The East African countries have decisively agreed to embark on the construction of a regional satellite that will be solely owned by them. The primary objective of the satellite will be to effectively ease communication within the region, and this initiative will be pursued with unwavering determination.
This collaborative initiative signifies a significant step forward in the region’s pursuit of technological independence and self-reliance. The decision to build a shared satellite reflects a shared vision among East African nations to leverage space technology for the betterment of communication networks, fostering regional connectivity and cooperation.
The decision was made during the Ministerial Meeting for The ICT Infrastructure Development under the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIPs) held at Nairobi Kenya on Thursday where all the regional ministers of ICT agreed to fast-track the modalities of establishing a Regional Owned Satellite for communication that will provide high-quality, dependable broadband internet services and broadcasting capabilities.
This endeavour is expected to not only bolster communication capabilities within East Africa but also contribute to the overall economic and social development of the region. The collaborative satellite project aims to reduce dependency on external communication infrastructure and position East African countries at the forefront of space technology utilization. As the participating nations pool their resources and expertise, the project is poised to open up new opportunities for innovation, research, and cross-border partnerships in the rapidly evolving space technology landscape.
The ministers also agreed to fast-track the establishment of an East African Single Digital Market that will optimise technological efficiency within Partner States by promoting and supporting start-ups, enabling joint access to capital financing, co-financing research, and others. The Ministers were cognisant that this (EAC block of about 174 Million People) would create a bargaining platform with international tech companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.
On cooperation in Cybersecurity and emerging technologies, the Ministers directed the Technical team to expedite the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cyber Security, in order to address the emerging cyber threats and emerging through collaborative efforts. As a way of easing communication and regional relationships, member countries welcomed the progress on the implementation of the e-services across the Region, including data sharing framework, full integration of mobile financial services and ensuring mutual access to secure and reliable information.
In the same way, the Ministers acknowledged the achievements so far, including the operationalization of One Network Area (ONA) for voice, data and SMS, which has led to over 900 times traffic increase among the Partner States, as well as cross-border national backbone connections.
During the meeting, Hon. Chris Baryomunsi, Minister of ICT and National Guidance of the Republic of Uganda, Hon. Michael Makuei Lueth, Minister of Information Communication Technology and Postal Services of the Republic of South Sudan, and Mr Gordon Kalema, Director General of Digital Transformation from the Ministry of ICT and Innovation of the Republic of Rwanda, were in attendance.
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