A few weeks ago Erik Hersman posted some interesting details about Google’s decision to use African Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) to supplement their Global Cache project. The Global Cache basically speeds up the internet by cacheing web pages. It’s a unique way to approach the problem of slow bandwidth in Africa but it doesn’t solve the problem of how we can make it more affordable for Africans to get connected in the first place.

A company called Fibre For Africa is taking an interesting an interesting approach to this very issue by sharing information about the obstacles the continent faces before over coming the existing pitfalls:

This web site has been put together to provide basic information about international bandwidth in Africa, its costs and the existence of monopoly access to it. Bandwidth is the means through which Africa as a continent communicates with itself and the rest of the world. Those who have put the site together believe that the high costs of international bandwidth on the continent are an obstacle to the its social and economic development.

This includes extensive information about SAT3 and EASSy, the main fibre providers within Africa.

The site also includes a ‘news’ area that essentially aggregates feeds from around the web related to internet developments in Africa.

via Nubian

About the Author: Jonathan Gosier is a software developer, writer and social entrepreneur. He currently lives in Kampala, Uganda where he incubates and invests in East African entrepreneurs as the CEO of Appfrica Labs. He's also a 2009 TEDGlobal Fellow.

Categories: Startups ~ Trackback