Ethiopia may be one of the world's poorest nations but it plans to become information-rich with a massive investment in internet access.
Prime minister Meles Zenawi believes information technology has the power to counteract poverty. He is planning to provide universal net connectivity for the country over the next few years.
The government is working with US technology firm Cisco to make this a reality.
Ethiopia may be one of the world's poorest nations but it plans to become information-rich with a massive investment in internet access.
Prime minister Meles Zenawi believes information technology has the power to counteract poverty.
It will invest around $40m (£21m) in developing its internet service, which will involve laying 2,500km of fibre optic cables.
"We are fully committed to ensuring that as many of our poor as possible have this weapon that they need to fight poverty at the earliest possible time," Mr Meles said at a conference attended by government ministers and technology experts.
This will include access to the tens of thousands of rural districts over the next two to three years, he said. Currently there are around 30,000 internet lines serving a population of 71 million. Within six months that figure will be expanded to 500,000 lines.
BBC NEWS
In Related News, business.iafrica.com reports:
Paris- and New York-listed communications firm Alcatel announced on Monday that it had signed a turnkey contract valued at more than 14 million euros ($18 m) with Ethiopia Telecommunications Corporation, to extend the existing transport network in certain parts of the east African country.
The project will enable ETC — Ethiopia's leading telecommunications services operator — to expand the delivery of fixed, mobile, Internet and multimedia services to its subscribers.
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