What’s there for Southern Africa in the WSIS?

The progression of technology is high in Southern Africa Development Community’s development goals, and the WSIS provides a platform for development of a common understanding of the information societies, says Dr Prega Ramsamy, the SADC Executive Secretary.

Most SADC countries fall in what the Technology Achievement Index refers to as “Marginalized”. In these countries telecommunications facilities are generally poor and fixed line teledensity is low, reaching less than five percent of the population.
Personal Computers penetration is very low (it ranges between two and 60 PC s per 1,000 people). Access to television and radio is low with less than 20 percent of the population having access to TV and less than 60 percent to radio in the majority of SADC countries.
SADC has identified three important stages for ICT development:
fundamental (provision of basic infrastructure such as electrification and telecommunications), middle (pc penetration) and advanced (internet access and utilisation, and advance content development).

Read more about this story at: http://www.sardc.net/Editorial/Newsfeature/04060104.htm
Other links:
WSIS: THE WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY http://www.itu.int/wsis/
Basic Info about WSIS - http://www.itu.int/wsis/basic/about.html
ICT for Development Platform - http://www.ict-4d.org/Marketplace/en/default.htm