Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) is set to roll out an initiative known as the Universal Service Fund, which is aimed at providing means to the majority of Malawians in the rural areas who do not have adequate access to information and communication technology (ICT) services.

MACRA invited the Parliamentary Media Committee to its offices at Ginnery Corner in Blantyre on Tuesday to appraise it on the progress being done. During the presentation, it was outlined that rural areas lack adequate access to ICT services, which was attributed to poor or no network coverage.

The Universal Service Fund (US Fund) is MACRA’s new system of subsidies and fees intended to promote universal access to communication services in the country in realizing that the majority of Malawians in the rural areas are underserved in ICT services. According to Macra, the US Fund also intends to introduce public Wi-Fi that aims at making universal access to  broadband services which is in line with the main objectives of the National Broadband Strategy 2019 to 2023.