NAIROBI, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Kenya announced on Thursday that it has started local manufacturing of fiber optic cables to expand internet connectivity and enable citizens to access opportunities in the digital space.
Eliud Owalo, cabinet secretary for information, communications and digital economy, said that the initiative is part of government efforts to achieve a target of 100,000 km of national fiber optic cable network.
"We have embarked on local manufacture of fiber optic cables. We now have the first and only fiber optic cables manufacturing firm in Kenya," Owalo said after touring the firm producing the cables, about 30 km south of Nairobi, Kenya's capital.
John Tanui, principal secretary in the State Department for Information and Communications Technology and Digital Economy, emphasized the importance of quality, affordable and accessible fiber optic cables in Kenya's quest to attain the 100,000 km target of the national fiber network.
Tanui said that the government-contracted firm has already delivered over 12,000 km of fiber optic cables to various firms in the East African country. "It has also exported about 30 percent of its fiber cables to over 10 countries in Africa."
According to the communication authority, Kenya has about 51 million internet subscriptions, with about 70 percent accessed through mobile phones. However, the lack of faster and cheaper internet access through fiber optic cables has limited usage, especially in rural areas where people cannot afford services offered by mobile phone service providers.
To bridge the digital divide, the Kenyan government is currently setting up free public Wi-Fi spots across the country while also training youth in digital skills to benefit from the internet.
On April 5, the World Bank announced the approval of 390 million U.S. dollars in funding for the first phase of a program in Kenya aimed at expanding access to high-speed internet. ■
