The old picture
1901 Eastern Telegraph Company System Map
The new picture
Courtesy Telegeography
The next picture?
Courtesy Steve Song, Many Possibilities
Sub-saharan Africa Undersea Cables in 2010 – maybe
Are we about to be wrong-footed?
Broadband and citizen journalism
• Under the current dispensation, bandwidth is a luxury. For Web 2.0, citizen journalism and innovation to flourish, broadband needs to become a commodity.
Reality check: SA Internet user base
• 2000: 2 416 000 (32% growth)• 2001: 2 886 000 (20%)• 2002: 3 098 000 (7%)• 2003: 3 283 000 (6%)• 2004: 3.5m (6%)• 2005: 3.6m (3%)• 2006: 3.75m (3%)• 2007: 3.96m (6%)• 2008: 4.4m (8%)
New Reality: The experience curve
SA Internet users with 5 years experience:
• 2001: 354 700
• 2002: 696 620 (96% growth)• 2003: 1 266 235 (81%)• 2004: 1 820 000 (44%)• 2005: 2 416 000 (32%)• 2006: 2 886 000 (20%)• 2007: 3 098 000 (7%)• 2008: 3 28m (6%)• 2009: 3.5m (6%)
6 Years on the Internet:The Experience Curve
New Reality: The Experience Curve
World Wide Worx
Internet users in South Africa, 2008
Online banking customers
Online retail customers
Broadband emerges