AfricaPress-Tanzania: SEVERAL institutions now contemplate on going digital in conducting their meetings to curb the spread of COVID-19 within workplaces.
Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation (TTCL) revealed that it has received requests from some institutions for facilities and installation of videoconferencing systems.
The institutions have submitted their request after being inspired by successful work of the state-owned mobile firm in enabling first-ever videoconferencing of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) held in the commercial city of Dar es Salaam.
The SADC council of ministers’ meeting, which was opened by Tanzania’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa on Wednesday, was conducted through videoconferencing on Wednesday this week.
The videoconference had participants from 14 Member States of the regional bloc who followed the session effectively.
Before starting his opening speech, Prime Minister Majaliwa tested the effectiveness of the installed videoconferencing facilities by greeting participants in other SADC member countries who were projected on a video screen.
He raised his hand as he mentioned a country one by one, and the participants responded by raising their hands too, suggesting that they were well connected.
Speaking on the sidelines of the council of ministers’ videoconference, TTCL Director General, Waziri Kindamba told journalists that the company’s move was a contribution to regional efforts to combat the spread of the pandemic through body contacts.
Mr Kindamba pointed out that the successful videoconferencing of SADC, which was a first time in the regional body, has brought respect to the country and the region at large.
“We, TTCL, have made history for our country and the whole SADC region. For the first time ever we were able to facilitate videoconferencing for the SADC meeting after spending sleepless nights while preparing the system,” Mr Kindamba stated.
He said the achievement has attracted six institutions so far who have signed contracts with the company for the installation of videoconferencing systems in a bid to reduce gatherings as directed by the government.
“We have planned to increase the bandwidth in our network in order to meet needs when they arise,” he said.
Since the outbreak of the global pandemic, the government has been discouraging gatherings which would somehow contribute to the spread of coronavirus.
