By William Madouk
Telecommunication companies operating in South Sudan have been urged to invest in infrastructure and technology that can help lower internet and phone call fees.
According to the Internet Society South Sudan Chapter, statistics from Data Reportal show that South Sudan has 1.36 million internet users, with 90% of them accessing the internet through their phones.
Responding to recent tariff adjustments by Zain, MTN, and Digital, the acting secretary for the Internet Society, Richard Mawa, stated that the purpose of the communication was to address the regulated exchange rate adjustments made by the three companies.
“Such an adjustment will increase the cost of access of the internet for ordinary citizens who are grappling with economic pressures like currency devaluation and decrease in buying power,” he said.
He added that the increment would result in fewer people accessing the internet, adding that “the impacts of this would be detrimental to the citizens and the country at large.”
“Thus, you are compelled to regulate your operating costs, and that the change in tariffs enables you to continue stay in business,” Mawa added.
He also urged the telecom firms to counter these far-reaching effects, asserting that they should invest in amenities and inventions that would reduce the cost of internet in the country.
“We call upon your institution to allocate funds, invest in facilities and innovation that can reduce the cost of the internet as well as increase coverage,” he advised.
He suggested that used of community network – a computer-based system that is intended to help support communities by supporting, augmenting and extending already existing social networks.
“This would place an emphasis on local ownership, and management and empower communities hardest hit by the tariffs,” Mawa explained.
According to him, another way is community engagement – that is sponsoring digital empowerment initiatives in the form of public-private partnerships, regulatory reforms, and digital inclusion initiatives.
He added, “subsidies and grants and hackathons would help to spur community solution to the issue of internet and digital accessibility.’
Mr. Mawa recommended the establishment of an Internet Exchange Point (IXP), a vital Internet infrastructure that enables networks to exchange traffic with each other.
For instance, multiple internet service providers (ISPs) can connect at a single IXP, creating the potential for a range of technical and economic benefits for the local internet community.
“By keeping local traffic local and avoiding international links, local operators and users can reap substantial cost savings, provide local bandwidth and significantly improve local internet performance in the country,” he continued.
The Internet Society South Sudan Chapter is an umbrella organization based in Geneva Switzerland, 83 organization members and more than 117,000 individuals and over 100 chapters globally.
The organization aims is to promote open development, evolution, and use of the internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world and more so in South Sudan.