Nearly one year ago amid great hype, MTC, one of two mobile operators in Namibia (leo being the other), conducted 4G trials in Windhoek. Nothing has happened since. One year later, the mobile operator is still waiting on obtaining the appropriate spectrum license. Even if MTC secures more funding, the ball is in the national regulator’s court to green-light the request for 4G.

The writing has been on the wall from the beginning. How can the Namibian user-base immediately support 4G service if only five countries in the world had deployed 4G technology at the time of the first trial in Windhoek? At the time, MTC quoted 98% national coverage with 3G speeds of up to 7.2Mbps, but actual speeds were (and are) much lower. Comments on MTC’s Facebook page suggest 3G speeds are hardly at 2G levels. Multiple MTC users ask why 4G is necessary when enhancements to 3G would be the next logical step.

The New Era newspaper uncovered that, in addition to MTC’s lack of a license and the delays with the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia in granting the license, the City of Windhoek is also slowing the process with demands of revenue from the yet-to-be-built network.

A timeline of events sheds light on the drawn-out situation:

• February 2, 2011: “Prime Minister Nahas Angula has called on the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) to urgently award a license to MTC to implement fourth generation (4G) technology.” {Namibia Press Agency}
• February 17, 2011: A 4G trial in front of government officials held in Windhoek showed speeds of “over 100Mbps, which is 20 times faster than the speeds churned out by the current 3G technology.” Streaming mobile video was also demonstrated. However, MTC acknowledged a need to build some more base stations, still was waiting on clear guidelines from the authorities, and stressed the need for fibre to carry the bandwidth. {MTC}
• February 1, 2012: In a press release mirroring that of February 2011, MTC announces a second successful 4G trial. The results were identical to the test run in 2011. Now, MTC cites 29 nations operating 4G technology – but none are in Africa. The wording is very careful, but MTC says they are ready to launch and are waiting on the regulatory body to grant the proper spectrum. {MTC}
• February 2, 2012: MTC told Namibia media that the company is “facing a number of challenges in implementing 4G technology.” {New Era}

The benefits of enhancing the quality of 3G service are more important than winning the race to see which nation and/or operator can first launch 4G in Africa. MTC would be wise to compete with leo for the most robust 3G network instead of competing for a title. What would happen if MTC were to end up with sub-par 4G service but leo were to deliver solid 3G bandwidth?

For your viewing pleasure, we’ve included video of 2011′s first round of public 4G trials:

• What does the hosting of eLearning Africa 2012 mean for Benin?
  Towards a sustainable ICT policy for Benin {eLearning Africa}

Botswana

• Botswana has allocated 50 million Pula to improve its high-speed Internet network:
  Le Botswana debloque 50 millions de pulas pour developper son infrastructure Internet {Xinhua via Afriquinfos}

Algeria

• The .dz ccTLD, with just 4,000 registered domain names, has never really taken off. The “e-Algerie” initiative hopes to increase this number to one million:
  e-Algerie: un plan pour booster le .DZ {DomainesInfo}

Kenya

• Kenya: Chief Tweets His Way to Reducing Crime {IPS via allAfrica}
• Kenya: Othaya Coffee Firms to Get Computers {Nairobi Star via allAfrica}
• Kenya: Locals Abroad Push for E-Voting {Daily Nation via allAfrica}
• Kenya: State Set to Roll Out Software Certification for Local Developers {Business Daily via allAfrica}

Uganda

• Uganda: All Telecoms Are Below UCC’s Quality Standards, Report Says {The Monitor via allAfrica}

Ivory Coast

• A new law has been drafted in Cote d’Ivoire and awaits enactment:
  Cote d’Ivoire drafts cybercrime law {TelecomPaper}

South Sudan

• A retired naval lieutenant who served with UN hopes to bring a dozen laptops to one school in South Sudan:
  Laptops for South Sudan {Times Colonist}

Mozambique

• The Mozambique Research and Education Network and the Government Electronic Network will use the 20-year agreement to bandwidth to support e-learning and e-government endeavors:
  Mozambique gets a slice of SEACOM {IT News Africa}

Egypt

• Egypt IT sector sees dramatic increase {IT News Africa}
• From November 2010 to November 2011, the Internet penetration rose from 29% to 32%. Household Internet access rose, as did international bandwidth:
  Egypt passes 100% mobile penetration {TelecomPaper}

Nigeria

• A knowledge city is being planned for Cross Rivers State:
  Nigeria to boost ICT infrastructure with new deal {IT News Africa}
• The Federal Government had concluded arrangements to build four software incubation centres to enable indigenous software developers:
  FG to Establish 4 Software Incubation Centres {ThisDay}
• The Minister of Communications Technology speaks on the activities of her ministry in the last six months:
  We’ll Leverage ICT Infrastructure To Achieve Digital Breakthrough – Omobola Johnson {Leadership}

Ghana

• The 26-year-old social media guru explains why mobile tech is important for Ghana’s future:
  Interview: Peering into Ghana’s mobile future with Mac-Jordan Degadjor {ONE}

Namibia

• MTC, the largest mobile telecommunications operator in Namibia, has still not secured 4G spectrum:
  Still no 4G from mobile giant MTC {New Era}

Republic of Congo

• Way-C tablet, the first African iPad rival, goes on sale in Congo {Global Post}

Tanzania

• Mobile internet costs in Tanzania {TZCRC}

Sierra Leone

• Airtel’s 3G mobile platform poised to transform customer experience {Sierra Express Media}

South Africa

• The data seems questionable, but is more accurate for larger countries:
  Google+ users at almost half a million in SA: report {MyBroadband}
• In South Africa, the rate of e-mails stopped for being malevolent was 1 in 305.9 messages:
  Symantec Study Shows Substantial Fall in Malware-Ridden Internet Sites {Spamfighter}
• A comparison of the fibre networks operated by some of the players in the national backhaul space is revealing. Includes national fibre maps:
  Fibre in SA: An eye-opener {MyBroadband}
• Numerous developer-orientated initiatives and programs are launching across the country:
  The mobile application developer community {ITWeb}

General Africa

• A high level look at how WACS and ACE cables are bringing new opportunties to Africa this year. Plus, there’s a paragraph on the importance of IXPs:
  Africa: Fast internet is coming! {The Africa Report}
• A new book by the co-foundder of Global Voices examines how we can take ownership for our digital future:
  New Book on Global Struggle for Internet Freedom {GlobalVoices Advocacy}
• Following the recent AU summit, Africa will accelerate the construction of its infrastructure and implement policies and laws:
  L’Union africaine decide dlaccelerer le developpement des infrastructures en Afrique {Abidjan.net}
• Pro-Nokia, but contains interesting points about the need to engage young people and encourage business, not charity:
  How mobile tech can transform Africa, by Microsoft’s MD {Nokia Conversations}
• Increased business confidence to drive Africa ICT sector {Computerworld}
• Research will focus on communication and conflict in Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic:
  Dutch scientists to study effects of ICT and social media in Africa {Dutch Daily News}
• Facebook Has Uncertain Future in Africa {VOA News}

When you live in country where censorship is the norm … the Internet is your only communications mechanism.” – Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google, after visiting Libya in January 2012

First, some history. Censorship of the Internet, among other factors, has long hindered growth of technology in Libya. Perhaps nothing limited ICT advancement more than when Libya Telecom & Technology (LTT), under the direction of Gadhafi’s government, shut-down the local Internet for over five months last year in an attempt to suppress the rebel movement.

Libya undeniably has better fixed and mobile infrastructure than most African nations. Despite one Internet service provider and only two mobile operators (nine telecoms operators in total), Libya boasts high Internet and mobile access rates (15% Internet penetration rate and a staggering 201% mobile penetration rate!)

In recent months, however, power outages have plagued reliable Internet connectivity. Plus, infrastructure – especially cellular and WiMax – was damaged in the recent civil war. Sentiment from the ground (via Twitter & Twitter, for example) indicates frustration with the level of services. TechnoLibya has reported issues with LTT WiMAX speed and coverage, but experiences stable connections with ADSL.

Libya is looking to Egypt to form ICT policy and regulations:

• In January 2012, Egypt and Libya discussed working together to strengthen Libya’s ICT environment. Ministers from both nations exchanged ideas on creating a regulatory framework. More importantly, officials talked of the importance of empowering the people with tech skills. We wouldn’t be surprised if Libya’s regulatory body and processes mirror those found in Egypt. After all, Egypt, like Libya, does not have clean slate when it comes to Internet censorship. Therein lies the opportunity of this relationship.

The e-Libya initiative will strengthen key areas of government, education, and the economy:

• The majority of the Libyan workforce has heretofore been employed in the public sector. A drastic privatization of the telecoms companies would be ineffective. Fortunately, the e-Libya initiative aims to create an open and transparent government, strengthen e-commerce, and establish a higher level of e-learning. The construction of a strong SME culture is essential for Libya to grow economic stability.

How effective will the interim government be?

• Business Monitor International, a telecoms intelligence firm, is less optimistic about Libya’s future. Their analysis questions the interim government’s ability to reform Libyan policy. Like Khaled el Mufti, the man in charge of e-Libya, BMI is skeptical that Libya is ready for a free telecoms sector.

Click to enlarge. {Libya Telecom & Technology}

• South Africa (Cell C)
• Congo-Brazzaville (Airtel)
• Sierra Leone (Airtel)
• Zambia (Airtel)
• Ghana (Airtel)
• Nigeria (Etisalat)
• Egypt (Etisalat)

But, what exactly is 3.75G and how does it compare to 3G or 3.5G?

Airtel, along with other mobile operators, touts HSPA+ service as being 3.75G. Other sources (including 3GPP), consider HSPA+ to be 3.9G. Airtel’s country pages all include a brief description of how they define 3.75G. Sierra Leone’s page states:

3G has evolved through several updates, leading to the very latest release, HSPA+, which is referred to as 3.75G, now available on airtel. 3.75G technology operates at dazzling speeds of up to 14.4 MB/s downlink and 5.7MB/s uplink.”

However, the 3.75G page for Zambia lists a 3.75G top download speed of 21Mbps, thus making Airtel’s cited 3.75G technology speeds incongruous. We deduce that either Airtel is offering 3.75G (HSPA) at a maximum of 14Mbps, they are offering 3.9G (HSPA+) at a maximum of 21Mbps, or they are simply changing out download speed since the handsets sold in Sierra Leone might not have the same chipset as those sold in Zambia.

Either way, the HSPA+/3.75G terms are used solely for marketing purposes. The same goes for the 4G versus LTE versus WiMAX debate. Mobile operators endure fierce competition to attract customers (who drive profits).

Although 3.9G is better than 3.75G and 3.75G is by all means technically superior than 3.5G, there will not be a noticeable transfer speed difference for most customers. Factors like signal strength and coverage mitigate any advertised speeds. African 3G users aren’t about to experience anything higher than even 10Mbps. But, since 21 Mbps speeds are technically possible, they are allowed to be used for advertising purposes.

Often, 3.75G is the first form of 3G service available in a country. Accordingly, the mobile operator skips mention of just “3G” and goes straight to using “3.75G” due to the potential marketing benefits.

In Nigeria, Etisalat was quick to describe the move to 3.75G as a major innovation. They also claimed it was the fastest 3G network in Nigeria. However, reading on, it becomes apparent that the move was mainly impressive since it replaced a 2.5G network with true 3G. It just so happened that the 3G platform was of the 3.75G release.

However, when 3.75G arrived in Congo-Brazzaville in October 2011, Airtel used plain 3G terminology in their news release announcing the arrival of 3G service in the country. There was no mention of 3.75G. Similarly, there is no mention of 3.75G in Airtel’s video spot promoting 3G service beginning in January 2012 (although Airtel’s social media never fails to mention 3.75G).

Mobile competition has increased remarkably in Africa since that time, and 3G operators (mostly Airtel) have begun to increase their efforts to secure customers.

However, customers should be focused on how the latest mobile technologies can ease the strains of life rather than exact technical specs. Bragging rights can be enjoyable, but what matters is not the benchmarks “3.75G” and “14Mbps” or whether 3.75G is really considered HSPA+. Important instead are that 3G is available and that costs are becoming more reasonable. What matters is that 3.75G (or 3.9G) enhances mobile health efforts and provides new educational opportunities.

A rough comparison of recent 3GPP releases and basic features. {Sayy 365}

On our mind this January 31st, 2012 are a range of themes:

• Liberian President Johnson Sirleaf is wise to tout the educational opportunities enabled by the ACE undersea cable, but the question remains of how many students will be able to download a PowerPoint by the end of the year (she doesn’t specify a timeframe).
• In Malawi, a growing share of youth are flocking to mobile phones instead of Internet cafes. Some business owners claim that perhaps 80% of youth now use Internet cafes – down from 100% last year. On one hand, cafes offer a personal experience and in many cases, allow for one-on-one skills training. However, in the long-run, mobile access is cheaper than than cafe access and can be used at any time of the day. Cyber cafes will certainly co-exist with mobile access, however.
• Regarding Mauritania’s February 25th (2011) movement: we forget how few people really have Internet access. The Facebook group has 670 fans, the Twitter account 165 followers. We find it impressive that this core group has created such a lasting impact.
• We worry about Konza City’s delay. The concept looks great on paper, but the total cost is enormous – Sh1.2 trillion (US $14 billion) – even if the city is expected to generation roughly US $1 billion per year to Kenya’s GDP once finished. Still, optimism is paramount to large-scale innovation and we look forward to the day it comes to fruition.
• South Africa’s Corruption Watch is a great idea. The site will undoubtedly unveil more corruption than can be dealt with a on a case-by-case basis. Still, its mere presence can hopefully encourage transparency and accountability.
• Who are the 6% of Tanzanians who doubt ICT can play a big role in improving the economy?
• Nigerians continue to embrace the social network Eskimi. The number of Nigerian members has grown from 1.2 million in July 2011 to 2.2 million in January 2012. We all could learn something from the simplicity of the platform.
• Orange’s commitment to provide free Wikipedia access in its African markets is great, but will there be local content available? Will Wolof speakers in Senegal, for example, care about 1,000 or so odd pages of content written in their language? At least Orange is making the effort to provide such a service.
• The big data story last week was Portland Communication’s How Africa Tweets infographic. Many felt the data, consisting of geo-tagged Tweets from 20 nations, lacked context. We side with the researchers that 1) data is hard to come-by and all nations can’t be represented 2) Tweets per capita can be easily calculated by applying population figures by those who are interested 3) infographics can easily become cluttered if too many data points are included.
• Kudos to Algerian authorities for capturing three terrorists who viewed jihadist websites at Internet cafes while using false names. By law, Internet cafes are required to collect names and ID numbers of their customers and report this information together with any suspicious activities to the police. We’re glad to see the system succeeding.
• On the note of terrorism, Boko Haram’s recent internet video message signifies that the group not only uses the Internet, but has faith in interested users to find the information. We’d all be better off spending our time developing the next m-health app than reading terrorist propaganda, but the reality is that thousands of impressionable youth are within reach thanks to the Internet.

Finally, PC Tech blogger Aiden Kitayimbwa is spot-on to compare Ugandan 3G operators to elephants. He uses at least two analogies to describe the effects of 3G competition. (“As the big elephants tussle it out to decide who is greater than the other, the smaller animals watch on in despair as the grass they would have eaten is seized by the elephants.”)

• The cell’s three members frequented internet cafes and viewed jihadist websites using phony names:
  Algeria squashes Al Qaeda plan to attack U.S ships {NY Daily News}

Burkina Faso

• The network covers the capital Ouagadougou with speeds of up to 2Mbps:
  Telecel Burkina Faso to upgrade WiFi {BizTech Africa}

DRC

• There is still no 3G in the country, despite four major mobile operators. Internet penetration is estimated at 1%; mobile is near 24%:
  International fibre connectivity to boost broadband market in DRC {BuddeBlog}

Egypt

• #january25 One Year Later: Social Media & Politics 3.0 {Huff Post}
• To remember the one year anniversary of the Egyptian Internet shut-down:
  Egyptian activists call for a one-day boycott of Vodafone, Mobinil and Etisalat {TNW}

Equatorial Guinea

• GECOMSA is a joint venture between the government of Equatorial Guinea, which has a 51 percent stake, and China 49 percent:
  Equatorial Guinea Launches New Telecommunications Company {TMCnet}

Ghana

• TVGH, a free and independent channel will soon begin operation – online:
  Ghana’s First Online TV {Modern Ghana}

Kenya

• The project is facing challenges with investors and the government. After all, Sh1.2 trillion, the estimated cost to create the city, is a huge sum of money:
  Ground-breaking of Konza City delayed {The Star}
• Social media is increasing online sales for savvy business owners. Search Engine Optimisation Consulting Kenya is one company that helps promote an online presence:
  Social Media Boosts Sales for Small Businesses {Business Daily via allAfrica}
• The mobile community that entertains and educates young people on topics of love, sexual health, gender and relationships affecting the youth, has launched in Kenya. The portal has been in Tanzania since December 2011:
  YoungAfricaLive now live in Kenya {BizCommunity}
• Very few African publishers utilize Amazon’s Kindle format:
  Publishers Lag in Shift to Electronic Books {Business Daily via allAfrica}

Liberia

• President Johnson Sirleaf assured Liberians that the ACE cable will enhance educational opportunities:
  Prosperity in Sight – Citizens Told {The New Dawn via allAfrica}

Malawi

• The Sunday Times newspaper said its research, mainly in the city of Blantyre, found that advancements in mobile phone technologies have negatively affected customer volumes at internet cafes:
  Mobile phones edge out internet cafes {BizTech Africa}

Mauritania

• A summary of last year’s February 25th protests, with visuals and links to its website and social media pages:
  Mauritania’s overlooked uprising {Al-Jazeera}

Morocco

• Driven by an 90 percent uptake in 3G internet services, overall internet users increased by 70 percent to 3.2 million, for a 10 percent penetration rate. Mobile internet accounted for 81 percent of all internet users at the end of last year:
  Moroccan mobile users up 14.29% in 2011 – study {TelecomPaper}

Nigeria

• TechLoy developed the list of Nigeria’s Most Influential Internet Companies of 2011 based on the companies we felt have devised the best strategies in disrupting their respective industries:
  Nigeria’s Fastest Growing Internet Companies of 2011 {TechLoy}
• The terrorist group is using the Internet to release videos:
  Boko Haram ‘leader’ issues new threats in internet message {Times Live}
• Nigeria records 40,000 Internet domain name uptakes, NIRA says {Technology Times}

Sierra Leone

• Sierra Leone becomes the first country in Africa to launch a transparency web portal to ensure a more open and accountable Government {Newstime Africa}

South Africa

• Certain schools will soon require students to have a R5,000 iPad 2. Some fear the private schools are only widening the digital divide (both within the school and versus public schools):
  Posh SA schools insist on iPad {news24}
• Corruption Watch will use the Internet and social networking media to encourage citizens to get involved:
  S. Africa’s New Media Effort Targets Corruption {Voice of America}
• Spectrum is still not available. Neither are many LTE devices:
  SA to wait for LTE networks {news24}
• A recent survey finds that 23% of corporate employees that work in office settings in South Africa telecommute:
  One-sixth of the world’s employees now telecommute: survey {SmartPlanet}
• Industry players suggest a pending crisis, but the government says only new equipment is needed to prevent IPv6 transition issues:
  IPv6 a ‘simple transition’ {ITWeb}
• The South African government, using varying standards, has promised broadband for the past five years. Is this the year of better broadband?
  2012 – the year of true broadband? {MyBroadband}
• Universities and public research organizations will be linked with 10Gbps connections:
  R886 million invested in broadband for universities {IT News Africa}

Tanzania

• 3G speeds at the Airtel headquarters in Dar es Salaam registered 1.84 Mbps down/0.29 Mbps up earlier in the week:
  Mobile Internet in Tanzania {Team Kilimanjaro}
• According to a poll by the Ministry of Communication, Science and Technology, 93% of those polled believe that ICT can play a big part in improving the economy of Tanzania:
  Tanzanians feel ICT is ‘vital’ {BizTech Africa}

Uganda

• 3G access has become more affordable for Ugandans now that two telecom operators offer the service, and a third is on the way:
  3G Revolution: Blowing Winds of Change in Africa {PC Tech}
• Dedication, perseverence, and word-of-mouth reviews can go a long way in determining an online business’s success:
  Growing an internet business {Daily Monitor}

Zambia

• The power company is deploying fibre-optic cables alongside its power transmission network in an attempt to kill two birds with one stone:
  Zesco to boost Zambia’s broadband {ITWeb}
• Barclays Zambia launches internet banking {Zambia Daily Mail}

Zimbabwe

• The event encouraged opportunities for collaboration and promoted a healthy ICT start-up ecosystem in Zimbabwe:
  Jumpstart, an ICT Life Saver {The Herald via allAfrica}

General

• The March 2012 summit will address rural broadband connectivity. Topics include efficient ICT policies and the potential for copper networks in rural areas:
  Rural broadband summit at Broadband MEA tackles digital divide {Satellite-Evolution}
• 10% of one Kenya-based hotel company’s reservations are now booked via mobile device. The company implemented a mobile site in 2010 and began accepting M-Pesa last year:
  Hotels see benefits in Africa’s mobile trend {HotelNewsNow}
• CNN highlights some of the best innovations Herman Chinery-Hesse and his teams have created over the years:
  Africa’s ‘father of technology’ on sparking a tech revolution {CNN African Voices}
• Microsoft to bridge digital divide through African school partnerships in six nations:
  Microsoft to bridge digital divide through African school partnership {IT News Africa}
• Eskimi, a Lithuanian-based social network, is popular in Nigeria, where the company counts around 2.2 million users. There is also a growing user-base in Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, where there are over 250,000 users each:
  Eskimi Hits 5 Million Users, Sees Solid Growth In Africa {ArcticStartup}
• Orange customers with 2G or 3G capability will no longer incur data charges to access Wikipedia. Of course, some languages lack content, and many new users lack the technology needed to remotely edit articles:
  Orange to provide Wikipedia free in Middle East and Africa {The Guardian}
• This Week in Internet Censorship: Ethiopian Blogger Sentenced, Tunisians and Polish Keep Up Fight for Free Expression {EFF}
• ITU launches Girls in ICT web portal {ITU via BizTech Africa}
• Young people Tweeting from mobile devices are driving the growth of Twitter in Africa, according to How Africa Tweets, a survey of the top 20 nations with geotagged users:
  New research reveals how Africa Tweets {Portland Communications}
• Mobile Devices Address Tech. Equity in Africa {Education Week}
• Six experts weigh-in on their predictions for cloud computing in Africa:
  WIOCC’s ‘Connected’ international newsletter, Issue #4 {WIOCC}
• Coders4Africa: building ICT capacity for agricultural solutions in Africa {e-agriculture}
• The beginning of Africa’s long, slow transition away from SMS – new browser kids on the block making mobile Internet access easier {Balancing Act}

As stated earlier this week, we don’t find the ratio of Facebook to Internet users to be accurate based on what data is available from the ITU. However, the number of Facebook users appears more accurate (but not without its flaws). After all, Facebook’s profile information is essentially a survey in itself. When prompted upon signup, most users provide a country of residence. Of course, addresses aren’t validated so there is no way of knowing exactly who lives where. For example, many Diasporans list their birth nation in their account – herein lies the cloudiness of the Facebook data. Still, empirical evidence suggests most users are honest when listing their geographic location, but there are probably more Facebook users than the data suggests.

Overall:

Facebook adoption in Africa, although rapidly increasing within most nations at the moment, is starting to slow in more developmentally-advanced countries. Even if Facebook user growth rates settle at 25% annually, it could be ten years until Kenya boasts 30% of the population on Facebook. In 17 months, Kenya’s Facebook user rate has gone from 2% to 3%. South Africa’s is near 10% after increasing from 7%. This growth rate of 50% over 17 months for Kenya and South Africa – which we deem “mature” – suggests the challenges large nations face providing affordable Internet and connecting rural areas. Plus, even when Internet access is available, not everyone wants to use Facebook.

Also, relatively high Facebook adoption rates in North Africa and South Africa skew the mean. The median more accurate describes the share of Africa on Facebook.

• 37+ million Facebook users as of December 2011
• 165% median Facebook user growth since July 2010 (114% mean)
• 2.4% median Facebook penetration rate (3.6% mean)
• 36 nations have fewer than 1-in-20 people on Facebook
• 12 nations have fewer than 1-in-100 people on Facebook

Note: No data exists for Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, South Sudan, Sudan, Western Saharan, and Zimbabwe. Reunion and Djibouti lacked data in 2010.

Largest number of Facebook users:

No surprises here – a large population almost always means a large number of Facebook users. Ethiopia is the key exception (as a result of limited online freedom of speech, among other factors).

1. Egypt (9.4mm)
2. South Africa (4.8mm)
3. Nigeria (4.4mm)

The three nations with fewest users are the island nations of Sao Tome and Principe, Mayotte, and Comoros – all with small populations.

Highest Facebook user rates:

Tunisia ranks high in terms of Internet penetration, so it’s no surprise the nation tops the Facebook penetration rate list. Plus, the uprising in 2010-11 attracted hundreds of thousands of new Facebook users. Small island nations inherently have high Facebook adoption rates due to higher population densities (ie. less need to heavily invest to reach remote/rural areas).

1. Tunisia (26%)
2. Reunion (25%)
3. Mauritius (23%)
4. Seychelles (22%)
5. Cape Verde (15%)

Lowest Facebook user rates:

The nations with the lowest Facebook user rates are typically the same that have the lowest Internet penetration rates on the continent. After all, Facebook requires the Internet to function. Growth rates for these nations are strong, however.

1. Niger (0.3%)
2. Burundi (0.3%)
3. Eritrea (0.3%)
4. Chad (0.4%)
5. Guinea (0.4%)

Highest growth:

Many nations in this group have gone from a couple thousand Facebook users to a few tens of thousands in the past 17 months. Still, despite such high growth, these nations still have relatively few Facebook users – none has more than 2.7% of the population using Facebook. Facebook hardly existed in these nations before 2010, but now has a modest presence, at least per African nations. Interesting is now neighbors Central African Republic and Chad top the list.

1. Central African Republic (4,000%)
2. Chad (2,400%)
3. Somalia (2,100%)
4. Equatorial Guinea (1,800%)
5. Dem. Rep. of Congo (1,400%)

Lowest growth:

Nations with low Facebook user growth can be considered mature in terms of Facebook usage. In other words, these nations had decent infrastructure in 2010 that allowed a large share of those who wanted to use Facebook to do so immediately.

1. Mauritius (34%)
2. Mayotte (40%)
3. Kenya (50%)
4. Seychelles (50%)
5. South Africa (51%)

Movers and shakers:

Compared with other African nations (to add perspective), how did a nation’s Facebook user rate grow over the 17 month period?

1. Equatorial Guinea moved from #40 to #22 (-18)
2. Central African Republic from #41 to #24 (-17)
3. Namibia from #21 to #12 (-9)
4. DRC from #42 to #33 (-9)
5. Congo from #35 to #28 (-7)

Slowest growers:

Although all nations showed positive growth in numbers of Facebook users, some nations’ Facebook user rates fell in comparison to others.

1. Uganda went from #23 to #36 (+13)
2. Togo from #26 to #34 (+8)
3. Lesotho from #22 to #30 (+8)
4. Rwanda from #27 to #35 (+8)
5. Malawi from #34 to #42 (+8)

Data:

As most are aware, there is no surefire way to quantify the number of Internet users in countries where household Internet access is low. The reason being multiple users per subscription or access point (often a café with dozens of users). The same challenge goes toward counting mobile subscriptions, since many mobile owners rely on multiple carriers. The ITU puts some effort into estimating the number of Internet users, but the organization’s data lags by two years. Still, it has become standard fare in reports, whitepapers, benchmarks, and infographics. The ITU realizes the best method for data collection is the old-fashioned questionnaire, but what happens when that method is rejected at the local level? Thus is the other challenge we face with finding “good” data.

On top of timeliness, there is no true apples to apples method for comparing Internet penetration rates across nations. Issues arise with how the ITU stats are sourced. The ITU relies upon government websites and operators’ annual reports for nations that do not respond to the annual questionnaire. It’s not reasonable to assume all operators collect data using the same means.

So, is any data better than no data?

Internet World Stats routinely publishes updated Facebook user data at a country level. This data is some of the best available – it’s direct from Facebook itself and can be determined in realt-time. Of course, the set is limited to users who report a location, and at that, their actual location. Still, one would imagine that the Facebook user data under-reports the number of real Facebook users in a given nation since many users do not provide more than just a name and photo. However, we find the opposite if we are to merge current Facebook and ITU data.

In October 2010, we observed the discrepancy, noting how “Botswana and Sierra Leone have surprisingly high Facebook usage rates that are in the vicinity of South Africa’s 60%.” Over one year later, Botswana and Sierra Leone have Facebook usage rates of over 120% – meaning that there are more Facebook users than Internet users. This is logically impossible. In fact, if we are to hold the IWS data at face value, Botswana, Central African Republic, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Libya, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Sierra Leone all have more Facebook users than ITU data suggests. The ITU should at least update a subset of data to reflect third-party sources such as Facebook. Even if it means sacrificing traditional methodology, another set of data could be updated throughout the year with the caveat that it is sourced using mathematically risky methods.

National Regulator vs. ITU

Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) recently cited an 11% Internet penetration rate, with 5 million Internet users in the country. At the same time, the ITU quotes fewer than 700,000 Internet users in Tanzania as of June 2010. Even in booming East Africa, Internet adoption rates haven’t hit 700% in the past year-and-a-half as suggested here. Either the ITU’s questionnaire in 2010 produced extremely conservative findings or Tanzania’s regulator needs to re-evaluate its subscriber data. The ITU must have conferred with TCRA when they last gathered data, but the discrepancy suggests otherwise.

ITU Internet numbers are rightfully authoritative and grab the attention of the public, but they should be used with care. Instead, consider citing local data when possible. It’s more targeted, more pertinent, and usually more interesting. Regional habits vary and may not be applicable for the nation at-large. What’s true for Nairobi is not true for Mombasa, let alone rural Kenya. National data would most likely combine all of the data into one bucket, thus hiding subtle trends.

On the bright-side, regional surveys and national regulators often provide relatively accurate data (be sure to read their methodologies first). And it’s more granular than simply the number of Internet users. And it’s current. Unfortunately, such data is difficult to find since the resources needed to conduct a survey are scare. For now, rough estimates will suffice for creating policy, attracting investment, and charting growth, but the time will come when precise data is necessary. After all, stakeholders with the most accurate pulse on ICT growth will have a leg up on the competition.

• Flat6Labs graduates five Egyptian technology startups {The Daily News Egypt}
• Egyptian cyber activist and former Google executive Wael Ghonim talks to Steve Inskeep about his new book Revolution 2.0, which chronicles his role, and that of social media, in toppling the regime of Hosni Mubarak:
  Social Media Advances ‘Revolution’ In Egypt {NPR}

Gabon

• Internet costs in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon have not decreased despite investment in other areas of society:
  We’re finally ready, Nations Cup say Guinea and Gabon {Vanguard}

Ghana

• On the potential of the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology in Accra to produce successful startups:
  Ghana: Future Hub of Internet Startups {Internet Evolution}
• The National Communications Authority (NCA) of Ghana has completed a project agreement with the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) to assist with the development of its 5-year Strategic Plan:
  Ghana’s NCA Completes Strategic Plan {GBI Portal}
• Airtel upgrades 3.5G service to 3.75G {The Chronicle}

Kenya

• Dozens of Kindles have been distributed to schools in the Rift Valley:
  Longhorn launches project to supply learners with e-readers {Business Daily}
• Many fifty and sixty year-olds are communicating with their children using Facebook:
  Social Media Craze Bites the Elderly in Kenya {Daily Nation via allAfrica.com}
• World Bank lauds Kenya ICT, telecom sectors {IT News Africa}

Mali

• Boukary Konate is currently cruising up the Niger river aboard a traditional Malian barge, docking every day in a new village to train school children and villagers to use the Internet:
  Segou Villages: Cruising the River Niger for Internet Literacy {RisingVoices}

Mauritius

• A broadband policy that aims to provide all housholds with 100 Mbit/s connections by 2020 has been approved by the Council of Ministers:
  Broadband policy 2012-2020 {Grand Baie}

Morocco

• The telecommunications sector in Morocco is one of the most competitive markets in Africa and is one of the most advanced in terms of innovation:
  Telecoms: le Maroc, pionnier africain {Le Soir}

Mozambique

• 40 Million Dollars to Computerise Civil Registration {AIM via alAfrica.com}

Nigeria

• Cost of Internet Access in Nigeria January 2012 {Nigeria Technology Guide}
• Opinion:
  Has traditional media in Nigeria lost steam to social media? {The Nation}

Rwanda

• Social media is bringing Rwandans together. The President, Ministers, and police all use the medium:
  Why Locals Love Twitter, Facebook {The New Times via allAfrica.com}

South Africa

• Woza Online, which Google launched with help from South African government researchers and cash from mobile phone company Vodacom, offers free domain names with South Africa’s co.za tag for the first 10,000 applicants:
  Google makes websites easy for small S.African businesses, hopes to get 10,000 wired in year {}
• SA has a shortage of skilled workers in ICT {IT News Africa}
• 8+ ways social media is influencing the ANC {memeburn}
• The Western Cape provincial government and the City of Cape Town have now set themselves targets to have citizens in every town and village in the province get access to affordable broadband infrastructure by 2030:
  Affordable broadband on cards for rural SA {IOL}

Tunisia

• Barriers between stakeholders and constraints for economic development are giving way to converging media and convergent regulators:
  Reshaping Tunisian Internet Model {TEDxENSI via SlideShare}

Uganda

• Internet access has boomed, especially among the country’s growing middle class:
  Online Africa: how Internet is changing Ugandan business {The New Age}

Zambia

• The Zambian government is excited for Airtel’s “3.75G” services:
  State cites 3G as driver of ICT {Zambia Daily Mail}
• Zamtel’s broadband subscriber base has grown from 100 or so subscribers at the beginning of the year to over 4,000:
  Zamtel’s mobile subscriber growth hits 1 million customers {Lusaka Times}
• 6.7% of Zambians have Internet access:
  Few people access internet {ZNBC via Zambia Online}

Zimbabwe

• ZWRCN is an information-based organisation committed to gender equality and equity. It is currently providing free basic computer skills training to women across all age groups:
  ICTs – Opportunity for Women Empowerment {The Herald via allAfrica.com}
• Reasons how limited adoption has constrained the impact of ICTs in Sub-Saharan Africa:
  Africa ICT uptake still low {The Southern Times}

Global

• Mobile money, IT education, and the cloud:
  Three Tech Trends Shaping a Bright Global Future {Huff Post}
• Broadband costs over 1,000% of average monthly income in 4 sub-Saharan African nations:
  ITU StatShot – Issue 8: January 2012 – Who can afford broadband? {ITU via YouTube}

General Africa

• Which African country is best to do a tech startup? A Decision Framework {Afrinnovator}
• Growth of Internet use in Africa has superseded global average in the last decade reaching 2,000 percent compared to the global’s 480 percent:
  Africa internet use hits 2,000 per cent growth {The Citizen}

Recently, the Global Impact Study, a five-year study researching how libraries, telecentres, and cybercafes make a difference, released its first working paper. The study, spearheaded by the Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA) at the University of Washington Information School surveyed “public venue ICT users” from Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, and the Philippines on how they use information communication technology. One-thousand users per country were interviewed at approximately 250 public access locations scattered across a diverse geographical area.

Highlights of the working paper as they relate to Ghanaian public Internet users are noted below:

Age:

• 66% of users were under the age of 25
• 35% of users were between 20 and 24 years of age
• Only 1% of users were age 50+

Gender:

• 25% of users were female (75% male)
• 33% of female users were between 12 and 15 years of age

Education:

• The majority (82%) of users had at least a secondary level of education
• 51% of users were currently students
• 32% of users were currently employed

Income:

• 52% of users reported a family income of less than 100 cedis
• 27% of users reported a family income of greater than 300 cedies

Access:

• 26% of users have Internet access at home
• 97% of users have mobile phone access
• 47% of users use a public venue because there is “no other option for internet access”
• 6% of users use the public venue to get help from other users or staff

Distance:

• 62% of public access venues were within 1km from the user’s residence
• 6% of users traveled farther than 5km to reach the venue
• 78% of users first used the internet at a public access venue

Frequency:

• 41% of users use the venue nearly every day
• 88% of users use the venue at least once a week
• 49% of users have used a computer for over 5 years
• Only 8% of users are new to using a computer in the past year

Misc:

• Only 1% of users reported having a disability

Source: Sciadas, G., with Lyons, H., Rothschild, C., & Sey, A. (2012). Public access to ICTs: Sculpting the profile of users. Seattle: Technology & Social Change Group, University of Washington Information School.