The DSF is a partner of the “Connect Africa” Summit, which will unite the public sector, private sector and civil society around the issue of the digital divide.

Organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Connect Africa Summit will take place in Kigali (Rwanda) on 29 and 30 October 2007. The summit is intended to examine key success factors for ICT development in Africa. It will also identify solutions for expanding the Internet infrastructure, enhancing workforce training in the ICT sector, stimulating the development of locally relevant ICT content and applications, and developing a policy that favours investment.

“The DSF immediately got involved with this event, which is helping draw the attention of all development actors, particularly in the private sector, to the urgent need for full Internet connection in Africa if we want to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015”, commented the Executive Secretary of the DSF, Alain Clerc.

Although investment in ICT infrastructures in Africa has increased significantly in recent years (rising from $3.5 billion in 2000 to $8 billion in 2005), Internet access is still very limited. In 2006, the Internet penetration rate in Africa was 2.6%, compared with 68.6% in North America. High-speed Internet services remain very expensive (three times more than in Asia).