Several months back MTN Uganda run a campaign under the theme that Internet Access is a Human right as declared by the United Nations. MTN offered 10MBs daily free for internet access! Even as on a few days, I did get these 10 MB, on several days I never had the luxury of MTN’s free 10MBs. That bring me to the question, is Internet Access a Right or a Luxury?
One will possibly be hard pressed to find people considering internet access or in Africa mobile broadband access as a luxury. The world has come to a point where heath care, education, commerce are all going to be driven by the internet and thus the world inhabitants that will not have this access will lack healthcare services, education and trade opportunities.
Given the centrality of broadband to economic and social growth, we are hence more inclined to see broadband internet access become a true human right! Just as H.E the president of Uganda, has no kind words to politicians or individuals that apparently frustrate investment in the Energy and other infrastructure programs, it is my hope that government and the top leadership could have the same view as far as ICT infrastructure and more specifically internet infrastructure is concerned.
