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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:The Internet in Africa: Global Forces, African Challenges
Authors:Akhtar, ShahidISNI
Song, Steve
Year:1998
Periodical:African Development Review
Volume:10
Issue:1
Period:June
Pages:162-172
Language:English
Geographic term:Africa
Subjects:Internet
information technology
telecommunications
Development and Technology
Education and Oral Traditions
External link:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8268.1998.tb00102.x/pdf
Abstract:In the growing information economy, African countries stand to lose the most by not having the capacity to compete in the emerging global marketplace. Access to information and communication technology (ICT) has become the minimum entry point for many industries. Some of the global forces that are shaping the spread of the Internet in Africa include the development of cheaper, more flexible telecommunications technology and the steady convergence of broadcast, telecommunications and information technologies. Investment in ICTs is critical to narrowing the economic gap between Africa and the industrialized world. However, ICTs are more than just a catalyst for economic growth, they are an enabler for education, for health care, and for better government. In every aspect of society, ICTs can improve communication and efficiency, bringing people together, and increasing the effectiveness of any development initiative. The challenges that Africa faces in developing the Internet are unique and African solutions may have to be different from those of industrialized nations. Regional cooperation can be critical to further evolving the Internet in Africa. Notes, ref., sum. in English and French.
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