2006-04-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

INTERNET CAFES AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF ICT IN GHANA

Scattered across the length and breadth of the country ,internet cafes ,no doubt ,serve a significant purpose,connecting most ghanaians to the world around them.

They are patronised by all manner and category of persons in society, one cannot help but conclude, they have come to quench a growing thirst for their presence.

Most internet cafes in ghana offer the basic service of facilitating the process of communication by emails as well as presenting an opportunity for research in various areas via the internet.

This facility has greatly enhanced access to information ,knowledge and advancement in civilisation in every respect; it has minimised the use of the telex massaging facility as well as the postal system to some extent though, but with justifiable reasons.

Admissions to these facilities would cost just about 5000 cedis and above for an hour depending on the facility being used and where. Their proliferation though , a large determinant in their pricing levels as they are now made to face the dynamics of the free market system where demend and supply is at play.

But it has been a particularly long and arduous way for operators of these facilities, breaking into this industry generally and sustaining the level of interest, patronage and profitability they have achieved so far.

Starting off in an environment where the basic infrastructure regarding high bandwidth cost for ips,high cost of computers due to high taxes and shipment cost among others had to be dealt with , coupled with lack of policy direction and legal framwork and even a particularly low level of appreciation of the workings of the industry by personalities placed incharge of the industry, operations in the industry have definitely come far.

But that has largely been an african problem , given that as recent as 2005,internetworldstats.com in their internet tracking services estimates that the whole african continent had only 16 million internet users, constituting just 1.8 % of global usage, up from between 5 and 8 million users in 2002, according to jensen 2002.

Though considered as showing dramatic growth,doubling in just two years ,it falls far short of an expected figure of about 14% usage to match its global population dynamics.

Despite these challenges though, internet cafes in ghana have in their small way contributed to the advancement of ict in ghana; the interest has gone high and access costs have also become affordable.It does not come with fear at all, having to apply ict for whatever reason as before,largely due to the forum created by these cafes.

And according to a study reported by the united nations economic commission for africa,UNECA, there is a correlation between internet use and level of national socio-economic growth ,suggesting the level of interest and usage engendered by the spinging up of these cafes have added something certainly to ghana's socio-economic growth,a benefit enjoyed through ict promotion.

ICT looks an ever evolving area with some parts of the world probably streets ahead of ghana. But such advancements have always been made available to the internet user, public and even beyond largely through the cafes which sparks a desire for acquiring this sophistication ,in the process advancing the ict culture or hold in the country.

We certainly cannot talk about the advancement of the ICT in ghana without recognising the contributions made in this direction by the internet cafes; they have indeed paid their dues.

end.

2006-04-28T04:41:00.000-07:00

the workshop for training ghanaian journalists to enable them improve on their skill in the use of ICT has entred its third day at the busy internet cafe.

participants are getting along well with the programme and resources persons are proving up to the task

herbert

2006-04-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

i love this workshop

i love you

2006-04-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

this workshop have been helpful

henrymalmtv3

herbert

i love you