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SOUTH AFRICAN VOIP CALLS UNDERMINE REGULATED FRAMEWORK According to contributors to a South African mail list (IOZ), Telkom has been testing the use of VOIP to route domestic calls to London and then back to the International Telephone Exchange in Hillbrow and on into the Vodacom network. This roundabout routing means that Telkom pays 28c (via Vodacom) rather than R1.20 via its own network. Telkom is licensed to use VOIP but this is not a saving that can be made by outside users. The tests are being seen as the prelude to the launch of a corporate connect product. Amng other things, these can pre-programme your switchboard to choose the cheapest available call. In South Africa, this might be Telkom for local calls but other carriers for mobile, national and (in the not too distant future) international calls. (source: Mike Jensen via IOZ) NIGERIANS PUT OUT NATIONAL IT STRATEGY Although Nigerians are playing "catch-up" in the ICT race, they have recently cleared another hurdle. A national IT strategy has been published. It says that:"Information Technology (IT) is the bedrock for national survival and development in a rapidly changing global environment, and challenges us to devise bold and courageous initiatives to address a host of vital socio-economic issues such as reliable infrastructure, skilled human resources, open government and other essential issues of capacity building. In addition, an Information Technology policy built on reliable human resources and infrastructure constitutes the fundamental tool and means of assessing, planning, managing development change and for achieving sustainable growth".The vision statement sees the need "to make Nigeria an IT capable country in Africa and a key player in the Information Society by the year 2005, using IT as the engine for sustainable development and global competitiveness". One of the main recommendations to to establish a National Information Technology Development Fund (NITDEF) under the aegis of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and funded as follows:start up grant of at least US $150m, two percent of the national budget will be allocated to the fund until the articulated vision is attained and a 3% tax on all imported finished IT products will be directly paid to the fund. For a copy of the strategy send an e-mail to info@balancingact-africa.com . ITALY EYES UP EGYPT’S ICT SECTOR Italy has made great strides in the expansion of its IT sector in recent years, and now it is eyeing Egypt’s IT sector as a springboard to the Middle East. (via The Big Change: http://www.ahram.org.eg/weekly/2001/540/ec4.htm ) SENEGAL’S SENTEL LOWERS ITS INTERNATIONAL RATES Sentel, who has been recruiting new subscribers at the rate of 5,000 a month, has announced that it will lower its international charges by 11% incoming to Africa and 25% outgoing from Africa. (via Batik:Sentel : http://www.everyday.sn ) NIGER RESEARCHERS ANNOUNCE SOFTWARE TO JUDGE GOVERNMENTS Researchers in the impoverished West African state of Niger announced they had come up with a device that would measure how well rulers rule and said it would work anywhere.Ismail Yenikoye, who led the University of Niamey research team, said it should allow governments to be given an annual report based on how the lives of their people have changed. The computer-based device comes with software and a 100-page manual to explain how good governance can be measured.Yenikoye said it had been tested at the offices of the United Nations Development Programme in Niamey and the organisation planned to get one. He did not say how well Niger’s rulers scored. (Reuters via UnioNews) GIPI WILL OFFER POLICY ADVICE TO CREATE AFFORDABLE INTERNET The U.S.-based Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and Brussels-based Internews groups announced the creation of the Global Internet Policy Initiative, (http://www.gipiproject.org). GIPI is a foundation formed to help developing countries enact policies that narrow the digital divide. Jim Dempsey, CDT’s director of technology, said "... There [exists] a lot of confusion out there about what it takes in terms of policy to create an environment where the Internet becomes affordable, widely available and can be used for economic growth and human development." According to Dempsey, GIPI will seek to educate and advise government policymakers and grassroots advocates on a range of Internet policy issues, including universal service, privacy, technical standards, licensing, digital signatures, content controls and the domain name system. The coalitions has already hired 10 full-time "country coordinators" who are familiar with the laws and languages of the countries in which they are stationed. The project is funded by a number of companies, including AOL Time Warner and Microsoft, as well as the Soros Foundation and the Markle Foundation - organizations already affiliated with the multi-nation Digital Opportunities Task Force, or "DOT Force." (source: Washington Post via
Digital Divide list SATCC CALLS FOR DROPPING OF IMPORT TAXES ON ICT The Southern African Telecommunications Coordinating Committee (SATCC) has asked governments in the region to offer tax holidays on all computer software and hardware to boost information technology. SATCC members who met in Malawi last week noted that Southern African Development Community (SADC) was lagging behind in terms of information technology due to poor infrastructure and limited access to technology. Communications Authority controller and chief executive David Kapitolo, who attended the meeting, said SATCC was geared to narrow the digital divide between the rich and poor countries.... Mr Kapitolo said tax holidays proved quite successful citing the period when the Zambian Government extended tax exemption for the importation of buses for one year. (source:Via Digital Divide http://allafrica.com/stories/200106280529.html)
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This page last updated on January 28 2004.
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