Global Diffusion of the Internet IV: The Internet in Ghana

Abstract

Ghana was one of the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to gain Internet access. By 1996, three Internet service providers (ISPs) were competing. During the Internet boom years, 1998-2000, the ISP and Internet Café industries in Ghana grew rapidly. In 2004, policy-makers are struggling with the question of how to fund telecommunications deployment in rural Ghana. The question is urgent because use of Voice over IP (VoIP) technology for international voice calls ate away at Ghana Telecom’s profits; profits the company says it desperately needs to fund deployment of a new telephone network.