Chinese government has completed its digital television project that seeks more than 500 villages across Uganda access to digital television, reports Daily Monitor. The 500 villages are part of 10,000 villages across Africa that will benefit from this project, dubbed Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages.
The project was implemented in Uganda by Chinese multinational media company; StarTimes with close supervision from the Chinese Embassy and the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance in July 2018—in an event attended by the First Lady & Minister of Education & Sports; Janet Museveni, Minister of ICT & National Guidance; Frank Tumwebaze, and the Chinese Ambassador to Uganda; Zheng Zhuqiang.
Janet Museveni at the launch ceremonial, said that the project will support education and encourage digital learning in rural schools by providing learning aids in form of projectors and televisions.
Six months after the project’s implementation, it has now officially been handed over to the Uganda government.
Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga, speaking at the handover ceremony in Kampala over the weekend, said the project will help the government improve education standards in rural areas. She added that villagers will have access to information such as agricultural markets, which will mostly help farmers.
Startimes has installed gadgets including; Projectors, Digital TV sets, DTH decoders, and satellite dishes — in public viewing centers including; schools, health centers, community centers, and other village halls. This was confirmed by Startimes Chief Executive, Andy Wang.
The ‘Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages’, is a China-Africa Cooperation project which aims to reduce the digital divide in African rural areas by giving villages access to digital television. The project is among 10 major cooperation programs to boost cooperation between China and Africa in a period of 3 years.
A total of 25 African countries including; Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Mozambique, Cote d’Ivoire, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, D.R.C., Guinea, Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon, Rwanda, Burundi, Benin, Eritrea, Chad, Central Africa, Congo Brazzaville, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Gabon will be benefiting from this project.
