アフリカでソーシャルメディアはどのくらい普及しているのか
2012年2月3日掲載
グローバル研究グループ 佐藤 仁
2012年1月26日、英国Portland社がアフリカでのTwitterの普及に関する調査結果を発表した。アフリカ20か国でのTwitter利用について纏めている。アフリカにもソーシャルメディアが普及しているようだが、現状を見ていこう。
アフリカでのTwitter利用状況
今回の調査対象となった20か国は、アフリカの人口の70％、GDPの85％、インターネット利用者の88％を占めている。
アフリカ20か国でのTwitterの利用状況について調査結果からポイントを列挙する。
・Twitterの57％がモバイルから発信されている。
・アクティブユーザのうち60％が20〜29歳。
・81％が友人たちとのコミュニケーションに利用している。
・Twitterを利用している人は、Facebook(94%)、YouTube(69%)、Google+(46%)、LinkedIn(37%)、Foursquare(23%) も利用している。（括弧内は利用者の割合）
【Twitterで受信している情報】
・海外のニュース：76％
・エンターテイメント・ゴシップ情報：69％
・国内のニュース：68％
・政治関連：55％
・スポーツ：43％
・職探し：22％
・健康情報：21％
海外のメディアの多くがTwitterで情報発信をしているから、海外のニュースをフォローしている人が多いのだろう。サッカーが盛んな国の多いアフリカ諸国でスポーツ情報はそれ程多くない。Twitterがアフリカにおいて重要な情報源になってきていることがわかる。
実際にはどこまで浸透しているのだろうか？
アフリカでTwitter利用者が急増しているとのことだが、どの程度普及しているのだろうか。南アフリカが500万以上の利用者がいて圧倒的に多い。2位にケニア（240万以上）、3位にナイジェリア（160万以上）と続く。
今回のPortland社の調査結果ではアフリカの全ての国を網羅していない。アフリカには50か国以上あり、10億人以上の人口がいる。
アフリカでのTwitter普及率と、利用者の57％がモバイルからの利用であるとのことから、携帯電話の加入者と普及率を下記の表1に纏めてみた。アフリカでのTwitterの普及率はまだ低い。多く国では1％未満である。
携帯電話の普及率は100％を超えている国も多い。これはポストペイドが圧倒的に多いアフリカ諸国において1人が複数のSIMカードを持っているからである。
次にFacebook利用者との比較を見てみよう。Twitterは調査の基準が異なるから一概に比較するのは難しいがFacebookの方が利用者は圧倒的に多い。南アフリカとケニア以外の国ではFacebookの方が利用されている。チュニジア、エジプトといった「アラブの春」でソーシャルメディアが情報発信手段として活用されたといわれている国でのFacebookの普及率が高いことも特徴の1つである。とはいえアフリカ諸国ではFacebookもまだ普及率が1％未満の国が5ヶ国ある。
（表1）アフリカ諸国でのTwitter、携帯電話加入者、Facebook利用者および普及率（Portland社およびITU、国際連合、Socialbaker発表資料を元に筆者作成）
＊ウェブサイトで確認して下さい。
アフリカでのソーシャルメディアの発展に向けて
このように人口に対する普及率で見てみると、ソーシャルメディアは携帯電話のように普及はしていない。多くの国でTwitterの普及率は1％未満である。
アフリカ諸国で携帯電話を保有してソーシャルメディアを活用して情報発信・収集をしているのは、まだ一部の富裕層のみである。多くの人々がまだ携帯電話は通話とSMSしか利用していない。またソーシャルメディアを活用するより先に識字率の向上とベーシックヒューマンニーズ（BHN）の確保もアフリカの一部の国では喫緊の課題である。
一方で、2011年の北アフリカ諸国での「アラブの春」に代表されるようなソーシャルメディアの活用やケニア軍によるソマリア進軍に対するTwitterでの情報発信（参考記事）など、日常生活の様々なところでソーシャルメディアが活用され始めている。TwitterもFacebookもまだまだこれから成長の余地がある。
今後のアフリカ諸国の発展とソーシャルメディアの躍進、人々の生活向上に期待したい。
※本情報は2012年1月28日時点のものである。
http://www.icr.co.jp/newsletter/global_perspective/2012/Gpre201210.html
African mobile market threatened by uncertain investment environment
http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=470968
Governments, regulators and operators all have a role to play to ensure future growth in African telecoms sector, according to Booz & Company study. Cooperation between governments and operators has driven significant growth in the African mobile industry over the past decade. However, there are no guarantees that this growth will continue and, according to a new report from Booz & Company, a number of issues must be addressed as the continent moves towards the next phase of mobile development.
"Seasoned investors are taking an increasingly hard look at further investments in Africa because of extreme pricing pressure, an increasingly unattractive investment environment, and continued regulatory risk," said Booz & Company in a report published on Monday.
The company warned that hesitancy on the part of investors could jeopardise the next wave of telecoms investment and growth in Africa, a key part of which will be mobile broadband services.
"Stakeholders, however, can act quickly and decisively to ensure the climate for investment is maintained, and that growth continues," the firm said, noting that all the players in the value chain have a part to play.
According to Booz & Company, it is up to governments to build investor confidence by implementing ICT-friendly policies and establishing open and independent regulatory regimes. It highlights the Kenya Open Data initiative, a project launched last year to make government data easily available online, as a benchmark for transparency of information and open policy setting.
The regulators themselves are also encouraged to define policy in a transparent fashion, and to treat telecoms operators "as the enablers of the economy, and not simply a source of tax-like revenues".
The operators too are charged with some key tasks, including sharing infrastructure to maximise efficiencies, and entering into dialogue with regulators and governments to push for technology-neutral spectrum licensing.
"If the relationship between operators and governments holds, the African telecommunications success story will drive forward," said David Tusa, partner with Booz & Company.
"If it fails, Africa will miss a critical opportunity for economic and social development as the telecommunications industry and its investors move on to more accommodating markets," he warned.
NEPAD gets grant for ICT infrastructure project
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/nepad-gets-grant-for-ict-infrastructure-project
The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Agency has signed a Grant Facility Agreement (GFA) with the French Development Agency (AFD) towards the financing of broadband infrastructure in West, Central and North Africa. The project is part of Umojanet, a terrestrial network that will link every African country to its neighbours and will connect to Uhurunet, to realise the dream of the cross-border continental NEPAD network. The grant completes the initial funds of EUR 850,000 granted by the AFD to the NEPAD secretary to support the initiative.
アフリカの鉱山資源と日本の知的資源のwin-win活用
2012年2月9日 20:00
お互いの資源を活用
経済産業副大臣の松下忠洋氏が、アフリカの鉱物資源と日本の 知的資源を活用し、一緒に新しいグローバルなサプライチェーンを確立すべきであると述べたことを、8日のBusiness Liveにて発表された。
松下氏は、2001年の日本のアフリカに対する投資は0.6百ドルで、2010年までには6.1百ドルに成長しており、新しい投資としてのレアメタル、石炭、鉱業やパワープラントが現在進展中であり、これらが完成すれば劇的な成長がみられることを述べた。
相互メリット
アフリカでの経済成長において重要なことは、食糧生産、教育、医療、保健、水そして衛生管理、そして電力や交通などのインフラなどのサポートの強化であるとしている。
そして、日本にとっては鉱物資源を確保するためのことである。最近では、我が国の投資家によってアフリカの鉱物資源への投資がけん引力を得ており、この地域の政治と経済情勢の安定化のために、レアメタルへの投資が注目されている。それに関連し、伊藤忠商事や住友商事はニッケル関係などのプロジェクトを進めている。
”これは日本がアフリカ諸国のさらなる経済成長に向けた基盤の構築を支援するため、多くの機会を提供する。しっかりとそのようなサポートが、私たちにwin-winの成果をもたらすと確信している。”
とも松下氏は話している。
編集部 柴崎 翠
携帯バルティ、10〜12月期は２割減益［ＩＴ］
http://news.nna.jp/free/news/20120209inr005A.html
携帯電話サービス最大手バルティ・エアテルが８日発表した昨年10〜12月期決算は、売上高が前年同期比17.1％増の1,847億7,000万ルピー（約3,300億ルピー）、純利益が同22.4％減の101億1,300万ルピーだった。支出は全体で同19.6％増の1,613億3,900万ルピーに拡大。ネットワーク運営費（同23.6％増）などの増加分が響き、増収減益となった。
地域別にみると、インド・南アジア事業の売上高は同12.1％増の131億6,300万ルピー、純利益は同30.5％減の127億300万ルピー。アフリカ事業は同32.2％増の535億7,700万ルピーと、歴史的なルピー安を背景に大幅な増収となったものの、25億9,900万ルピーの純損失を計上した。ただ損失額は、前年同期の52億4,900万ルピーの赤字から低減した。
12月末時点の携帯電話サービス加入者総数は、９月末時点から2.6％増の２億3,295万人。インド・南アジアが1.9％増の１億8,200万人、アフリカが5.2％増の5,095万人だった。ブロードバンド（高速大容量）などテレメディア事業の加入者数は横ばいの332万人、デジタルテレビ放送が6.9％増の707万人となっている。
バルティのスニル・ミッタル会長兼社長は、「強固なネットワーク網の構築などに対する投資で、携帯電話事業の収益は拡大した。アフリカ地域でも加入者数が5,000万人を突破するなど、順調な伸びを示している」と現状を説明した。
日本とトルコ、中東・アフリカ援助で連携
nikkei.com
2012/2/9 12:37
【カイロ＝花房良祐】日本とトルコは、中東・アフリカや中央アジアなどにおける援助で協力する。トルコ国際協力調整庁（ＴＩＫＡ）が８日、首都アンカラで国際協力機構（ＪＩＣＡ）との包括的な業務協力協定に署名した。イラクやアフガニスタンなど治安上の理由で日本人職員の活動が難しい地域でトルコ側の協力を得る一方、日本は技術力やファイナンスの分野で強みを生かす。
日本とトルコは、イラク人技術者向けの人工衛星画像の解析技術やアフガン警察官向けの研修をトルコで実施するなどの協力実績があり、協定締結でこれをさらに深める。ＴＩＫＡスタッフ向けのＪＩＣＡの研修・セミナーの実施を検討するほか、第三国におけるインフラ開発や農業技術指導などの共同援助に向けた情報交換を強化する。
アゼルバイジャンやトルクメニスタンなどトルコ系民族の多い国とトルコの民族的・文化的に近い関係を生かし、中央アジア・カフカス地方での協力も強化する。省エネに絡む技術指導の実施などを検討する。
ＴＩＫＡはトルコ政府の援助機関で中東やアフリカなどにおける存在感が高まっている。トルコは経済成長に伴い新興国への支援に力を入れており、2010年の援助額は総計９億6000万ドル（約740億円）で、02年に比べて10倍以上に増えた。
飢餓救う食事管理アプリ
http://www.yomidr.yomiuri.co.jp/page.jsp?id=54620&from=navlc
スマホでカロリー計算…１食１円、アフリカへ寄付
スマートフォン（高機能携帯電話）用の食事のカロリー管理アプリ（ソフト）を使ってアフリカの子どもたちの食費を支援する取り組みが広がっている。昨年１２月から東京のＮＰＯ法人テーブル・フォー・ツー（ＴＦＴ）インターナショナルが無料配信を始め、約２か月半で約５００食分が寄付された。同法人は「健康的な食事管理によって、先進国の生活習慣病と途上国の飢餓の問題を同時に解消したい」としている。（河津佑哉）
米アップル社のスマートフォン「ｉＰｈｏｎｅ」用のアプリで、食事の写真を送信すれば、５０００種以上の料理写真のデータベースを基に画像の色や質感などからメニューが推定され、カロリーが算出される。毎日の食事を記録することで、主食や主菜、乳製品などの摂取量の過不足といった健康管理ができる。
食事の写真を送信する際に「寄付する」の項目を選ぶと、協賛企業の寄付金から１食につき１円が支援に充てられる。寄付金はアメリカに本部がある民間活動団体（ＮＧＯ）を通じて、ウガンダやエチオピアなどの小学校に届けられ、子どもたちの給食費（１食分約２０円）となる。
ダウンロード数は、約１万件に上り、利用者からは「気軽に支援できる」「『誰かのためになる』と思うと、ダイエットの励みになる」と好評だという。
同法人は、企業や大学の食堂などにカロリーを抑えた食事の提供を呼びかけ、料金の一部を途上国の子どもたちの食費に充てる取り組みを続けており、現在、親和銀行（本店・佐世保市）や長崎大、三菱重工業など４６７団体が参加。これまでにアフリカ５か国に約１２５７万食分、約２億５１５０万円を送った。
アプリは「家庭でもこうした取り組みに参加できるように」と、東京大の画像解析技術を利用し、同法人や電通など４団体で共同開発した。
同法人の安東迪子（みちこ）事務局長（２９）は「自分のためにも人のためにもなる点が受け入れられるようだ。ＴＦＴの取り組みに関心を持ってもらうきっかけになれば」と話している。アプリ配信サイト「アップストア」で取得できる。
Mobile in Africa: Insights from Research ICT
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/410/19/71037.html
There are many statistics, research documents and reports on the growth and opportunities in mobile communications and marketing on the African continent. While those papers look grand and promising, what is the status of mobile use and adaptation to new mobile technologies among actual users, both in rural and urban environments? Cape Town-based agency, the Research ICT Africa network (RIA) is spearheading on-the-ground research in 20 African countries to provide governments and private organisations with the information and analysis required to develop innovative and appropriate policies, effective implementation and successful operations that aim to bring about sustainable technological development.
I interviewed Dr Christoph Stork, senior researcher at RIA, to gain some key insights on Africa's mobile stance:
What is the correlation between economic growth in Africa and mobile phone penetration?
Dr Stork: Higher mobile phone penetration leads to more business opportunities and also to more efficient business processes, for distribution and procurement channels as well as for operations.
Both the formal and the informal economy benefit from affordable mobile telephony and wide coverage. Be it hair dressers, taxi drivers or labour lawyers, Africans across various businesses and industries profit from a boost in productivity through mobile technology.
What has Research ICT identified as the primary barriers to mobile internet use in Africa?
Dr Stork: Mobile internet access and more affordable prepaid Internet allow less affluent people to gain access to the internet. They can recharge airtime to use the internet whenever they have money available and use a device for internet access with which they are already familiar. Mobile phones require less capital to purchase and considerably less skill to operate than computers.
There is a clear trend towards cheaper smartphones and this will have an impact on mobile broadband penetration rates. However, there is still substantial progress to be made in reducing barriers to prepaid mobile broadband, ranging from lowering cost for usage, reducing taxation in countries such as Uganda and improving access in forms of 3G or 4G coverage.
What challenges should be addressed to propel the continent to progress substantially to better mobile penetration?
Dr Stork: One of the key issues in Africa is to make suitable spectrum available for mobile data. This requires more efficient use of spectrum currently awarded to operators and re-farming some of it.
Spectrum needed for the next generation mobile phone networks may partly come from the digital dividend - the spectrum that becomes available through the digital migration from analogue to digital TV. In other instances, spectrum needs to be taken back by the regulator and made available again for different use (re-farming).
Mobile adoption enhances rural entrepreneurship since it lowers costs of starting a business and can substitute travel needs. Can you give some examples of how smartphones are subduing the effects of infrastructure failures on African business activities?
Dr Stork: The best example is the spread of mobile money such as M-Pesa. It came about as a result of wide mobile phone use and insufficient and expensive banking services. It allows mobile phone users without a bank account to send or receive airtime at a fraction of the cost of Western Union or Moneygram.
Transfers of airtime can at a later stage be used to build up transaction histories and provide formal financial services such as loans and micro insurance to the unbanked. Mobipay, the first such initiative, is allowing financial services to farmers with record-keeping and improved access to credit in rural Kenya.
How are mobile social media applications helping reduce today's digital divide between the technological haves and have-nots?
Dr Stork: A significant part of Internet use is to create content through, for example, Youtube, Flickr, blogs, Facebook pages etc. User created content may be in any language, using any alphabet. This user driven content is a key driver of the mobile Internet adoption we are witnessing in Africa at the moment.
What should policy and interventions focus on to attract a wider user base and promote wider adoption of ICT and related skills in developing African nations?
Dr Stork: The key to get wider and more affordable access is fair competition. Regulators across Africa still have to remove several severe competitive bottle necks. Cost based termination rates and facility leasing, spectrum availability and service and technological neutral licensing are just some of the issues that need to be addressed.
ICT access and e-skills curriculum for schools are other very important areas where progress has to be made parallel to infrastructure rollout to better capitalize as a nation on the opportunities that ICT may provide.
Orange全ての携帯からFacebookへ接続可能に。アフリカ
http://www.africa-news.jp/news_vjv3PgSnC.html
Orangeによる新たなサービス
日本ではあまり馴染みがないが、世界有数の通信事会社、Orangeが、アフリカ全てのOrange携帯電話で、Facebookにアクセスできるという、革新的なサービスを開始したと、All Africa.com上で17日に発表された。
現在Facebook利用者は、アフリカでは4000万人いるというが、現在パソコンを介しての利用。
どんな携帯でもアクセス可能！
Facebookにアクセスするには、インターネットが使用できない携帯などの非常に基本的なものであっても、シンプルで手頃なテキストベースでのサービスを介して家族や友人とFacebookで繋がることが可能という。
これは、USSD（非構造付加サービスデータ）という方法でアクセスを可能とし、アフリカの何百万人もの潜在顧客を見込んでいる。
USSDは、2Gネットワークを介して情報を送信するため、すべてのGSM方式の携帯デバイスで使用される技術であり、既にサービスなどのアカウント情報とコールバックサービスとしてアフリカで広く使われている。
USSDは、障壁がないとし、最初の年に100万人以上の顧客が最サービスを利用することを期待している。
The essence of global higher education in transitional and developing countries
http://www.newera.com.na/articles/43106/The-essence-of-global-higher-education-in-transitional-and-developing-countries
Keynote address by the Deputy Minister of Education, Dr David R. Namwandi, on 19 February 2012 at Murdoch University International Study Center, Duba
While there are numerous definitions of Education, I opt to believe that “Education is the remnants of what was learned when everything else learned is forgotten. It is believed that globalization has led to an interweaving of world economies and production of goods and services. This animal called globalization has subsequently exposed education to competition in all continents.
For higher education to be meaningful, it is imperative that nations develop a culture in higher education systems which appreciates and embraces creativity. Equally, only higher education systems which promote a teaching culture with a strong emphasis on inventive and innovative thinking can prosper.
It must be noted that higher education is and has been a major force that influences economic development in highly industrialized countries. Therefore, information technology is said to be crucial as it can greatly improve higher education in developing countries, I endorse any idea of a digital infrastructure that would link Asia, Arab and African universities to global knowledge.
Whoever imagined during the 19th century that the world will be one day be referred to as a village i.e. global village, certainly history will not forgive us if we don’t pay tribute to the sons and daughters of this global village who succeeded to bring us together. ICT has been a key contributor in making the world a global village.
Citizens of this global village should not confine themselves to boundaries of specific sovereignty, when it comes to acquisition of knowledge of skills. We must all consider ourselves as global citizens. Thus, education must be tailored towards this specific response of international citizen demands.
I have no doubt that deployment of ICT will have a positive impact on developing or less developed nations economies. It is my belief that the deployment will turn brain drain into brain gain in a short time. For higher education to be effective there ought to be a link or correlation between its achievements and country’s gross national income (GNI).
Funding of higher education
Both developed and developing nations are finding it difficult to fund public higher education due to rising costs. In countries such as America, Higher education institutions are facing funding crisis, the state support is declining thereby posing a threat to the disadvantaged section of the population to enter these institutions due to higher costs and lower affordability.
In view of this, alternative sources of funding other than state funding should be sought by public institutions to ease the burden of underfunding which consequently influences the increase in tuition fees in such institutions.
Quality of Higher Education
Earlier on I said, education is what is left when everything else learned is forgotten. What I meant in fact is that what is left should be something of value, or in plain language, something of quality. By its nature education may be “viewed as a set of processes and outcomes that are defined qualitatively”.
Quality education may only be possible if it is relevant at all times. Relevant to the needs of the recipients. I often say that no matter how well an education system articulates and aligns its various components, if it is not relevant, it remains poor, as it is not addressing the needs of the recipients. Good examination results which do not measure all of those ingredients shall never be indicative of quality education.
As I am moving towards the end of my address, allow me to share with my audience with what I think is the essence of relevant higher education especially to transitional and less developed nations. Education specifically designed to meet the needs of recipients, being the heartbeat of modern economies, shall inculcate a culture of innovation. It will develop qualified, efficient and competent industry - driven researchers ready to transform countries into industrialised nations.
I`m certain that being developed is not a matter of growing our GDPs and per capita income but changing mindsets a total paradigm shift and preparedness to join the “first world club of developed nations”. To maintain that very position, it is needless to say that the prerequisite of the “first world” mindset is nothing else but high performance culture enabling nations to compete with the best in the world. Quality educations plays a facilitating role as it directs nations development agenda. It breaks the norms as opposed to dogmatically accept traditional situations.
It is my conviction that global higher education is capable of creating efficient, result-driven implementation channels focusing on stimulated and strategic collaboration on empirical research and development in less developed nations of the world. It is important to note that the huge gap between poor and rich is brought about by innovation. It is thus safe to record that the root cause of division is failure to innovate. It is important to note that the world is divided into groups of countries, those that innovate and those that don`t. This trend ought to be reversed as nobody can claim to have the monopoly of intelligence.
nnovation and creative thinking is key to development. You recall that the Muslim world presented us with a gift that we as human race continue to use and appreciate to this day - soap. It is recorded that SOAP was manufactured in the Middle East long before the west knew about it.
From Africa - Egypt to be precise came the mysterious pyramids which to date beats scientists and engineers to the game. This feat cannot even be copied till this day. The Chinese were first to develop an earthquake sensor, 600 years ahead of the first Western Sensor from France. They also invented the first suspension bridge long before the West. Indians weaved and wore cotton attire 3,500 years before the West knew about it, the list is endless.
I have decided to list some of the achievements from the so-called transitional and developing countries to bring home the point that we are not inferior and that quality education can solidify our capability in invention, innovation and research and development. In the same vein I wanted to remind my audience that we only need to increase the speed and knowledge to continue with creativity and innovation, which the world admires. It must be noted that globally relevant education shall allow us to kiss goodbye to poverty and unemployment as the graduates from Institutions of higher learning will be sought out and shall certainly create work and wealth for others.
While at this point, it is my dream that one day when developing governments are drawing up their road maps aiming at raising quality of life, and human capital, private education rightfully so, deserves better recognition and support at all times.
It is my prayer that University leaders create education systems capable of nurturing and inspiring a passion of exploring and creativity and not only to pass examinations. These leaders must bring about a major shift in the minds of the people ranging from children to parents, from teachers to politicians, from farmers to corporate leaders, this chain must be complete and commitment should consistent.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/27/opinion/technology-toure-africa-mobile/
Editor's note: Dr Hamadoun Toure is secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union -- the U.N.'s specialized agency for information and communication technologies.
(CNN) - In the next five years, there are likely to be as many mobile cellular subscriptions as there are people on this planet. By 2020, pundits predict more than 50 billion connected devices.
With seven billion people's needs to serve, information and communications technologies (ICTs) represent the single most powerful channel we have ever had to reach out to others, wherever they may live, whatever their circumstances. They also represent our best hope of accelerating progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the target date of 2015.
Can Africa reach its 2015 MDGs? If countries embrace the unique power of mobile broadband technology, I believe many have a good chance.
The eight MDGs cannot be separated. If you combat disease, you also reduce child mortality; if you give every child a primary education, you promote gender equality. It is because these goals are interlinked that broadband is so important.
If we classify the MDGs into three broad areas -- education, health, and the environment -- we see that mobile broadband has a key role to play in each.
It offers a solution for providing education in under-served areas. Around 90% of children in the developing world are enrolled in primary school, but in some regions -- notably sub-Saharan Africa -- up to 30% of children drop out before their final primary year. Broadband can better engage children, equipping them with valuable ICT skills and opening a window on the world's information resources, in a multitude of languages.
Technology can transform healthcare. From simple SMS reminders for vaccinations or anti-retroviral treatments, to grassroots information gathering on demographics and diseases, to mobile information repositories for personal health records, cellphones are becoming a key cornerstone of health programs in a growing number of African countries.
Every year, more than half a million women die as a result of complications in pregnancy and childbirth. The tragedy is that the majority of these deaths are preventable -- yet in Africa, fewer than half of all births are attended by a midwife or skilled health worker.
While there is no substitute for the physical presence of a healthcare professional, broadband is helping train community field workers, while providing expectant mothers and their extended families with simple advice that protects health -- and lives.
The MDG on ensuring environmental sustainability spans a wide range of targets, from the provision of safe drinking water and basic sanitation, to protecting biodiversity and improving the lives of slum-dwellers.
In many of these areas, broadband will be a vital link.
For example, so-called "smart" electricity grids make it easier for locally generated electricity (including from renewable sources) to be integrated, stored and shared as demand fluctuates.
Broadband can also help local farmers and fishermen by delivering weather forecasts directly to their mobile phones and providing information on sustainable farming techniques.
The way we work is also being changed by broadband. Innovative projects are improving the lives of slum-dwellers -- for example in Kenya -- through providing access to employment and training. Last year at ITU Telecom World 2011, the International Telecommunication Union awarded a prize to a young entrepreneur who developed an education platform for working children, enabling them to use smartphones to improve their literacy, numeracy and general knowledge while they travel to work on public transport vehicles equipped with low-cost WiFi repeaters.
Broadband gives small businesses the opportunity to broaden their customer base and reduce their overheads through e-commerce platforms. And it will support advanced financial services for consumers, building on the outstanding success of the mPesa mobile banking model, an excellent example of innovation coming directly out of Africa to solve African problems.
The eighth and final MDG is "developing a global partnership for development." It is, perhaps, the most fundamental of all the goals, because it enables progress towards all the other goals.
Developing such a partnership is a basic element of our work at ITU. Because we understand the incredible potential of broadband, we launched the Broadband Commission for Digital Development to help move broadband to the top of the political agenda.
This multi-stakeholder commission comprises over 50 top-level global leaders, and has defined a vision for accelerating the deployment of broadband networks worldwide. It has also established four critical targets that we believe all countries should to strive to attain by 2015:
Target 1: Making broadband policy universal. By 2015, all countries should have a national broadband plan or strategy or include broadband in their universal access/service definitions.
Target 2: Making broadband affordable. By 2015, entry-level broadband services should cost less than 5% of average monthly income.
Target 3: Connecting homes to broadband. By 2015, 40% of households in developing countries should have internet access.
Target 4: Getting people online. By 2015, internet user penetration should reach 60% worldwide, 50% in developing countries and 15% in least-developed countries.
We have only three years to go. But it is highly significant that among all the MDG targets the most advanced is the one involving ICTs. Let's capitalize on that and use Africa's near-ubiquitous mobile coverage to break old infrastructure bottlenecks and short-circuit the traditional development cycle.
Ubiquitous mobile broadband is a big idea whose time has come.