African Internet connectivity is looking healthy with all of the continent`s 54 countries having achieved some form of Internet access, according to independent Internet and telecoms consultant, Mike Jensen.
In a recent report on the state of African Internet connectivity, Jensen says "the Internet is now available in all 54 countries and territories, up from only four years ago when only a handful of countries had local access".
Jensen`s report also indicates that there are over 1.3 million dial-up Internet subscribers on the continent, up from around one million at the end of 2000. North Africa accounts for 280 000 of these users and SA for 750 000.
However, he points out: "Increasingly, dial-up connection is becoming a redundant measure of connectivity with the rapid increase in leased-lines on the continent." He says the growth in satellite and fibre optic technology is also increasing the bandwidth to the continent, currently standing at around 1.5Gb incoming, up from less than 1Gb last year.
Jensen reports that on average, each Internet and e-mail account on the continent supports between three and five users, "putting current estimates of the number of African users at somewhere around four million and about 1.5 million of those live outside of SA".
The figures indicate that there is about one Internet user for every 200 people on the continent, compared with a world average of about one user for every 15 people. In North America and Europe, the average is closer to one Internet user for every two people. Latin American figures are one in 30.
Jensen points out that despite the increase in connectivity on the continent, the number of Internet service providers (ISPs) has decreased over the past few years. "Currently there are around 650 ISPs on the continent. There has been a lot of consolidation in the ISP market.
"North Africa, Senegal and to some extent Tanzania are the main areas of current Internet growth on the continent."
Jensen has been regularly updating the report for the past 10 years based on consulting work that he does throughout the continent. "I have been advising ISPs around Africa since 1990," he says. Jensen derives much of his information from "operators in the field".
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