http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=192201
April 18, 2006
HARARE, April 18 (SNNi/New Ziana) -- Experts say the tough regulatory
environment in Zimbabwe has stifled the use of Internet, which is the
fastest and most preferred mode of communication.
Africaonline, one of Africa's biggest Internet service providers, said
that there were many reasons for this.
"Internet development in Zimbabwe has been bad because of low pricing,
poor infrastructure, low computer penetration and low interest of its
appreciation," said the provider.
It said this trend was common across the content, except South Africa
and Egypt.
Africaonline said players should pool resources to get cheaper ways of
providing Internet services in Africa.
"The future of Internet service providers in liberalised markets lies
in them engaging partners and merging," it said.
Most African countries, including Zimbabwe, lag behind in
technological development in the world.
A 2002 survey showed that out of 800 million people in Africa, one in
13 had access to television and one in four to telephone and one in
160 to Internet.
Pay television was accessible to one in 1,400 people.
Experts said computer crime was a local global problem.
Though hacking was not commonly reported in Zimbabwe, experts believed
that it existed clandestinely.
A computer security company said underdeveloped markets were targets
as those in Europe had advanced ways of detecting the crime quickly.
On the local market hacking was common in E-banking, it said.
"Some security files have been accessed. The victims have decided not
to publicise it because that would kill their integrity," said the
company.
-- BERNAMA
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