Tanzania is to spend over US$189mn on laying a national fibre optic network
Expected to be complete by March this year, the fibre will boost access to cheaper Internet. The project is financed jointly by China and Tanzania, contributing US$170mn and US$18mn respectively.
Government officials say the plan is to connect the whole country, with the cable reaching each district before the end of 2012. Over 10,000 km will be connected by March this year with the rest connected by the end of the year.
Phase one and two of the project will cover 7,000km, adding to the existing 3,674km of national optic fibre cable in the country. All administrative regional and district centres within Tanzania should be connected to the backbone project. ICT can therefore be a tool for achieving sustainable development, which comprises economic development, social development and environmental protection.
According to Dr Iddi Singo, the government is committed to the promotion of information and communication technology IT application in various fields including e-learning at deferent levels of education. The government will, from the next financial year, set aside a budget for the implementation of the Tanzania Beyond Tomorrow (TBT) project, which will provide the IT to enable teachers to teach many students in various regions at the same time.
Mwangi Mumero
