Internet-Africa

Pan African Broadband Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Internet-Africa) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:57:00 +0000

Subscribing to broadband Internet services is rising in Africa, but we can go further to connect more people to the web. We can create a Pan African Broadband Plan designed to allow investments in broadband technologies on the continent. A continuing massive investment in broadband infrastructure can result in the increasing availability, lower price, and improved connection of high-speed Internet services in Africa. We need policymakers and new regulations to allow more competition among African broadband providers. The goal is to cut the price and increase the speed of broadband access for the average African household. Broadband can also have a positive impact on the African economy and on employment. Broadband allow businesses to use e-commerce to order, market and distribute their products worldwide. Young African programmers can create new softwares and networks to enhance the online educational experience. To be successful the Pan African Broadband Plan should unite all the cyber resources of the continent with a minimum of governments interference.

How to choose a web hosting provider

noreply@blogger.com (Internet-Africa) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:08:00 +0000

Today in the internet information age, for any business to be really successful in Africa, you need to choose a good web hosting company. I know that it may be somewhat confusing to choose the most suitable web hosting provider, but as more businesses are moving online there are many more different options of services today and new web hosting companies emerge every months. How to choose?. The first thing you should compare is the bandwidth for your data transfer possibility. You can drive large amounts of traffic with more bandwidth. It is the same also with your disc space that you need for your website. You can store more files and data at your website with a large volume of disc space. You can also post more videos and images on your website. A reputable web hosting provider should offer you a support 7 days a week and 24 hours per day. The last thing to look is the price. An expensive web host don't necessarily provide you with services of high quality but a cheap web host can provide you with a service of high quality. Ask the web hosting provider for a free test period to see if your website can respond within a reasonable time interval and check how the provider deals with the backup of your website. Think twice before choosing and surf the internet to find a review website that can give you advices concerning the web host industry.

African webmaster and web design

noreply@blogger.com (Internet-Africa) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:43:00 +0000

Africa really need more webmasters. There is a huge need for webmasters in Africa to create websites for schools, universities, businesses,cultural centers etc.. But the task of an African webmaster should not be only limited at the technical knowledge of maintaining a website. African web design can also be African art. An African webmaster can also be gifted like an artist to customize all websites to fit the African cultural environment. Just browse the internet, do you see a lot of African Style Web Template?. No, and this is a wake up call for all African web designers. It is time to be more creative. At the moment we mostly use templates that are designed out of Africa, but we can create and provide website templates which are professional, nice looking and can be used for business and personal websites or blogs. They should be available for free for all Africans. If you want to become a successful webmaster, you don't need any formal education at all. No African governments can prevent you from becoming a webmaster. There are numerous options if you need new skills to become a webmaster, or even an experienced webmaster. Africa need your technical skills, become a webmaster to design African websites.

An internet cyber cafe in Kenya

noreply@blogger.com (Internet-Africa) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:59:00 +0000

One year ago in Kenya,Wakili Abasi who is one of my friends set up an internet cafe in the town of Nairobi where he grew up. He wanted to promote the use of the internet to residents living in disadvantaged areas of Nairobi. He did not set up an internet cafe with the intention of making money but to bring the information age to his community. For many people in Kenya and the majority of other African countries, internet cafes can provide their first contact with the internet, the web and e-mail. The number of Kenyans online is growing rapidly. He realised that there was very few people in his neighbourhood who had computers. He told me that he was trying to create opportunities for a maximum of people by the use of the internet. He wanted to create a connection between the residents and the rest of the world. The internet cafe is situated near a college and not far from a small shopping centre. They only have nine computers. Customers can browse the internet and check their email. Some connect only to look for a job. Going online is affordable and the money is enough to cover the rent of the business premise. More people should create online community centres and internet cafes to bring the internet to small cities and rural places of Africa.
If you want to open your own internet cafe, start by doing a cybercafe business plan first. Be sure to have the best internet cafe software and a good internet service provider to offers your customers high speed internet access. Networking hardware is not expensive if you use the right type of network. The cost of setting up your internet cyber cafe depends on the number of services and computers you plan to offer to your customers. It is a rewarding business in Africa and you will probably have plenty of loyal customers and friends.

E-commerce in Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Internet-Africa) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:03:00 +0000

What is the status of e-commerce in Africa?. Connectivity is now sufficient; Africa is now ready for
e-commerce and there are many excellent African IT companies who provide hardware and software. The leading African countries in
e-commerce are South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya and Senegal. Many others African countries have started initiatives to develop
e-commerce services. The problem with e-commerce in Africa is the lack of online payments. We urgently need to create a common African e-payment system especially adapted to Africa market. This new African e-payment system can be an alternative to debit and credit card payment systems for e-commerce. We need to customize e-commerce to fit the way of life of people living in Africa. Today there is a growing African e-commerce industry. In Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, a Pan-African Alliance on e-Commerce has been launched. Senegal, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, (Ivory Coast), Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Morocco, Ghana, Libya, Kenya and Togo were listed as the 10 countries that have signed with the alliance.

Wireless internet in Rwanda

noreply@blogger.com (Internet-Africa) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:23:00 +0000

In Rwanda, Kigali is to become soon the first ‘wireless’ city in Africa. Wireless networking represent the future of Internet connectivity and computer in Africa. Wireless usually refers to radio connection between devices. WiFi is a wireless Ethernet link operating in the 2.4 GHz band and conforming to IEEE 802.11b. It is claimed to have a range of up to 100 m, but this is very dependent on the location. The Government of Rwanda created a new project to provide a network for Internet access called the Kigali Metropolitan Network. After many years of hard work, the Kigali Metropolitan Network (KMN) and the Kigali Wireless Broadband (WiBro) Network have been launched. This WiBro’s infrastructure was built by Korea Telecom (KT), South Korea’s second largest mobile operator and first fixed-line operator. Kigali is now a “hot spot” capital city in Africa. Internet users in this African city will now be able to use voice-over-IP (VoIP) services and high speed connectivity. The Kigali Metropolitan Network is now able to increase broadband availability to several hundreds of Rwandan institutions including health-care centres, schools and government administrative centres. The national fiber-optic backbone is now complete and provide broadband throughout the country.

ADSL in South Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Internet-Africa) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:43:00 +0000

In South Africa, 2002 was the year of the launch of asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL). In the past Telkom was ruling on the South African ADSL market, but now MTN, Neotel, Vodacom, iBurst and many other wireless internet service providers in South Africa are very competitive and take market share from Telkom. With more competition in 2010, Telkom is now too expensive and should cut its ADSL prices. Most South Africans consumers don’t compare ADSL internet prices and are just signing up to an ADSL provider. South Africans can't wait and only want ADSL today and now with more connection speed. By doing a bit of research consumers can realise that Web Africa is a cheaper ADSL provider than Telkom in the market. The South African ADSL industry is changing very fast, and Telkom have lost the monopoly that they used to have. In the following years, every South African ISPs can expect more aggressive competition in this industry. This mean that the South African consumers can expect cheaper ADSL prices.

E-learning in Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Internet-Africa) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:39:00 +0000

Distance learning can increase the number of people in education in Africa.The biggest obstacle to e-learning in Africa is really bandwidth. Undersea cables should provide more bandwidth to Africa this year in 2010, but there are still obstacles with unstable electricity supply, lack of computer equipment and internet access at schools. Practical problems should be solved first. Distance learning should allows african students to continue working on a degree, or start their work towards a new degree, from anywhere they may be located. Traditionally, most of the e-learning classes tend to be driven by the students themselves. Because there is not a traditional classroom and a teacher, the students must use their own determination and drive to learn the material as it is presented. Most often the material is presented either electronically or through interactive slideshows that let the students practice along as the lesson plays out. If they get stuck on a concept or need assistance the teacher and fellow students are just a click away through the use of email and online discussion forums. E-learning courses provide also access to education for older and working professionals, but there are difficulties to overcome if online education is to spread further in Africa. Many students do face some difficulties accessing course materials online, mainly due to slow internet access.

Internet revolution in Nigeria

noreply@blogger.com (Internet-Africa) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:23:00 +0000

Despite the high cost of internet access in Africa, bandwidth to Africa is expected to grow dramatically as the continent is gaining internet connectivity faster than any other region in the world. Nigeria was able to boost its online population, raising its status to having the most internet users in Africa. Internet connectivity is also spreading to smaller Nigerian cities and rural areas via innovative technologies. This surge in internet usage is attributed to Horizon Wireless‘ experimental broadband internet project that uses WiMAX to provide Nigerians with affordable internet access. The internet landscape in Nigeria is fast changing; Ten years ago, a public cyber cafe used to be the only access individuals had to the internet, now there are internet service providers (ISPs) in various shades and sizes, delivering direct access to individuals and businesses on a variety of platforms. CDMA-based providers are upgrading their networks to the more advanced EVDO technology. GSM operators who were initially reluctant to tap into this area are now aggressively marketing internet services as part of their offerings. Internet access is fast becoming a commodity item in Nigeria. The size of Nigeria's population allows for much growth in the sector. Investment opportunities lie in areas such as internet access infrastructure; ICT applications for government and educational institutions; Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services; and developing online payment solutions.

Buying a used laptop

noreply@blogger.com (Internet-Africa) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:06:00 +0000

Whether you work from home, are a student, or bring your work home with you, a laptop easily makes that work more enjoyable by allowing you to work outside, from the comfort of your couch, etc. If you think a new laptop isn't in your budget, there are certain things that you should consider before buying a used laptop. I hope the following tips help you avoid buying a used laptop that leaves you disappointed. Is the Keyboard Still Functional?. Unfortunately, if a laptop isn't properly taken care of, the keys will begin to stick. This is quite annoying. Also if the previous owner wasn't careful they could have completely broken some of the keys by typing too hard or getting frustrated and pounding on the keys. Simply using the computer frequently can damage the keyboard. When looking at a used laptop make sure the keyboard works. Is the Screen Scratched?. Not everyone is careful when it comes to electronics. Some people are able to damage electronics within weeks of getting them. Look at the screen very closely and make sure there aren't any scratches. Even if the scratch doesn't look like a big deal when the computer is turned off, the scratch could look much worse once the computer is turned on. Does the Screen Work at All?. Turn the laptop on and make sure the screen works. If the seller is reluctant to let you turn the computer on, walk away; he is obviously hiding something. The screen can become damaged in many different ways. The previous owner may have placed something heavy on top of the laptop, pushing the screen into the keys, damaging the screen. Or the previous owner may have even dropped the computer damaging not only the screen, but other components as well. What are the specifications?. How big is the hard drive?. Does the laptop have enough ram for the applications you will be using?. Is the computer too old? Before buying the computer, ask the seller what the specs are or open the laptop and look for yourself. You can find the information by right clicking on the my computer icon located on the desktop. Depending on the price the seller is charging, you may be able to buy a new laptop for the same price. Is a New Laptop Cheaper?. Computers are much cheaper than they used to be. Buying a used laptop is not always the best option. You may find that a new laptop has better specs that those of a used laptop and the price is the same, if not cheaper. Always be sure to check prices before deciding to buy a used computer, a new computer may be a lot cheaper.

New online payment system for mobile users in Tanzania

noreply@blogger.com (Internet-Africa) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Mobile phone users in Tanzania can perform online payments and transfers using a new system developed by local firm, Wide International Network, writes The East African publication. From March this year people will be able to transact business online in tourism, travel, sports and entertainment, web maintenance and solution and ticketing. The system allows users to pay for around 30 services offered by a number of companies, businesses, government, learning institutions, faith-based organizations, health institutions, manufacturing and financial institutions. Wide International Network system will merge all related services into a single mobile transaction. In the tourism industry for example, booking offices, travel agents, hotels etc will be possible altogether to simplify the transaction process. Payments are hosted by IX Webhosting of the United States. Using the system, consumers will be able to simplify their tourism arrangements, facilitate bookings and pay bills for local services like water, electricity, insurance and others. The system has been already embraced by several organizations including Azam Marine Company Ltd, Vodacom and Zain Tanzania. Over 10 million Tanzanians with mobile phone access will be able to use the technology, by effecting transactions directly from their bank accounts. The main customers of the system include banks, telephone, water, electricity companies, ministries, revenue authorities, transport companies, municipal councils, exporters, importers, regulatory bodies and online markets.