African Internet and Telecoms Information – Mike Jensen, Independent IT, Internet and Telecom Consultant -Comprehensive data on information & communication technologies (ICTs), telecommunications, internet and computer infrastructure in Africa
All of Africa’s 53 countries and territories have internet connectivity, the challenge now is to broaden access and ensure that costs are brought down. Usage is still low and communication charges are often 10 – 100 times more expensive than developed countries, mainly due to the lack of infrastructure and the high prices charged by operators taking advantage of the restrictions on market entry that are in place in most countries … (Homepage, Current Projects, Publications, Contact).
Resources, Initiatives: Afridigital; Balancing Act Africa; CIPESA; FibreForAfrica; IDRC Acacia Programme; Many Possibilities.net; Mbendi Guide: Computers and Communications; Network Startup Resource Center NSRC; SLAC ICT Africa statistics; Village Telco, Mesh Potato; Developing Countries Mike has worked in since 1991;
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Short Bio: Mike Jensen is an independant consultant with experience in over 40 countries in Africa assisting in the establishment of information and communications systems over the last 15 years.
A South African based Johannesburg, he sent his first email 20 years ago while studying rural planning and development in Canada.
He subsequently returned to South Africa to work as a journalist on the Rand Daily Mail in Johannesburg in 1983. When the paper closed he moved back to Canada and in 1986 he co-founded the country’s national Internet service for NGOs, called coincidentally, The Web. After helping to set up a similar ISP in Australia in 1989, he returned to South Africa where he works with international development agencies, NGOs and governments assisting them in the formulation, management and evaluation of their Internet projects. In 2008 Mike established a base in Itacare, Bahia, Brazil where he spends an increasing amount of time working on global projects.
Mike is a board member of the South African ISP for NGOs – SANGOnet, a member of the international advisory board of IICD, and was a member of the African Conference of Ministers High Level Working Group which developed the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) in 1996.