Telecom

Africa: ITU, UNESCO suggest a five-point plan to increase smartphone ownership

Africa: ITU, UNESCO suggest a five-point plan to increase smartphone ownership
Wednesday, 28 September 2022 17:43

Mobile phones are currently the tools most used to access the internet in Africa. However, because of the high cost of broadband-enabled phones, many people are still missing out on the digital dividend. This situation could hamper the development of the digital economy on the continent.  

According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Africa's low Internet penetration rate (33%) is partly a result of people's inability to afford a smartphone. This problem stems primarily from the high cost and limited availability of these devices, they add. Through the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, the two partners have developed a five-point strategy for universal access to smartphones in Africa.

In their joint report "Strategies Towards Universal Smartphone Access", published in September, ITU and Unesco advocate above all win-win partnerships between actors of the digital value chain. "Every part of the mobile Internet ecosystem, from hardware manufacturers to service providers, to digital platforms, to governments, benefits when unconnected populations come online. As such, it should become the shared responsibility of all players to undertake joint efforts to overcome the digital divide, and to unlock barriers at their respective stages of the value chain," they explain.

Secondly, the Broadband Commission recommends uniform quality assurance standards for used smartphones and harmonized regulation of e-waste imports. It argues that this would greatly facilitate the purchase and distribution of used devices, protect customers and help address the global e-waste management issue.

The third point is developing recycling strategies for middle- and lower-tier devices, the report indicates. "The recycling ecosystem for smartphones prioritizes higher-tier devices, such as iPhones and Samsung-branded phones, whose price point remains too high for residents of LMICs even for preowned devices. Developing new strategies for generating reliable sources of middle- and lower-tier smartphones would generate an improved flow of devices at pricepoints suitable for LMICs," it reads. 

Smartphones for development 

Currently, in Africa, Universal Service Funds (USFs) are used to improve telecom coverage. But, for the Broadband Commission, governments should also direct the resources of those funds towards making smartphones available at affordable costs. Governments "without USFs can explore use of subsidy programs, developed and implemented in consultation with industry and other stakeholders," it suggests.

Finally, reducing taxes and import duties on smartphones is essential. The Broadband Commission is confident that a balance of tax and customs policies can help lower the retail cost of smartphones. It will also “shift smartphone sales from informal grey markets to more formal markets that are subject to taxation.”

According to Rabab Fatima, the UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, "At least 76% of adults in advanced economies own a smartphone compared to only 45% in emerging economies.” Also, “women are less likely than men to have mobile phone access and are less likely to be Internet literate” if they live in low- and middle-income countries. The international official, who considers that smartphones are not just consumer goods but also "accelerators for learning, connection and economic activity," says that " with the cost of a smartphone exceeding 70% of the average monthly income of people living in low- and middle-income countries, enabling access to, and use of, the internet must now become a policy priority for the international community."

Muriel Edjo

On the same topic
Reliable, high-capacity international connectivity is crucial for driving economic growth, enabling digital services, and promoting regional...
• Morocco to build 500 MW green-powered data center in Dakhla to boost cloud infrastructure• Part of Digital Morocco 2030, aiming for data sovereignty and...
• Cameroon and Chad plan to launch free mobile roaming by August 11, following a joint coordination meeting in N'Djamena• The move revives a stalled CEMAC...
By investing in shared, open-access fibre networks, Vodacom and Maziv can help drive more affordable retail broadband pricing and reduce barriers for...
Most Read
01

• Investors seem to keep focusing on yields, which are high for the moment• New Leadership might see...

Afreximbank Bonds Retain Market Confidence Despite Moody’s Downgrade
02

• ECOWAS Bank funds 47.7-km stretch of strategic 700-km road project• Lagos-Calabar highway seen boo...

Nigeria Secures $100 mln ECOWAS Bank Loan for Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway
03

• Algeria grants commercial 5G licenses to top three telecom operators: Mobilis, Djezzy, and Ooredoo...

Algeria Awards Commercial 5G Licenses
04

• IFC teams up with AfDB and Nigeria’s EbonyLife to assess a new fund for African cinema• Sector cou...

IFC Plans Investment Fund to Help Grow African Film Industry
05

• Global coffee consumption projected to hit a record 169.4 million 60-kg bags in 2025/2026, up from...

Coffee: Global Consumption Expected to Reach Record Level in 2025/2026
Enter your email to receive our newsletter

Ecofin Agency provides daily coverage of nine key African economic sectors: public management, finance, telecoms, agribusiness, mining, energy, transport, communication, and education.
It also designs and manages specialized media, both online and print, for African institutions and publishers.

SALES & ADVERTISING

regie@agenceecofin.com 
Tél: +41 22 301 96 11 
Mob: +41 78 699 13 72
Média kit : Download

EDITORIAL
redaction@agenceecofin.com

More information
Team
Publisher

ECOFIN AGENCY

Mediamania Sarl
Rue du Léman, 6
1201 Geneva
Switzerland

 

Ecofin Agency is a sector-focused economic news agency, founded in December 2010. Its web platform was launched in June 2011. ©Mediamania.

 
 

Please publish modules in offcanvas position.