Fast-paced growth in ICT fuels overall economic development in Africa-New ITU report:

THE International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has said that, as the end of the first decade of the new millennium approaches, Africa stands at a crossroads with ICT policy makers faced with important choices.
Launching the ITU African Telecommunication/ICT Indicators 2008 report, Mr Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau, said Africa presented several growth opportunities in the ICT sector.
The report shows that, growth in Africa's mobile sector has defied all predictions. Africa remains the region with the highest annual growth rate in mobile subscribers and added no less than 65 million new subscribers during 2007. At the beginning of 2008, there were over a quarter of a billion mobile subscribers on the continent. Mobile penetration has risen from just one in 50 people at the beginning of this century to almost one third of the population today. Mobile subscribers are also now more evenly distributed. In 2000, South Africa accounted for over half of all Africa's mobile subscribers, but by 2007, almost 85 per cent were in other countries. Mobile success, driven largely by competition, is also spawning new services such as micro-payment prepaid recharging, single rate inter-regional roaming and the uptake of m-commerce applications.
While mobile services have become more accessible and affordable, internet access has not kept pace. It is estimated that there were some 50 million internet users in Africa in 2007, translating into around one person among twenty. Over half of the region's internet users are estimated to be located in North African countries and South Africa. In Sub Saharan Africa, only three per cent of the population is online. The scarcity of International Internet Bandwidth and lack of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) drives up prices. As a result, Africa is the most costly for internet access. The average monthly internet subscription is almost USD 50 in Africa, close to 70 per cent of average per capita income.

Dr. Hamadoun Toure, ITU Secretary General

According to Dr Hamadoun Touré, ITU Secretary-General, ITU TELECOM AFRICA 2008 is a strategic step in bridging the digital divide. " However, he says this is a decisive milestone in our commitment to connecting the world," Dr Touré has challenged the ICT industry to explore the many opportunities that are available across the continent - and which would be on display to forge the tools that can act as catalysts in other sectors of the economy and of society, such as health, education, business, agriculture, and government services.
Addressing the opening Press conference in a recent meeting held in Cairo-Egypt, Dr Touré said, "Africa has been the fastest growing market worldwide over the last three years," adding that much of this growth had been stimulated by competition, policy and regulatory reform in most African telecommunication markets. "Today, the African ICT industry is an exciting place to be. Market liberalization continues and most countries have established regulatory bodies to ensure a fair, competitive and enabling environment."
"Today, more than ever, as the world shifts towards an information age that is transforming it into a global village, technology contributes to the core of economic growth and better living standards