Position Paper #2 - Digital Access

 Digital Access in Ethiopia

I cannot fathom living without my smartphone, laptop, or internet access as a college student. It is rare to find a student on any college campus that does not have a source to the internet; however, this is not the case in many countries. For this very reason, I wanted to choose a country that does not have the same digital access as we do. Living in a heavily internet-dependent country makes it interesting to learn about a country that lives in an entirely different way. The country of Ethiopia is an excellent example of this.

Ethiopia is located in the horn of Africa and is the continent's second most populated country. It has a population of 116.4 million, with 38.5% of the population owning a smartphone. Only 20.6% of the people use the internet, and 5.8% use social media. 

Although 38.5% of the population owns a smartphone, citizens of Ethiopia also access the internet on other devices. Datareportal created a slideshare that gives the share of web traffic by device. According to the slideshare, 48.8% of web traffic comes from smartphones, 49.4% from laptops or desktops, 1.8% from tablets, and 0.02% from other devices. 

The government in Ethiopia has firm control over its citizens regarding internet access and freedom. In the last few years, there have been multiple instances where the government has completely cut off the internet from its internet users. Most recently, there was a blackout in June 2020 amid the killing of activist-singer Hachula Hundessa. Other shutdowns have usually been due to other controversial political events. The country is also known to cut off the internet during school exams. The government does this to prevent students from cheating on exams or tests. This type of shutdown usually results in an entire region, or the country as a whole, being cut off from internet access. Because of this shutdown, hospitals, emergency workers, and other businesses cannot access the internet. 

It is not uncommon in other countries for there to be a significant digital divide. In some countries, the less privileged members do not have access to the internet or digital device. In other countries, the digital divide is by gender rather than by social class. The government in Ethiopia plays a serious role in the country's digital divide. The governments in Africa are wary of digitalization, resulting in laws and regulations restricting the citizens from obtaining digital access. In 2014, there were 31 countries in Africa where the internet service provider was state-owned. This meant that countries had control over their citizen's digital access and internet connection. According to this Global Media Journal written in 2018, a citizen of Ethiopia said: 

"Despite negligible cases of digital media start-ups and digitalization efforts here and there, there is almost no digitalization process. It is also impossible to talk about the very idea of it, let alone in the media sector." 

As well as government control, gender is also a reason for the digital divide in Ethiopia. In Africa, women use the internet 12% less than men. This divide results in a 31% gap. As of late 2020, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) have launched a project to close this gap. They plan on enhancing the digital ecosystem and build women's digital skills in Ethiopia. ITU and EIF plan to improve these skills in Ethiopia, Haiti, and Burundi. 

Of course, many countries have resulted in depending on the internet more due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For schools in Ethiopia, the pandemic played a role in digitizing higher education in the country. The government moved rather quickly in developing a response plan that prioritized continuing education by using technology. Schools in Ethiopia lack many resources for their students; however, these schools now have access to more teaching strategies to further educate their students because of the pandemic. 

The country of Ethiopia has had major setbacks when it comes to digital access. Due to government control, gender and social divides, and digital accessibility, citizens of the country do not have much digital access; however, the country is beginning to change this. Because of institutions such as the International Telecommunication Union and the Enhanced Integrated Framework, Ethiopia, and other African countries, will close digital divides and begin to enhance the digitalization in the continent. Soon, more women will be able to access media and thus, be able to get jobs and help better Ethiopia's economy.  There are many benefits to closing these divides allowing more access to these resources. Although, it is essential to remember that the government still has a tight grip on Ethiopia's digital future and will continue to shut down the internet from time to time. The country still has hurdles to overcome; however, changes are still being made amid these obstacles.