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ITU and South Africa to test new approaches for sustainable rural connectivity
Busan, 26 October 2014 – Arising from a meeting held during the ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference in Busan, Republic of Korea, H.E. Dr Siyabonga Cwele, Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS) of the Republic of South Africa, and Mr Brahima Sanou, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, have agreed to collaborate on a project to test new, sustainable approaches to bringing broadband connectivity to rural post offices in South Africa and to support these post offices to deliver essential digital financial and other services to their communities.
The project will be implemented in cooperation with the Universal Postal Union as well as partners from industry and civil society.
This project will support the national broadband policy – South Africa Connect - which aims to provide affordable, high-capacity and reliable connectivity to support advanced applications and services for government, businesses and consumers, with a special emphasis on rural and underserviced communities.
This new collaboration also reinforces ITU's regional initiative to extend broadband infrastructure in Africa, as endorsed by the World Telecommunication Development Conference earlier this year.
Hailing the initiative, ITU Secretary General, Hamadoun I. Touré said “Broadband is a truly transformational technology. It can generate jobs, drive growth and productivity, and underpin long-term economic competitiveness.”
For more information, please
contact:
Sanjay Acharya
Chief, Media Relations and Public Information, ITU
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