Internet users will reap great benefits when the eastern region of Africa is connected to the submarine fibre optic cable next year.

The communication cable will introduce a new transport medium for Internet traffic known as broadband, this will greatly enhance Internet traffic volume and speeds.

Kenya currently uses expensive satellite systems for Internet access. The fibre optic cable is expected to reduce current costs by more than 90 per cent.

Since most of Africa will be connected with the global fibre optic cable in the next three years, global telecommunication firms are angling for business.

Alcatel-Lucent has already launched an initiative known as 'Broadband for All', which is meant to offer business models and support countries like Kenya in rolling out national networks. The aim is to ensure even the remotest regions are connected to cheap and fast Internet.

In line with this initiative, the company has released a broadband assessment survey it commissioned in Kenya, Egypt and eight other countries outside Africa.

The study involved interviews with 300 Internet users in Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisumu. The study showed that 83 per cent of Internet users in these towns already have desktop computers, 40 per cent have laptops while 21 intend to buy laptops.

In Egypt, only 18 per cent of Internet users had laptops, 17 per cent intend to buy and 97 per cent of Egyptian Internet users had desktop computers.

Valérie Faudon, Alcatel-Lucent Vice-President for Marketing Programmes, said laptops, due to their mobility, have become some of the best tools in enabling internet users to gain from broadband connectivity. "It will help the country leapfrog the use of personal computers." she said.

Ms Faudon thinks that the use of English in Kenya also enables the country to generate internet content for mass consumption.

These come in the form of text, sound and video and can be downloaded from other English sources and distributed to interested users elsewhere. The new details come at a time when the government is in the process of launching the Digital Village Programme.

It is aimed at enabling villagers to gain from the Internet revolution. The initiative is expected to generate tens of thousands of jobs in the short term and provide information that will be useful for rural dwellers.

The study shows that men form the majority of Internet users at 63 per cent and women 37 per cent. More than a half of Internet users are aged between 25-34 years and 66 per cent are in managerial or professional positions.

Another 20 per cent of those interviewed are clerical employees while 10 per cent are business owners. All the interviewees owned a mobile phone.

Out of the 300, 65 per cent were quoted as saying, "Internet is indispensable for my business success."

A majority of Kenyan Internet users interviewed (75 per cent) are looking forward to a home Internet connection. Most of them prefer the pre-paid mode of payment, similar to the method used by mobile service providers.