Africa Calling
By Victor W.A. Mbarika and Irene Mbarika
This is a great article for anyone interested in the African wireless revolution or digital divide issues. One of my most time consuming hobbies is reading about technology; especially technological development in Africa. So here’s one of my favourite articles, (also posted on my blog: http://www.afrorise.wordpress.com).
Mobile Subscriptions Skyrocket: Africa far outpaces the rest of the world in average annual growth of mobile phone subscriptions. According to the International Telecommunication Union, from 1999 through 2004 Africans signed up for cellphones at a far greater rate than Asians and nearly three times as fast as Americans. Most of that growth was in the sub-Saharan region [left]. Illustration: Bryan Christie Design (2)
Mobile vs. Fixed Lines in Africa: The most recent figures from the International Telecommunication Union show that between 1994 and 2004 the number of telephone subscribers per 100 inhabitants in Africa increased dramatically, thanks to a huge upsurge in cellphone usage starting in the late 1990s.
Source: International Telecommunication Union
afrorise 
May 8, 2007 at 2:24 pm
ooh i like your digital divide dispatches… i would really like to get your opinion on ‘leapfroging’ and how that relates to development. specifically the information revolution. as i understand it the internet and the vast amount of information on it give developing countries a new opportunitiy to reinvent themselves by using the “knowledge store” do you see this happening? on my recent travels i was pleasantly surprised by the amount of mobile phones and the numerous applications the people used them for.
do you think the mass adoption of technology stifles innovation at some level?
just some early afternoon ramblings. hope all is well.
– adam
April 7, 2011 at 3:51 pm
[…] having only Parliamentary or Local elections? Or perhaps this should cover 2011 and 2012? With the massive growth of mobile phones on the continent, and more landings of fibre-optic broadband cables, using this connectivity for good governance […]