Page 58 - ITU Journal - ICT Discoveries - Volume 1, No. 2, December 2018 - Second special issue on Data for Good

ITU JOURNAL: ICT Discoveries, Vol. 1(2), December 2018

mobile broadband subscriptions, fixed broadband In an increasingly globalized world where data is
subscriptions and average Internet connection becoming increasingly valuable, the absence of
speeds. International Telecommunication Union’s adequate data protection legislation restricts the
(ITU) data reveals that 81% of individuals in involvement of African organizations in
developed countries use the Internet compared to international cross-border transactions in the
41.3% in developing countries [3]. Internet emerging data economy. Organizations operating
connection speeds reveal a similar great divide, as in countries with strict data protection laws will
shown by these examples. As of Q1 2017, the face the practical difficulty of evolving novel and
average connection speed of the countries with the complicated regulatory arrangements to mitigate
fastest Internet in Europe (Norway) and the the risks posed by the lax regulatory environment
Middle East and Africa region (Qatar) was prevalent in much of Africa.
23.5Mbps and 13.7Mbps respectively. Similarly,
the average connection speeds of the countries 4. POTENTIAL REMEDIES
with the slowest Internet in these two regions
were 6.9Mbps (Cyprus) and 2Mbps (Egypt) The reasons for Africa’s telecommunications
respectively [9]. According to ITU data, mobile infrastructure deficit are as varied as the
broadband subscriptions in the developing and continent’s many countries. These include the
developed world are 48.2% and 97.1% presence of government sponsored monopolies
respectively, while fixed broadband subscriptions and weak anti-competition policies such as in
are 9.5% and 31% respectively [3]. Ethiopia, which ensures that only one
telecommunications provider serves Africa’s
Developed countries do not just boast of better second most populous country with a population
telecommunications infrastructure that support of 101.7 million people. Ethiopia is the most
data-intensive economies, they usually also have populated landlocked country in the world, which
national or regional policies which support a poses a challenge for ICT deployment [13]. In this
data-based economy and society. This is terrain, expanding access to telecommunication
particularly true for Europe and North America services to citizens is best served where multiple
[10]. The presence of adequate data protection telecommunication service providers work to
legislation as exemplified by the European Union’s bridge the access deficit. Ethiopia currently has an
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) serves Internet penetration of 15.4%, a fixed broadband
to create a framework of trust where individuals, penetration of 0.6% and active mobile broadband
organizations and nations can leverage the subscription of 5.3%. This situation can however
potentials of data as an enabler of economic be improved with more access granted to multiple
progress and societal development while telecommunication services providers in a
protecting human rights and values. liberalized telecommunications environment.

3. AFRICA’S DATA POLICY AND ACCESS In Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country (198
CHALLENGE million), the situation is a lot more different.
Although Nigeria has several Internet service
The telecommunications infrastructure challenges providers, as is the situation in a number of other
of developing countries have already been countries in Africa, policy hurdles such as ‘’Right of
highlighted in the previous section. Moreover, Way’’ charges hinder investment in broadband
unlike developed economies in North America, infrastructure. It has been reported that state
Europe and Asia leading global innovation in the governments in Nigeria inflate ‘’Right of Way’’
data economy, most African countries do not have charges beyond the official rates [14], thus
adequate data protection policies. Only 23 of the rendering investment in fibre network
54 African countries have data protection infrastructure prohibitively expensive, accounting
legislation installed, with a further 15 countries for up to 50% - 70% of the cost of deploying fibre
having them in draft [11]. And although the African in the states of the Nigerian federation [15]. In
Union adopted a Convention on Cybersecurity and Nigeria, this reality means that although
Data Protection, only 10 African countries have broadband cables with terabytes of data connect
adopted the document. In general, even in the country to the international backbone network
countries with data protection legislation installed, through landing points on Nigeria’s coast, these
there is poor implementation [12]. ‘’Right of Way’’ charges constitute an economic

36 © International Telecommunication Union, 2018