Ethiopia Internet Case Study

ETA could provide itself with new

appropriate applications and

sources of revenue, enabling it to pay

information resources. More

higher salaries that would allow it to

immediately, it has also been

retain skilled staff and to increase its

suggested that case studies such as

participating in international initiatives

the present one should be translated

for regulators.

into Amharic to facilitate circulation

among policy makers and publication

Given the urgent need to improve

in the press.  Also, leading NGOs, the

service delivery for the majority of the

Prime Minister's Office and specific

population, new strategies need to be

ministries with strong role in

developed rapidly by policy makers

government (such as the Ministry of

and Government, with a view to

Capacity Building and the Ministry of

setting a deadline for the opening up

Information) might be targeted with

of the market and the timely

information and recommendations

announcement of this date.

such as those mentioned in this case

study.

5.3

National strategies and

policies to increase

Certainly, development and

Internet diffusion

international bodies could usefully

further help to promote Government

There is clearly a growing political

awareness of how the Internet and

momentum for improving the use of

ICTs can support of national

ICTs in Ethiopia, however this is

development, encouraging it to make

largely focused on the provision of

Internet diffusion a top item on the

voice facilities in rural areas. Five

policy agenda. In this respect, the

years after the BITE report, a national

Government has a crucial role to play

information policy has yet to be

in order to create a critical mass of

finalized and awareness of the

users, local entrepreneurs and skilled

importance of improving the

ICT technicians.

accessibility and use of the Internet

is still at a low level. While an

As indicated above, the policies

understanding of the importance of

concerning the liberalization of the

ICTs is growing amongst the general

Ethiopian telecommunication industry

population, this awareness needs to

will have the most profound impacts

be raised to the highest political levels.

on the prospects for broadening

access to the Internet and to ICTs in

Experience around the world has

general. In a competitive market there

shown that the rapid diffusion of ICTs

in a country is often closely associated

are likely to be a variety of innovative

with the level of government support.

new ideas and opportunities for

In the case of Ethiopia, the expansion

providing affordable Internet services

of Internet infrastructure and services

and value added services in Ethiopia,

could be significantly accelerated by

as well as encouraging local

means of a national programme

businesses to exploit the much larger

supported at the highest level of

information economies of the

government. For instance, a national

developed countries (as the case

task force could be established to

study has shown, a few enterprising

support ICTs, headed by the Prime

businesses are already beginning to

Minister and composed of national

do this). Some of the possible new

experts. Such a task force could serve

market arrangements that could occur

as the focal point for the high level

in a liberalized environment include:

coordination of a number of national

initiatives.

Universal service/access

obligations for licence applicants,

Seminars intended for policy makers

including broadband connection

and regulators might also be a useful

of public access points (e.g.

method to provide hands on

telecentres, schools, libraries,

experience of the benefits of a high 

etc.) to high capacity networks

quality Internet connection with

and services;

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