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Le Bénin et l'Afrique dans la société de l'information |
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(1995-1997)
In order to cover the sixth summit of French speaking countries, the Republic of Benin connected itself to the internet in November 1995. In February 1996, the connection was opened to the general public.The international link is at 64,000 bps and the connection has been established via France Radio et Cables.
The internet was created to promote research and the sharing of information. Its most common services are the electronic mail (usually called "e-mail") and the World Wide Web (which is an application of the internet where you can retrieve any kind of hypermedia data). It is already possible to give and receive a voice telephone call over the internet. Being able to wiew a film or a television program via the network will be a possiblity in the near future.
The internet is becoming the repository of the global knowledge. No country can expect to fully develop without making provision for it in one way or the other. And because it is cheaper than all the traditional means of communication, the internet appears to be a very convenient tool for developing countries, particularly Benin.
Benin ranges within the first nations in West Africa to be connected. However this connection hadn't be prepared and is not promoted. The administration's connection that began in 1997 hasn't evolve the least because of administrative and political reasons.
The internet can assist Benin in becoming a more present force in the global economy. The internet will also foster Benin's progress by enhancing its world's perception, offering access to national scientific and technical information, providing better communications between regions,promoting research , training and encouraging the emerging democracy.
As far as information are concerned, libraries are poor, traditionally managed (activities are rarely automated and most managers aren't trained). The university library, one of the second biggest library of the country only possess 23 ,000 books (most of which are dated) and 340 periodicals. Thus, researchers do not have access to pertinent information.
In rural regions there is a lack of roads and, during raining seasons, it happens that the flood hindered the access to some regions. The e-mail can assist in finding a solution, at a low cost, to the communication between regions.
The entity that manages the national node is Benin telecom operator, Office des Postes et Télécommunications (OPT). The service that hosts the node is "Centre Beninpac" which was created to manage the X.25 network of the country. Data are lead to the internet through what is called "encapsulating IP/X.25," where IP stands for Internet Protocol. Let us mention that right at the time when the OPT was implementing its internet server, and in the framework of the francophone project REFER, another server was installed by the AUPELF, a Francophone educational entity. This server is hosted in a center called "Centre Syfed-Refer."
There are six traditional Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Benin and at least four cybercenters as of October 1997 (we name cybercenter a place where you go to send or receive an e-mail and use other services of the internet). The six ISPs each own an internet server:
As of September 1997, the OPT has 545 subscribers. 95 of them have an RTC access without an e-mail account, 446 have an email account with an RTC access and 4 have a PPP access. Most subscribers are institutions (NGOs and private companies). There are 33 new subscribers each month (as of September 1997). Centre Syfed-Refer , as of the same period, has more than 950 clients, 64% of which are students, 33% researchers or lecturers, 3% university civil servant or educational institutions. The center used the internet through the X25 network, but from November 1997, it has a dedicated line at a contract price. Surfing has become permanent and mails are said to be distributed each hour. The SECNI society (Société d'Etudes, de Conseil et de Negoce Internationale) offered access to the internet (UUCP) in 1994 via the USA before the national node was established. But now it has an access (PPP) through this node. As of August 1997, it has nearly 40 subscribers which are institutions with an RTC access. The Euraf society is specialized in radio transmission (Digital Transmission System - DTS). For the establishment of the national node it has created a gateway to the e-mail to its clients, most of which are outside Benin (institutions). The Ministry of Plan's server has been dedicated to the administration. But the connection of the administration is still not effective after one year of existence of this server. The Kheir M. Kheir society did not really exploit its server before early August. For the time being, the sole internet service it offers is the hosting of web pages. Les Etablissements Alindé et Fils and Imédia Informatique are two of the most popular cybercenters. Users do not own a personal mail account but share one. Along with internet services, they offer other comunication and data processing services (telephone, fax, training...) There were, in August 1997, at least 1,500 subscribers to the internet and 6,000 internauts. O,09% of the population. Only 14%of them were women. 80% of the internauts are benineses There were 1,300 mailboxes.67% of the people that were questioned have a personal subscription, but only 12% of them use the internet at its real cost. The Internaut, in Benin, is a male student, approximately 25, and registered at Centre Syfed-Refer in which internet use is sponsored. He uses his access to communicate with family, friends and penpals who live abroad. He also uses it for research purposes. Nearly 91 percent of the internauts that could not use the computer before having an internet access are from the university community. Along with university internauts, the other subscribers include those who work in non governmental organizations, administrative positions, private companies, and various institutions. The cost of the internet is too expensive for most citizens. The average revenue of an adult in urban areas is 190,955 F CFA, nearly 350 U.S. dollars per year, (i.e. less than 16,000 F CFA per month). At the same time, an e-mail box costs 12,000 F CFA per month (OPT). The remaing 4,000 F CFA hardly cover 1 hour 20 minutes of connection, since a minute of on-line communication costs 51 F CFA. Other reasons which could explain a pessimistic opinion about the development of the internet in the country are : the lack of knowledge of the advantages of the network(Only a part of the literate have heard about the network), the poor infrastructure of telecommunications and electricity, the monopolistic situation of the OPT, illiteracy (74 percent of benineses) and the lack of computer-mediated communications' culture. Indeed, people began teaching data processing only about a decade ago in the country. As far as electricity is concerned, only 65% of the nations districts are covered and this partially. The feableness of its infrastructures constitutes a crucial concern regarding the development of the network. Indeed, electricity cuts constitute the second problems (and the more important to underline) internauts are faced with (39,39%). They intervene very often, especially during raining seasons (six months in the year), unawares, damaging on going works. Along with the rain, it brings about the thunder and materials may be damaged. Thus, important institutions (educational, health, should be equipped with lightning rods and electrogenous groups in order to fight theses difficulties. In order for Benin to be a part of the global political and economical scene, it must seek to rectify those things that make internet acces difficult. The private sector and non governmental organizations need to encourage and contribute to internet development. The private sector will profite by making internet services available. Non governmental organizations can serve as vehicles in conveying the benefits of internet to citizens, especially those in rural areas. But the political body should be held more responsible of the development of the internet, even though there is a world wide tendancy to liberalize and to leave the economic development to the responsibility of the private sector. This, because telecommunications, today, appears to be a strategic sector that determines development and leadership. Thus, governmental actions should be oriented towards developing strategies to diffuse beninese information (touristic, administrative, cultural information, etc. ...) on the internet, sponsoring internet development in the nonprofit sector, fostering training by helping next generations be more skilled in facing computer-mediated communications and connecting research institutions. Two international projects that are being implemented in Benin can help the country be more present on the superhighways of information. These projects are the Sustainable Development Networking Programme (SDNP) of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the american Leland Initiative.The SDNP will establish a national intranet (10 servers interconnected) which is expected to make available the information produced in all sectors of activities. Leland Initiative will increase the debit of the national node up to 128,000 bps to begin with and up to higher debits if this is needed (connection via a VSAT satellite).. The two projects will also promote the use of the internet in Benin. However, all these actions would be ineffective if citizens disregard the importance of the internet. Moreover, if true patriotism is examplified, then love of work and lake of envy within people will result. Only under these favorable conditions can the progression and establishment of the internet be obtained in Benin