Providing access to technology is critical, but it must be about more
than just physical access. Computers and connections are insufficient
if the technology is not used effectively because it is not affordable;
if people do not understand how to put it to use or if they are
discouraged from using it; or if the local economy cannot sustain its
use. The following issues are the determining factors in whether or not
people have Real Access to ICT -- access that goes beyond just physical
access and makes it possible for people to use technology effectively
to improve their lives1.
Not
everyone has access to ICTs but in many ways the digital divide is just
a prism through which all other inequalities – whether of race, gender,
class or whatever – are reflected. The gap in internet access between
developed and developing countries is large and continues to grow.
In the developed world, because internet access is fairly widely
distributed throughout the population, the digital divide is less
acute. Nonetheless governments spend significant sums of money on
digital divide initiatives aimed at offering access to poorer people
and those in rural areas. Although the use of ICTs has grown rapidly
from a low base in developing countries (particularly in Africa), this
progress is not keeping up with advances in the more developed world.
And by their very nature, the governments of low-income countries find
it hard to prioritise spending on ICTs access over more pressing
demands like health care.
This page collects news, information, resources, events, and the names
of organisations working in Access. Recommended reading will
automatically appear on this page and is marked with a star.
Browse theme by site section (eg news, information,
organisations) Click on a site section from the green bar above.
Browse by theme and country Select the country you want from the
countries list
To leave 'Themes' Click on 'Home' or 'All themes' or click the
site section of your choice twice.
On Access in the APC Monitor
View all news on Access
 EASSy declaration signed by Africa ministers 
12/06/2006 (Chris Kabwato - HANA) --
It is all back on track for the East Africa Submarine System Project known as EASSy. Government ministers have now signed a joint declaration, commiting themselves to the project. And Kenya has pointed a finger at the media, which it feels stirred up trouble ahead of the meeting.
International | Access
Rwanda selected for EASSy HQ
27/06/2006 (AllAfrica) --
Rwanda has been selected to house the headquarters of the multi-million dollar Eastern Africa Submarine Cable Project (EASSy). The EASSy cable system is a 9900km project expected to run from Durban, South Africa to Djibout. It is supported by the African Development Bank, the World Bank and telecommunications operators, and has been dogged by controversy over issues of access and ownership.
Rwanda | Access, Bandwidth and Infrastructure
Undersea cable project kicks off next month
11/07/2006 (The Standard) --
After almost four years of bickering, work on the $230-million Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System project, popularly known as EASSy, begins next month.
International | Access, Bandwidth and Infrastructure
Lack of consensus threatens EASSy cable
29/09/2006 (Tectonic) --
The 31 telecommunications companies involved in developing and implementing the East African fibre optic cable system (EASSy) have said that the 23-nation protocol to build the under-sea cable is unacceptable to them and could lead to them abandoning the project.
International | Access
Opening up access for all
03/01/2007 () --
Open access, what it means, and how best to get communities connected came under the spotlight at a recent three-day workshop held in Johannesburg. The workshop, organised by APC and the UNDP, aimed to share project success stories and innovations, and explore ways of supporting policy and capacity development initiatives that promote access on the continent.
International | Access, ICT4D
'Access and capacity key issues for IGF'
03/01/2007 (APC) --
As the first meeting for the Internet Governance Forum drew to a close in Athens, APC insisted that two issues be given priority: access to internet infrastructure and capacity building.
International | Access, Internet Governance
Zambia joins EASSy
03/01/2007 (Fibre for Africa) --
Zambia has become the twelfth country to sign the controversial protocol for the EASSy fibre optic cable. The EASSy project has been dogged with problems from the start and it's unclear if it will go ahead. Ten countries have yet to agree to the protocol's terms.
Zambia | Access
It won't be long, says Kenya
05/02/2007 (AllAfrica) --
The cost of international broadband in Kenya is set to drastically reduce within 18-months. That's according to the Kenyan government, which has confirmed that it is pursuing three different fibre optic cable projects simultaneously, to provide better and cheaper bandwidth to the country's consumers.
Kenya | Access
Nigeria opens up to citizens
28/02/2007 (Justice Initiative) --
Civil society organisations have hailed the final approval of a freedom of information bill in Nigeria. The bill, if it becomes law, will guarantee Nigerian citizens the right to access government-held information. Nigeria is set to become just the fourth African country with a freedom of information law, following South Africa, Uganda, and Angola.
Nigeria | Access, Censorship, Freedom of Expression, Media, National ICT Strategies
No more EASSy puns
04/03/2007 (ITWeb) --
The East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy) has been renamed The Nepad Broadband Infrastructure Network (NBIN). That's after Kenya opted out of the ambitious undersea fibre optic backbone system, says South African communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri. The move has caused some controversy.
International, Kenya, South Africa | Access
See all documents on Access
No information found
South Africa: Building rural legal capacity through ICTs
03/03/2009 --
APC members have been preaching the importance of bundling capacity building with technology projects for a long time. Last year, Ungana-Afrika demonstrated the value of this approach in their work in rural South Africa with under-resourced paralegal advice offices just getting connected to the internet for the first time.
South Africa | Access
Global wireless boom
30/10/2008 --
The scope of wireless broadband connectivity is expanding globally, with several technologies vying for position in the market, and providing consumers and businesses with a greater number of choices.
Dem. Rep. of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe | Access
Do mobiles take care of rural access?
30/10/2008 --
Following the initial rush of ICT for development projects in rural Africa, many did not yield the anticipated outcomes, and interest has been dying down. Now has mobile telephony won the race? While mobile phones certainly have had a great impact in rural areas, a new study, by Ian Howard and commissioned by APC, argues that the need for telecentres and affordable internet connections still exists.
Dem. Rep. of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe | Access
Kenya: Innovating the future
21/08/2008 --
In the republic of innovation, life is unfair. A relatively small number of places — all in wealthy countries or in China and India — create nearly every important technological advance. Consider Wilfred Mworia, a 22-year-old engineering student and freelance code writer in Nairobi, Kenya. In the four weeks leading up to Apple’s much-anticipated release of a new iPhone on July 11, Mworia created an application for the phone that shows where events in Nairobi are happening and allows people to add details about them.
Kenya | Access, Software
So what is 'net neutrality'?
21/02/2008 --
So what is 'net neutrality'? A case example from the United States puts you in the picture.
Dem. Rep. of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe | Access, Communication Rights, Internet Governance
GETTING STARTED: What is 'net neutrality'?
16/07/2007 --
The principle of 'net neutrality', sometimes referred as “network neutrality” or “internet neutrality”, is about equal access to the internet. It is concerned with the fact that everybody's content should receive equal treatments in terms of speed and reliability, and be transmitted on a first-in-first-out basis. It also refers to an internet network that is free of restrictions on the kinds of equipment attached and the modes of communication allowed. GenderIT.org has compiled a useful reference for ICT jargon.
Dem. Rep. of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe | Access, Content and Language, Gender , Intellectual Property, Internet Governance, Media, National ICT Strategies, Security and Privacy, Software, Telecommunications, WSIS
|
APC.org
> ICT policy
> Africa
> Country/Theme Home
The Africa ICT Policy Monitor is an initiative of the 
and
