Internet access cost drops in some African nations

The cost of Internet connectivity in several Africa countries is declining significantly and the speed keeps improving due to competition by ISPs (Internet Service Providers), according to an Internet research organization.

Since 2000 the cost of Internet services in several African countries have greatly reduced and more reductions are expected as more international ISPs spread their business in the region, according to John Mzumala, CEO of the Internet Development Service.

Mzumala said South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Mauritania are among several African countries where Internet connectivity costs have declined over the past eight years.

The reduction, Mzumala said, has also been brought about by several international mobile service providers including Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) and Zain.

"A number of factors including mobile service providers providing Internet connectivity on their networks have sparked competition and contributed to the reduction in the cost of Internet connectivity," Mzumala said.

In Ghana for example, Internet connectivity has dropped to as low as US$30 per month for a 128K-bps ADSL link from Vodafone. However, a large number of African countries still have bandwidth problems. In such countries, the cost of Internet access is still very high.

One year of Internet access in many African countries costs more than an average annual income. Mzumala said that Internet connectivity and access costs are likely to drop further in many African countries because of the fiber-optic cable projects that are being completed.