Mauritius envisions wi-fi from coast to coast

This tropical island off the east coast of Africa is best-known for its white-sand beaches, its designer clothing outlets and its spicy curries. But tiny Mauritius is about to stake a new claim to fame. By year's end, it is expected to become the world's first nation with coast-to-coast wireless Internet coverage, the first country to become one big hot spot. ADB Networks is the company installing the wireless radio network across the 40-mile-long island to cover up to 90 percent of the mountainous island. Like many African nations, this modest country has struggled economically. Looking for alternatives, the government has settled on a new and ambitious vision: Turning sleepy Mauritius with its endless sugar cane fields and tourist beaches into a high-tech computer and telecommunications center. Remote Mauritius is in many respects well-placed to win the high-tech investment it wants. Despite the government's effort to provide an inviting investment climate, regulation also remains a problem.The government holds a substantial share in Mauritius Telecom, the island's only fixed-line telephone operator, as well as one of its Internet providers and the company that controls the submarine broadband fiber-optic cable that provides all of the country's phone and Internet bandwidth. Still, Mauritius' courts have shown signs of holding the government to its competitiveness policies, which may ease the way for future investors.
Via Laurie Goering