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Kenya Gets Sh52 Billion from World Bank to Put Up 25,000 Free Wi-Fi Hotspots

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Kenya Gets Sh52 Billion from World Bank to Put Up 25,000 Free Wi-Fi Hotspots

Kenya is set to receive $390 million (Sh52 billion) from the World Bank to put up 25,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots across the country under the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project.

The disbursement will finance the first phase of the project, which seeks to expand access to high-speed internet, improve the quality of education and digitize government services.

The 25,000 Wi-Fi hotspots will provide internet services to innovators, youth, and entrepreneurs and are expected to cut internet costs in the country by up to 60%.

“Broadening access to digital technologies and services is a cross-cutting pathway to accelerate economic growth and job creation, improve service delivery and build resilience,” said Keith Hansen, World Bank Country Director for Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda.

The project is also expected to mobilize an additional $100 million (Sh13.3 billion) from the private sector for the broadband infrastructure development project.

It will also involve the rehabilitation of 2,500 kilometers of old fiber network, the setting up of village digital hubs and studios in all the 1,450 wards, and the establishment of a regional integration connectivity network.

The project also includes the local manufacture of cheap smart devices to increase access to the internet via phones.

The free Wi-Fi hotspots will be installed in business centers, rural areas, and other public spaces, according to the Kenya National Digital Masterplan 2022-2032.

 

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