The African Internet

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The African Internet telecom Summit, Banjul 5-9
June 2000

• An Overview Of Internet in Africa
• By Pierre Dandjinou, SDNP/UNDP

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Contents

• 1 Global Connectivity
• 2 Who and How is Africa Connected
• 3 Applications and Contents
• 4 The costs for accessing Internet in Africa
• 5 Who are the Players?
• 6 The Burning Issues
• 7 The Way Forward

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Global Internet Penetration
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How is Africa Connected ?

• Characteristics
• Poor telecoms Infrastructures
• reduced access for larger populations
• Modest Bandwidths
• Costly
• No IXPs
• Computer illiteracy
• Lack of specific regulation of Internet business

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The Costs for Accessing Internet in Africa

• Tariffs
• Globally high costs
• An average of US700/year corresponding to half a
  year salary for average civil servant
• No Transparency in Tariffs
• Hardly no implication of local private sector

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Country Connectivity
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- Internet Costs (Conted)
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- Cost Comparison
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Applications and Content Development

• Major IT Programmes
• UNDP
• UNESCO
• ITU
• USAID
• IDRC
• ACCT
• Bilateral COOP.

• Country applications/Content dev.
• e-governance
• e-commerce
• Distance learning
• Telecenters

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African Internetworking Who are the Actors?

• The Governments where there is a will
• The Telecoms To be or not to be
• Private Sector Where to go?

• Africa Internet Interest groups
• AfriNIC
• AfNOG
• AIG
• AfDNS
• AfISPs...

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African Internet Connectivity the burning Issues

• Local/national Appropriation
• Local Internet eXchange Points (IXPs)
• Professional Training

• Computer Literacy
• Local Content Development
• The language Issue
• Regulation
• The Private Sector

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African Connectivity The Way Forward

• How to avoid the continuous  Digital Divide 
• What role for Internet in African development?
• Reasons for Hope
• An Internet Business plan for Af.Telecoms