Huawei to support Kenya's bid to expand digital infrastructure
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E-mail Xinhua, April 16, 2022
Chinese telecoms firm Huawei will partner with the Kenyan government to promote connectivity through the expansion of the country's broadband infrastructure, a company official said Friday.
The telecom firm said it will roll out 43,000 km of fiber cable across Kenya to ramp up national internet connectivity.
Steve Kamuya, director for enterprise business at Huawei Kenya, said to enable broadband access, it will start with laying 25,000 km of fiber backbone and metro countrywide through the partnership with Kenya's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Authority.
Kamuya also said that it will later install an additional 18,000 km of fiber for last-mile connectivity, as part of efforts to bridge the digital divide in Kenya.
"Accelerating ICT infrastructure construction is critical for ensuring universal access to all," Kamuya said Friday during the 2022 edition of the Connected Kenya Conference held in the Kenyan coastal town of Kwale, adding that Huawei will rally behind the implementation of the National Broadband Strategy to boost connectivity and access to affordable digital services in Kenya.
Kamuya in a statement released stressed that investing in additional broadband infrastructure will be a boon to the country's digital economy, noting that access to last-mile devices like computers, phones and tablets would be key to accelerating the transition to a knowledge-based economy. He added that intelligent transport facilities, smart lighting and the creation of smart cities will be realized once the country invests in the expansion of broadband infrastructure.
Maureen Mwaniki, the vice director for the Programs Management Office at Huawei Kenya, said that investing in supportive infrastructure and soft skills was key to bridging the digital divide in the country. According to Mwaniki, Huawei had rolled out training programs in Kenya to boost digital literacy among local youth and ensure they were actively in efforts to spur the growth of a knowledge-based economy.
Bitange Ndemo, a professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Nairobi's School of Business, said that investing in digital infrastructure was key to hastening inclusive growth in the country.
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