Why Internet is crucial for African development?

When international community, the United Nations in particular, are debating on the issue of development encompassing various sectors which can bolster the economy. Indeed, the Internet has become such a sphere which will lead entire economies of African nations towards prosperity. While it is obvious that the lack of electricity is a great obstacle for the IT revolution, yet the Internet can dramatically accelerate the pace of development for a number of reasons.

First of all, the more internet companies are striving to enter African market, the more investments they are making in energetic sector of regional economies. This will obviously bring numerous benefits, which are the following:

1. More investments in African energy will provide so much needed electricity for urban and rural communities;

2. If peoples’ houses are electrified, they will be able to conserve their food for longer and will be able to enjoy the benefits of new technologies, especially the Internet;

3. When electrification projects commence, thousands of jobs will be created, thus the unemployment rates will plummet;

4. Electrification of African will make a great contribution to the development of renewable energy, namely solar and wind energy;

5. When people will be given a chance to use the Internet, it will give them enormous opportunities to improve their farming, to educate themselves or be enrolled on educational programs everywhere in the world;

6. If Africa is connected, individuals will be able to communicate with people from every country of the world (except for North Korea) and share their ideas and experience;

7. Giving access to the internet will significantly contribute to international efforts in making governments transparent and accountable for their actions;

8. If politicians become honest with their constituents, more international aid will see its final recipient;

9. If international assistance is received, the number of socioeconomic crises will be averted;

Secondly, the African “fourth industrial revolution” will open up millions of people with incredible as well as creative ideas to improve the lives of their neighbors. Technologies, which are being brought by the development of the global network, are literally making complexity free and grant incredible powers to individuals. This means that thanks to the Internet people are able to create, give birth to technologies, which revolutionize ways we live, and can be easily heard.

Last, but not the least, the Internet can and actually will enhance the democratization of African societies as the global network creates an arena where millions of ideas can be shared and spread, thus granting the freedom of speech to nations, which are in desperate need for freedom in their society, which will subsequently.

That is why the issue of internet access should be taken seriously. It is obvious that Africa needs a revolutionary change, as gradual development will take years for African nations to catch up with the progress, which has been made by developed countries. In addition to this, today we are living in so-called “Age of Accelerations” which literally means that everything in our lives is exponentially speeding up. The only African nations can catch up with it is through embracing the web, as only this network will create a real-time economy on the continent. Real-time economy is the only way how business, society and governments will respond to rapid changes the world is facing, thus making everyone resilient and unafraid of change.

Of course, it sounds idealistic, and we do well understand that this challenge might be insurmountable for the United Nations. 35th President of the United States John F. Kennedy once called himself “an idealist without illusions” and we want you to become one. Only your courage to believe that the Internet can bring enormous benefits to every African, as well as every other citizen of the world can transform the spark of hope into the star of prosperity, which will light up our civilization for years to come.

Proposed Solutions

Mark Zuckerberg’s Free Basics Initiative for free internet in Africa

The founder of Facebook sees the free access to the Internet as a basic human right. That is why he launched a program called Free Basics Initiative to provide access to global network free of charge in African continent. As only about 20 per cent of African citizens have access to the internet, Zuckerberg’s focus on the continent is clearly understood. While numerous commentators claim that it is marketing ploy to increase the global reach of his own business, albeit Facebook founder is an idealist who desperately strives to get people connected.

His project is not only targeted to make certain websites free for everyone in Africa, but also to provide internet connection to distant and isolated settlements of the continent. Currently, Facebook provides Internet through two main channels which are satellites⁹ and fiber cables¹⁰.

Currently, Facebook managed to provide its services to 19 African nations¹¹, but the work is very far from being done. That is why it is very important for both Facebook and the United Nations to bolster bilateral cooperation as both share the same interest of guaranteeing connectivity for every citizen of the world.

The United Nations can provide its field volunteers to facilitate Facebook Inc. and Mark Zuckerberg in particular in Free Basics Initiatives. UN employees can be responsible for the following:

1. Construction of infrastructure needed for the internet to be accessed, such as fiber cables, routers and satellite receivers;

10. Negotiating with African national, regional and local officials to provide internet access for free or at a lowered price;

11. Monitoring the progress being made;

That is why it is worth considering joining forces with social media giant and its founder, so that together Internet for All in Africa can become a reality.