Governments like grand projects, but it's no wonder their telecommunications policies are failures, as getting connected is in reality a grass-roots issue.
Mo Ibrahim, the outspoken non-executive chairman of Africa's largest cellular operator Celtel, made several comments at the World Economic Forum on Africa conference last week that rang true for the continent. He noted that governments are inclined to debate policy rather than implement it.
During a joint press conference with the International Finance Corporation (a branch of the World Bank), Ibrahim said: "African governments have a tendency to want to inconvenience their populations."
His second comment was a day later, towards the end of the debate on connecting Africa, when he said: "All the issues these government representatives are debating here, have already been solved on the ground."
Ibrahim's first comment was spurred by a question from a representative of a non-governmental organisation about what Celtel and African governments were doing to improve connectivity for the rural poor. His second comment was due to the roundabout nature of the debate itself.
In search of a plan
Governments and large corporations like large, grand design projects that are masterpieces of co-ordination, planning and execution.
Paul Vecchiatto, Cape Town correspondent
The debate on connecting Africa featured Alec Erwin, SA's public enterprises minister; Dr Hamadoun Tour'e, secretary-general of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU); John Davies, Intel's VP for its World Ahead Programme; Mugo Kibati, group CEO of East African Cables; Stephen Browne, deputy executive director of the International Trade Centre; and Cheikh Mbaye, CEO of the Senegalese telecommunications operator.
Jay Naidoo former South African communications minister; David Lewis, chairman of the Competition Tribunal; and other fairly high-level industry and governmental representatives were in the audience.
The debate kicked-off by asking if Africa needed a Marshall Plan (the economic plan used to revive Europe after the Second World War) to get it connected.
Broadly speaking, there were three responses. Firstly, as articulated by Erwin, Africa needed a coordinated approach to infrastructure and particularly telecommunications development because it did not have the financial muscle to compete with the rest of the world that is also rapidly rolling out such connectivity. He noted "market forces" were unable to meet the requirements, so a gigantic leap was needed.
Then Tour'e called for a cost-savings type approach that legislated companies must be encouraged, if not forced, to share facilities and other infrastructure to lessen the cost of connectivity.
Finally, the Kenyan Kibati was for all out competition at all levels, saying this would bring costs down and accelerate development.
Admission of guilt
Naidoo, who was recently appointed a director on the ITU's advisory board, made the extraordinary admission that SA had experienced a telecommunications policy failure. He elaborated this point to the media later last week, saying he regretted allowing Telkom to enjoy a five-year monopoly status.
Ibrahim, when he spoke from the floor, pointed out that African countries were losing millions of dollars through interconnecting through Europe rather than directly with each other. He noted it took Celtel the better part of a year of negotiations to get its "One Africa" network working, and allowing free roaming and uniform charges for clients in at least six states.
The point of this debate is not that Africa is behind the technology curve, but rather the policy-and decision-makers are behind on the type of debate they are having.
Grand design, grand failure
Governments and large corporations like large, grand design projects that are masterpieces of co-ordination, planning and execution. However, the reality is that few of these projects really get off the ground, and if they do, they are often not sustainable. The classic example is the East African Submarine Cable System that so far consists of seven years of discussion with little, if any, real progress.
They should rather focus on sustainable projects at the local level, such as the City of Cape Town's plan to roll-out a fibre optic cable that will ensure connection throughout the city. Johannesburg and Durban have similar plans, and once these three city networks are operational, then the demand for domestic and international connection will grow.
A policy is needed that encourages a bottom-up approach, rather than a top-down decision-making process that is often mired with conflicting laws and regulations that get no one nowhere very quickly.
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