The research, carried out by Standard Bank Group, states that by the end of 2010, there were over 500 million mobile phone subscribers in Africa, and this is forecast to rise to nearly 800 million by 2015. However, growth rates over the five years from 2010 to 2015 are expected to be far less than those of the first decade of the 21st century when the subscriber base rose from 15 million in 2000 to 500 million ten years later.

Such statistics reveal the rate at which the African continent is rapidly embracing technology particularly in the telecoms sector. Indeed, Nigeria already has the 10th largest mobile phone market in the world (in terms of mobile phone users). The report also predicts some of the highest growth rates in the world in terms of mobile phone users for countries in East and Central Africa. Particularly high rates are expected to occur in countries such as Uganda, Egypt, Tanzania, Kenya and Ghana, and are expected to help drive economic growth in the region.

Internet usage in the continent is also forecaset to grow rapidly in the coming years. Between 2000 and 2011, internet usage increased in Africa by over 2000% compared to a global average of 480% and rates are expected to continue rising as internet pentration in the African continent increases.

As a result of many operators in the region now offering data services, SEACOM plans to meet the extra demand within the next 12-15 months, although the amount and type of finance used for the upgrade still needs to be decided. The upgrade will involve the installation of nine land based Internet access points, and the firm expects internet costs in the region to start decreasing quickly as telecommunication companies start to recoup their inital operating costs.

The agreement is in response to growing demand for mobile and data services in the country, and will cover 17 provinces and cities in Burundi. However, with recent statistics from the International Telecommunication Union showing only 2 internet users per 100 inhabitants in Burundi, it seems clear that there is still a long way to go before vast numbers of the population are using the internet, despite high demand for the service.

The network should help increase internet usage given the cost savings which should arise as a result of its implementation. The network should dramatically reduce broadband costs in the country, and will provide a foundation upon which future developments in Burundi’s telecommunications infrastructure can be made. The 1300km network will also link Burundi with other Eastern and Central African countries such as Tanzania, Rwanda and Congo, and will also connect Burundi with The East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy).

Burundi BBS is a joint venture between five local telecommunication operators, which receives funding from the World Bank. The network will provide all the operators with access to 3G technology.

However, other countries have received far greater investment such as South Africa and Nigeria who received $18.1bn and $12.7bn respectively over the same period. This might explain figures from the International Telecommunication Union which show that Ghana had lower numbers of internet users in 2010 at 8.5 per 100 inhabitants, than South Africa, 12.3 per 100, and Nigeria, 28.4 per 100.

There is also evidence to suggest that the majority of internet users in Ghana are based in urban areas and that rural areas might be left behind despite the high levels of investment. There is a lack of desire amongst telecoms operators in the country to establish internet connectivity in rural areas due to the high operating costs associated with such projects, however the government has taken several steps to rectify this situation.

Firstly, the government launched a $250m nationwide project to install 4000km of fibre optic cable across the country in efforts to boost connectivity, hopefully leading to subsequent economic development. In 2009, the government also signed $150m contract with a Chinese manufacturer to supply advanced telecoms infrastructure to the country. Such projects, coupled with forecasts of high growth rates in Ghana in the coming years, 16.3% for 2011 according to Standard Bank Research, suggest that despite low internet usage in recent years, it will not be long before these figures start to rapdily increase to levels similar to other highly connected countries in the region.

The cable, named the West Africa Cable System, was the first ever submarine cable to land on Namibian shores and is expected to revolutionise communication sevices for the Namibian population. The service will provide access to a high speed ICT infrastructure that will be cost-effective, and sustainable.

However, despite the potential benefits that the fibre optic cable will bring in terms of a faster, more reliable internet service, there is a danger that the rural areas of the country will be left behind. Joel Kapaanda, the minister for ICT in Namibia warned that this must not be allowed to happen. Speaking at the summit, he explained how it is a priority of the government to ensure that rural areas benefit from internet technologies. They have set up a Universal Service Fund to encourage investment in communication technologies in rural areas.

Furthermore, Telecom Namibia has also undertaken several steps to increase connectivity levels in rural areas. The company has recently started offering telecommunication services through wireless local loops in less populated areas of the country. However, in urban areas of the country, a greater focus is needed on increasing internet coverage in homes. Recent data from the Guardian indicates that 38% of Namibians live in urban areas and yet, according to the International Telecommuniation Union, only 7% of Namibians were internet users in 2010. Clearly, development is still needed in all areas of the country in order to increase internet coverage.

The eight goals were officially established following the Millennium Summit in 2000 and include ambitions to eradicate poverty, reduce child morality, and combat HIV/AIDS by 2015. All 193 member states of the UN agreed on the goals as well as many international organisations and yet, much still needs to be done if they are to be achieved by the target date.

The report shows that of the 17 targets which must be met to achieve the eight goals, only two have already been met or are expected to be met by 2015 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Significantly, one of these targets is to halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region. The other, to achieve equal girls’ enrolment in primary school. While the achievements made in these areas are admirable, it is clear that much work is still needed, particularly considering that one of the targets has seen no progress towards its achievement. The report shows that maternal morality is still very high despite aims to reduce this by three quarters. Work must be done to increase the number of trained health care workers in the region as their presence during delivery is crucial in reducing maternal deaths.

The remaining 14 targets have had insufficient progress made towards their achievement and the report notes that if prevailing trends persist, they will remain out of reach by 2015. One such target, which some consider crucial to development, to increase internet usage, remains far from being achieved and the report notes that internet usage is low in Sub-Saharan Africa mainly due to an insufficient commmunications infrastructure. Others such as reducing mortality amongst under-five-year-olds are also far from being achieved with high mortality levels still present.

Comparatively, progress in Northern Africa appears to have been made in many areas. 11 of the targets are expected to be met by 2015 or have already been met. Other regions such as Eastern Asia have also seen much progress towards achieving the goals. However, every region still requires work in order to meet the eight development goals and with just four years remaining until the deadline, a greater amount of time and effort is clearly needed.

The ship laying the cable arrived in Mombasa, Kenya on 30 August 2011 and signalled the completion for the cable-laying phase of the project. However, the cable will now need to be connected to a main submarine cable in international waters in order to be tested and expectations are that the cable will not go live until the first half of 2012.

The new cable provides a significant boost to Orange Kenya, a subsidiary of France Telecom after its recent launch of a high speed 3G network in the country. The cable should also help to cope with Kenya’s internet capacity requirements for the next few years.

Figures show that only 12.5% of Kenya has access to the internet, and less than 5% of Kenyans living in rural areas use the internet. This is despite an increase in the number of internet users in Kenya from 1.7m in 2007 to 10m in 2011.

However, the findings also suggest rapid developments in communication in urban areas. Mobile phone usage in areas such as Nairobi stands at 70%, far above the national average of 50%. Comparatively, 15% of Kenya is still without network coverage. Despite this, there is already talk of introducing 4G networks in Kenya and potentially, there is a danger that rural areas could be left behind.

In light of such statistics, several policies are being implemented to correct the imbalance. The Kenya ICT board recently approved 37 applications to set up digital villages in rural Kenya. There is also an anticipation that data providers will expand services in rural areas in the coming years, with some providers already targeting county governments.

The key point is that cost of broadband remains unaffordable and out of reach for most Africans meaning the mass market is not served.

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Broadband access makes a variety of e-services, including education, available and can make a significant difference to schools who struggle with limited resources.

A single teacher could lecture to many classrooms across the continent, via the web. This would mean thousands, possibly millions of students could benefit from learning from specialist teachers. Students can also access high quality educational resources and share ideas with other students or professors at schools around the world.

Plans are in motion to connect schools in some African countries, enabling students to:

- Access to information from around the world

- Be provided with up to date learning resources

- Connect with international opportunities

- Learn independently or from a unique curriculum

Education is the great equaliser in the world, and bringing it online can give students the opportunity to become global citizens and competitive, productive contributors in the local job market.