2010 has arrived and with it all of the excitement surrounding the Fifa 2010 World Cup. But don’t think that this is cause for celebration for soccer fans alone.

Fifa’s sometimes seemingly unreasonable requirements for hosting the tournament fortunately include substantial ICT infrastructure upgrades and development. Running into millions of dollars, the legacy of this world-class infrastructure will serve South Africa and its many technology-, and in particular, broadband-starved users very well in the years to come. Read Kevin Willemse’s article on the facts and figures surrounding the ICT preparations for the 2010 tournament on page 45.

Africa is in the process of being ensconced in a cocoon of fibre-optic cable, linking the continent to the rest
of the world and providing reasonably priced and never-before-seen speed of access to the internet. While this is all wonderful news, the advantages of this infrastructure are restricted, to a great extent, to the urban areas. So what of those many millions of Africans living beyond the big cities where infrastructure is limited if not nonexistent? Well, this is where satellite technology comes into its own by virtue of the fact that its reach extends to the furthest corners of our continent. See Gavin Barfield’s article on the future of satellite technology in Africa on page 26.

Africa is waging a constant battle to stay abreast of technological advances in the rest of the world. Widespread poverty and an often dire lack of resources and infrastructure are blamed for the poor penetration of technology on the continent. While the concept of cloud computing is not necessarily cutting edge, it certainly is showing great promise for promoting the reasonably priced adoption and spread of technology in Africa. Is this the great hope for our people? Find out on page 34 in ‘Weather Report’.

One of the challenges posed by Africa to technology service providers is the vastly divergent needs of its users – from the basic telephony requirements of a rural village in Eritrea to the necessity for Wifi hotspots for commodities traders at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in South Africa. The challenges posed by these contrasting needs is what mobile phone manufacturers are facing – supplying both basic instruments and services while at the same time catering to the needs of those clients demanding a much higher level of service and technical sophistication. Read the article by Lesley Stones on page 66 for more insight into this mobile conundrum.

In an effort to provide services to as great a percentage of its population as possible, the Ugandan government, in collaboration with a leading satellite provider, recently established a relatively comprehensive e-government service, providing a means for both the government and the population of the country to interact with each other. The provision of e-government services is seen as a means to improve government transparency and accountability, promote democracy and transformation and enhance the lives of its citizens by improving service delivery standards, education and healthcare services. With a number of other African countries already experimenting or implementing e-government solutions, it seems as though it’s only a matter of time before the entire continent buys into the technology and its myriad advantages. Read ‘Open Access’ on page 56 for all the details.

While it’s still early days, 2010 seems to hold a lot of promise in terms of the growth and pervasion of ICT in Africa. So watch this space!

JAMES RETIEF

IN THIS EDITION:

Gizmos & gadgets - The latest hot technology

Sound bytes - News and developments from the industry

Radar - Arthur Goldstuck looks at the trends for 2010

Driving growth - O3b Networks Marketing Director Ladi Okuneye

The way forward - Satellite not old hat yet

Weather report - The future is cloud computing

A numbers game – 2010 Fifa World Cup tech stats

Marrakech express - Morocco on the fast track to internet success

Open access - e-Government initiatives

Ring throne - Smartphone technology in Africa

Cyber village - Mobile technology boosts agriculture

What’s on - Conferences and exhibitions