Dear all,
Here is the latest issue of the APC Africa ICT Policy Monitor e-updates
No. 14, a selection of the latest content added to the Africa ICT Policy
Monitor Website chosen by our editors. Editor APC Africa Policy Monitor
Website {http://africa.rights.apc.org/ }
///////////// - NEWS - /////////////
**News > Access **
East African fibre optic cable work to start in March 2006
26/10/2005 (The Monitor
{http://www.monitor.co.ug/business/bus10263.php }) -- The laying of
the proposed fibre optic cable along the entire stretch of the East
African coast will start in March next year. This is according to
information provided by Uganda Telecom, which is chairing one of the
project's implementation committees. Upon completion, the fible optic
cable will interlink the region to two other undersea cables serving
South, West and Northern Africa and forming a highway continental
loop that connects Africa to the rest of the world.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21860s21849e_1 }
Uganda: Bwindi gets telecentre
21/10/2005 (The Monitor {http://www.monitor.co.ug/ }) -- A state of
the art multi-purpose community telecenter has been launched in
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Kanungu district. The centre,
the first of its kind in Uganda, was set up by Conservation Through
Public Health (CTPH), a grass roots NGO working in Buhoma. It is
equipped with high-speed wireless Internet access and voice telephony
via satellite communication to connect the community and tourists to
the outside world
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21860s21849e_1 }
Ghana Internet eXchange (GIX) Launched
19/10/2005 ((GIX) {http://www.gixa.org.gh }) -- On Tuesday 18th
October 2005, the entire Internet fraternity in Ghana would be
gathered at the Ghana India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence for the
official launch of Ghana Internet eXchange (GIX @ www.gixa.org.gh) in
the company of the Hon. Minister of Communication and the French
Ambassador to Ghana.
South Africa: Wireless broadband report released
18/10/2005 (ITWeb {http://www.itweb.co.za }) -- Sentech's MyWireless
is the best broadband solution in SA, says the wireless broadband
report released by Johannesburg University's broadband laboratory.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21860s21817e_1 }
Nigeria: Twist in BPE, Nitel & Sat- 3 Transatlantic Cable Tale?
14/10/2005 (Allafrica {http://allafrica.com/ }) -- Reports carried in
the media this week indicate that there may be some contention
between the BPE and the Ministry of Communications over the future of
Nitel SAT - 3 submarine cable following Nitel's impending disposition
by sale later this year.
**News > Telecommunications**
South Africa: Broadband restores fixed-line trend
24/10/2005 (ITWeb {http://www.itweb.co.za }) -- Access to broadband is
set to become the digital divide of the future, and will drive
fixed-line networks, which are expected to grow at a faster rate than
mobile networks, says Transtel CTO Dr Angus Hay. Speaking at ITWeb's
Wireless 2005 conference last week, Hay said SA's telecommunications
landscape is characterised by a lack of competition, with a few large
players dominating the fixed and mobile markets.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21877s21817e_1 }
Nigeria Federal Government to Sell Nitel Without Sat-3
21/10/2005 (Allfrica.com {http://allafrica.com/ }) -- Controversy
surrounding the ownership of SAT-3 has been put to rest as federal
government has resolved to separate SAT-3 from Nigerian
Telecommunication Limited (NITEL). Communication Minister, Chief
Cornelus Adebayo said federal government has started the process of
selling the national asset.
CTO Publishes New Report on Impact of Telecoms in Poverty Reduction
19/10/2005 (CTO {http://www.cto.int }) -- The results of an
international study into the impact of telephones on rural
livelihoods and poverty reduction will be presented on 19 October by
the CTO and an international research consortium. Funded by the UK
Department for International Development (DfID), the report focuses
on the use of telephones and other information and communication
technologies (ICTs) by rural communities in Africa and Asia. Field
research for the study was undertaken in India, Mozambique and
Tanzania during 2004.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21877s30084e_1 }
New Wave of African VoIP Operators Emerge
17/10/2005 (Balancing Act {http://www.balancingact-africa.com }) --
Africa's grey market VoIP operators are coming out into the light as
attitudes and legislation change. The emergence of a VoIP service
providers sector could prove almost as significant for Africa as the
earlier emergence of independent ISPs. Because beyond the mobile
companies, it has been the entrepreneurial energy and lobbying of
ISPs that has driven regulatory change in many countries.
Kenya: Telkom Raises Phone Tariffs By 16pc
15/10/2005 (East African Standard {http://www.eastandard.net/ }) --
Telkom Kenya yesterday raised cost of local telephone calls by 16 per
cent. In the new tariff structure that comes into effect on November
1, local calls will cost Sh10 per three minutes up from Sh8.60. In a
bid to promote trade and communication within the East African
Community, the cost of calls to Uganda and Tanzania went down by 25
per cent.
Nigeria: Twist in BPE, Nitel & Sat- 3 Transatlantic Cable Tale?
14/10/2005 (Allafrica {http://allafrica.com/ }) -- Reports carried in
the media this week indicate that there may be some contention
between the BPE and the Ministry of Communications over the future of
Nitel SAT - 3 submarine cable following Nitel's impending disposition
by sale later this year.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21877s21833e_1 }
*News > Content and Language *
SANGONeT Launches South African NGO Portal
24/10/2005 (Sangonet {http://sangonet.org.za/portal/ }) -- The
Southern African NGO Network (SANGONeT) is pleased to announce the
launch of a new Internet portal for and about the NGO sector in South
Africa. This portal is primed to become the gateway to the South
African NGO sector, boasting the most comprehensive, validated and
easily searchable NGO directory in the country, containing
information about more than 2 500 organisations.
South Africa: New licensing conditions for SABC
14/06/2005 (BusinessDay {http://www.businessday.co.za/ }) -- The
Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) will impose new
conditions on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) -
which will result in local languages getting more airtime - with
effect from April next year, the regulator said today.
*News > E-Governance & E-Commerce*
Namibia: Information Staff Play Crucial Role says Minister
21/10/2005 (NewEra {http://www.newera.com.na/ }) -- The Minister of
Information and Broadcasting, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, says strategic
planning workshops are essential in the operation of any institution
as they give an opportunity to reflect on the past and map out the
way forward.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21865s21816e_1 }
South Africa govt ICT challenges not unique
20/09/2005 (ITWeb {http://www.itweb.co.za/ }) -- The ICT challenges
that South African government departments face are not unique, but
part of a global challenge, delegates at a government conference
organised by the Business Zone at the Rosebank Hotel heard yesterday.
Kigali-Mombasa Trade Soon On Internet
15/10/2005 (NewTimes {http://www.newtimes.co.rw/ }) -- The delay of
Rwandan merchandise at Mombasa port will soon end when the Kenyan
government introduces internet transaction system.The new
developments will enable Rwandan traders to monitor the arrival and
departure of their merchandise at Mombasa Port through the internet
to be installed next year.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21864s21845e_1 }
**News > Freedom of Expression & Media**
Nigeria: Journalists Push for Legal Reforms to Safeguard Free
Expression
25/10/2005 (IFEX {http://www.ifex.org/ }) -- Journalists, editors and
other media professionals from Nigeria have called on their
government to pass a long-delayed access to information bill and
revoke repressive laws that inhibit press freedom and freedom of
expression. At a workshop organised last week in Lagos by Media
Rights Agenda and the World Bank Institute (WBI), some 50
participants adopted a statement that urged President Olusegun
Obasanjo to pass the Freedom of Information Bill, which has been
pending before parliament since 1999.
Botswana: Gaborone Broadcasting Company (GBC) licence renewed
16/10/2005 (BOPA {http://www.gov.bw/cgi-bin/news.cgi? }) -- Botswanas
only private television station, Gaborone Broadcasting Company (GBC)
has been awarded a 15-year broadcasting licence on condition that it
fulfils all the license provisions.
**News > Intellectual Property**
IP Charter With ‘Public Interest Checklist’ For GovernmentLaunched
20/10/2005 (IP-Watch {http://www.ip-watch.org }) -- A high-level group
of legal scholars, artists, scientists and experts has launched an
initiative urging governments to change the global intellectual
property scheme which they argue has shifted too much toward private
interests at the expense of the public.
2005 WIPO General Assembly Continues Support for Development Agenda
13/10/2005 (IP Justice {http://www.ipjustice.org/ }) -- In its annual
meeting from 26 Sept. - 5 Oct. 2005 in Geneva, the General Assemblies
of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) remained firm
in its commitment to incorporating a "Development Agenda" for reform
at WIPO, a UN Specialized Agency.
**News > Laws and Regulation**
Nigeria: Journalists Push for Legal Reforms to Safeguard Free Expression
25/10/2005 (IFEX {http://www.ifex.org/ }) -- Journalists, editors and
other media professionals from Nigeria have called on their
government to pass a long-delayed access to information bill and
revoke repressive laws that inhibit press freedom and freedom of
expression. At a workshop organised last week in Lagos by Media
Rights Agenda and the World Bank Institute (WBI), some 50
participants adopted a statement that urged President Olusegun
Obasanjo to pass the Freedom of Information Bill, which has been
pending before parliament since 1999.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21870s21833e_1 }
South Africa: New ICT lobby group chair to continue push for sector
reforms
25/10/2005 (Businessday {http://www.businessday.co.za/ }) -- The
Communications Users Association of SA’s (Cuasa’s) new chairperson
Edwin Thompson today said it would continue to lobby for legislative
and regulatory pressure to yield effective competition in the
telecommunications and other information and communications
technology (ICT) sectors.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21870s21817e_1 }
**** South Africa: ICASA hearings begin in Parliament
24/10/2005 (ITWeb {http://www.itweb.co.za/ }) -- Proposed changes to
the mechanism of appointing Independent Communication Authority of SA
(ICASA) councillors was a bone of contention in Parliament today. In
the first day of public hearings before the parliamentary portfolio
committee of communications on the ICASA amendment Bill,
representatives from ICASA, the SA Post Office, Internet Solutions
and the Freedom of Expression Institute expressed concerns that the
appointment of ICASA councillors would be taken out of Parliament's
hands and given to a committee appointed by the minister of
communications.
**News > National ICT Strategies**
Botswana: ICT can contribute to poverty eradication
24/10/2005 (Mmegi {http://www.mmegi.bw/ }) -- Government should
empower the poor by way of giving them access to information, an
official at Botswana Telecommunication Authority (BTA) has said. BTA
senior manager - department of broadcasting regulation - Oshinka
Tsiang told participants at a three-day World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS) consultative workshop on Tuesday.
West African regulators agree on common IT framework
14/10/2005 (Businessday {http://www.businessdayonline.com }) -- The
West African sub-region is gradually moving towards common
information and Communication Technology (ICT) market as regulators
from the sub-region have reached a landmark agreement on a common
regulatory framework for the sector.
**News > Security and Privacy**
South Africa: Draft privacy protection law released
12/10/2005 (ITWeb {http://www.itweb.co.za/ }) -- Protection of privacy
and data draft legislation and discussion documents have been issued
by the SA Law Reform Commission for public comment. The aim is to
bring SA closer to international standards.
**News > Software **
Zambia Minister roots for Open Source Software
21/10/2005 (Times of Zambia {http://www.times.co.zm/ }) -- The Zambia
Communications and Transport Deputy Minister Harrigan Mazimba has
said that open source technology was a new phenomenon in the African
context but if well implemented it would contribute to growth of
Zambia’s economy. He said for this goal to be achieved there is need
to understand the “Open Source” concept well.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21876s21819e_1 }
Open Source Agreed In UN Information Society Summit Preparations
10/10/2005 (IP-Watch {http://www.ip-watch.org/ }) -- Encouragement for
the use of free and open source software and open standards for
science and technology has quietly worked its way into the draft
texts being prepared for the November second phase of the World
Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21876s30084e_1 }
**News > Training and Education**
Ethiopia: A regional ICT training Center to be established
24/10/2005 (ENA {http://www.ena.gov.et }) -- A regional ICT training
Center will be established in Amhara State during the current year,
the State Capacity Building Bureau said. Public Relations Officer
with the Bureau, Wudneh Gezahegn told ENA on Sunday that creating
skilled manpower enabling to make use of ICT for good governance and
development will be given priority during the reported period.
**News > WSIS**
NGOs plan „Citizens’ Summit“ in Tunis
25/10/2005 (Worldsummit2005 {http://www.worldsummit2005.org/ }) -- A
coalition of civil society organizations today announced they will
hold a major parallel event when the WSIS summit meets in Tunis less
than four weeks from now. This development was triggered by two
developments: The first is a lack of meaningful civil society
inclusion in the preparatory process, as again was stated publicly
during the last meeting of the PrepCom in September. The second
reason is the growing suppression of independent voices in the summit
host country Tunisia. The “Citizens’ Summit on the Information
Society (CSIS)” is therefore organized together with independent
Tunisian civil society groups.
Botswana: WSIS workshop participants identify ICT bottlenecks
25/10/2005 (BOPA {http://www.gov.bw/cgi-bin/news.cgi? }) -- Botswana
will only claim its stake in the information society if stakeholders
in the implementation of the information and communications
technology projects coordinate their activities. Participants at last
weeks World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) national
workshop in Gaborone believe all need to work together for Botswana
to keep pace with information communication technology developments.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=29740s21811e_1 }
Mozambique sets up committee for November WSIS in Tunisia
21/10/2005 (AngolaPress {http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/ }) --
Mozambique has set up a national committee to help prepare for the
country`s participation in the November World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS) in Tunisia, Science and Technology
Minister Venancio Massingue said here Wednesday.
Tunis 2005 WSIS: finishing touches brought to the Kram Palexpo as
summit nears
20/10/2005 (Tunisia Online {http://www.tunisiaonlinenews.com }) --
Twenty six days before the official launching of the Tunis WSIS, the
Summit’s main exhibition hall, the Kram Palexpo situated north of the
capital, is getting ready for the greatest international gathering in
Tunisia’s history.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=29740s21809e_1 }
///////////// -*INFORMATION & RESOURCES *- /////////////
**Reports**
Interconnection costs
21/09/2005 -- The world is still in the middle of a seismic shift in
communication architectures as internet-based networks steadily
replace the circuit-switched systems that were designed for voice,
while rapid innovation continues to throw new technologies into the
mix. We are still in a relatively early stage of this evolution, and
as a result, internet interconnection issues are complex, fast
changing and not well understood.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s30084e_1 }
Information Society or Knowledge Societies? Unesco in the Smart State
18/10/2005 -- The chapters in this volume canvasses the dialogue
emerging from discussions about the WSIS Statement of Principles and
Plan of Action in the context of local, national and international
communication policies. It also offers some insights to WSIS
participants, which may be helpful when it comes to evaluating the
process in Tunis and beyond. The various authors discuss the WSIS
Statement of Principles and Plan of Action from multiple
perspectives, offering insights into the key challenges facing the
process and offering alternative frameworks for the management of
communication rights.
‘Spits and spurts’ ICT advocacy and the media in Africa – the CATIA
experience
18/10/2005 -- The media can be active catalysts for change in Africa,
and don’t have to be neutral bystanders as the complex ICT landscape
on the continent unfolds. That’s one of the findings of a report
commissioned by Catalysing Access to ICTs in Africa (CATIA), a three
year programme funded by the Department for International Development
in collaboration with other donors.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s30084e_1 }
ICANN, Internet governance and Africa
13/10/2005 -- The Collaboration for International ICT Policy for East
and Southern Africa (CIPESA) has published ICANN, Internet governance
and Africa, a public briefing on the current status and key points of
the debate that provides essential background for the second phase of
the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS).
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21869se_1 }
Kenya: Nairobi Software Freedom Day Event Report
10/10/2005 -- The 10th of September 2005 was designated by advocates
of free and open-source software (FOSS) the Software Freedom Day.
Every year on that day, campaigns are held across the world to
sensitize people about the benefits and availability of open-source
software. Although the concept is an initiative of the nonprofit
company Software Freedom International, it's actualized by grassroots
free software advocates.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21876se_1 }
New Study: Open Access Models: Options for Improving Backbone Access In
Developing Countries
09/10/2005 -- InfoDev has just published a report on how open access
can help improve infrastructure development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Called Open Access Models: The Study by SPINTRACK AB explores (1)
opportunities for leveraging new technologies to increase access and
functionality of existing infrastructure; (2) the design and
implementation of open access models for infrastructure; and (3) the
potential role of public financing in expanding infrastructure
roll-out in Sub-Saharan Africa.
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s30084e_1 }
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21860se_1 }
*Discussion Papers*
"Digital Dangers: Information and Communication Technologies and
Trafficking in Women"
21/10/2005 -- It seems unlikely that whoever coined the term
'information superhighway' anticipated that the traffic on the
internet would be in people, as well as information. How, and how
much, the internet and other ICTs are implicated in trafficking is
the subject of this issue paper by The Association for Progressive
Communications Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP)
produced in cooperation with The Association for Women's Rights in
Development (AWID).
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s30084e_1 }
Reframing the Role of Telecentres in Development
21/10/2005 -- Telecentres – public locations for accessing ICTs –
have formed an important part of "e-development" strategies for
donors, NGOs, governments and the private sector in recent years. At
one time, they were a centrepiece of such strategies but more
recently have somewhat fallen from favour. Where do we stand today on
telecentres?
Free and Open Source Software: A Blind Alley for Developing
Countries?
17/10/2005 -- There is considerable interest in the "e-development"
community about FOSS: free and open source software. It is argued to
be cheaper and more customisable than proprietary software; it is
argued to be a potential kick-starter for the local IT industry; it
merits a mention in the WSIS Plan of Action. So what is its likely
trajectory?
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s30084e_1 }
*Opinion*
Tanzania's mobile phone firms should lower tariffs
25/10/2005 -- Mobile telephony has registered phenomenal growth in
Tanzania in the last decade. In 1995, there were only 2,198 mobile
phone lines; by last year there were 1,942,000. In contrast, fixed
telephone lines increased from 88,000 to 148,000 lines in the same
period. While mobile lines have been growing, the fixed line service
has been degenerating. In fact, the number of fixed lines were fewer
last year than in 1999. Last year, 93 per cent of telephone
subscribers had mobile lines with fixed lines accounting for only 7
per cent. {http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s21848e_1 }
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21877se_1 }
UN summit should provide a good opportunity for Africa to lobby for
support to fund ICT efforts
16/09/2005 -- This week’s UN General Assembly (UNGA), exactly two
months before the Tunis World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS), gives Africa a perfect opportunity to lobby rich-world
leaders to support a long-term mechanism to fund information and
communication technology for development (ICT4D).
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s30084e_1 }
Why Cyber Crime Persists in Nigeria
16/09/2005 -- “While agreeing that greed forms a major causative
factor in the spread of cyber crime in Nigeria, one cannot actually
shy away from the fact that the harsh economic situation in the
country, which has created mass unemployment and of course the high
rate of corruption in the society is the fuel that fans its embers."
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s21833e_1}
///////////// - *UPCOMING EVENTS* - /////////////
*07/11/2005*, South Africa
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s21817e_1 }
Government Technology World Africa 2005
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ee_1&x=1500329 }
The Government Technology World Africa 2005 conference will address
the key strategic issues surrounding the use of technology in
Government. With a strong case study base, the conference draws on
the knowledge and experience of a host of well-renowned speakers and
panelists from throughout Africa and internationally.
*14/11/2005*, Tunisia
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s21809e_1 }
World Forum on Information Society {http://irfd.org/events/wf2005/ }
The International Research Foundation for Development is organizing
the second phase of its World Forum on Information Society to be held
in Tunis in November 2005 in view of the United Nations World Summit
on the Information Society - November 16-18, 2005.
*16/11/2005*, Tunisia
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s21809e_1 }
World Summit on the Information Society, Second Phase: 16-18 November
2005 {http://www.itu.int/wsis/tunis/index.html }
The World Summit on the Information Society is held in two phases.
The second phase of WSIS will take place in Tunis hosted by the
Government of Tunisia from 16 to 18 November 2005.
*17/11/2005*, International
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s30084e_1 }
Legal Issues in the Global Information Society
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ee_1&x=1847194 }
In connection with the Tunis Summit, the Center for International
Legal Studies will present a seminar on legal issues relating the
distribution and use of intellectual property and technology.
*08/01/2006*, Uganda
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s21849e_1 }
Africa Source II - Kalangala, Uganda - Jan 08-Jan 15, 2006
{http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ee_1&x=1974142 }
Africa Source II will be an eight day hands-on workshop aimed at
building the technical skills of those working with and within NGOs
on the continent. It will take place in one of the most beautiful
parts of the Kalangala Island on Victoria Lake during the beginning
of January 2006.
//////////////////////////////
ABOUT APC
The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is an international
network of civil society organisations dedicated to empowering and
supporting groups and individuals through the strategic use of information
and communication technologies, especially internet-related technologies.
APC and its members in more than 30 countries pioneer practical and
relevant uses of ICTs for civil society. APC is an international
facilitator of civil society's engagement with ICTs and related concerns,
in both policy and practice. APC: http://www.apc.org.
APC and ICT Policy Advocacy in Africa
APC's Communications and Information Policy Programme aims to contribute
to more enabling ICT policy environments through promoting inclusive
policy processes. In Africa APC is doing this through the Africa ICT
Policy Monitor project which aims to enable civil society organisations to
engage in ICT policy development to promote an information society based
on social justice and human rights.
APC's Africa ICT Policy Monitor: http://africa.rights.apc.org
The APC Africa ICT Policy Monitor is supported by HIVOS and the
International Research Development Centre (IDRC).
//////////////////////////////
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