Affordable access to the Internet will spark innovation in vital areas such as agriculture, health and education that will vastly improve the lives of ordinary Mozambican citizens. That is the message as key stakeholders gather today at the first Mozambican country forum organised by the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI).

Today’s meeting in Maputo will allow the wide range of stakeholders involved in Mozambique’s Internet access debate the opportunity to form a national coalition that will work alongside A4AI and its 60+ members to support the development and implementation of the changes needed to make affordable broadband access for all a reality.

Attendees include the Honourable Minister Mr. Gabriel Muthisse (Ministry of Transport and Communication), as well as representatives from Instituto Nacional das Comunicações de Moçambique (INCM), Maputo’s Science Innovation and ICT Research Institute (SIITRI), Vodacom, Internet Solutions, IREX, UK DFID and USAID.  These attendees will join other senior figures from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors to discuss and debate barriers to affordable Internet in Mozambique, as well as concrete policy solutions  that can reduce the cost of Internet access in the country.

Less than five percent of Mozambicans use the Internet today, primarily as a result of the high cost to connect— a year-long fixed broadband subscription in Mozambique costs 1.5 times what most citizens make in a year (Source: ITU, 2013). Recognising the transformative potential of the Internet, the Mozambican government recently became the first SADC nation to join A4AI, and joins Ghana and Nigeria in publicly committing to develop and implement key policy and regulatory changes designed to force down the cost of Internet access for all.

For more information, read the full press release on today’s event.