The Universal Service Fund (USF) is a special kitty that was created to finance the setting up of information communication and technology services in areas considered too remote for telcos to operate profitably.
All telecommunication firms are supposed to contribute a 0.5 per cent of their turnover to the pool.
Through the Universal Service Advisory Council (USAC), the body in charge of implementing the fund, Sh1.5 billion has been set aside to connect remote areas to the Internet.
Telcos have contributed Sh5.3 billion to a kitty set up to connect remote parts of the country, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has said.
The Universal Service Fund (USF) is a special kitty that was created to finance the setting up of information communication and technology services in areas considered too remote for telcos to operate profitably.
All telecommunication firms are supposed to contribute a 0.5 per cent of their turnover to the pool.
Through the Universal Service Advisory Council (USAC), the body in charge of implementing the fund, Sh1.5 billion has been set aside to connect remote areas to the Internet.
“We have awarded 78 sub-locations to Telkom Kenya and Safaricom that are currently doing mobilisation to start the installation of mobile services in marginalised parts of the country such as Samburu, Marsabit and Turkana. We have also connected 896 public secondary schools throughout the country with broadband Internet in the last financial year,” said CA director-general Francis Wangusi yesterday.
He was speaking at a Nairobi hotel during the inauguration of the third USAC members.
The telco operators had contributed Sh2.1 billion to the fund as at early last year.
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