Eritrea was one of the last nations in Africa to introduce the Internet, but its people might be one of the most frequent Internet user group compared to the relative size of Eritreans living around the world.
Especially, for Eritreans living outside their country, it has become a second home serving as an information source about Eritrea and Eritreans. Nevertheless, in recent years, the Internet has also made progress back home in Eritrea according to the latest data for the first quarter 2009.
The data shows that today Eritrea is accountable for 2% of the total African Internet user market. The development can be seen on three phases, starting with the year 2000 Eritrea had 5000 Internet users in 2006 this number increased to 50000 and the latest data shows 120000 Internet users in Eritrea.
Looking at the total African Internet growth, it can be seen that the continent is experiencing immense Internet growth rates year by year. The graph below shows each country and the growth rate between the year 2000 and 2008, excluding Somalia and Dem. Rep. Congo. (http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats1.htm).
The number of Internet users in Eritrea has increased 24 times compared to what it was in the year 2000, exactly from 5000 to 120000 users. The high growth rates all over Africa can also be contributed to the relatively free Internet market on the continent.
According to Djofack Zebaze from the University of Awergne in France 80% of African nations, including Eritrea, had by 2004 developed a regulation free and competitive Internet infrastructure. Exceptions were countries such as Malawi, Niger, Seychelles, Siera Leone, Ethiopia and Zambia,which all had a government regulated Internet environment.
All African countries, except Tunisia and Egypt, still have the lowest ranking in terms of (ICT) Information and Communication Technology access compared to the rest of the world. ICT is a Internet density measure looking at how easy it is for people to get access to information technology, computers and Internet from any place, village, city or region within a country.
Regarding the Internet penetration in Africa, it is interesting to see that there is a major underserved market with a big potential for growth. No single African country can claim that 50% of its population has access to Internet.
The graph below shows that the highest Internet penetration (number of Internet users in comparison to number of population) is 37% in the Seychelles (http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats1.htm).
Eritrea has a rate of 2.2% and therefore is ranking number 32 out of 55 African countries. The African average Internet penetration is with 5,6% slightly higher than Eritrea’s rate of Internet penetration. In respect to Internet users having registered a domain with the ending (er) for Eritrea the number is currently 1079 (ISC Domain Survey 2009). The top four African countries in terms of absolute Internet users are accordingly Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco and South Africa.
Development in Africa will depend on how easy Africans will be able to have access to information, which is required to keep up with the speed of the rest of the globe. The growth rate of Internet users as well as the relatively free market characteristic in Africa and Eritrea are encouraging signs that the continent is on track to meet the increasing requirements of a fast developing information technology world.
Well done. Is this an original article?
Ethiopia named enemy of Internet (RSF) - Reporters with out borders
March 13th, 2008
Reporters Without Borders has launched the first Online Free Expression Day yesterdayday.“From now on, we will organise activities every 12 March to condemn cyber-censorship throughout the world,” Reporters Without Borders said. “A response of this kind is needed to the growing tendency to crack down on bloggers and to close websites.”
“Today, the first time this day is being marked, we are giving all Internet users the opportunity to demonstrate in places were protests are not normally possible. We hope many will come and protest in virtual versions of Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, Cuba’s Revolution Square or on the streets of Rangoon, in Burma. At least 62 cyber-dissidents are currently imprisoned worldwide, while more than 2,600 websites, blogs or discussions forums were closed or made inaccessible in 2007.”
The press freedom organisation added: “Our list of ‘Internet Enemies’ has also been updated with the addition of two countries - Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. And we are offering an new version of our Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents.”
Reporters Without Borders learned last night that UNESCO has withdrawn its patronage for today’s Online Free Expression Day (read our press release).
There are 15 countries in this year’s Reporters Without Borders list of “Internet Enemies” - Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. There were only 13 in 2007. The two new additions to the traditional censors are both to be found in sub-Saharan Africa: Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.