Dear KIP and KICTANet list members You are invited to attend a one day event convened by the Association for Progressive Communications, Balancing Act, Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa and Kenya ICT Action Network. Venue and date: Indian Ocean Beach Hotel, Mombasa, 10 March 2006. Members who are able to fund their attendance are encouraged to participate. Africa currently has to pay for some of the most expensive bandwidth in the world and the money it pays in hard currency leaves the continent. Because East Africa does not have international fibre connections, it is paying more than countries connected to the SAT3 fibre on the other side of the continent. The price of international bandwidth is a significant barrier to the region’s development. It makes it more expensive to do business here: for example, it is harder for new call centres to compete with their global competitors. And in terms of its social development, there are many areas where cheap international access would give East African citizens, professionals, students and decision-makers access to knowledge, expertise and involvement in regional and global discussions. The cost of international bandwidth almost certainly directly affects your work; whether through the high cost of international calls (particularly to other African countries) or through the cost and speed of your internet connection. In response to these issues, the EASSy consortium has been set up to build a fibre route that will connect countries on the east coast of Africa. However its governance and the terms under which access to the new capacity will be available have not yet been set. The project is at a crossroads: it can either follow the monopoly practices of its predecessor SAT3 or offer an Open Access regime that will increase competition and lower prices, and give consideration to development needs. Therefore KICTANET, CIPESA, Balancing Act and APC want to invite you to a briefing on the subject followed by a debate of the key issues with the questions that still need answers. We enclose a programme for this day-long event and look forward to seeing you there. Funds for supporting travel and accommodation are limited. Therefore please try and arrange for your own participation. Please respond to this invitation by Monday 20 February 2006 to Vanessa Purper, APC’s Events and Logistics Coordinator – vanessa@apc.org Yours sincerely, on behalf of APC, Balancing Act, CIPESA and Kictanet Anriette Esterhuysen APC Executive Director