UN reveals global disparity in broadband cost and access

[DaBees-Knees]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11162656

We all tend to complain about broadband charges from time to time, but take a look at worldwide charges and you may feel a little happier about paying up.

The global disparity in fixed broadband access and cost has been revealed by UN figures.

The Central African Republic is the most expensive place to get a fixed broadband connection, costing nearly 40 times the average monthly income there.

Macao in China is the cheapest, costing 0.3% of the average monthly income.

Niger becomes the most expensive place to access communication technologies, when landlines and mobiles are also taken into account.

"Access to broadband in an affordable manner is our greatest challenge," Dr Hamadoun Toure, secretary general of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), told BBC News.


The statistics were highlighted ahead of the UN 2010 Millennium Development Goals Summit in New York on 19 September.

Cheapest fixed line broadband as proportion of monthly income
 
Rank  Country            Price as % of monthly income        B'band subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
1          Macao, China                    0.30                                                      23.42
 
2          Israel                                 0.33                                                      25.8
 
3         Hong Kong                         0.49                                                      29.34
 
4         United States                     0.5                                                        27.1
 
5        Singapore                           0.58                                                      23.71

Most expensive fixed line broadband as proportion of monthly income

1       C. African Rep                   3891                                                    No data
 
2       Ethiopia                             2085                                                     No data
 
3       Malawi                               2038                                                      0.02
 
4       Guinea                              1546                                                     No data
 
5       Niger                                  967                                                        0.01
 

Fancy paying 3891% of your monthly income for broadband?  

[silicon_toad2000]

not mention, the people who make up that average monthly income, once they get a broadband connection, they need a wall socket for the phone line and a house to connect it to.
Fibre to the home is when the truck brings the bag of wholemeal flour to their quarter of town.

[Lagerlout666]

You racist bloodline english criminal!!!

[White Stripes]

racist? no.   ...practical...

lets get the ppl fed and healthy then talk about broadband.... the UN has its priorities bass ackwards with this....