| Africa: Continent Connects to Internet |
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| Wednesday, 31 May 2006 | |
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East African countries are leading Africa in the growth of Internet penetration. Tanzania has had a 150% increase in users in the past year while Kenya has increased by 200%, with the number of users having reached 1.5 million.
African Internet penetration overall is 4%, up from 2.6% in 2005, says a report by Research and Markets. According to the report, ISP subscribers across the continent increased to an estimated 5.5-6.0 million at the beginning of 2006, up from two million in 2005. Each computer with an Internet connection is on average thought to be used by four people. “Given the low computer penetration rates, most users access Internet services through Internet cafes or kiosks, community telecentres, community phone-shops, schools and other types of public Internet access," the report says. The report adds that "the ratio of users per Internet subscription has about halved during 2005, indicating improved affordability of personal Internet access." Growth in connectivity would rise, the report adds, if some restrictive government controls were removed. In Egypt the number of Internet users surpassed those in South Africa in 2004 due to a more liberalised market, rising to five million last year, up from 2.7 million at the end of 2003. ”The high cost of accessing the Internet in Africa is a serious constraint on economic growth," the report says. "In more than half the countries in Africa, one year of Internet access costs more than the average annual income." Wireless technologies, including mobile networks, could be used to improve connectivity in areas that have poor or non-existent fixed-line networks. Source: The East African - WDR/Intelecon Regulatory News
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