World Bank approves Central African Backbone project
The Executive Board of Directors of the World Bank Group has announced its endorsement of the US$215 million, ten-year Central African Backbone Program (CAB Program). This program will support the countries of the Central African region in developing their high-speed telecommunications backbone infrastructure to increase the availability of high-speed Internet and reduce end-user prices.
The CAB Program will also help countries harmonise the laws and regulations that govern the ICT sector to increase private sector investment and improve competition.
Three countries - Cameroon, Chad and Central African Republic (CAR) - are participating in the initial US$26.2 million phase of the program. A further eight countries are also eligible to participate in the program — Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé and Principe, and Sudan.