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Africa: Telecoms Acceleration
AfricaFocus Bulletin
May 17, 2008 (080517)
(Reposted from sources cited below)
Editor's Note
"Growth in Africa's mobile sector has defied all predictions.
Africa remains the region with the highest annual growth rate in
mobile subscribers and added no less than 65 million new
subscribers during 2007. At the beginning of 2008, there were over
a quarter of a billion mobile subscribers on the continent. Mobile
penetration has risen from just one in 50 people at the beginning
of this century to almost one third of the population today." -
International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
While Africa still lags behind other continents in
telecommunications, the growth in recent years in mobile phones and
internet connectivity has been extraordinary. Six countries - South
Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, and Kenya - have more
than 10 million mobile phones each, with South Africa and Nigeria
each topping 40 million mobile phones. Seven countries --
Seychelles, Gabon, South Africa, Tunisia, Botswana, Mauritius, and
Libya, have more than 70 mobile phones for each 100 persons,
ranging from 89 percent in the Seychelles to 73 percent in Libya.
Internet connections - particularly broadband connections - are
less advanced. But ITU reports for 2007 show ten countries with
more than a million internet users each, ranging from 10 million in
Nigeria to 1.4 million in Zimbabwe (see below for the full list of
the top 25). In terms of internet users per 100 population,
Seychelles ranks at the top with more than 35 internet users per
100, Nine other countries also have more than 10 internet users per
hundred, ranging from Mauritius with 25 to Algeria and Zimbabwe
with a little over 10 each (see below for full list of the top 25).
This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains press releases from the
International Telecommunications Union Telecom Africa meeting just
concluded in Cairo, as well as a note on Egyptian government
efforts to block internet access to critics of the government. It
also contains lists of the top 25 African countries by total number
of mobile phones, mobile phones per 100 population, total number of
internet users, and internet users per 100 population, and a link
to additional statistics on-line at the ITU website
(http://www.itu.int/ITUTELECOM). For a summary of ICT indicators
for Africa for 2007, see http://tinyurl.com/3gvdkl
For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on African information and
communications technology, and a custom search of top web sites on
ICT issues in Africa, visit
http://www.africafocus.org/ictexp.php
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Top 25 African Countries
Total Number of Mobile Phones, in Thousands
42,300 South Africa
40,396 Nigeria
30,047 Egypt
21,446 Algeria
20,029 Morocco
11,440 Kenya
8,252 Tanzania
7,842 Tunisia
7,604 Ghana
7,464 Sudan
7,050 Cote d'Ivoire
6,592 D.R. Congo
4,536 Cameroon
4,500 Libya
4,195 Uganda
4,123 Senegal
3,307 Angola
3,300 Mozambique
2,639 Zambia
2,483 Mali
2,218 Madagascar
1,895 Benin
1,427 Botswana
Total for continent 264,475,000
For more statistics, see http://tinyurl.com/3gvdkl
Top 25 African Countries
Mobile phones per 100 population
89.23 Seychelles
87.86 Gabon
87.08 South Africa
75.94 Tunisia
75.84 Botswana
74.19 Mauritius
73.05 Libya
64.15 Morocco
63.34 Algeria
46.58 Gambia
43.35 Eq. Guinea
41.62 Mauritania
39.80 Egypt
38.58 Namibia
36.6 Cote d'Ivoire
35.40 Congo
33.31 Senegal
33.29 Swaziland
32.39 Ghana
30.48 Kenya
27.9 Cape Verde
27.28 Nigeria
24.45 Cameroon
Average for continent: 27.48 per 100
For more statistics, see http://tinyurl.com/3gvdkl
Top 25 African Countries
Total Number of Internet Users, in thousands
10,000 Nigeria
8,620 Egypt
7,300 Morocco
5,100 South Africa
3,500 Algeria
2,770.3 Kenya
1,722.2 Tunisia
1,500 Sudan
1,395 Malawi
1,351 Zimbabwe
820 Senegal
650 Ghana
500 Zambia
384.3 Tanzania
370 Cameroon
320 Mauritius
320 Togo
300 Cote d'Ivoire
291 Ethiopia
260 Libya
230.4 D.R. Congo
178 Mozambique
150 Benin
Total for continent: 50,406,400
For more statistics, see http://tinyurl.com/3gvdkl
Top 25 African Countries
Total Number of Internet Users, per 100 Population
35.67 Seychelles
25.48 Mauritius
23.38 Morocco
16.68 Tunisia
14.59 São Tomé and Príncipe
11.42 Egypt
10.75 South Africa
10.34 Algeria
10.12 Zimbabwe
7.89 Kenya
6.75 Nigeria
6.62 Senegal
6.48 Uganda
6.36 Cape Verde
5.87 Gambia
5.76 Gabon
5.07 Togo
4.87 Namibia
4.55 Botswana
4.36 Libya
4.19 Zambia
4.08 Swaziland
3.89 Sudan
Average for continent: 5.34 per hundred
For more statistics, see http://tinyurl.com/3gvdkl
ITU Telecom Africa 2008 opens in Cairo
Africa: A Continent on the Move
Press Release
International Telecommunication Union
http://www.itu.int/ITUTELECOM/
Sanjay Acharya, Chief, Media Relations and Public Information
ITU, Tel: +41 22 730 6135, E-mail sanjay.acharya@itu.int
or Fernando Lagra¤a, Executive Manager, ITU TELECOM, Tel: +41 22
730 5094, E-mail fernando.lagrana@itu.int
Cairo, 12 May 2008 - President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt inaugurated
Telecom Africa 2008, which opened to the public today in Cairo,
Egypt. A major showcase for cutting edge information and
communication technologies (ICT) that includes an industry
exhibition, ITU Telecom Africa presents a unique forum for
brainstorming and an important networking platform for both
governments and the private sector to chart the future course of
the ICT industry.
Some 200 companies from 45 countries, including several from
outside the African region, are exhibiting products, applications
and services. Around 70 heads of international companies and 50
ministers along with key regulators and investment bodies are
attending the event from 12 to 15 May. ITU Telecom Africa has
already attracted over 5000 participants from 93 countries, marking
a record since the event was opened to countries from outside the
region, and includes 600 Forum participants and 200 media.
While the exhibition underscores the latest developments in the ICT
market, the Forum sessions offer both regional and global insights
on Africa's position in the ICT sector, its unique market drivers,
and the host of factors critical in sustaining its most effective
enabling environment. The 30 Forum sessions cover topics such as
public-private partnerships, entrepreneurial success stories,
capacity building and cybersecurity. Over 150 speakers will
participate in the Forum sessions, which also include the Youth
Forum and the Telecommunication Development Symposium.
Africa at a Crossroads
A highlight of the formal opening was the Press launch of ITU's
regional report, "African Telecommunication/ICT Indicators 2008: At
a Crossroads". Following booming growth in the mobile telephony
sector - which saw 65 million new subscribers in 2007 - and an
encouraging investment climate spurring economic development in the
region, Africa is a continent on the move: the theme for ITU
Telecom Africa 2008.
The Indicators Report is an invaluable information tool to inform
and guide policy-makers, investors, analysts and other observers of
Africa's telecommunications landscape. It contains an extensive
overview of key sector developments, including a number of
recommendations to sustain growth and deepen access to ICT in the
region.
At the opening ceremony, the Prime Minister of Egypt Dr Ahmed Nazif
highlighted the impressive developments in the ICT sector in
Africa. "As all African people are looking forward to the future,
Telecom Africa brings in members of the ICT community both in
Africa and around the world to identify the areas of opportunities
and those of challenge, share effective responses and witness major
achievements," the Prime Minister said. "The African ICT sector -
with all its technical, financial, and manpower potentials - has
gives us a competitive edge." He added that IT-enabled services and
Internet-based tools emerge as new horizons from which African
countries can benefit.
Dr Hamadoun Touré, ITU Secretary-General said that ITU Telecom
Africa 2008 is a strategic step in bridging the digital divide.
"This event in Cairo marks a decisive milestone in our commitment
to connecting the world," said Dr Touré. He challenged the ICT
industry to explore the many opportunities that are available
across the continent - and which would be on display during the
week - to forge the tools that can act as catalysts in other
sectors of the economy and of society, such as health, education,
business, agriculture, and government services.
Fast-paced growth in ICT fuels overall economic development in
Africa
Addressing the opening Press conference, Dr Touré said, "Africa has
been the fastest growing market worldwide over the last three
years," adding that much of this growth had been stimulated by
competition, policy and regulatory reform in most African
telecommunication markets. "Today, the African ICT industry is an
exciting place to be. Market liberalization continues and most
countries have established regulatory bodies to ensure a fair,
competitive and enabling environment."
"Today, more than ever, as the world shifts towards an information
age that is transforming it into a global village, technology
contributes to the core of economic growth and better living
standards," said Dr Tarek Kamel, Minister of Communications &
Information Technology of Egypt. "It is our obligation to pave the
way for African citizens who are not yet online, investigate what
the barriers are, work on overcoming them and make sure to maximize
Africa's share of the next billion users of the cyber world." He
added, "It is our obligation to encourage and attract further
investments from Africa and from the rest of the world to make use
of the growing market opportunities."
Mr Naguib Sawiris, CEO of Orascom Telecom, speaking on behalf of
the industry said the mobile revolution would play a role in every
aspect of life, from banking and travel to cultural pursuits and
entertainment, and even to the strengthening of democracy.
Mr Reza Jafari, Chairman of the ITU TELECOM Board of Directors
commented that many people have the misconception that there is no
money to be made in Africa. "But that is wrong," he said. "I
believe if there is a new business model, ICT services can be
provided at low cost - and this would help expand the industry even
further."
During a tour of the exhibition, Prime Minister Nazif launched the
ITU Global View, an interactive map-based tracking tool developed
in coordination with Microsoft and IDV Solutions. The software
integrates existing ITU data sources allowing users to check the
status, identify gaps and avoid overlaps in collaborative
ICT-for-development programmes around the world. He said the tool
was very "pertinent", showing good comparisons between countries in
Africa. ITU Global View is designed to help implement the
connectivity goals of the World Summit on the Information Society.
New ITU report: African Telecommunication/ICT Indicators 2008
As the end of the first decade of the new millennium approaches,
Africa stands at a crossroads with ICT policy makers faced with
important choices. Launching the ITU African Telecommunication/ICT
Indicators 2008 report, Mr Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Director of
ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau, said Africa presented
several growth opportunities in the ICT sector.
Growth in Africa's mobile sector has defied all predictions. Africa
remains the region with the highest annual growth rate in mobile
subscribers and added no less than 65 million new subscribers
during 2007. At the beginning of 2008, there were over a quarter of
a billion mobile subscribers on the continent. Mobile penetration
has risen from just one in 50 people at the beginning of this
century to almost one third of the population today. Mobile
subscribers are also now more evenly distributed. In 2000, South
Africa accounted for over half of all Africa's mobile subscribers,
but by 2007, almost 85 per cent were in other countries. Mobile
success, driven largely by competition, is also spawning new
services such as micro-payment prepaid recharging, single rate
inter-regional roaming and the uptake of m-commerce applications.
While mobile services have become more accessible and affordable,
Internet access has not kept pace. It is estimated that there were
some 50 million Internet users in Africa in 2007, translating into
around one person among twenty. Over half of the region's Internet
users are estimated to be located in North African countries and
South Africa. In Sub Saharan Africa, only three per cent of the
population is online. The scarcity of international Internet
bandwidth and lack of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) drives up
prices. As a result, Africa is the most costly for Internet access.
The average monthly Internet subscription is almost USD 50 in
Africa, close to 70 per cent of average per capita income.
Additional excerpt from ITU press release, May 5, 2008
Broadband penetration is low across the continent. There were
around two million fixed broadband subscribers in Africa in 2007,
less than a quarter of the population of metropolitan Lagos, the
former capital of Nigeria. Only five African countries had a
broadband penetration of more than one per 100 inhabitants in 2007.
In comparison, the average broadband penetration in OECD countries
was 18.8 in June 2007 and the lowest ranked country was Mexico,
with a penetration of 4.6, or some 38 times more than the average
for Africa. Fixed broadband access is mostly limited to urban
centres. The low availability, poor condition and lack of
competition in the public switched telephone network market
constrains the deployment of fixed broadband access.
Morocco's Internet users are almost 100% broadband
Broadband prices remain very high compared to income levels
although average prices for Africa disguise significant underlying
variability. Morocco, for example, has not only one of the highest
broadband penetration rates in Africa, but also the lowest
broadband prices, at USD 18 per month for a 256 kbps package.
Broadband has proven so popular in Morocco that by the end of 2007,
over 95 per cent of all Internet subscribers had a high-speed
connection.
Egyptian Website Blocked As Country Hosts Africa's ITU Conference
Balancing Act Africa News Update
http://www.balancingact-africa.com/
May 16, 2008
On 12 May 2008, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
reported that the website of the Egyptian Movement for Change
(http://harakamasria.org ), or Kefaya, has been blocked for those
who have Internet access through the T-Data Company. T-Data, the
country's largest Internet service provider, has been under direct
government oversight since May 4.
Many visitors to the Kefaya website were surprised at their
inability to browse the site in the run-up to the 4 May general
strike, whether through T-Data or the Link company. While Link
later stopped blocking the site, T-Data has continued blocking the
site until now, leaving Internet users unable to access it. It is
ironic that the time when the website of Egypt's most important
political movement is blocked coincides with the hosting of the
largest telecommunication conference in Africa, the Africa Telecoms
Conference.
Some of HRinfo's technicians attempted to browse the blocked
website using different computers and from different locations, but
all their attempts were in vain while using T-Data connections. The
incident indicates clearly the Egyptian government's return to its
practice of blocking Internet sites, which it had earlier
abandoned.
Said Samir Gad, editor-in-chief of the Kefaya website, said "The
website is performing normally with other ISP companies, but the
technical supervisor of the website informed us that the T-Data Co.
blocked Kefaya through the IP address."
Mohamed Ragab, director of HRinfo's technical unit, stated: "The
decision to block T-Data customers from accessing Kefaya's website
is ridiculous and the kind of action not practiced anymore except
by the world's most dictatorial governments. Internet users will
use a proxy to get around the block or simply transfer their
accounts to other companies. The only loser from this decision is
T-Data and the Egyptian government."
(Source: Arabic Network for Human Rights Information)
AfricaFocus Bulletin is an independent electronic publication
providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with
a particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus
Bulletin is edited by William Minter.
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