" ITREALMS: Nigeria, first to endorse A4AI ‘1 for 2’ affordability target

Wednesday, February 08, 2017

Nigeria, first to endorse A4AI ‘1 for 2’ affordability target


ITRealms:

Nigeria has become the first country to endorse the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) 1 for 2 affordability target, reports ITRealms.
 
Confirming this, Communications Manager, A4AI, Lauran Potter, told ITRealms that in 2016, A4AI called on countries to adopt a new, more ambitious target for what counts as ‘affordable’ internet access — a 1GB bundle costing no more than 2 per cent of monthly incomes, or “1 for 2”.  

According to Potter, Nigeria recently is the first nation to formally endorse this target.
“We’d like to congratulate Nigeria for the nation’s vision in taking this step, and we stand ready to help make it a reality for all of her citizens,” Potter said.

Pointing out on how it was decided on, noting that between 2015 and 2016 Affordability Report showed that at this level, broadband is likely to be affordable to most, or all, population groups. Stressing that by contrast, the research showed that the current UN-agreed target of 500MBs for 5 per cent or less of income is likely to restrict access to the relatively well-off, while also severely restricting the amount of time people can spend online.

A4AI said it was in this recognition, a speech by Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Communications Barrister Adebayo Shittu, as delivered by the Permanent Secretary, Arch. Sunday Echono at the A4AI-Nigeria Coalition meeting on January 25, 2017 noted:

 “Consequently, A4AI and the Ministry share the common goal to make the Internet universally affordable for all who want to use it. This goal is quantified in a measure of having 1 Gigabyte of bandwidth not costing more than 2 per cent of a person’s monthly income,” he said.

Chuks Egbune/GEE 

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