Incentives on agenda to deepen internet coverage

Investors seeking to put up broadband ICT infrastructure in remote counties could soon receive incentives as the Government seeks to double the country’s broadband penetration by 2017.

According to Information and Communication Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, the Government’s plan to double broadband penetration will further see utility parastatals open up their infrastructure to assist in the deployment of broadband infrastructure.

“We do not expect the Exchequer to fund this project and some of it would be funded through Private Public Partnerships,” explained Matiang’i adding that his ministry will be holding discussion with Treasury to see how investors in the sector can be provided with incentives.

“Companies like Kenya Power, Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) Kenya Pipeline Company and Kenya Railways will be required to assist,” explained  Matiangi.

Already, Kenya Power and Ketraco have extensive fibre networks with the former early this year announcing plans to expand its current capacity from 1,800 km to 3,100 km, which is expected to bring in Sh1 billion annually in data revenues.

“At this moment we are engaging these companies to see how we can use their infrastructure to deploy fibre cables to counties without having to spend a lot of money,” he said.

A study commissioned by the Communications Authority of Kenya in 2011 revealed that Kenya needs more than Sh70 billion to connect all the divisions into the ICT grid.

The commission last month announced it had commissioned Canadian research firm, Intelecon Research and Consultancy Company, to conduct another access gaps study whose results are expected to be released in February next year.