Technology is evolving at a pace many of us find hard to keep up with. This change is exciting but can also at times be nerve-racking, particularly when cyber criminals and identity thieves seem to be lurking around every corner, ready to pounce and spoil our enjoyment of the perks and efficiency of the tech world.

Wireless security is a matter of grave concern for the international ICT community. The situation is no different in Africa where this technology is becoming more and more popular and the question of securing these networks is of paramount importance if its many benefits are to be realised. Kevin Willemse identifies some of the pitfalls as well as offers some useful advice in his article on page 26.

Taking the concept of wireless access to a whole new level, ‘Hooked up’ on page 73 discusses how some African countries are creating wireless cities in an attempt to connect the masses. The Rwandan city of Kigali launched a project in December aimed at bringing high-speed connection to more than four million citizens – from schools and libraries to healthcare facilities and local government offices. Find out how successful this project has been and what plans other African countries and cities have afoot in this regard.

For many African states, particularly those landlocked countries, accessing the internet through the recently landed undersea cables is proving to be a challenge. In ‘Pulling it together’ on page 44 Gavin Barfield reports on the development of the Central African Backbone. This line will go some way towards extending Africa’s new-found connectivity from the coast where the cables land, into these internet-starved countries, opening the way to world standards of communication for the whole of Africa.

Kim Gurney investigates the high cost of internet access in Africa and why countries with the lowest income per capita have historically had some of the highest costs for access. In ‘Price check’ she puts the spotlight on companies that are offering cheaper and uncapped broadband access and looks at how and why it is that they are able to do so.

And it’s not just internet access that’s expensive. You may not be surprised to learn that Africans pay some of the highest phone call rates in the world. What is surprising, however, is the fact that international billing systems could be to blame. A lack of interconnectivity between networks results in continental calls regularly being routed through Europe and the US with the help of international satellites. And it’s the international carriers who are benefiting. On page 32 Lesley Stones takes us through the role that inefficient billing systems and equipment play in this price fiasco.

Possibly due to the high cost of phone calls, text messaging has quickly become a lifeline for the rural and urban poor in Africa, continually evolving its potential to connect people. In this edition we see how the humble text message is being utilised to its full potential and what some of the latest developments are – including the introduction of voice texting in Uganda. Read more on page 66 in ‘Short and sweet’.
With all of these amazing, cutting-edge developments taking place on African soil lets hope that these advances will be easily accessible and largely affordable.

Sadly, this is my last edition of African Communications. I have thoroughly enjoyed my tenure editing this magazine over the last 3½ years and wish my successor the best of luck and hope that they will get as much pleasure from the publication as I have.

JAMES RETIEF

Gizmos & gadgets – The latest hot technology

Sound bytes – News and developments from the industry

Radar – Arthur Goldstuck looks at the latest connectivity trends

Taking the world by storm – Suburban West Africa CEO Bruce Ayonote

Put ‘em up – The pros and cons of wireless security

An arm and a leg – The cost of calling in Africa

Pulling it together – Bringing the continent’s bandwidth inland

Bridging the digital divide – Zambia sets its sights on the future

Price check – Cheaper internet at last

Short and sweet – Text messaging in Africa

Hooked up – Wireless cities

What’s on – Conferences and exhibitions