“Their broadband was so slow that they resorted to storing their data on disk and delivering it by car”

Huge swathes of the continent have been – and remain – on the wrong side of the digital divide. Even though some countries, such as South Africa, Egypt and Morocco, have the telecommunications infrastructure, two problems have persisted. One is a shortage of bandwidth, with users relying instead on pricey satellite connections. The second is the so-called ‘last-mile’ problem – even where the infrastructure exists, the issue remains getting digital access into the user’s home.

But things are changing, with more undersea cables planned. What can the internet do for Africa? In today’s world, digital poverty is a clear threat to development in a whole host of spheres. Is that all about to change in a big way, with meaningful changes for ordinary people?

Businesses and ISPs are licking their lips. Consumers may not be quite so optimistic. Relative to income, internet access has been staggeringly expensive for most users and without a computer on every desktop (or indeed, a plug sockets in every home) many users rely on mobile phones and remote services like 3G. Even academic institutions have been hampered by an under-developed system. It was reported in the Guardian (South Africa) in November 2009 that the high-tech South African astronomical observatory at Sutherland was resorting to snail mail. Their broadband was so slow that they resorted to storing their data on disk and delivering it by car.

“Google rescued my potato harvest from a mystery pest’, said one Kenyan small farmer”

The digital divide perpetuates the centuries-old underdevelopment issues that have played a huge role in stifling African enterprise but even a bit of broadband is better than none at all. And it’s becoming more affordable. In East Africa the Seacom cable has had the effect of pushing internet access costs down in a big way.

The internet (of course) is already awash with success stories. BBC News’ ‘Connected Africa’ pages are a good example. ‘Google rescued my potato harvest from a mystery pest’, said one Kenyan small farmer. Educational partnerships abound as the internet promotes globalisation in education. Health workers in remote areas can get advice from doctors. World markets are opening up for entrepreneurs.

“it’s more likely that we’ll see consumerist attitudes seeping into Africa than the attitudes of ubuntu (‘people are people because of other people’) flowing in the opposite direction”

Will broadband also usher in a cultural revolution? Probably, though the seeds have been sown and the internet can only speed up existing processes of globalisation. People in remote places already know all about David Beckham and Didier Drogba. Will it be that soon every rural village will see people downloading reruns of Friends and watching Oprah? One thing seems certain: it’s more likely that we’ll see consumerist attitudes seeping into Africa than the attitudes of ubuntu (‘people are people because of other people’) flowing in the opposite direction.

Perhaps more problematic is the prospect of a new digital divide opening up in a continent already riddled with inequalities. Rural-dwellers are likely to continue to be disadvantaged. Fears have been voiced that women may not be the beneficiaries in some societies. And, though broadband opens up the job market, with virtual working a potential source of employment, will people get e-jobs in fields that benefit other countries and agendas, rather than their own?

No doubt Africa’s broadband revolution will have a down side, as it has everywhere that the internet has penetrated. But, on balance, it has to be a good thing, a phenomenon that creates manifold opportunities for networking, collaboration, learning and development.