E-READINESS QUESTIONNAIRE FOR NORTH ... - Kunnat.net

Despite the lack of competition, mobile market penetration at close to 70% is well
above the African average. More than 90% of all telephones in the country are mobile
phones. Swazi MTN has entered the Internet sector with basic mobile data services in
a bid to generate additional revenues in an environment of rapidly declining average
revenue per user, and the company is preparing for the introduction of third generation
mobile broadband services.
The Internet sector is open to competition with four licensed ISPs, but prices have
remained high and market penetration relatively low. Broadband services are still very
limited and expensive. Development of the sector has been hampered by the limited
fi xed-line infrastructure and a lack of competition in the access and backbone network,
although the country has a relatively well-developed fi bre optic backbone. However,
being landlocked, Swaziland depends on neighboring countries for international fi bre
bandwidth which has led to high prices. Improvements can be expected when several
new submarine fi bre optic cables reach the region in 2010 and 2011. 90
In 2006, the information communication technology (ICT) policy was launched
with the hope of making ICT accessible to a broader community, even in the rural
areas 91 . The Kingdom of Swaziland through its Government Computer Centre has
initiated various successful and ongoing ICT projects. The enabling environment has
led to a fl ourishing private sector in ICT. Swaziland has the largest Internet Service
Providers per capita in Africa 92 .
Telephones - main lines in use
44,000 (2008)
Telephones - mobile cellular
457,000 (2008)
Telephone system
General assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced system
Domestic: single source for mobile-cellular service with a geographic coverage of about
90% and a rising subscribership base; combined fi xed-line and mobile cellular teledensity
reaching 50 telephones per 100 persons in 2008; telephone system consists of
carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay
International: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
(2008)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 3, FM 2 (plus 4 repeaters), shortwave 3 (2004)
Television broadcast stations
12 (includes 7 relay stations) (2004)
Internet country code
.sz
90 http://www.budde.com.au/Research/Swaziland-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband.html
91 http://www.ifg.cc/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29891&Itemid=93
92 http://www.uneca.org/aisi/NICI/Swaziland/swaziland.htm
Strenghtening e-Governance in the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme 71