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Media InformationPress Releases"Broad and Equitable Access to the Internet" to be subject of Internet Society conference in SénégalReston, VA, USA and Geneva, Switzerland - 7 October 2008 - Questions of Internet access, infrastructure, and regulation are on the agenda for an upcoming Internet Society (ISOC) conference. The event, "Broad and Equitable Access to the Internet" will be held in Dakar, Sénégal, on 16 October 2008. This event, which is specifically addressed to high level policymakers, is organized by ISOC in collaboration with ISOC Sénégal and the Agence de Régulation des Télécommunications et des Postes (ARTP) of Sénégal, following three days of regional meetings dedicated to Internet Governance and Development (13-15 October 2008). ISOC is pleased to continue expanding its work with high-level policy makers and regulators," says Frédéric Donck, ISOC Director of Public Policy. "This important meeting in Sénégal is another step in forming new models of partnership, especially in the areas of access which are crucial for Internet development in Africa. We welcome the efforts of key regional stakeholders to address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Broad and Equitable Access to the Internet is intended to address the regulatory challenges that African policy makers face in this new era of Internet and telecommunication infrastructure development. "Africa used to lag the rest of the world in every aspect of telecommunications development," explains Dawit Bekele, ISOC's Regional Bureau Manager for Africa. "Lack of access to submarine cables and high bandwidth infrastructure held back the economics and performance of the Internet for much of the continent." "But this is changing," says Bekele. "Mobile networks are growing faster in Africa than in any other region, and technologies such as 3G, WCDMA, and WiMAX are reaching areas that have never before connected to the Internet." "The Internet already brings economic benefits within Africa, but it is important that policy makers understand how to enable its opportunities in their own countries," says Bekele. The meeting is expected to trigger high level policy discussions between the participants on the issues that African heads of states, ministers, regulators, and other policy makers have identified as important for Internet development on the continent. These discussions will develop the dialogue from other recent forums, including Connect Africa in Kigali, the Second Conference of African Ministers in charge of communication and information technologies in Cairo, and the 9th Forum on Telecom/ICT Regulation and Partnership in Africa in Dakar. Full event details, are available on the ISOC web site. For additional information please contact Mr Dawit Bekele, Regional Bureau of ISOC via email bekele@isoc.org or phone +251 911 22 13 33. About the Internet SocietyThe Internet Society is a non-profit organization founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education, and policy. With offices in Washington, DC, and Geneva, Switzerland, it is dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world. Further detailsGerard Ross |
