As excitement grows about the prospects for fiber optic cable in East Africa, many are wondering how they can use this new tool to drive business growth in the region. The laying of fiber optics by companies such as Seacom and TEAMS, owned by the government, has offered this part of the world a chance of life, in consideration of the global recession that is hitting developed nations.

           

One of the ways the government can take advantage of this tool is outsourcing. Cheap outsourcing labor will see the global recession work in Kenya’s favor, as most companies from the West will head to East Africa. Unfortunately, that’s what the Kenyan government has seen as the positives of fiber optic cable. So how else can companies take advantage of this great opportunity?

• First of all, the cost of the Internet connection will be less. Starting a broadband business is a safe and direct way to earn money. Even with traditional dial-up Internet connections, many businesses lack broadband services. Having personal packages for individuals would also increase income. Taking advantage of this market is a sure money generator.
• E-commerce businesses – With fast internet speed, starting e-commerce businesses will be an ideal business project. Since more people will have access to a fast and cheap internet connection, the market viability for starting e-commerce businesses is viable. Already with mobile money transfer like Safaricom’s M-Pesa and Zain’s ZAP services, online transactions won’t encounter many challenges. So go ahead and set up your online store!
• Online Applications: With the expected rapid use of the Internet, online application development will be a difficult but highly lucrative spot to mint millions. More than 90% of the applications we use are foreign. These include web browsers (Mozilla, Explorer), file transfer tools, social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace), emails (Yahoo Mail, Gmail, Hotmail). Getting into this sector will be difficult, but the rewards will be worth it.
• Start a web hosting company – having servers in Kenya will start to make sense. With fast internet lines, businesses can now serve end-user websites and manage their own servers.
• Start an online consulting service – Are you specialized in any area? Art, Medicine, Nutrition, etc. You can create a website that offers free advice to users while monetizing it with Google AdSense or an affiliate program and earning your money!

There are many local hosting companies that provide such services. They are cheap and easy to administer. So wake up and take advantage of this new emerging market for East Africa.