Global mobile phone leader Ericsson plans to make mobile broadband a reality for all Africans, ensure rural connectivity and redefine rural and urban life in Africa by 2020. The strategy will see Ericsson sub-Saharan Africa engage many societal and industry sectors at various levels on the impact and meaning of A Networked Africa. Acording to the company's Head of Marketing, sub-Saharan Africa, Shiletsi Makhofane, Ericsson sees a future in which telecommunications forms the basis of a 21st-century information-based infrastructure. Chief Brand Officer of the company, Cesare Avenia, said: “Going forward, ICT will be extremely important to the society and will make possible in a sustainable way, things that in the past were not possible. Communication will transform agriculture, health, transport, media and utilities. We will have a society that is much more informed, connected, and independent; that does not rely so much on the government. The Network Africa concept is a totally new way of handling the basic needs of the people in a smarter and much more sustainable way.” He disclosed that all the telecommunications companies are expected to partner with Ericsson on the project, adding that the full deployment of third generation services and broadband Internet will drive it faster. He said: “In the last 10 years, we have been able to bring communications capabilities in the hands of everybody. Now we have the mobile phone in the hands of both the rich and the poor as against what used to obtain. All the services that ICT in the networked society will allow will be due to broadband Internet capabilities and data connectivity. “So the mobile phone, through the mobile Internet and data connectivity, will become the device that will give people the possibility of accessing these services. They will be affordable because there will be a big explosion all over the world as it has been for the mobile voice service. “This is happening already. If the 3G license is fully optimized and services deployed, it will happen. I was here ten years ago and in ten years, this country has developed a lot. Now in one year, you will still be developing and this will be an explosion that will happen here and everywhere in Africa. This is a great opportunity because this is an infrastructure that is affordable and also for low level people.” BM
