Connectivity

Webconferences, blogging, twitting, social networking, videos and photo sharing. In the last few years there has been a notable increase in the number of applications available via the Internet. We no longer live in a world where the Internet is a place to share purely textual content; it has become a new global operating system that can be used to: share, communicate, learn, socialise, network, watch (TV, videos, photos) listen (radio, music, conferences, tutorials, interviews) etc.

Both within and outside non-governmental organisations, there is great excitement about these new features available on the Internet.

What do I need to get connected to the Internet and how much will it cost?

To access all these new and exciting features, you need three things…

1) a device (mobile phone, computer or TV) to access the Internet
2) a fast Internet connection (at least 500 kb per second)
3) sufficient funds to pay a monthly fee for Internet access

In my organisation (in Swizterland), our Internet connection went from 33 kb per second in 1995 to 20,000 kb/s in 2009. While in 1995 we were paying approximately USD 1,200 per month for a 33 kb/s connection, in 2009 we are paying just USD 1,300 per year for a connection that is 600 times faster! (see table below)

In Togo, the average price for a 128 kb/s connection (156 times slower than that of the World Alliance) is USD 120 per month.

In Kenya, which has a reputation for having better connectivity, the average price for a 256 kb/s connection is USD 500 per month…4 times more expensive than ours for a connection that is 10 times slower!

So as you can see there is a huge disparity in terms of speed and cost, but also in terms of global connectivity as you can see below. This is the harsh reality! (see table below)

As you can see only 6 % per cent of people are connected in Africa, and 17% per cent in Asia.

How can we address this gap?

– Ensure that we always find alternative solutions for people with low connectivity or none at all e.g. by producing paper versions of documents, publications, communications. When conducting web-conferencing, we can provide the possibility for participation via a standard phone, not requiring any Internet connection.

– Encourage and support National and local associations to increase the speed of their connection (when such a connection is available). A good connection will save time and money, and should be seen as an investment rather than as a cost.

Internet users
North America	75%
Oceania/Australia	60%
Europe	49%
Latin America	30%
Middle East	23%
Asia	17%
Africa	6%

Internet Connection	1995 cost per month	Speed in 1995	2009 cost per month	Speed in 2009
World Alliance	1200 USD	33 Kps	100 US$	20’000 kb/s
Togo	not available	not available	140 US$	128 kb/s
Kenya	not available	not available	500 US$	256 kb/s