connecting the unconnected
TRANSCRIPT
www.internetsociety.org
Connecting the unconnected
Dawit Bekele
Director, African Regional Bureau
Internet Society
Operating at the intersection of policy, technology and development, allows the Internet Society to be a thought leader on issues key to the Internet’s continued growth and evolution.
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How We Work
TECHNOLOGY
POLICY
DEVELOPMENT
Our mission: Promoting the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world.
Global Presence Updated March 2015
108Chapters Worldwide
70kMembers andSupporters
145Organization Members
6Regional Bureaus3
NORTH AMERICA
LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN
EUROPE
AFRICA
THE MIDDLE EASTASIA
More than
www.internetsociety.org
OutlineWho is unconnected?
Why are they unconnected?
How to connect them?
www.internetsociety.org
Who is unconnected?
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World Internet Statistics
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Growth of Internet penetration in Africa
Figure 1 Internet penetration in Africa (Sources: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats1.htm; ITU (2014), the World in 2014: ICT Facts and Figures)Figure 1 Internet penetration in Africa (Sources: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats1.htm; ITU (2014), the World in 2014: ICT Facts
and Figures)
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Top African countries on the Internet (by number)
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Top African countries on the Internet (by penetration)
Source: ITU – the World in 2014: ICT Facts and Figures; 2014 World Bank Indicators on GDP per capita
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Bottom 10 African countries on the Internet (by penetration)
Percentage of Internet users: bottom 10 countries based on GDP per capita (Source: ITU – the World in 2014: ICT Facts and Figures; 2014 World Bank Indicators on GDP per capita)
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Why are they unconnected?
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Network access
• Fixed broadband
• 0.4% for Africa and 9.8% for the world
• Wireless
• 3G/4G mobile data
• Free or paid Wi-Fi services
• Mobile data coverage nearing 100% in many countries in Africa
• Quality of access is variable
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Device access
• Devices
• Increasing number of smartphones
– Nigeria (25%), Egypt (22%), Ghana (18%), Cameroon (17%), Kenya (13%) and Senegal (11%).
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Affordability
Cost of access of country’s average GDP per capita
less than 2% in most of Europe
6.1% in South Africa
7.4% in Sudan
15.7% in Kenya’s average GDP
31% in Uganda
60.4% in Ethiopia
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Interest for access
• Lack of relevant content
• Lack of content in local languages
• Quality/price
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How to connect them?
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Network access
• Interconnect Africa
• Physical connection
• Traffic exchange
• Last mile solutions
• Mobile broadband
• Fixed broadband
• Fiber to the home
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Device access
• Devices costs should go down
• Taxations
• Local industry
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Affordability
• Regulatory reforms
• Monopolies and duopolies should disappear
• New models for remote areas
• Wireless for communities
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Interest for access
• Encourage content and application development
• Content in local languages
• Government should lead
• Encourage content developers• Remove barriers for monetizing
content• Example
• Digital payments
• Access to stores (Apple store, Google Play)
• Access to advertisement (GoogleAd)
• Encourage innovation and entrepreneurship• ICT and business education• Remove red tape
