I can’t go one day without the Internet | #speakup barometer | Uganda | DW | 12.11.2018
  1. Inhalt
  2. Navigation
  3. Weitere Inhalte
  4. Metanavigation
  5. Suche
  6. Choose from 30 Languages

Users on digital participation in Uganda

I can’t go one day without the Internet

Isaac is a research assistant at World Vision and volunteers as a community reporter where he provides local radio stations with information from remote regions.

Isaac is 27 years old and lives in an upcountry village in Namulonge, Uganda. He is currently a research assistant at World Vision and volunteers as a community reporter where he provides local radio stations with information from remote regions.

The internet is my career. The Internet is part of my life. I can’t go one day without the Internet. I use it for my research, to inform myself about current affairs and to communicate with my friends. But I am lucky because I have a university education that most people in my community don’t have. Many people lack the necessary education to be online. Also, it is expensive to buy a smartphone and buy data for it – 1 GB cost around 2 US Dollars. Many people in my community use feature phones instead.

 

The #speakup barometer is a DW Akademie project that examines the connection between digital participation, freedom of expression and access to information. Learn more at www.dw.com/barometer

DWA DW Akademie speakup barometer Cluster Access

Access: New investments could bring down costs

High data costs are one of the main factors hindering digital participation rates in Uganda. But the country’s stated commitment to infrastructure development could bring down prices, which is cause for optimism.

Gerald Businge Ateenyi

Media: Journalists under threat

A social media explosion, the dominance of radio and a government in fear of losing control. It can be hard to find your bearings in Uganda’s media landscape—the risks and potential for participation sit side by side.

Uganda ISP Provider Reklame

Society: Between digital enthusiasm and tradition

Ugandans love the Internet and usage rates, while still relatively low, are growing quickly. But this rapid expansion has also led to problems in a society still largely organized along traditional lines.