Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 19 | Page 49

THE VISION IS ONE OF COUNTRY CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO ALL HIS NEIGHBOURS . to all his neighbours and with a virtual landing station operated by a public-private partnership that guarantees open , nondiscriminatory and transparent access to affordable international connectivity landing in the country .
COUNTRY FOCUS : BURKINA FASO

THE VISION IS ONE OF COUNTRY CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO ALL HIS NEIGHBOURS . to all his neighbours and with a virtual landing station operated by a public-private partnership that guarantees open , nondiscriminatory and transparent access to affordable international connectivity landing in the country .

Why is the expansion of geographical coverage of broadband networks so important for Burkina Faso ?
This is important to bring the benefits of internet ( economic , social ) to as many people as possible and mitigate the risks of a ‘ digital divide ’ within the population . Poor , remote and sparsely populated areas are typically poorly covered or not covered at all by private operators and this type of project is needed to compensate for this gap . The bank ’ s mission is to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity . We believe that increasing coverage of broadband networks contributes to these twin goals .
Why is it important to strengthen regional integration through a connection with Benin ?
Regional integration improves communications , trade and services flows . This contributes to regional economic growth , improved resilience to crisis , exchanges of goods , services , capital , ideas , etc .
A connection with Benin would complete the digital integration of Burkina Faso , since links already exist with all the other neighbours .
What are the main benefits of strengthening digital infrastructure in Burkina Faso and other similar nations ?
In a nutshell , digital infrastructure is the first building block , as this brings access to digital services . Without access , nothing happens . Then comes conducive policy and regulatory environment to foster competition and encourage private investment . This helps having affordable digital services . This project will have impacts on both . The next steps are developing services and increasing usages .
What stage is the project at ?
The original project is finishing up ( the inauguration of the infrastructures was held on July 10 with the Prime Minister ). Everything is operational , The additional financing was approved by the board of the World Bank and should become effective by the end of August . We are doing preparation work at this point .
Burkina Faso to benefit from Blockchain
Blockchain is widely considered to be one of today ’ s most disruptive technologies – and it is now accessible in Burkina Faso . www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO
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