Digital Rights, Internet Accessibility, and Affordability in Malawi – Part III

This article is the third and last in a three-part series focusing on digital rights, access to the Internet, and Internet affordability in Malawi. This part specifically looks at access to the Internet, what it is and what it entails

Affordable Internet

Dhanaraj Thakur of Alliance for Affordable Internet notes that there are two factors that determine whether Internet access is affordable, namely: the amount of data and the cost for purchasing that level of access.  Internet is considered affordable when 1 Gigabyte (GB) of unbundled mobile data costs 2 percent or less of average monthly national income. Unbundled data means data that is not restricted to a specific app or social media service.

The current average monthly income for Malawians is K29 200 (about $40.96), while 1 Gigabyte of unbundled data costs is K5 000.00 (about $6.86) for 30 days. This shows just how expensive mobile data is in Malawi.

This means that Internet remains unaffordable for a majority of Malawians, and studies reveal that even though there has been improvement on Internet access, from 9.6 percent in 2016 to 13.1 percent in 2018, studies also reveal that the Internet speed in the country is getting worse, against the global average.

In 2015, the BBC reported on International Telecommunications Union (ITU) findings, which established the extent of internet cost in Malawi. The report shows that on average Malawians use more than $12 (about K8 760) a month on mobile phones, the primary means of accessing the Internet. The report indicated that [at the time] the $12 was more than half of what an ordinary Malawian earned in a month. Minimum wage was at K15 000.

Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net 2018 report reveals that Malawians have to pay up 44 percent in tax in order to access the Internet. The tax is broken down into the following: a 17.5 percent VAT [value added tax] on mobile phones and services; a 16.5 percent VAT on Internet services; and an additional 10 percent excise duty on mobile phone text messages and Internet data transfers, introduced in 2015. The report reveals that as of March 2018, a monthly data bundle for 10GB costs $22 (about K16 000) with both Airtel and TNM.

The report also reveals that for the few users who can afford the Internet, “connection speeds are frustratingly slow and have decreased to an average of 1.3 Mbps in 2017 from 1.7 Mbps a year prior, compared to a global average of 7.0 Mbps.” The slowing speeds have coincided with rising costs due to poor infrastructure management and lack of investment.

Perhaps inevitable, the report argues that the high costs of the internet have hit the Malawi’s poor the hardest—“shutting them out of an increasingly digital world of important services like mobile banking and money services that could help lift them out of poverty, as well as access to essential communications platforms.”

OSISA/ Wits University report on political economy of new media technologies in Malawi observes that there is a clear need for Malawi government to reduce taxes for ICT products so as to enhance universal access and make the Internet affordable. The report states:

“considering the harsh economic climate of Malawi and the already exorbitant costs of ICT services as a result of a poor electrical infrastructure and landlocked geography, regulatory taxes present an unwelcome addition to rising costs.”

The report makes it clear that regulatory and policy frameworks, as well as government taxes are largely responsible for the high tariff rates on mobile phones and SMs. It is then not surprising that majority of Malawians are priced out of the Internet. The amount of VAT the government is getting from the industry indicates that Malawi government is mainly interested in making money—through taxes and operating licences while ignoring the benefits of the Internet to the socioeconomic development of the country and its people.

The series of articles are made paossible by support from the DW Akademie. For more information visit http://malawi.misa.org.

Digital Rights, Internet Accessibility and Affordability in Malawi – Part II

This article is second in three-part series focusing on digital rights, access to the Internet, and Internet affordability in Malawi. This part specifically looks access to the Internet,  what it is and what it entails

Access to the Internet

By definition, access means having an ability to connect to the Internet. Dhanaraj Thakur of Alliance for Affordable Internetobserves that access requires that people have the ability to connect physically – as in living in an area with Internet coverage – as well the resources to use the internet.To have access users, of the internet must have certaincomponents – among these an internet-enabled device, the cost for data and electricity for charging the device.

The costs of the Internet enabled device, the power needed to run the device and the Internet data all have costs that must be met by the would be Internet user. It is therefore, very possible that Internet may be available, meaning that the Internet coverage is there in a certain area but people in that area would still not have access to because it is beyond their financial means.

Thakur notices that one of the most significant barriers to accessible internet is the high cost of the internet. Malawi is no exception. While the number of people with access to the internet in the country has improved from 9.6% in 2016 to 13.1% in 2018, the number remains significantly low. The country has lowest internet access comparison with regional neighbours such as Zambia where those with access to the Internet are more than twice that of Malawi.

The Inclusive Internet Index 2018 report revealsthat out of the 86 countries assessed in the report, Malawi has an overall rank of 85^th in the world, only one position ahead of the worst ranked country, Democratic Republic of Congo. Malawi is ranked 83 out 86 on internet availability; the country is ranked 84 out of 86 in the world on internet affordability; and it is ranked 79 out of 86 on Relevant content.

Paradoxically, the report reveals that Malawi has performed relatively well on internet Readiness. Readiness “examines the capacity to access the internet, including skills, cultural acceptance, and supporting policy.” Under readiness, other issues measured are literacy—to assess the preparedness to use the Internet as well as trust and safety, this measures internet safety and cultural acceptance of the internet. It also measures policy, to assess the existence of national strategies that promote the safe and widespread use of the Internet.

The readiness ranking shows that Malawians are ready to embrace the Internet if the right environment is created for affordable access to the internet. It shows that the current low internet access rates in the country have nothing to do with Malawi’s cultural environment or users technical skills, but people have no access to the internet mainly due to contradictory policies as well failure by the government to implement conducive policies currently.

The policy and regulatory framework indicates that Internet in Malawi is treated as luxury even at the time when international community is waking up to the reality of the Internet as key to socioeconomic and national development. In fact, the aim of the Inclusive Internet Index is to “measure the extent to which the Internet is not only accessible and affordable, but also ‘relevant to all, allowing usage that enables positive social and economic outcomes at individual and group level.’”

Regulatory and policy framework is crucial in overcoming the problem of access. One key factor is building infrastructure and ensuring that average Malawians can afford devices and tools for internet connectivity, particularly in the rural areas where a huge majority of Malawians live but the areas are unattractive for investors and commercial service providers because people living in rural areas have less spending power.

Article 157 of Communications Act of 2016provides for Universal Services and Access to telecommunication. Article 158 (1) states: “The Universal Service Fund shall be used for purposes of implementation of universal service and universal access”. Article 158 (2) adds that is shall be done without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the proceeds of the Universal Service Fund shall be used to:

1. offer subsidies on a competitive basis to licensees in order to provide them with incentives to provide universal access in areas that are not economically viable or that are marginally viable without subsidies.

Article 156 (b) (d), and (f) respectively, gives mandate to Malawi’s telecommunication regulator, Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) to “set out the operations to be undertaken to ensure universal service”; “to define, plan and co-ordinate the implementation and monitoring of the universal access and universal service.” MACRA is also mandated “to ensure that the provision of universal services is made on affordable tariffs that are accessible to all.”

In conclusion, currently the Internet is priced beyond the reach of the majority of Malawians. The portion of the Malawian public that has access to the Internet often experience poor quality connections, that is Internet connections that are unreliable, sluggish, and sporadic. Implementing the provisions of Universal Service Fund would be a practical and good start in ensuring accessible internet in the country. There is also a need to draft and introduce a legal and policy framework, which clearly recognises that the internet is not a luxury but a necessity and emphasises the government’s duty to ensure that its citizens have affordable access to it.

The series of articles are made possible by support from the DW Akademie. For more information visit http://malawi.misa.org.

Be Afraid of Governments Condemning Social Media “Misuse”

2019 has hardly taken any shape, yet there has already been a succession of Internet shutdowns across Africa. These shutdowns have come as governments attempt to narrow and shutdown spectrums of acceptable opi§nion and freedom of expression. These shutdowns have been affected either as citizens demand justice, better service delivery, human rights and free and fair elections. One can only fear more Internet shutdown as Africa expects 14 more elections this year.

It’s a critical year to test freedom of expression and political tolerance in the region. The main reasons for Internet Shutdown, everywhere is because open Internet offers a platform where ordinary citizens can freely express themselves as well as having mechanism to monitor the abuse of power and malpractice during elections. This is what increasingly authoritarian governments on continent do not like. It is challenges their authority.

Malawi is among the countries holding elections later this year; it is a tripartite election where a new president, members of parliament and local councillors will be chosen. Given the growing wave of Internet shutdowns on the continent, I find the recent pronouncementsby Malawi’s Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Henry Mussa that it has become clear that there are people that are “misusing” social media indicative of what could be laying ahead.

According to a news report by Nyasa Times, the minister thinks social media “might have the potential to create chaos” in the May tripartite elections. Maybe it has the potential; maybe it does not, we will come to this later. First we must be mindful that Africa has a rich history of benchmarking – what happens in one African country always reappear in another African country in one disguise or another. Internet shutdowns are the in thing at the moment and it starts with statements like Mussa’s, this is why such statements need to be challenged right away.

The sad thing for Malawi is that there are many people in the country – including those that are expected to know better who would agree with the Minister’s position entirely, never mind the vagueness of the Minister’s language. Mind you, the Minister is a politician and his comments/ views are not value-free. What constitutes to “misuse” of social media? Who determines/ defines it? The thing with such vagueness is that it provides room for authorities to abuse their powerful positions when it suits their economic and political interests. If social media has issues that need, addressing, such issues have to be stated in law and regulations, and it is a duty of the courts to interpret such laws, not politicians.

It is easy for anyone to find and pick cases indicating that people’s rights and dignity are violated and hate speeches have been uttered. These issues have to be checked and it is also true that it will always be there, it part of the society – on and offline. Yet, the solution is to have laws that can be enforced to punish the culprits not shutting down that Internet because doing so would be violating other people fundamental rights. Experience shows us that governments in Africa and elsewhere often use this as a ploy to censor and closedown voices they disagree with.

Internet, through various forums, including social media is a key tool for freedom of expression, which does not only allow people to express themselves freely but it also allows them to hear the opinion of others; it provides a room for open and free deliberation of ideas so that truth could be determined and policies could be drawn on correct information. These are fundamental issues in democracy, without which democracy itself is compromised. It is the duty of government to find means of protecting its citizens without undermining rights and freedom of others.

It is important to realise that social media is not only used in Africa – people have issues with it everywhere but only African government are eager to shutdown the Internet or make threats about it as if our corrupt leaders and governments have any moral higher-ground when it comes to promotion of human rights and protection of civil liberties. Why are these leaders only worried about the plight of their citizens on social media while majority of their citizens can hardly afford three meals a day if at all?

It is very instructive to realise that no government in Africa has ever shutdown the Internet or condemn social media “abuse” at a time when that government has a lot of support from its citizens. So it is incumbent on the rest of us citizens to be proactive and ensure that political leaders and government make decisions and policies that are in tandem with the law, which is designed to uphold and protect people’s freedom and democrat rights.

Reflections on #FIFA18: Accessible and Affordable ICT’s, Africa’s Generational Battle

In the Wretched of the EarthFrantz Fanon said “each generation must discover its mission, fulfil it, or betray it, in relative opacity.”

For Africa and its people, for whom Fanon spoke for, this call to action is more daunting than it sounds, specifically for two specific reasons. First, general socioeconomic problems on the continent can hardly be defined as generational – these are passed on from one generation to another. Second, societal and political leadership are not easily passed on to younger generation to allow them determine their future.

As it were, Africa is the youngest continent with oldest leaders. This brings conflict of interest among different generations – those in power cannot easily identify with aspirations of younger generations, let alone fulfil those aspirations. In the end the mission of young Africans has mostly been fighting for a space at the table, where their voices can be heard; where they can influence policies and determine their future and that of the African continent.

I reflected on this while listening to a keynote address by Charles Onyango-Obbo at Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa, 2018 organised and co-hosted by Collaboration on ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in Accra, Ghana.

Onyango-Obbo’s address was titled “Many African Governments Hate the Free Internet – and That is a Good Thing.”Onyango-Obbo sees the struggle for free Internet as a generational battle. He argued that the fact that many African governments are afraid of open access and affordable Internet does not mean that these leaders do not understand the importance of the Internet. To the contrary, African leaders understand the Internet very well, and it is because of this that most of them are afraid of the Internet.

They are afraid not because the Internet is a bad thing, but because the Internet empowers ordinary citizens with information, tools to monitor and challenge executive decisions as well as a platform to challenge overindulgence. This is a threat to the majority of current African leadership whose leadership and policies do not speak to the aspirations of the majority of Africans: the youth.

It started as a joke when a friend posted a picture of a newspaper headline on one of the WhatsApp groups, which I am a member. The headline said that President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda had indicated an intention to introduce social media tax as a way of countering social media “gossip”. It was not a joke, Uganda introduced the social media tax and because African countries always benchmark on one another, now there is social media tax in Kenya, Tanzania, Benin, and Zambia. The realist bet is that the list will only get longer.

This is a new way of controlling the Internet and narrowing the spectrum of free expression and acceptable opinion. It is the new frontline for access to information battle, which has a habit of reappearing in different disguises all the time. Social media tax is a more targeted way of controlling access to the media than shutdowns.

The essence of Onyango-Obbo’s keynote presentation was that these tactics is an opportunity for young Africans to take up the cause of ensuring free, open, access and affordable Internet. Africa cannot afford to lag behind any further in access to information technologies if the content and its young population are to have any global relevance in the age where dominant world corporations are telecommunication ones. This is a mission that young Africans must fulfil; a mission young Africans cannot afford to betray.

It is very pleasing to note that over the years CIPESA, through various sponsors and collaborations has taken up the noble cause of ensuring that policy makers understand that information technologies are not a luxury – providing access to gossiping forums; rather, open, accessible and affordable information technologies play in socioeconomic development of any nation.

Through forum on Internet freedom CIPESA has created space that is allowing Africans to gathering and discussing policy issues that affect their respective countries and the continent. The most beautiful thing about the forum is that it strengthens the collaborative bond and encourages networking among a small but vibrant group of Africans determined to create a better and conducive ICT space in Africa.

The nature of research and policy making in Africa requires collaboration and collective efforts mostly because African countries always benchmark their policies on other African nations. Given the diversity of African continent and tricky travel logistics and expenses, it is not easy to have a group of likeminded Africans physically gathering in one place brainstorming, sharing ideas and experiences.