Information society on hold
SUNDAY is World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, with the aim of raising awareness of what the internet and other information and communication technologies can bring to societies to bridge the digital divide.
It was first celebrated in 1969, to mark the founding of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865. In 2006 it combined with Information Society Day.
For nearly 145 years the ITU has co-ordinated the shared global use of radio spectrum and promoted international co-operation in assigning satellite orbits. It has been the catalyst for improving telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world and promoting a global information society. It seeks to expand global broadband connectivity that is pervasive, simple and affordable worldwide.
Angus MacRobert, CEO of Internet Solutions, says achieving an information society and bridging the digital divide will depend largely on the cost of broadband connectivity. For example, the minimum cost of internet access in SA today is R70 a month and this needs to come down to R30, which is still a lot more than international rates.
“In two years internet access will cost half as much as now.”
He says this will be made possible by international bandwidth costs coming down because there will be more infrastructure, more operators and greater competition. In addition, local operators are upgrading their networks and mobile operators are moving to the long term evolution (LTE) technology, which will be more cost-efficient.
MacRobert says the government and private enterprises need to initiate a strategy for low-cost broadband services in rural areas.
“The department of communication needs to fast-track developing in rural areas by partnering wireless service providers.”
Providers could use the unlicensed 5,8 megahertz spectrum, instead of paying for licensed spectrum, as some are already doing.
Tracy Cohen, head of regulatory affairs at Neotel, says the creation of an information society depends on extensive voice and data penetration, affordability, usage, literacy, the production of content, credible policies and regulators and competitive markets.
She says it is more than just the quantification of indicators such as the number of mobile subscribers or internet users — it is about having access to the full spectrum of phone, internet, TV and radio content, how it is accessed and used and ensuring that affordability is not measured purely by numbers.
Statistics show a high percentage of South Africans have cellphones, but price-sensitive users cannot afford to chat on the phone. They tend to call someone and ask them to phone them back, ask a quick question, quickly impart essential information or communicate by SMS.
Statistics are collected on how many mobile phone calls are made and how much revenue they generate, says Cohen. “But more studies need to be done on how people are using their phones.”
There is a lot of talk about mobile internet, but most users that have this facility are only using it for things like downloading screen savers and ring tones.
Some countries are ahead of others in certain areas of development, says Cohen. For example, in emerging markets, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are among those with the lowest-priced prepaid mobile services, while South Korea, Iceland, Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt are among leaders in broadband penetration in their regions.
This does not mean any of these countries are ahead in achieving an information society, which is about the real use of information and not just about access and connectivity.
Although not the only factor to consider, the more deregulated markets tend to create an environment in which information societies can flourish, says Cohen.
She says SA could learn a lot from these markets about what can be achieved.
Information society discussion
Business Day
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