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African Information Society Initiative

African Information Society Initiative. an Action Framework to Build Africa’s Information and Communication Infrastructure. What is AISI?. African Information Society Initiative: an action Framework to Build Africa’s Information and Communication Infrastructure

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African Information Society Initiative

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  1. African Information Society Initiative an Action Framework to Build Africa’s Information and Communication Infrastructure

  2. What is AISI? • African Information Society Initiative: an action Framework to Build Africa’s Information and Communication Infrastructure • Adopted by ECA Conference of Ministers of Economic Planning and Development in 1996 • Implemented by United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Addis Ababa)

  3. AISI • Role of Regional Conference on Access to Telematics (1995) • 1995 Conference of Ministers requested plan to put Africa on the Information Superhighway • Drafted by High Level Working Group of African Experts on Information and Communication Technologies • www.bellanet.org.partners/aisi/more/aisi.htm

  4. Why was AISI needed? • African delay in entering information age • Mbeki (Brussels, 1996)- more telephone lines in Manhattan than all of sub-Saharan Africa • Need for an African direction to AII • Need to wake up African policy makers

  5. African information and communication needs • One minute calls from African capitals to Europe or the U.S.- $3-$7/minute • Post: Letters from Niger to Ethiopia can take 8 years • Libraries: few or no public libraries accessible to students in many African countries; where there are, immense paucity of books and journals • In sub-Saharan African, one fixed line telephone for every 635 people • One computer for every 500 people

  6. AISI vision • Every man, woman, child, village, public and private sector office with secure access to information and knowledge through ICTs by 2010 • Information and communication technologies not a luxury for the elite but an absolute necessity for the masses

  7. Working with African countries on . . . • Developing national plans for building information and communication infrastructure • Eliminating legal and regulatory barriers to the use of information and communication technologies • Establishing an enabling environment to foster the free flow and development of information and communication in society • Developing policies and implementing plans for using information and communication technologies in the public sector

  8. Identifying information and communication applications in areas of highest impact on socio-economic development • Facilitating the establishment of locally based, low-cost and widely accessible Internet services and information content • Preparing plans to develop human resources in information and communication technologies • Adopting policies and strategies to increase access to information and communication facilities with priorities for rural areas, grassroots society, women and youth • Raising awareness of the potential benefits of information and communication infrastructure.

  9. Concentration on • Policy and enabling environment- National Information and Communication Infrastructure plans and policies (NICIs) • Infrastructure (connectivity) • Content development • Democratizing access

  10. Implementation • Through partnership-PICTA, Global Knowledge PartnershipATAC • Major events • 1998- global connectivity for African conference • 1999- African Development Forum: the challenge to Africa of globalization and the information age

  11. ADF themes • Information economy • Infrastructure • Content • Policy • Governance • Democratizing access • Report: www.un.org/depts/eca/adf99reportintro.htm

  12. ADF Focus groups • Private sector • Diaspora • Women • Academia • Youth

  13. Post ADF areas of emphasis • Policies and strategies • Electronic commerce • ICTs and health • ICTs and education

  14. AISI accomplishments • Sensitization • Development of national strategies www.bellanet.org/partners/aisi/nici/index.htm • Promoting connectivity • Promoting partnership • Stimulating content development: www.bellanet.org/partners/aisi/adf99docs/docs.htm

  15. On the ground, 2001 • dramatic infrastructure improvements • 5 countries connected to Internet (1996) • 53 countries connected (2001) • 450 ISPs

  16. Current situation • Internet local call system in 15 countries • 20,000 hosts connected to Internet • opening of Nigerian and Eritrean markets • content growing, particularly in diaspora niches, francophone areas • www.bellanet.org/partners/aisi/adf99docs/infrastructure.htm

  17. but . . . • most connections in capital cities • long distance calls from secondary cities • 0.06% connected in SSA • only 11 countries with more than 5000 users • low total bandwidth (55Mbps) • high costs ($50/mo. for 5 hours)

  18. trend toward telecommunication liberalization • movement from state-controlled centralized domestic monopolies to market-driven, decentralized with foreign participation • underway in all but 11 countries • most separated posts and telegraph • lower computer import duties • establishment separate regulatory authorities • most liberalization in cellular and broadcasting • least in basic telephony

  19. Continuing infrastructure insufficiencies • little growth in teledensity • no regional backbones

  20. Demographics of African Internet usage • Highly educated, predominantly male users in capital city • Communication between Africa and developed world • Great emphasis on public access • Major institutional users: NGOs, private companies, universities, international organizations

  21. Universities access limited • Mostly senior faculty, high administration officials connected • Virtually no access for students • Only 20 African universities with full Internet connectivity

  22. History of Internet growth • Period of NGO-led Fidonet connectivity (1987-1993) • Entry of bi-lateral and multi-lateral projects (1995-2000) • USAID Leland Initiative • UNDP African Internet Initiative and Sustainable Development Network Program • UNESCO RINAF • World Bank InfoDev • Private sector led, 1998-presentAfrica Online major international ISP

  23. Current areas of Internet development • Online government tender offerings • National e-commerce sites • Stock exchanges online • Radio stations webcasting • Webcams

  24. Overall situation • Spectacular growth in African terms • But, falling further behind in relation to rest of world • Low investment levels in telecommunications • Rapid growth where foreign direct investment permitted

  25. Conclusion • Continuing need for push on policy front and creation of enabling environments • To release national and diaspora entrepreneurial energy

  26. Contacts for further information • faye@un.orgnhafkin@uneca.orgnhafkin@hotmail.com • http://www.bellanet.org/partners/aisi

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