New ICT partnership in Kenya 'will lower telecom costs'

8 September 2011

Telecommunications costs in Kenya are likely to be reduced through a new ICT partnership between public and private organisations.

According to All Africa Global Media, the move will enable the country to build and manage its Long Term Evolution (LTE) infrastructure, which is more commonly referred to as 4G.

Due to the expense and slow roll-out of such services previously, the government has pushed for a national open access network that will allow operators and equipment vendors to share resources.

Dr Bitange Ndemo, permanent secretary in Kenya's Ministry of Information and Communication, said this arrangement will be a world first.

"People need to understand open access and shared infrastructure," he remarked. "The benefits will be passed on to the consumer in [the] form of cheaper broadband."

This comes after Helios Towers Africa, a telecommunications tower construction firm and operator, announced it would be spending $100 million (£62 million) to expand its network in Tanzania over the next five years.  

Category: ICT