African countries today face the urgent need to build and reshape their economies and societies in order to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. In order to realise higher economic growth Africa needs to be competitive and productive, while at the same time ensuring a sustainable future. Stakeholders—Governments, Regulators, Private Sector & Civil Society—in a number of African countries must start adjusting to the changing economic realities brought about by globalisation of markets and the ever-faster pace of technology change. For these multi-stakeholder partnerships to be effective, it is important to identify roles and responsibilities that each stakeholder must fulfil. African countries must also modernize their public sectors; encourage and create channels of investments (especially from the Diaspora) and start tackling persistent challenges such as reducing the digital gap, their economies, infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, environment and security.

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Posted under ICT Infrastructure

I authored this paper some time in 2003. The paper urges the need to accelerate on-going Internet deployment efforts (especially in developing countries), by deploying technologies that are both scalable and affordable to end-users (or consumers). In order to achieve large-scale Internet connectivity in developing nations, affordability and accessibility of the technology might play a critical role and influence. High prices charged by few service providers and poor (or at times lack of) terrestrial connectivity to majority of the population in rural areas may inhibit large-scale multicast Internet access in developing countries. Next generation broadband satellites may, intrinsically, offer a natural solution for achieving large-scale multicast Internet access in most developing countries.

Further reading:
A copy of this paper can be accessed here

Posted under ICT Infrastructure