Telecommunications in Africa

Edited by an internationally recognized authority on telecommunications, this volume is the latest in a series that surveys telecommunications in the major regions of the world. It features the work of 19 expert contributors, providing a comprehensive examination of what African countries are doing to build their telecommunications capabilities. A modern telecommunications network is an essential infrastructure for developing nations. The emergence of new technologies, the entrance of supra-national carriers, and deregulation in the telecommunications sector have resulted in the globalization of telecommunications and the opening of markets on every continent. Africa has historically lagged behind other regions in developing its telecommunications infrastructure, and the penetration rate for basic service is still relatively low. But as some African nations undergo restructuring, they have begun to open their networks to foreign investors and regional cooperative ventures to expand basic and advance telecommunications services. The contributors discuss the uneven pace of economic, regulatory, and social change among Africa nations as state telecommunications monopolises maintain their hold in some countries and give way to privatization in others. Analyzing the political and economic changes of the 1990s, the contributors provide clues about how Africa can shake off decades of inertia and prepare to take part in the global economy.