Open access developments in Africa: A Google perspective

Open Access Developments in Africa: A Google perspective

Estelle Akofio-Sowah 26th October 2011

Why Africa? Challenges & Opportunities…

Why Africa ?

3

Last frontier for the online world

More than 1 billion people

Infrastructure is arriving:

120Gbit/s >> 15,000Gbit/s

Prices are dropping

Africa has the highest growth: more than 50% annual growth in mobile subscriptions over the past 5 years

Diversity : Hundreds of Languages 50+ African languages Swahili, Hausa, Yoruba, Amharic, Oromo, Somali, Igbo, Shona, Fula Zulu, Chichewa, Kongo, Akan, Tshiluba, Kinyarwanda, Xhosa, Tigrinya, Makhuwa, Afrikaans, Gikuyu, More, Kirundi, Sesotho, Tswana, Kanuri, Umbundu, Northern Sotho, Luyia, Wolof, Bemba, Luo, Maninka, Tsonga, Sukuma, Ewe, Luganda, Lusoga, Kimbudu, Ibibio-Efik, Bambara, Ometo, Senoufo, Kalenjin, Kamba, Tiv, Gbaya, Zarma, Baoulé, Lingala, Beti-Pahuin

European languages English French Portuguese

Middle-Eastern languages Arabic

4

Lack of Local Content

• Globally, 94 domains per 10,000 people; Africa : 1/10,000 • Africa: 14% of the world’s population but 2% of Internet users • Lack of online content spanning all African languages

5

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

GH KE NG SN UG SA

RadioTVMobileInternet

SSA Social / Entertainment is Offline (2009 penetration comparison)

0.2%0.2%14%

2%

Pop Users Hosts Domains

RoWAfrica

Devices & Connectivity : A question of affordability More than 50% of 16 year olds who are familiar with the Internet don’t use it due “lack of access to a PC” (SSA ICT Survey)

Limited access to financing options, besides high proportion of people without bank accounts. Fixed line and mobile cost about the same as in Europe, but broadband in Africa is 10x more expensive than in Europe

6

Price $ per

month

Price multiplier of

GDP per capita

SSA $45 66x India $7 6x

US $15 0.3x

Embracing Mobile

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If more people knew (and could afford) that their current mobile already

allow them to access their email or even browse the

Internet, Internet penetration in Africa would

increase significantly!

A Closer Look at Ghana…

GOOGLE CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY

Online activities – what are people doing online?

Q10a. When you go online via computer, which are the five things that you tend to do the most often? Q10b. And which of these is the main reason? Q15a. When you go online via mobile phone, which are the five things that you tend to do the most often? Q15b. And which of these is the main reason? Base: all users via computer (n=747), all users via mobile (n=463)

Email, search, instant messaging and social networking are all activities pursued to a great extent on computers and mobiles. However, across the two means of access, social networking reigns supreme in terms of being the main activity.

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17%

45%

13%

84%

78%

77%

70%

36%

30%

18%

17%

15%

13%

13%

7%

7%

5%

4%

3%

2%

1%

Emailing

Using social networking sites

Using a search engine

Instant messaging/ chatting

Streaming/ downloading music/ radio

Looking for news or information on a …

Using online dictionaries or encyclopaedias

Viewing online photos

Streaming/ downloading TV/ Films

Online gaming

Using video sharing websites such as …

Making internet calls/ Skyping

Reading/ downloading an eBook

Blogging

Using online maps

Using online Auctions

Shopping online

Online banking

Tend to do (TOP 5) Main

59% 85%

76%

68%

61%

47%

30%

19%

17%

15%

14%

11%

6%

5%

5%

3%

3%

3%

2%

Using social networking sites

Using a search engine

Emailing

Instant messaging/ chatting

Streaming/ downloading music/ radio

Looking for news or information on a …

Viewing online photos

Streaming/ downloading TV/ Films

Using online dictionaries or encyclopaedias

Online gaming

Using video sharing websites such as …

Reading/ downloading an eBook

Making internet calls/ Skyping

Blogging

Using online maps

Using online Auctions

Shopping online

Online banking

Via Mobile Phone Via Computer

GOOGLE CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY

Online content – PC versus Mobile

10 Q10c. When you go online via computer, which of the following subjects do you tend to look at or search for? Q15c. When you go online via mobile phone, which of the following subjects do you tend to look at or search for? Base: all users via computer (n=747), all users via mobile (n=463)

77%

74%

60%

39%

35%

27%

22%

18%

17%

16%

14%

14%

13%

11%

7%

3%

Entertainment

News

Sports

Local information

Research for school/ Academic Research

Research for work

Government

Medical Information

Job hunting

Arts & Culture (theatres, concerts, etc)

Religion

Finance

Travel

Weather

Shopping

None of these

Via computer

84%

63%

58%

32%

32%

20%

16%

16%

11%

11%

9%

9%

7%

6%

5%

3%

Entertainment

News

Sports

Local information

Research for school/ Academic Research

Research for work

Government

Medical Information

Arts & Culture (theatres, concerts, etc)

Religion

Job hunting

Weather

Finance

Travel

Shopping

None of these

Via mobile phone

Identical hierarchy of subjects looked or searched for via computer and mobile phone – no indication of a division of labour here.

Google Zeitgeist – 2010 Top Searches Global Fastest Rising Queries

Fastest rising searches, Ghana, 2010

Most frequent searches, Ghana, 2010

chatroulette ipad justin bieber nicki minaj friv myxer katy perry twitter gamezer facebook

waptrick.com Opera World cup facebook.com goal.com skype premier league Ipad Storm over paradise Asamoah Gyan

Ghana Facebook yahoo facebook.com google pictures yahoomail love lyrics www.facebook.com

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GOOGLE CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY

Drivers for increased internet usage (users)

12 Q21a/b. Which of these would encourage you to use the internet more via computer? Q22a/b. Which of these would encourage you to use the internet more via mobile phone? Base: all users (n=986)

For computer users, current usage is most likely to be boosted by a combination of lower costs, easier access and improved connection speed. Mobile users place less emphasis on access.

24%

14%

18%

39%

33%

30%

14%

12%

7%

6%

6%

5%

4%

Lower cost

Faster

Easier access

More knowledge

More reliable

Discounted rates for frequent users

More relevant content

Safer access (secure, fewer viruses)

Charged by smaller connection times

Consistent connection speed

25%

18%

37%

35%

14%

12%

7%

6%

6%

5%

4%

3%

Lower cost

Faster

More knowledge

More reliable

Discounted rates for frequent users

More relevant content

Safer access (secure, fewer viruses)

Charged by smaller connection times

Consistent connection speed

More content in my native language

Via Mobile Phone Via Computer

Any mention Most Encourage Any mention Most Encourage

GOOGLE CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY

Barriers to internet usage (non-users)

13 Q25a. Which of these apply to you personally? Q25b. Which of these best describes why you personally do not use the internet? Base: all non-users (n=1014)

Non users are predominantly held back by a lack of knowledge and hardware, but a sizeable % indicate that they are simply not interested.

37% 8%

16%

83% 64%

60% 51%

46% 42%

40% 40% 40%

37% 37%

36% 36%

34% 31%

30% 30%

27% 26% 26%

25% 25%

23%

I don't know enough about the internet

I don't know where or how to connect

I don't own a computer

I am simply not interested

I don't have time to go online

I don't own a mobile phone that can connect to the internet

There is nothing relevant for me on the internet

I don't have easy access to the internet

I don't see a need to use the internet

Internet connections are too expensive

There is not enough information in my local language

It is too expensive to connect in a cyber cafe

I have other and better things to spend my money on

I don't feel comfortable going to a cyber cafe

There are things on the internet that are not appropriate for my …

There is too much offensive content on the internet

There are no cyber cafes near me

Internet connections are not reliable enough

The internet is not for people like me

The electricity supply is too unreliable

I am concerned about online security

Internet connections are too slow

Other people go online for me and give me the information I need

Any reason Main reason

Google’s Mission

Google’s Mission for Africa Get users online by enabling an accessible, relevant and sustainable

Internet ecosystem

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Many opportunities available for

businesses and developers

1. Access : reducing access as a barrier to all potential users

2. Relevance : making the Internet relevant and useful to local people

3. Sustainability : helping to build an Internet ecosystem in Africa that is viable and sustainable in the long-term

Access

Access Barriers: Reducing Latency • Supporting the foundation and encouraging the expansion of

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) around Africa: equipment and expertise.

• Educating developers to create efficient websites and applications to minimise loading times.

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Installing Google caches around Africa to reduce international bandwidth requirements for ISPs, improve the user experience and reducing latency.

Google providing Internet bandwidth, Apps and engineering support for the Universities across Africa

New Product Features Gmail inbox preview can be used in high-latency environments to improve the user experience.

Relevance

Making the Internet relevant & useful to local people

• Localising Google search Many African languages, Hausa, Akan, Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa,

Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana

• Creation of more African content online Kenyan Gazette, Nelson Mandela archives Google Books partnerships

• Developing products that are locally meaningful and enabling African developers to do the same

More detail on next slide

• Using technology to solve African problems for Africans Launching specific Google products for African countries

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Google Search in multiple African languages YouTube in South Africa and Kenya Google Maps in 30+ domains and in Afrikaans StreetView in South Africa Google Earth with Africa coverage Gmail SMS in Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, SA Gmail in Swahili and Amharic Google country domains - most SSA countries Google Translate in Swahili and Afrikaans Google News – many African countries Suggest in 12 new African languages Google Suggest, Maps and Google Chrome in Swahili Driving Directions in Kenya, Ghana & SA Local listings Transliteration for Amharic on GWS in Ethiopia Trader in Uganda, Ghana and Kenya Google Baraza – pan-African Q&A

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Creating the African Internet Experience: Products

Sustainability

Helping to build an Internet ecosystem in Africa • Outreach to Students, Developers & Businesses

We are helping to strengthen and empower the community of internet users in Africa

We are working with universities: raising the level of curriculum, raising awareness about Google, and encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship

We are also working and partnering with start-ups, publishers, the media, NGOs and more

• Awareness and Education We are raising awareness among African consumers, business and

Government, about the opportunities and value of the Internet

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Educate the community on tools and applications that make the web and mobile experiences better and more relevant

How we engage: G-Africa events and DevFest Barcamps, code clinics, competitions, tech hubs. Apps, Android and Marketing Competitions University programs, curriculum & tech talks

2011 Results: ~ 20,000 users reached

Participated in over 35 community events across 14 countries

Google Technology User Groups (GTUGs) from 1 – 17

Student, Developer & Entrepreneur Outreach

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Thank you!

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?'" MLK

Thank you!