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Kigali (Agenzia Fides)- “In just 10 years, what was once a luxury and a privilege, the mobile phone, has become a basic necessity in urban and rural Africa" said Paul Kagame President of Rwanda, underlining Africa's progress in the sector of telecommunications with important social and economic effects.
Mr Kagame was addressing delegates at a Connecting Africa Summit organised by the International Telecommunications Union affiliated with the United Nations Organisation (see Fides 10/9/2007). The meeting, which opened yesterday in the capital of Rwanda and closes today, 30 October, is attended by hundreds of representatives of governments and industries gathered to discuss how Information and Communication Technology - ICT can further Africa's development.
Lights and shadows emerged from the meeting. On the one hand an increase in the number of mobile phones in Africa, on the other still limited access to the Internet. In 2000 about 16 million Africans had mobile phones, in 2005 the number was 135 million (see Fides 18/10/2006). The association of African Mobile operators announced the investment in the next five years of 50 billion dollars to improve service in rural areas. As the president of Rwanda said mobile phones have helped to improve the life of the people in rural areas for example getting quick medical help, something unthinkable not long ago.
However on 4% of Africans have access to Internet, and only 1% has broad band. However many Africans have access to cyber cafés. Hence the need to continue on the path to guarantee African better access to ICT and at a low cost. Collaboration among countries is a good path also because 70% of the Internet traffic passes through servers outside the continent. A situation which recalls colonial times when connections went via the colonialist country.
However progress is being made. The Kigali meeting also discussed a plan for an under-water optical fibre cable to connect South Africa with Sudan. This East African Submarine Cable System (ESSI), project involving 23 countries will be launched in 2008, a year later than foreseen because of divergences among the participating countries. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 30/10/2007, righe 33 parole 408)
