Our blog is where you'll find all our project updates, highlights and achievements, as well as other news and events related to iMENTORS
iMENTORS is mapping terrestrial networks in Sub-Saharan Africa. The goal is to identify areas on the map underserved by network operators and providers. These areas also represent good opportunities for governments and the private sector to invest in e-infrastructure projects.
Image courtesy of ddpavumba / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
According to an article published on BizTechAfrica, IBM announced the results of a new study entitled ‘Setting the pace in Africa: How IT leaders deliver on the potential of emerging technologies’, which found that while nearly 87 percent of African IT leaders rank new technologies such as analytics, cloud, mobile and social media as being critical to business success, only 53% are pushing forward with adoption.
The event will be held under the auspices of the Greek Presidency of the European Union, co-organised and supported by the European Commission.
FIA Athens 2014 will focus on reshaping the Future Internet infrastructure for innovation.
The FIA Steering Committee launches an open call to select up to 9 FIA working sessions within the scope of the conference, seeking proposals that cover aspects related to:
According to an article published on WIRED, For the first time ever, people can now buy equity, not just products, through startup crowdfunding sites like AngelList. Some in the VC industry have commented that this democratization “changes everything” — especially early-stage investments, in “unanticipated ways.”
But no one’s talking about whether people should invest.
IST-Africa, a project coordinated by the International Management Commission (IIMC) of Ireland, brings together the national ministries or government agencies in 18 African countries responsible for information and communications technology (ICT) or science, technology and innovation (STI) research and policy.
This past week, iMENTORS (also funded under FP7) has been busy recording the IST-Africa project and related FP7 projects.
Image courtesy of jscreationzs at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
According to an article published on Science World Report, a European team of researchers is exploring new ways of using fibre-optic technology to deliver ultra-high-speed internet access to even the remotest locations in Europe, at less cost and with less impact on the environment. It is ambitious, but innovative solutions are needed to strengthen Europe's digital economy and provide jobs.
Over the decades, the technological evolution of computers is generally referred in terms of multiple generations of changing computing devices. A generation is a state of advancement in entire product development process, which is nothing but a kind of 'leap' taken by computer technology. The very first device used to occupy so much space that, dedicated and commercial services were required to maintain it. With every successive generation, the device has become more versatile, advance and user-friendly. The speed of computer processors has increased drastically, as 'brain' of computer had to master in a way to do extremely difficult computations. Today, on the virtue of miniaturization, the power, memory and speed of computer device has significantly increased.
The privately owned communications service provider SEACOM has selected Ciena Corporation’s (NASDAQ: CIEN) 6500 Packet-Optical Platform and OneControl Unified Management System for the upgrade of its submarine network across the Southern and Eastern African coastlines. This falls in line with SEACOM’s focus on driving the development of the African internet and opening the broadband tap for African consumers.
Chief Executive Officer of Signal Alliance, Mr. Collins Onuegbu, has predicted that Nigeria will be among the top 10 countries of the world in internet usage and penetration in few years' time.
Onuegbu, whose company specialises in software development and service delivery, gave the prediction in Lagos at a forum organised by Signal Alliance to appreciate its customers and to advise them on new business model that would help them stay relevant in a technology evolving world.
Onuegbu, who based his prediction on the 110 million telecoms subscribers in the country, said since the figure was an accumulation of mobile phone users in the country, there is the tendency that it will boost internet penetration and usage, because majority of Nigerians use smart phones with internet access for their daily browsing.
"As the number of mobile phone subscription increases, the volume of internet usage is likely going to increase, and this will move Nigeria to become among the top ten economies of the world in internet usage and penetration," Onuagbu said.
A research commissioned by mobile advertising network, Twinpine has given fresh insight into the unprecedented growth of the African mobile market, revealing that mobile penetration is driving internet usage across West Africa and playing a fundamental role in fuelling economic growth. The study – An analysis of Mobile Technology in West Africa: The Case Of Nigeria, Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire was carried out in conjunction with Kenya-based iHub Research and analysed mobile usage across Nigeria, Ghana and the Ivory Coast.
It comes as no surprise that a recent report released by Intel Corporation finds a huge Internet gender gap in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the report, 45% fewer women in Sub-Saharan Africa have access to the Internet than men. Moreover, one in five women in Egypt believes the Internet is ‘not appropriate’ for them. Such sentiment seems counter-intuitve considering the Internet is regarded as a tool of empowerment. However, internalized gender norms and traditional family expectations limit Internet adoption in many regions and households.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is currently locked in a series of meetings in Dubai, UAE, where it aims thrash out a number of issues surrounding the Internet and how this resource is being used globally. One of the the biggest talking points on the agenda for the 18th World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT 2012) is whether the Internet needs more stringent regulation.
More steady progress, no doubt. But we must remember there is no typical African Internet user. Levels of engagement with digital content vary widely by region, country, and city. Just because a few hundred individuals in a city are creating successful start-ups doesn’t mean the majority of the population even has Internet access. At the same time, progress necessitates a core group of early adopters who can achieve “trickle-down” innovation.
This project has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no 313203