Africa ICT

A new draft National Information and Communications Technology ICT Policy, released in January, aims to bring together all of Nigeria’s related technology policy under a single statute, overhauling outdated regulations to better manage the country’s dramatic growth in computer and internet usage over the past decade.

Already in the midst of significant growth, Ghana’s IT and telecommunications sectors are set to see increased efficiency and improved access following the finalisation of a new medium-term strategic plan by the industry’s regulator and the arrival of a new regional player in the mobile segment.

In what comes as no surprise for a country that used Facebook, Twitter and mobile phones to help overturn a political regime, a recent report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) stated that Egypt “is poised to emerge as a major player in the information economy”.

Large investments are being made in the Egyptian telecommunications industry as the private and public sectors look to boost capacity and increase the availability of new technologies.

Alors même que les opérateurs lancent toute une série de forfaits et d’abonnements téléphoniques, une agence gouvernementale a récemment suggéré que le secteur marocain des télécommunications n’était pas suffisamment concurrentiel et encouragé les plus importants opérateurs de téléphonie mobile du pays à étendre la couverture de leurs réseaux et à diversifier leur offre de services afin de tirer leur épingle du jeu dans un marché qui arrive à maturité.

Two new submarine fibre-optic cables have gone on-line in Nigeria in the past two years, with a third set to land in June. While this should eventually improve the nation’s spotty internet access, customers are still waiting to reap the benefits of increased bandwidth and lower prices. Nonetheless telecoms operators are switching over to the fourth generation (4G) platform to accommodate future expected demand for data services.