OA News: May 16-19, 2011
May 19, 2011 » NewsNo Comment
- From 2008-2010, African fixed broadband prices dropped by over 55%. Mobile cellular prices are now 25% lower:
Africa sees steepest ICT price falls {ITWeb} - Can and will Facebook be used as an educational tool in areas where it has substantial influence?
Facebook and education in Africa – should we be merging boundaries? {eLearning Africa} - Samsung shows marked growth in Africa and plans on marketing unique products for the African market. The strategy has 4 A’s – Access, Align, Amaze, Act:
For Africa, by Africa, in Africa {The Botswana Gazette} - The mobile Web is picking up steam, at least in South Africa:
Mobiles ‘boosting’ SA web use {The New Age} - Swazi authorities cannot police the Internet like they can traditional media:
Swaziland: The madness of King Mswati III {The Africa Report} - Submarine fibre capacity is expected to increase by nearly 4,000% by the end of 2011. As such, the rate of cyber crime is also expected to grow:
Higher internet penetration may open up Nigeria to cyber attacks {BusinessDay} - A Vodafone Social Impact of Mobile report suggests ways to create sustainable business practices:
Making Broadband Accessible For All {Vodafone, The Policy Paper Series – Number 12 – May 2011} - Does broadband encourage people to better their societies, or does it lead to game-playing, movie-watching, and over-socializing? The author feels that, instead of having the U.N. subsidize technology in order to reach Millennium Development Goals, money should be spent on proven health and education endeavors:
No Need for Speed {Foreign Policy} - Increasing the presence of African women in computing:
AfriWiT – African Women in Technology Update {iHub} - A new Rwanda ICT lab (established with the help of South Korea) opened with the blessing of Paul Kagame:
Kagame inaugurates new Rwanda ICT lab {Biztech Africa} - August will mark the 10th anniversary of GSM licenses in Nigeria. Amazingly, the number of mobile phones in the country has gone from zero to 90 million in that time:
Nigeria celebrates 10 years of GSM {IT News Africa} - 8 out of 10 mobile advertisements in Africa are delivered to either a Nokia of Samsung device. Nigeris showed 36% growth in mobile impressions in a 3-month period:
InMobi reveals African mobile advertising stats {IT News Africa} - The four-year project will strengthen research infrastructure in Eastern and Southern Africa:
AfricaConnect to boost Africa-Europe connectivity {Computerworld} - Reasons why Africa is becoming a good place to do business but still is limited by politics:
Africa: Ripe for reappraisal {Financial Times} - Great quote: “This thing called the Internet has given us access to the world,” said Nii Kpobi Tettey-Tsuru III, chief of the “La” district in Ghana, who booked his flight to Liberty City at Priceline.com to save money:
Ghanaian chief meets with Miami business people {Miami Herald}