean region. The President was in Cartagena, Colombia, for the Sixth Summit of the Americas. The Broadband Partnership for the Americas (BPA) is designed to improve [...]
An initiative to connect Haiti with the rest of the world via Internet connectivity, two years after the devastating earthquake has been launched. The project which involves a construction of a US$16m 200km undersea cable is being undertaken by Digicel Group with technology and expertise from Alcatel-Lucent and Columbus Networks. Communication in Haiti after the [...]
AGRONET, a National Agricultural Information and Communication Network was developed with the goal to connect small producers in Colombia and reduce the digital divide through public private partnerships and growing broadband penetration in rural municipalities. A Government of Colombia’s initiative under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the United Nations Food and [...]
