Times of Zambia: ZAMBIA has been described as a good example in rural connectivity from which many African nations could learn how to implement the concept.

It has also been said to have great potential to become a major supplier of Information Communication Technology (ICT) gadgets, capable of supplying the wares to other African countries.

Minister of telecommunications and postal services for Southern Sudan, Madut Biar Yel said apart from being a good example in the implementation of the rural connectivity, Zambia also yielded enormous potential to become a major supplier of mobile phones.

Mr Yel said this during a joint Press discussion with Zambia's Communications and Transport Minister, Geoffrey Lungwangwa and his permanent secretary, Dominic Sichinga, and Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) at the sidelines of the on-going CTO rural connectivity conference in Livingstone.

Mr Yel said the success of the rural connectivity concept could only succeed if Africa worked together and created an enabling environment that was conducive for investment in the ICT sector, including giving the necessary incentives.

He said Southern Sudan was a new government which had been preceded by 40 years of fighting, and was ready to advance in the ICT sector by providing friendly legislation and tax holidays that eased the inflow of the necessary ICT investment.

Mr Yel also said rural connectivity was cardinal as it would help to open up Southern Sudan which was mostly a rural set up.

And CTO chief executive officer Ekwowo Spio Garbrah said the forum was important as it would accelerate rural connectivity, which was cardinal to the fulfillment of social, political and economic obligations of the government

Dr Garbrah said the conference was eager to ensure access, availability and affordability of ICT for the people in rural areas.

He said public private partnerships (PPPs) were cardinal for rural connectivity to be effective and successful, as this would allow players to compete on a levelled playing field.

The availability of ICT in rural areas would allow people there to trade, learn and do other things through ICT. He said the access of ICT in Africa was estimated to stand at 25 to 30 per cent of the population because service providers concentrated on profitable areas that were also easier to service.

Dr Garbrah said long distances apart and sparse population in villages was among the barriers to effective rural ICT connectivity, which required a business model based on PPPs to surmount.

And Professor Lungwangwa said Government was encouraging companies to set up manufacturing plants for ICT wares and expressed hope that the multi-facility economic zones (MFEZ) would further boost this concept.

He said attractive incentives were in place for such ventures. The minister said rural connectivity would boost business activity in the countryside in areas of health, trade and agro productivity and enable people to be part of this knowledge-driven society.

The conference is being attended by Commonwealth countries, ICT regulators and operators.