The Internet forces shaping a more connected Africa

As Internet.org re-entered the spotlight with the news that Facebook was testing solar-powered drones to assist its mission, the development again raises the question: what could the world achieve if every community had Internet access?

Currently, there are still enormous gaps in connectivity across our planet that leave societies disenfranchised, at poverty’s mercy and unequipped to break down geographical and economic barriers.

It’s not just those communities that suffer as a result. The effects are far reaching, as Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook, said: “Two-thirds of people in the world don’t have access to the Internet. We are being robbed of those people’s ideas and creativity. When people are connected they can achieve amazing things.”

In September 2014, Facebook announced that it now has over 100 million active users in Africa, which accounts for around 50 per cent of all Africans connected to the Internet. The proportion represented by Ghana is not huge (figures from Internet World Statistics indicated that Ghana had 1,630,420 Facebook subscribers at the end of 2012) but it is growing.

By comparison, however, Facebook has a penetration rate in the US and Canada alone of 71 per cent, which represents 204 million users out of the 283.7 million connected to the Internet in that region.

Challenges This stark difference perhaps explains why the potential for growth in Africa has put many industry leaders firmly behind campaigns like Internet.org. Bringing together technology companies, telecoms providers and local communities to introduce the Internet to locations that currently lack access is an important mission.

Many in Africa have been born into challenging lives simply by the nature of their location and because of many other pressing issues facing African nations, telecommunications challenges often fall further down the agenda. However, access to free medical advice, online education, global communication and business resources should be a priority.

In Ghana, which was one of the first African countries to connect to the Internet and enjoys the third fastest download speed on the continent, the advantages of growing online usage are clear. This is why sustained and combined efforts, such as the Internet.org campaign, are necessary to make further progress in the region.

Large organisations have a responsibility to ensure the Internet continues to improve society, while global Internet providers, especially those in emerging economies, should focus on working with their governments to provide affordable Internet access to the population. Deloitte estimates that 160 million people could have a better quality of life if they had Internet access, and the global community itself would have the capability to tap into a previously restricted stream of innovation and creativity.

Overcoming the challenges In order to make progress in developing countries, there are still significant challenges to overcome, particularly from a technological, societal and investment perspective. One way to ensure fair distribution of the Internet is through knowledge and by gaining a clear understanding of the needs of the community. By gathering this intelligence, a workable strategy can be created and the Internet can be more fairly regulated.

It is imperative that the world works together to help the above outcome occur in Africa. The launch of Internet.org and its initial focus on Zambia is an indicator of what can be achieved. Many of the world’s largest organisations are becoming increasingly accepting of their corporate responsibility in leveraging their power to bring the benefits of the Internet to every nation, regardless of location or economic situation. Demonstrably, they are working in the best interests of the global community.

Intelligence and data are major drivers behind broadband advancement. Those responsible should attempt to identify which communities need access and which demographics are in need of assistance. Then they can bring together technology and telecoms providers, non-profit organisations, local communities and campaign experts in a global partnership to attempt to overcome any existing technical and financial limitations.

There are some common factors that unite communities without Internet access. According to recent research by McKinsey & Company, 4.4 billion people are without Internet access globally, and 3.4 billion live within only 20 countries. The offline population is disproportionately rural with low incomes, elderly, illiterate and female. Between 1.1 billion and 2.8 billion people are out of range of an existing mobile network; 920 million people offline are illiterate; and, in developing countries, women are 25 per cent less likely to be connected than men. None of these statistics should be that surprising. Ghana, for example, was held back for numerous years by poor fixed line networks and by the high cost of connectivity.

However, what the McKinsey report also introduces is an Internet Barriers Index, a detailed study based on the combination and severity of the issues facing 25 countries. The goal of the Index is to identify similarities and common challenges, which will assist government and industries to facilitate the development of solutions. This insight, when leveraged with campaigns like Internet.org, can highlight where investment needs to continue and what resources people really need.

A good example of this is the Ebola information made available to Internet.org users. Because of cultural traditions, people were previously apprehensive about seeking medical attention in the hardest-hit regions but for those with access to the Internet.org application, authoritative medical advice is now available, which would not be possible without a connection to the Internet.

Capitalise on the learnings elsewhere Connecting the population of our planet, particularly through mobile technologies, has all the hallmarks of a foundation for education, entrepreneurialism and financial growth.

Enabling rural communities in Africa to use telecoms for education and commercial purposes could make significant improvements to many of the region’s overpopulated but under-resourced cities. Bringing together healthcare information with communities can prevent the spread of new diseases.

Finally, the democratic process is assisted by the Internet as it gives the under-represented a voice and ensures political accountability and transparency.

Developing nations can capitalise on the learnings of global telecom regulators and other governments, while open-data collectives can ensure investment strategies are delivering sustainable results to those that require it most. Nations like Ghana should consider making broadband provision an important component of a government’s development plan and understand that the benefits will be balanced quickly by any initial outlay. All countries, even those in the developed world, are at different stages of broadband advancement, but the objectives are the same.

Campaigns like Internet.org help bring purpose and clarity to this process. They provide best practice so nations can develop investment strategies that harness the power of the Internet for the specific needs of their communities. That is Internet.org’s true role: ensuring the global community stays focused on improving people’s lives. The writer is the Chief Executive Officer of SamKnows, a consulting firm.