H.E. John N. Waweru, Director-General of the Communications Commission of Kenya (DSF Founding Member), comments the HAPS geostationary platform X-Station project.


What are your views with respect to the DSF’s role in fighting the digital divide?

The challenges facing most developed countries towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals are enormous. Governments constrained in resources have the onerous task of identifying and selecting priority development areas to meet the ever increasing demand for basic needs. ICT development often falls behind in the priority matrix consequently never receiving the much needed resources to spur its growth. This situation results into a persistent and gradual widening of a gap that requires other alternative interventions to address.

We view the DSF as one of the critical enablers in bridging the digital divide particularly in developing nations. The DSF’s commitment to support innovative initiatives offers a tangible solution towards meeting the technological, financing and capacity building needs necessary to spur ICT development.

The DSF, with support from all the key stakeholders, holds the promise of progressing the WSIS agenda of bridging the digital divide, consequently advancing the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

After visiting the X-Station project at EPFL, what do you think about the applications of this innovative communications system?

The X- Station project, a technological innovation that provides a cost effective infrastructure deployment presents invigorating solutions and opportunities. At the national level it is envisaged to address universal access to ICT’s as it would provide a backhaul system that will significantly reduce the cost of infrastructure deployment in rural and remote areas.

It also affords a platform for applications that will support other economic development initiatives including transport and housing planning as well as security management. Further, in order to deal with the perennial food shortages, governments in the African continent can harness its capability in agricultural monitoring to ensure food security.

The implementation of the X-Station in Africa is planned for the end of 2008. Do you think Kenya can play a key role in deploying this project in Africa?

Kenya embraces innovative solutions that can propel her towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals as well as other socio- economic goals. We recognize the need for regional integration as a means to holistically deal with poverty eradication and propagate development. In this respect Kenya has and will continue to put efforts towards regional development agendas including the deployment of the X-Station.

Having appreciated the potential gains of this innovation, we are keen to pioneer its deployment in the African continent.