Ugandans should increase usage capacities in order to bring down the cost of internet, according to a Google official.
Mr Kai Walluf, the Google access director, said in Kampala that the key to low internet prices is high internet usage, adding that the current high cost of internet in East Africa is due to low usage capacities, resulting into underutilized infrastructure.
Equating internet to an aircraft, Mr Walluf said: “Internet cost is not a matter of how much it should cost but how much people are using.
The East African region has unlimited internet capacity but only a few people use it and because of they have to pay the full cost.
It’s like buying a 500-capacity aircraft but when you are able to sell only two seats, the two passengers on board have to pay for the empty 498 seats.”
Although Uganda has three fubre optic cables including EASSy, TEAMS and SEACOM that supply internet, internet usage in the country was only five million at the end of last year, according to figures from the Uganda Communications Commission.
This is, however, a growth compared to about 4.5 million internet users in 2010 and 1 million in 2007.
The growth witnessed is especially driven by the advent of social network sites like Facebook, Twitter,LinkedIn,Google plus ,Skype and many othres that have boosted the Internet around the country.
Mr Walluf who was speaking at a Google organised state of ICT infrastructure in Uganda dialogue said with fibre optic cables, the more you use, the incremental cost is too small.
Source: Daily Mornitor
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