Building the African information society (original) (raw)

Building the African Information Infrastructure

1999

The vi sion, strategic objecti ve and the framework of operati on for the formul ati on of an African information infrastructure leading to a Global Informati on Society have been prersented. Concepts presented demonstrate how the information infrastru cture will support vital issues such as improving the balance in economic and social progress, leveraging growth of the global econom y, boosting the capac ity to solve common societal problems, enh ancin g the progress of democrati c values and sharing cultural creati vity, traditi ons, and identities . Elements drawn from the case of Egy pt in taking the initiati ve to develop its inform ati on and co mmunicati on in frastru cture to work as a model for African nati ons whil e accommodating for their varyin g needs ha ve been hi ghli ghted.

The African Information Society: rhetoric and practice

1998

Africa has in the last few years seen an enormous activity in the field of ICT related conferences and initiatives on behalf of international and donor institutions. These initiatives became increasingly coloured by the rhetoric of an emerging Global Information Society and the need for an African answer to these developments. With regard to this Information Society two documents hold particular relevance: the ECAs Africa’s Information Society Initiative (AISI): An Action Framework to Build Africa’s Information and Communication Infrastructure and the ITUs African Green Paper. This paper sets out to question these policies and implementation initiatives, and their rethoric and practice.

Information and Communication Technologies in Africa: Levels, Trends and Perspectives

Advances in 21st Century Human Settlements, 2019

The ICTs revolution has caused profound upheavals in various aspects around the world including Africa. Whatever form they take, ICT-induced changes may have significant implications not only in the sector itself but also in all development sectors. The changes in the ICT sector in Africa are part of an international dynamic resulting from the combination of liberalization policies, incredible technological advances and strong consumer demand. This chapter presents the levels, trends and perspectives of Information and Communication Technologies in the African region. This chapter proceeds first with a literature review on regulatory policies in order to understand their ripple effects. After presenting a general history of ICTs, it analyses the evolving factors of internet connection in Sub-Saharan Africa. It also presents the internet perspectives and regulation in Africa including technologies trends as well as key technologies. It also assesses and proposes types of technologies...

Bridging the Digital Divide in Africa: A Technology Perspective

Bridging the Digital Divide in Africa: A Technology Perspective

In an attempt to qualify technologies that may assist bridge the digital divide, this paper examines the relationship between the digital divide and different current technologies as well as the up-to-date status of the digital gap in Africa using statistics provided by the International Telecommunication Unit (ITU). Looking at this imbalance of accessing information and communication technologies (ICTs) as a complex multi-faceted problem, we build upon different deployments in Africa to propose best technological practices that can assist in eradicating the challenge. These include networking technologies implemented in Tanzania, Malawi, and South Africa.