Press Release

U.S. Government and Government of Rwanda Open East Africa Broadband Connectivity Workshop

Kigali (May 8, 2007) – The U.S. Government, through its Digital Freedom Initiative, and the Government of Rwanda today opened a forum with the Ministers of Communication from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda to discuss policies that will encourage the expansion of broadband connectivity in the region.  President Paul Kagame of Rwanda opened the event. 

This forum builds on the long-running relationship that the U.S. Government has established with governments in the region.  In March 2007, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency in partnership with the Digital Freedom Initiative hosted African ministers from, among other African countries, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda in Washington, DC and San Francisco.  President Kagame presented a well-received keynote speech at the event.

East Africa has experienced tremendous growth in information and communication technology (ICT) over the past ten years that has translated into higher rates of economic growth and foreign investment.  As nations work to create open and competitive ICT markets and to facilitate continued growth, many key issues remain for policy makers to address to continue to expand connectivity in the region including: interconnection and cross-border pricing policies and ensuring competitive and non-discriminatory access.  As connectivity grows, the cost of voice and Internet services will drop for students, small and mid-sized businesses, educational institutions and health care providers as well as lead to enhanced government services becoming available.

Ambassador David A. Gross, U.S. Coordinator for International Communication and Information Policy, is serving as co-host of the conference along with Minister Albert Butare from the Ministry of Infrastructure in Rwanda.  Ambassador Gross, who has many years’ experience in the telecom industry prior to being appointed Ambassador in 2002, is joined by officials from the U.S. Department of State, experts from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), as well as representatives from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).  Officials from the World Bank and International Telecommunication Union also were invited to attend along with African and American academics to share insights and experiences and contribute to the discussions.