Helping Africa access the Internet
Posted on 24 January 2000
The global boom in the Internet has brought about a growth in the demand for satellite dishes - VSATs or Very Small Aperture Terminals - in regions, particularly African countries, where the basic land-based telecommunications infrastructure is poor or non-existent.
Tim Tozer, of the University of York's Electronics Department, was invited to Johannesburg last year to talk about the use of satellite dishes in Africa, and has just been invited to Nairobi to present a workshop on the same subject in February. The University of York is internationally famed for its work on satellite communications - which bypass the need for land-based systems - and for its annual Short Course on the subject each spring which attracts delegates from around the world.
Tim Tozer said: "Use of the Internet in Africa is very limited. People see the need for it but are frustrated because they can't access it. Where it is available it can be of great benefit. For example it is being used by United Nations staff running refugee camps in Rwanda. We have seen a huge growth in the use of satellite dishes in Russia and Eastern European counties where their telecommunications infrastructure is similarly poor, but Africa lags behind, partly because it isn't seen as a major economic prospect.
"Satellite dishes are perfect for internet access, not only because they cut out the need to rely on a terrestrial infrastructure, but also because they provide the broadband capability which means you can use them for telephone calls, TV and video, e-mail and Internet."
"I'm hopeful that our very popular spring event will attract people from African countries for the first time. Delegates want to know more about using this technology."