Many are raving about the impressive upswing in African cell phone usage and the positive effects this might have on the continent's development. But what next? For Africa to fully reap the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICT), investment in broadband Internet and other technology is also necessary.
What should donors and government do? Should the focus be on expanding low-cost and easily-adoptable technologies (such as mobile phones) in rural and urban areas? Should we focus on expanding more robust (and costly) ICT services, such as Broadband and fiber-optic cable? Who will provide the funding and drive increased adoption: the private sector, government, NGOs? How can the impact of these new technologies be maximized? What innovative applications of ICT might have the greatest potential? These are the tyes of questions being debated in our new online discussion. Join in with your questions and ideas, and receive feedback from three leading experts.
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