Networking in Africa...

Tue Dec 3 04:31:28 UTC 2002

On Mon, 2 Dec 2002, Robbie Honerkamp wrote:

>
> alex at yuriev.com wrote:
>  > Try finding some IP connectivity while in Nigeria. You would be
>  > hard-pressed, even if you are willing to pay enormous $$.
>
> Having worked and lived in Nigeria while consulting with several ISPs
> there, I can assure you this is incorrect. In large cities such as
> Lagos, you can't stand on the street and spit without hitting an
> Internet cafe, many of which are open 24-hours-a-day (419ers never
> sleep). $15 will get you all night (11pm - 7am) access in an air
> conditioned cafe with their own fast VSAT connection. I am _not_ joking-
> there are thousands of Internet cafes throughout Lagos State on almost
> every street. Many smaller towns in all parts of the country will often
> have at least one Internet cafe around.

Hehe. I didn't see this before the message I just sent. I didn't know
you were home.

>
> To answer your satellite comment, most ISPs have their own VSAT
> connections, though others go through local upstreams such as NITEL and
> GS Telecom (which eventually load the traffic onto their own satellite
> link). Many Internet cafes have set up their own VSATs as well, as many
> of the local ISPs can be unreliable and/or overpriced.

So are you back in the US or still floating around the continent?