Mauritius Telecom provides Internet services through a joint venture with
FCR, Telecom-Plus. Telecom-Plus uses 384kbps link to Paris and a 512kbps
connection provided by Sprint/Global One. It is also developing sub-regional
telecommunications links with its neighbours - Madagascar, Reunion, the Comores
and the Seychelles.
Telecom Plus currently offers to its business customers:
- Development and housing of web pages
- Creation of a dedicated Internet Service
- Training and consultancy
- Connection to Internet via high speed IP leased lines
- Creation of Intranet projects
- Electronic Trade
- Security Systems
- Setting up of cybercafés
There are an estimated 15 000 internet users
The top-level domain administrator for .mu is Yann Kwok yann@id.mu
Legislation protecting artistic, literary, and scientific works was enacted
in 1986 and amended in 1988 to conform with the Berne Convention in terms of
the period of copyright. A Copyright Bill providing for the protection of
computer software and electronic databases was passed by the National Assembly
in July 1997. The act now conforms to WTO’s Trade Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
Mauritius is now on a par with developed countries as far as IPR protection
is concerned and a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization and
party to the Paris and Bern Conventions for the Protection of Industrial
Property and the Universal Copyright Convention.
Computers are widely used and demand is growing. The rapid growth of
financial services and the transition from labor-intensive manufacturing and
agriculture to capital-intensive and knowledge-intensive services has created
substantial demand for hardware, software, and consulting. The Ministry of
Education plans to install at least one Internet-ready PC in every school.
Government ministries and most large businesses plan to establish Internet
websites over the next several years.
After 1995, government procurement in Mauritius was decentralised and major
contracts are handled through an autonomous Central Tender Board which
publishes notices in the Government Gazette, local and international media.
Tenders open to foreign participation are often sent to commercial divisions of
foreign missions for onward transmission to companies.
In some instances, foreign bidders work in partnership with local companies.
The Government has a strong commitment to ICTs and has already made a number
of efforts in addressing the regulatory and legal framework for ICTs. Several
bills have already been drafted, and with the passing of the Copyright Bill at
the National Assembly in July 1997, the legal challenges posed by the use of
ICTs will be reduced significantly.
The Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology (MITI) was
created in July 1997 and among its objectives are the promotion of ICT in
government, education, research and business.
The National Computer Board (NCB) was established by government in late 1996
as a parastatal institution whose aim is to assist in the diffusion of ICTs in
the various socioeconomic sectors of the country. One of the NCB’s major
areas of activity is the use of the Internet in government as well as the more
general issues of privacy, security and intellectual property. The NCB has
established an extensive web site which hosts details on its activities and
services, and acts as the home site for information on other government
ministries.
NCB is the programme manager for the National IT Strategy Plan (NITSP) which
is currently under active development as part of the Mauritius’
government’s strategic objectives to move the country toward an
information age economy. The Phase 1 study was carried out with assistance from
National Computer Systems (NCS) Singapore.
Following an innovative ‘gap analysis’ which compared the current
status of the ‘infostructure’ to the visions of Mauritian leaders,
five medium-term objectives have been adopted for the pro-posed Phase II of the
NITSP:
- To enable the service sector to grow and develop into a business hub;
- To improve efficiency and effectiveness of public services;
- To bring the Government closer to its people;
- To create a fully IT literate nation; and
- To enhance the education system and services.
The Information Technology (Miscellaneous Pro-visions) Bill and Copyright
Act promulgated by MITI were passed in 1997 to modify existing legislation to
take into account ICTs (such as the use of electronic documents in court).
