This space is hosted by afi_maame
Space Summary
The Twitter Space discussion focused on the government’s crucial role in regulating internet affordability and its direct impact on accessibility. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) encounter challenges stemming from government policies, such as the rising prices of internet services. Government decisions significantly influence the availability and pricing of internet services, emphasizing the need for collaboration between the government and ISPs to address these issues effectively and enhance internet accessibility for the wider population.
Questions
Q: What is the role of the government in regulating internet affordability?
A: The government has the power to regulate and ensure the affordability of internet services.
Q: What challenges do ISPs face due to government policies?
A: ISPs struggle with increasing prices and accessibility issues as a result of government decisions.
Q: How are internet prices affected by government involvement?
A: Government decisions influence the pricing and accessibility of internet services.
Key Takeaways
- Government plays a crucial role in regulating internet affordability.
- Internet Service Providers (ISPs) face challenges due to government policies.
- Discussion on the increasing prices of internet services.
- Government decisions have a direct impact on internet accessibility for the general population.
Behind the Mic
Good evening. Good morning. Good afternoon. Wherever you are, I hope you’re all doing well. It’s been a wonderful opportunity for me to moderate this space hosted by the West African School of Internet Governance. We are looking at how to address the digital divide in West Africa. It’s an important topic because if this is the age of digital economy, then obviously, the internet is a key determinant of success or otherwise failure in the coming decades. My name is Aziz, I am co-founder of Africa Digital Rights Hub. I led the launch of the West Africa School of Internet Governance in 2018 and have been a core member of the West Africa Internet Governance Forum since 2018. Today I am delighted, in fact, happy to have our panelists who are going to share their views on how to address the digital divide in West Africa. We have participants also joining who may have their questions as we proceed. Let me quickly introduce the speakers as we move along. First is Ann-Ramona Amadasun, who is Digital Rights and Inclusion Officer with Paradigm Initiative. The second speaker is Henry, he is Project Lead for the Nigerian School of Internet Governance and the last speaker is Giselle Louise, Trustee at Guyana Internet Governance Forum, member of the Youth Coalition on Internet Governance. They are all going to share their views briefly on how the digital divide in their various countries is being challenged. So let’s start with you, Ann-Ramona just an overview, in your view, how do you see the digital divide in your country and what can be done to bridge it? I think the situation is like, is totally compounded with an extensive poverty level. Most people cannot afford the internet because the cost of the dollar and a lot of factors have contributed to the affordability issues. The policies and strategies developed in recent years are really to at least, um, ease the entry of internet services, but then most countries still compete with other priorities for education and basic health. And people still have to choose which one of, if they have little, which one would they afford to a professor? So that poses a problem for us. Forgetting that the internet is now part of the human rights, let me come to you. Yeah. It’s very good, this topic. Here in Nigeria, the biggest problem that we have actually, like she said, is the affordability of the internet. Because poverty level is high, but it’s not only because of the poverty level, if you look at it in Nigeria ever since we started, um, most of the time we have these policies. Sometimes the problem is the government themselves because they are the ones that do the monopolies and they are the ones that decide what is affordable and what is not affordable. So from time to time, these policies, the government tried to, to bring up some policies that will make the digital divide increase more and more. If you ask most of us youth today, it’s not that we don’t want to be on the internet, but I can also come to Giselle. Assuming you don’t have much, what would you decide for yourself? Just an overview, I know situation in your country is tough, but to what extent do you reference other countries and your neighbors as well, maybe Nigeria and all? What have you observed? How is it in Guyana? I think the digital divide is mostly as a result of structural issues. The government makes loose policies with a framework with which people can have access to information. It’s only afterwards that most of them disregard. So, as the previous speaker mentioned, affordability is a major issue. We preferential consideration for all that sectors of developmental per se, the, the various provisions that were made for most users in the ring like health and education and other facilities like what we now know is the right to use internet. The usefulness now is questionable in one angle. We still bear the fact that the government, when they don’t provide the accessibility issue, we see that the economic sector is going to lag behind. And we also have the issue of infrastructure not being developed. Most governments tend to sideline most of all these issues when we try to bring that change. We can decide to bring the police, but if the government don’t listen to us and I don’t know what you can do, actually. Interesting. Henry? Yeah. Any last words? Yes, just like in what the last speaker just said, it’s actually the government I can put when it comes to the affordability of Internet, if the government doesn’t things in place, there is no way things is going to work because the government has the power to regulate, foresee and to regulate and make sure that things Internet is affordable because they themselves benefit from, because they themselves benefits from that. So definitely they always want to increase the Internet and the Internet prices. And compared to previous governments, again, Internet was affordable and it was very cheaper. But when they find out that most of their benefits comes from those network provider, they decide to increase the prices in order to drop other people not to be able to afford, but those that can actually afford Casia for the, but they themselves are the ones that actually benefit from the Internet. So with that, if the government is not willing and ready to work with the Internet service provider, there is no way things is going to work. This is just going to be going higher and higher like that. This is a strong discussion. This is a valid contribution. This is just, can just be an example. And in Ghana, we’ve seen the prices of the Internet is going up. And that is one point that I observed, most of the people relying on Internet, it’s affecting the youth in the sense that the Golden Age of technology is here and most of the things that overshadow most every sector is the use of the Internet. Like our youth, some governments are suffocating and the youth have to choose or either pay for that or anything that’s on the table as a form of system. I hope that makes sense. Okay. So we see, we see governance as keen to providing that development and Ikmi, if you want to break the digital divide discussed, how the past decades have been? Because it seems like it was led to maybe ICT for that benefit. But we wish we have a more practical focus on providing digital services to the divide. Recommendations, because they the group are agriculturalists and most of them are relying on revenues generated by the government. So we think empowering people to know that they can actually foster this technology and they are going to benefit, will break this divide. All right. Thank you very much, Henry. Thank you. Is Landa on the call? Yes, ma’am. Hi, Marie. Hi. Okay, that’s fine. Maybe you can join more. I’ll give you the floor to have some quick last words for us. Thank you, Dakti. I really appreciate the opportunity to lend my voice this evening, even though it’s been so after a very long day of rubbing my mind with thought leaders at the WIT Summit, and perhaps just taking a clue from what Henry last said about policies and about ensuring that government and Internet service providers contribute to ensuring access and breaking down the digital divide. And it’s always important to comment a multi-stakeholder approach when it comes to digital rights, especially where multi-stakeholders include government, the private sector, civil society and citizens, especially youth, as it were. So the Nigeria Internet Governance Forum has spent the last five years to contribute greater opportunities for multi-stakeholder collaboration in the use of Internet and also promoting access to Internet and also how to reduce the digital divide in Nigeria and how to ensure better policies in the public and private sector. So one thing that has come out clearly in all of this is that Internet access is the only way to pass on knowledge, very COVID-19 pandemic period. And also how to provide opportunities for citizens to improve their means of livelihood, lives and businesses. So we should continue to try to ensure that citizens enjoy these rights. Also big thumbs up to the West African School of Internet Governance for creating this opportunity to use this forum to continue to advocate for inclusive and responsible digital and Internet rights policy, ensuring that there’s inclusivity in Internet affordability policies across West Africa. Thank you once again, Dr. It’s Rav. We are all very much excited to hear more from you, all of us, for your robust discussion as well. For everyone who joined, we’ll provide links to recording available for others to join later. Thank you once again. Thank you so much. And that’s also a valid contribution. We are far, I think we have five minutes. We are five minutes over time, so we are going to round up this discussion. Thank you. Thank you so much. Good evening, or good afternoon, wherever you are in the world, listening to us or joining in. And probably you would have a flow up space or a flow up event. So kindly look out. I’ve linked the pages up there, the west african Internet governance firm, and then the replies from this particular space. So for any information, kindly look on top there, and then you can click on the tweets to lead you to the page. I’ll be closing the space in 10 seconds, so thank you once again for joining and see you next time, and thank you to our speakers, too, for contributing. Thank you. Speak soon. Bye. All right, thank you very much. Bye.
