Despite having the lowest number of people using the Internet globally, Africa has the most expensive Internet charges thus impeding efforts to bring it to par with the rest of the world technologically. For this reason, African governments are being challenged to work harder at improving access by building partnerships with the private sector, if they hope to propel their economies forward and improve the welfare of their people.
Speaking during the opening of the 37th International Meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in Nairobi on Monday, Rod Beckstrom, CEO of ICANN said that Africa still has a long way to go in integrating the internet into its development quest.
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“Africa is moving from the old model of (development) aid to the new model of the internet,” said Beckstrom adding, “The internet is the most sustainable platform for development.”
Africa with about 1 billion people is home to 14 per cent of the world’s population but has only 4 per cent of the total global internet user population. Internet penetration on the continent is estimated at 6.8 per cent compared to the global rate at 28.9 per cent.
“Yet some of the most expensive prices for access of upto 13 dollars per month are charged in Africa. How can the poorest people on earth pay the highest internet charges,” posed Beckstrom.
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He reckons that improvements in bandwidth and technology will help lower internet access charges which he terms “incredible walls barring access to the benefits of technology by African peoples.”
Beckstrom urged African leaders to join ICANN’s Government Advisory Committee, a top-level policy making organ of the organisation, saying they have a duty to help make the internet “the flowing river of Africa’s future.”
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Kenya’s vice president Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, who opened the meeting, said that the Kenyan government “was striving to take the internet to the remotest village.” He added that Kenya was keen on transforming governance and education using the internet. Spelling out ambitious plan he added: “We want to ensure that every Kenyan child has a laptop.”
In recent years, Africa has witnessed a technology boom that has seen exponential growth in mobile communication but internet penetration has still lagged. However, it is expected that with the increased use and access to hand-held devices, the situation will improve. Internet-enabled mobile phones now retail for as low 80 dollars in Kenya.
ICANN was formed in 1998 as a non-profit, public benefit corporation to not only co-ordinate the Internet’s naming system but also keep it secure and stable. It manages allocation and use of top-domain names like .com, .org or country codes like .ke (for Kenya) or .za (for South Africa).
The organization has a global membership. The ICANN meeting in Nairobi runs from 8th to 12th March. It is the seventh to be held in Africa and the fourth in Sub-Saharan Africa. ICANN’s next international meeting will be held in June in Brussels, Belgium.
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