The broadband commission brings together leaders from the private sector, policy makers, government representatives, international agencies and academia to provide a variety of perspectives with the aim of developing a joint approach to promote broadband for public benefit.
Speaking at the opening of the commission’s working group meeting, President Kagame noted that Africa’s economic transformation requires broadband infrastructure with an emphasis on both access and affordability.
“The reality is that all other digital services whether in commerce or education or healthcare run on top of broadband. Africa’s size, geography and settlement patterns mean that we must rely on a variety of different technologies to deliver broadband including satellite, fibre optic and mobile. It is up to us to lead the way in driving innovation both in policy and business models in order to speed up the provision of broadband where it has been slowest to reach,” President Kagame said.
The President will also deliver a keynote address at the opening of the Transform Africa Economic Forum which will deliberate on the vision for a smart Continental Free Trade Area.
The Economic Forum is expected to highlight potential cross- border initiatives for investment and partnership opportunities relevant to African Continental Free Trade Area.
The Transform Africa Economic Forum will precede Transform Africa Summit 2018, which runs from 8-9 May 2018.
In its fourth edition, Transform Africa Summit is a leading annual continental forum that convenes global and regional leaders from government, business and international organizations to collaborate on new ways of shaping, accelerating and sustaining Africa’s on-going digital revolution.
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