How mobile technology is bridging Africa digital divide

Airtel distributors have sued the telco, saying the revised figures are one-sided. PHOTO | FILE 

By SARA EL-KHALILI

Handicapped by economic constraints, millions of unprivileged people in the developing world continue to be deprived of sufficient access to communication technology, creating strata of information haves and haves-not that widens the digital divide and knowledge gap in today’s tech-centered world.

Mobile technology is playing a vital role in bridging this gap, easing access to the internet and communications in the developing world, and thus empowering citizens with information at the click of a button.

This week marks the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) – an annual event that raises awareness about the potential of the Internet and Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) while addressing means to bridge the digital divide.

The Information Society World Summit urged the UN General Assembly a decade ago to declare May 17 World Information Society Day.

Although a huge gap still exists between the developed and developing world with regards to access to digital technology and mobile penetration, Africa’s mobile unique subscriber base is expected to grow by 7 percent per year, reaching over half a billion or 49 percent of the population by 2020.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s unique mobile subscribers were estimated at 329 million by the end of June 2014, representing 38 percent of the region’s total population.

According to Internet World Stats, Africa represents almost 10 percent of the world internet usage at 26.5 per cent penetration rate while the rest of the world represents a little over 90 percent at 45.2 per cent penetration.

Africa’s internet penetration is also expected to reach 50 per cent by 2025 as smartphones hit a forecasted 360 million, increasing significantly from 16 per cent and 67 million in 2013.

With mobile penetration saturation in the developed world, Africa’s adoption of smart phones is expected to double that of the US, according to Mckinsey Consultants.

Unequal access to information coupled with a disproportionate distribution of income makes knowledge a scarce resource for individuals who can afford it, leading to what researchers coined, the “knowledge-gap.”

The hypothesis states that people of high socioeconomic status will acquire information faster than less privileged people, simply because they can afford technology and thus acquire knowledge at a much faster rate.

Several attempts by information technology activists have yielded positive results at bridging both the digital divide and the knowledge gap in the developing world. Initiatives include designing cheap laptops or tablets offered for school children in the Middle East and Africa region.