The Mozambican government has invested two million meticals (€28,000 euros) in a digital square on the island of Inhaca, in Maputo city municipality, to “offer free internet access” to more than 6,000 residents of the region, an official source announced this Thursday.
“By offering free internet access, we are opening up paths to knowledge, local commerce and community cohesion,” said Mateus Magala, minister of transport and communications, during the inauguration ceremony of the Kanyaka digital square in the Municipality of Maputo, the Mozambican capital.
The square is part of the Digital Squares Project underway in Mozambique, the aim of which is to “massify the use of the internet as part of social inclusion”, said Mateus Magala, noting that connectivity “is not a luxury, but a critical tool for progress and sustainable development”.
The Kanyaka digital square is expected to benefit a total of 6,093 residents of the island of Inhaca, simultaneously connecting at least 200 people.
According to figures provided by the transport minister, at least 95 digital plazas have been installed in Mozambique, four of which are in Maputo, and the authorities hope to cover all the country’s district headquarters and municipalities with free internet by 2024.
The Mozambican government official said that by 2027, at least 80% of Mozambique’s population of more than 30 million was expected to have internet access.
“With this and other digital acceleration projects, we are implementing connectivity, one of the five strategic priorities we have defined for the Transport and Communications sector,” concluded Mateus Magala.
Situated at the entrance to Maputo Bay in southern Mozambique, Inhaca is part of the Municipality of Maputo City and is one of the province’s main tourist attractions, but the connection between the island and the city is still poor due to the few boats that make the journey.
Lusa
