- Title: HONG KONG: Africa on the radar at World Telecom conference in Hong Kong
- Date: 9th December 2006
- Summary: (AD1) HONG KONG, CHINA (DECEMBER 7 , 2006) (REUTERS) WORLD TELECOM CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG DELEGATES MILLING AT THE VARIOUS BOOTHS MOBILE PHONES ON DISPLAY 3G CHIP SETS AND DEVICES ON DISPLAY SOUNDBITE (English) JOHN KATEPA, BOARD MEMBER OF THE COMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY IN ZAMBIA, SAYING: "That's one of our greatest challenges as regulators for the next so many decades. It is about actually making all the services universally accessible in terms of price and distribution. That is our greatest challenge. If we cant do that, then I suppose growth will be stunted and all these big companies will have nowhere to sell their products." AFRICAN DELEGATES AT BOOTH - VARIOUS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CARL-HENRIC SVANBERG, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ERICSSON, SAYING: "Just imagine when somebody comes out to the village and says use this fantastic fertilizer and your crop will grow 30 percent better and this is my price. What do you know? You dont know anything. If you can get to the internet and check a simple price, just think what it means to a village out there." VARIOUS OF BOOTHS - INCLUDING MICROSOFT, IBM AND SONY ERICSSON PEOPLE LOOKING AT NEW MOBILE PHONES ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English): DIEUDONNE WENNA, OFFICE NATIONAL DES TELECOMMUNICATIONS (ONATEL), BURKINA FASO, SAYING: "In Africa, we have many problems - if we dont have the solution to make people live very well, to access knowledge, this is our problem. So the digital divide is very important for us." LAPTOPS ON DISPLAY VIDEOGAMES ON DISPLAY TV SCREENS
- Embargoed: 24th December 2006 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Hong Kong
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Science / Technology,Lifestyle
- Reuters ID: LVA3OIQI31S4RV9XFUVXN9ZR8QZW
- Story Text: The world's biggest players have convened to showcase their latest gadgets and technology services at the Telecom World 2006 conference in Hong Kong and this year, one area long ignored by international players in the sector was firmly on delegates minds: Africa.
Delegates were given an insight into how latest digital technology is transforming lifestyles across the world.
Several African countries including Tanzania and Kenya as well South Africa are rolling out 3G networks as mobile phone growth in Africa continues to grow strongly. Africa mobile phone penetration rates have grown faster than almost any other region in the past few years, albeit from a low base, and regional network providers like MTN, Vodacom and Celtel have seen high growth rates and large profits and are expanding into other regions like the Middle East.
But, some African delegates attending the conference said they hoped to also gain an insight into how international players are working to bridge the digital divide, to connect communities all over the world. John Katepa, Board Member of The Communications Authority in Zambia, said: "That's one of our greatest challenges as regulators for the next so many decades. It is about actually making all the services universally accessible in terms of price and distribution. That is our greatest challenge. If we cant do that, then I suppose growth will be stunted and all these big companies will have nowhere to sell their products."
One of the messages at the conference was that people across the world should be given access to cheaper communications and better broadband services.
Carl-Henric Svanberg, President and CEO of Ericsson, said: "Just imagine when somebody comes out to the village and says use this fantastic fertilizer and your crop will grow 30 percent better and this is my price. What do you know? You don't know anything. If you can get to the internet and check a simple price, just think what it means to a village out there."
Hi-tech companies investing in Africa are touting technology as a panacea for development.
Both international and domestic players want a slice of Africa's fast-growing telecoms markets, where patchy fixed line infrastructure has sparked an explosion in demand for mobile phones. Operators are keen to crack the continent which has an average penetration of just 15 percent, and is home to some of the world's largest untapped mobile phone markets.
But high tariffs are a problem, as they inflate the costs of doing business. Governments in Africa say there is urgent need to slash the costs of excessively high phone calls and internet access. While many African coastal countries including South Africa have access to the SAT-3 undersea communications cable, others have to use expensive satellite links which they say are excessively expensive. Kenya has is now investigating its own fibre connection to the Middle East after negotiations over access to the Sat-3 cable failed due to a fall-out over high access fees..
Dieudonne Wenna, Office National des Telecommunications (ONATEL), Burkina Faso, said: "In Africa, we have many problems - if we dont have the solution to make people live very well, to access knowledge, this is our problem. So the digital divide is very important for us."
Delegates and visitors at the telecoms event highlighted the importance of being able to increase access to broadband services and the internet, as well as to ensure services are easy to handle and affordable to buy. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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