Telecommunications Infrastructure

Successful use of information technology in any given country is driven by the state of the telecommunication and information infrastructure available in that country. Since the 1970’s the Kenya government has shown a very keen interest in improving telecommunications in the country, and has in fact recently set a target to increase tele-density in both urban and rural areas by about five times by the year 2015.

In July 1999 the government officially liberalized the telecommunications sector and the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) was formed to regulate the sector.

It is felt that these initiatives will highly improve the country's telecommunications infrastructure, and ensure competitiveness in international markets.

Internet Use

In the past decade, Kenya's has had one of the largest and fastest growing Internet sectors in Africa. Since the internet came to Kenya in 1994, the country has experienced phenomenal growth in its use. There are now numerous internet hosts, close to 100 licensed Internet Service Providers and over quarter million internet users in the country.

Kenya, which has always been in the forefront of Information Technology developments in Africa, recently established the first public Internet peering point for ISPs in Africa (outside of South Africa). The country also recently rolled out its first national Internet backbone connecting six cities with the use of digital switches, fiber-optic cable and satellite services. Telkom (K) Ltd is also in the process of laying fibre optic cables to facilitate faster connections.

The effect of all these developments will be to reduce further the cost of internet access, thereby enabling universal use of the medium in most parts of the country.

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