Agree Mark, we are lighting fiber into EADC Nairobi as we speak. Watch society’s next golden age come out of Africa. -LB
Ms. Lady Benjamin PD Cannon of Glencoe, ASCE 6x7 Networks & 6x7 Telecom, LLC CEO b...@6by7.net "The only fully end-to-end encrypted global telecommunications company in the world.” ANNOUNCING: 6x7 GLOBAL MARITIME <https://alexmhoulton.wixsite.com/6x7networks> FCC License KJ6FJJ > On Jun 1, 2021, at 7:19 AM, Mark Tinka <mark@tinka.africa> wrote: > > > > On 6/1/21 15:49, Don Fanning wrote: > >> One thing to consider in regards to "developing" places - most people in >> Africa and India get their internet from SmartPhones/Mobile devices. Reason >> being: power, mobility, and that in many places, the phone company in many >> locations acts as a "western union" for their areas... including bill >> pay/wire transfer and digital wallet. This is due to everyone has phone >> bills/minutes/data to purchase - as well as mobile purchasing with >> barcodes/SMS, etc... > > The main reason mobile phones took off in Africa is because while almost all > countries on the continent had some kind of national telephone network and > infrastructure for at least 2.5 decades after independence, it suffered > neglect. It wasn't until around 1998 - 2003 that mobile operators sprang up > all over the continent, and immediately made landlines obsolete. > > Had public PTT's been serious and kept looking to grow and serve, > post-independence, they may not have survived the "scourge" of the mobile > network, but they would have been in a great position to deliver wire-based > Internet access, be it copper or fibre, later in their lives. > > That innovative services such as phone banking have emerged simply goes to > show that the mobile phone (and the network it rides on) is a pathway to > solving problems in a local community in a way that matters to them. No point > in crying about not being able to open a bank account simply because you > don't have a national ID or a street address, when someone who cares can > build a simple version of the need for use on even the cheapest of > un-smartphones. > > >> >> They don't really "Netflix and chill" but when they do, you're likely to see >> multiple screens occurring and they'll still be on mobile or wifi. > > Most users in Africa that can afford Netflix will usually have some kind of > wired service, or failing that, will use a MiFi router that translates 4G to > wi-fi. The mobile companies have data plans for all major content services, > so that helps deal with affordability there. > > >> So 4G/5G will be of greater benefit to crowded neighborhoods which there >> are a lot of them there. > > For me, I still don't see 5G being a model for the mobile operators; too much > cost in a space where 4G isn't struggling. > > Moreover, 5G makes sense in dense cities where fibre is already available. > Given the chance, the kids will choose wi-fi over *G, even if you offer them > unlimited mobile data. > > >> Backhaul could easily occur over the LEO satellite constellation since it >> will be a long time before you'll see Africa and most of Asia needing >> constant signal coverage. > > Africa's days of satellite to build backbones are long behind it. Fibre may > not be able to reach all the people, but it will reach the data centres, and > the mobile towers. > > >> >> It's a mistake to think that everyone uses the internet the same way as >> people thinking that we all use our cell phones the same way. > > +1. > > Mark.
