IDG News Service —

Uganda's national data backbone, which is in its first phase of construction, is attracting interest across Africa as a model on which others can base their e-government plans.

Government officials from Zambia, Namibia, Malawi and Tanzania have been to Uganda to see for themselves what the country is doing, with the aim of using the Ugandan experience as a blueprint for their respective countries.

"We have received delegations from four countries interested in finding out more about what we are doing," said Alintuma Nsambu, Uganda's deputy minister of Information Communication Technology (ICT). "For me that is a sign that we are on the right track and are doing something good."

The Ugandan government is building the 2,500-kilometer backbone with a US$110 million loan from the Chinese government. China's Huawei Technologies is doing work on the backbone, which should be completed at the end of this year, according to an agreement the parties entered into.

Nsambu revealed that when complete, the facility will be contracted out to a private manager. "We are constructing a road so that anybody and everybody can use it. It will not be managed by government for a lot of reasons, but mainly for its viability," he said.

"We will set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) under which we will contract out management of the infrastructure to a private player; it could be Uganda Telecom or any other player."

The national backbone, which should allow e-government efforts to take root, has seen its $30 million first phase completed. The first phase connects government institutions and departments with the aim of reducing spending on public administration.

The second phase, which will see fiber optics extended to the rest of the country, is to begin in July.

The broadband infrastructure is also intended to increase the speed of implementing government programs, provide basic communication to rural communities and improve service delivery in health, education and agriculture.

Uganda is alone among the five East African Community (EAC) member states in deploying the data infrastructure, which should help make life for people and the civil service easier and more enjoyable.

Nsambu, who was speaking at a Uganda Telecom ICT exhibition, explained why the government decided to build the backbone -- a decision the private sector has viewed differently.

"We are building a fiber network, which looks like competition to the private players, but I would like to tell you that government will not compete with the private sector," Nsambu said.

Nsambu explained that the infrastructure will reach and serve those areas the private players do not reach. "I think it is only fair that as a government, we come in to reach those areas that are disadvantaged or do not make commercial sense to the private providers," Nsambu said.