Seacom to lower African bandwidth costs

Sea submarine communication company, Seacom, says plans are underway to provide research and educational institutes with cheap international bandwidth to assist organisations such as the Climate System Analysis Group (CSAG) to develop home-grown solutions for Africa, says Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.

Brian Herlihy, chairman of the company, said the functions of CSAG have been hindered by the lack of affordable bandwidth that can help in research and understanding of Africa's climatic patterns.

He said Seacom will help lower the costs of international bandwidth and make accessibility to information crucial to the development of Africa easier.

In a bid to promote a knowledge-based economy and enhance Africa's scientific capabilities, Sudan, the largest country in Africa, is planning to launch several initiatives in science and technology and in higher education, reports University World News.

But the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague against Sudan's president could mean these projects may not even begin.

The planned initiatives include a science and technology city, an 'electronic city', two science teacher training institutes and an agricultural technology centre, as well as a centre for combating malaria.

Traditional partners India and Africa are making a joint bid to turn the current global economic uncertainty into an opportunity for establishing long-term business partnerships, states Web News Wire.

Nearly 410 delegates representing government bodies and businesses from African states attended the India-Africa Project Partnership in New Delhi this month to discuss and identify the opportunities for project partnerships that address local as well as niche global markets.

The three-day interactive event saw projects worth over $12 billion being discussed and the focus areas of discussion were project financing, mining and minerals, agriculture and agro-processing, energy, consultancy, transport connectivity, SME promotion, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, and human capital formation.