Ministers form Eastern and Southern African countries have signed a protocol for establishing a regional broadband infrastructure network of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), a statement said in Kampala on Thursday.

According to the statement from the Uganda Communication Commission, the protocol for the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) ICT Broadband Infrastructure Network, including the Eastern Africa Sub-Marine Cable System (EASSy) was signed in Kigali, capital of Rwanda, on Tuesday.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who presided over the signing, described the protocol as an historic event in that it was the first time an ICT project of that magnitude is conceived and spearheaded by Africans for Africans

"The ICT broadband is becoming a basic infrastructure and our region has lagged behind in this regard. That is why we are here to correct this," the statement quoted Kagame as saying.

The signing paved way for the project steering committee to fast track the implementation of the network, which involves construction of a 9,900 km EASSy cable from Mtunzini, South Africa, to Port Sudan in Sudan.

The project at value of 300 million U.S. dollars is scheduled to be in operation in 2008.

"The project will go a long way to reduce costs of access to, and improve our telecommunications systems, thus bridging the digital divide and improving African lives," said Henry Chasia, the Deputy Executive Chairperson of NEPAD e-Africa Commission.

A total of seven countries including Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Lesotho, Malawi, Madagascar, and South Africa signed the protocol joining 16 other countries while those who yet to sing have up to November 2006 to sign up and June 2007 to ratify the protocol.

Source: Xinhua