U.S. - Africa Partnership in Connecting Africa

The Digital Freedom Initiative (DFI) hosted a dialogue in conjunction with the Advisory Committee to the Congressional Internet Caucus, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and U.S. Agency for International Development that shared perspectives on number of key telecommunication and communication policy issues between policy makers from Africa and the United States.

U.S.-Africa Partnership Event on Capitol Hill

The issues covered included:

• Expanding Broadband and Rural Connectivity
• Applications of Technology including E-Government, E-Health, and E-Education
• Media and Content - Balancing Free Flow of Information and Protection of Citizens
• Policies that Encourage the Adoption of New Technologies in an Increasingly Converged World

The participants discussed the important role government plays in setting a priority for rolling out broadband and developing policies that support investment. The need to create content was highlighted including e-health, e-government, and e-commerce.

Congressman Bob Goodlatte speaking during the policy discussion

Congressman Bob Goodlatte opened the session and discussed the experience in the United States of connecting rural communities. Congressman Ed Royce joined the session and spotlighted important relationship the U.S. and Africa has forged through active efforts such as the African Growth and Opportunities Act. During the lunch, Congressmen Bobby Rush and Donald Payne emphasized the desire to continue and deepen ties between the U.S. and Africa, both in the public and private sectors.

Participants included:

• H.E. Mr. Albert Butare, Minister of Infrastructure, Rwanda
• H.E. Mr. Gaoussou Drabo, Minister of Communications and ICT, Mali
• H.E. Mr. Bello Bouba Maigari, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Cameroon
• H.E. Dr. Ham-Mukasa Mulira, Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Uganda
• H.E. Mr. Pierre-Michel Nguimbi, Minister of Technical and Professional Education, Congo
• H.E. Mr. Joachim Tankoano, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Burkina Faso
• Dr. Bitange Ndemo, Permament Secretary, Ministry of Communications, Kenya
• Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission

• Ambassador David A. Gross, U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy, U.S. Department of State
• Congressman Bob Goodlatte, 6th District of Virginia, Co-Chair, Congressional Internet Caucus
• Congressman Ed Royce, 40th District of California
• Congressman Donald Payne, 10th District of New Jersey
• Congressman Bobby Rush, 1st District of Illinois
• Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate, Federal Communications Commission
• Honorable John Kneuer, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Ms. Meredith Broadbent, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative - Industry & Telecommunications, U.S. Office of the United States Trade Representative
• Mr. Geoff Jackson, Director for Policy and Program, U.S. Trade and Development Agency
• Mr. Michael Thieman, USDA Rural Development - Utilities Program Chief of Staff
• Mr. Tim Lordan, Executive Director for the Internet Education Foundation
• Ms. Barbara Keating, Commissioner, Cable Compliance Commission, Montgomery County, Maryland

Congressman Bobby Rush speaking during lunch on Capitol Hill

U.S. - Africa Cooperation in Telecommunications Development

For over ten years, the United States has played a special, catalytic role in helping to transform the African telecommunications sector. U.S. government programs have assisted African leaders in developing pro-growth policies, facilitated high-impact investments in information infrastructure, and helped roll-out the Internet as a tool for stimulating economic growth. This assistance has resulted in:

• Dozens of countries setting aside longstanding monopolies, the continent developing new opportunities for business and economic growth, and over a hundred million new cellular subscribers opening accounts.
• More than 100 African firms becoming Internet Service Providers (ISPs) through the Leland Initiative. These companies are shaking up telecommunications markets across the continent.
• USAID and Cisco Systems partnering to create 75 African Networking Academies and training over 25,000 new network technicians in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Twenty-two African countries receiving targeted project planning assistance in the telecommunications sector from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.