THE information communications and technology sector must take every opportunity to ensure the revival of this under-performing sector
This will require a serious policy overhaul, an integrated e-strategy and a visionary broadband strategy, says Alison Gillwald, executive director of research ICT Africa.
Gillwald is also adjunct professor at the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business where she convenes the course Connectivity and Convergence: Alternative Regulatory Strategies for Telecommunications. The programme is designed to provide alternative regulatory strategies for resource constrained developing countries.
"A new ICT policy will require the identification of policy levers to improve the country's sub optimal performance by identifying the necessary conditions for attracting critical investments in infrastructure extension, optimal market structure and institutional arrangements, together with identifying demand stimulation strategies that are essential to ensuring digital inclusion.
"This includes everything from short-term incentive strategies to promote the uptake of PCs and Internet-enhanced devices, to longer term educational and IT literacy programmes," she said.
Gillwald said that despite South Africa adopting most new technologies early, its Internet penetration rate has been extraordinarily low and the country is no longer a continental leader in broadband access. A critical factor is the high cost of broadband and terrestrial-leased facilities acquired from Telkom by ISP.
After years of there appearing to be no relief from the monopoly prices charged by Telkom on the SAT3 cable, international bandwidth costs are likely to fall with the landing of multiple undersea cables. With the landing of the Seacom cable in 2009 and EASSY last year, international bandwidth prices have started to tumble. With the forthcoming West African Cable (WACS) landing soon, there will be choice of affordable bandwidth.
Gillwald said learning from our African neighbours as well as from other emergent markets can help address the challenges. The course, from April 4 to 8, will do just that.
ICT course will help uplift the sector
THE information communications and technology sector must take every opportunity to ensure the revival of this under-performing sector
This will require a serious policy overhaul, an integrated e-strategy and a visionary broadband strategy, says Alison Gillwald, executive director of research ICT Africa.
Gillwald is also adjunct professor at the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business where she convenes the course Connectivity and Convergence: Alternative Regulatory Strategies for Telecommunications. The programme is designed to provide alternative regulatory strategies for resource constrained developing countries.
"A new ICT policy will require the identification of policy levers to improve the country's sub optimal performance by identifying the necessary conditions for attracting critical investments in infrastructure extension, optimal market structure and institutional arrangements, together with identifying demand stimulation strategies that are essential to ensuring digital inclusion.
"This includes everything from short-term incentive strategies to promote the uptake of PCs and Internet-enhanced devices, to longer term educational and IT literacy programmes," she said.
Gillwald said that despite South Africa adopting most new technologies early, its Internet penetration rate has been extraordinarily low and the country is no longer a continental leader in broadband access. A critical factor is the high cost of broadband and terrestrial-leased facilities acquired from Telkom by ISP.
After years of there appearing to be no relief from the monopoly prices charged by Telkom on the SAT3 cable, international bandwidth costs are likely to fall with the landing of multiple undersea cables. With the landing of the Seacom cable in 2009 and EASSY last year, international bandwidth prices have started to tumble. With the forthcoming West African Cable (WACS) landing soon, there will be choice of affordable bandwidth.
Gillwald said learning from our African neighbours as well as from other emergent markets can help address the challenges. The course, from April 4 to 8, will do just that.
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