The ability of African countries to realize the benefits of the information revolution, reduce their isolation, integrate into and compete in the global economy, and attract foreign investment has been inhibited by the state of telecommunications infrastructure in Africa. International and domestic long-distance telecommunications in Africa are characterized by low levels of poor quality service. The problem is particularly acute for long-distance communication between African countries, where calls are often routed through non-African locations, at significant cost.

New technologies are now available that could substantially improve Africa's connectivity for telecommunications and information networks. These new solutions utilize the most advanced satellite, cellular and fiber optic cable technology and offer the opportunity for vastly improved communications, with increased volumes, higher speed and reliability, and a wider range of services, all at lower costs.

These new solutions will not eliminate all the problems in the telecommunications sector in Africa, many of which are to be found in restrictive policies and laws, as well as in local networks, in the management of the operating companies, and in pricing practices. However, they do provide significant, cost-effective opportunities for the greater integration of Africa into the global communications network, and thereby into the global information economy, with substantial benefits for Africa's overall economic and social development. They also provide significant commercial opportunities for private investors in Africa.

African governments and carriers have been approached by the private promoters of these projects, but they have found it difficult to assess the merits of the various alternatives. Governments have struggled to assess the impact of fundamental policy questions, such as the ability of these technologies to bypass national monopolies in international traffic, the convergence of broadcasting and telecommunications technologies, the impact on the future development of national sector policy, cooperation with other countries, sovereignty issues, and the effects on existing international agreements and revenue-sharing arrangements. Many carriers lack the capacity to carry out the necessary technical, economic and financial analysis to compare alternatives. A need clearly exists for an objective forum in which to analyze these options, their implications for African countries, and the policy, regulatory, economic and institutional issues raised by these choices. The Conference on Global Connectivity for Africa is designed to build upon the results of a number of recent and ongoing initiatives focused on the role of information and knowledge in development, including the Information Society and Development (ISAD) Conference, the work of the African Information Society Initiative, the African Regional Telecommunication Development Conference and the Toronto Conference on Knowledge for Development in the Information Age. By focusing on concrete strategies and options for increasing African connectivity, this conference will help to define specific steps forward in realizing the goals articulated in these ongoing discussions of Africa's role in the global information revolution.

The Conference on Global Connectivity for Africa will provide a forum to assess these new connectivity options and how they can contribute not only to improved telecommunications but also to the wider process of economic and social development in Africa. The conference will explore how the barriers to deployment of these new technologies can be overcome, and the policy and regulatory changes necessary to foster private investment in and deployment of these new technologies. The conference will provide a unique opportunity for African decision-makers, promoters and users of these technologies to engage in a focused and frank dialogue on issues and options in enhancing Africa's global connectivity. It will examine in detail the various technological options available to African countries and the relative benefits and implications of these options.

The conference will be relatively small so as to maximize interaction and dialogue -- between 300 and 400 participants are expected. They will include:

• policy-makers (mainly ministers and senior officials), regulators and operators from virtually every African country;
• promoters and operators of the various connectivity projects relevant to Africa;
• representatives of user groups in Africa (business people, rural consumers, promoters of information applications for economic and social development, etc.);
• respected senior figures in the telecommunications and information agenda in Africa;
• representatives of international organizations and donors.

The conference program will be designed to maximize dialogue and interaction. Plenary sessions, designed to establish a common understanding of the issues and options, will be complemented by a variety of in-depth working sessions built around case studies and other decision tools created expressly for the conference. Ample time will be provided for informal consultations and ad-hoc meetings. All conference sessions will feature simultaneous interpretation in French and English.

The United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, which opened in 1996, provides superb facilities for this conference, with state-of-the-art conferencing technology.

Participation is by invitation from the World Bank Group and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Limited scholarship funds for government officials and representatives from user groups will be provided by conference hosts and sponsors.