Telkom Kenya to roll out free Wi-Fi deal in constituencies

By Claire Wanja

Telkom Kenya Limited is rolling out free Wi-Fi through government-funded Constituency Incubation Hubs in the 290 constituencies across the country.

The initiative, a partnership of the Ministry of ICT and the National Constituency Development Fund (NCDF), will see Telkom Kenya install 1,160 Constituency Incubation Hubs, 4 per constituency, which will be equipped with 40 tablet devices, per incubation hub.

The Hubs will benefit youth entrepreneurs by way of helping them develop their ICT skills and applications, bringing them into the digital world and enabling them to grow and start new businesses.

The National Constituency Development Fund will fund the project for the supply and installation of the equipment component while the Ministry of ICT will fund the provision of Internet broadband services for a period of one year.

Speaking upon confirmation of the award of the Wi-Fi project, Managing Director of the Enterprise Division at Telkom Kenya, Kris Senanu, referred to the move as demonstrable proof of confidence in Telkom Kenya’s capabilities on actualising Kenya’s broadband strategy.

“We are excited about the roll-out of this new government project. As a strategic partner to the Kenya government’s national ICT agenda, Telkom Kenya is able to provide end-to-end solutions, tailor-made to meet a growing set of needs for the Public Sector,” says Mr. Senanu.

The contract will complement Telkom Kenya’s stakes in the Internet development space, as the country races towards improving connectivity to create a knowledge-based economy.

Telkom Kenya has continued to invest in its network infrastructure with a sizeable portfolio in broadband infrastructure, submarine cables, and its management of the government’s National Optic Fibre Backbone (NOFBI).