Seychelles is 48th

Seychelles is ranked 48th out of 149 countries on the “Composite ICT Development Index.”

The result is published in a report entitled “From the Digital Divide to Digital Opportunities,” which measure the progress of ICT development between and within economies.

The report is issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The report says Seychelles’ level of ICT uptake has an index value of 141.7 and is above the average value of 116.4. This figure places the country ahead of all African nations included in the survey.

Over the period 1995 to 2003, the use of ICT grew significantly with the info-use index increasing from 37.7 to 126.6.

The islands’ index value increased from 3.5 in 1995 to 84.3 in 2003, according to the publication.
“Seychelles’ level of info use can be attributed to the liberalisation of the sector and changes that have taken place in the regulatory framework,” says the department of Information of Technology and Communication (DITC).

The DITC added, “Government policies have also encouraged more customers to increase their ICT usage and investment in the ICT sector through the reduction of tariffs.”

Over the last eight years, the number of telecommunication providers locally has grown fivefold. Amongst them they have a fixed telephone network connecting over 65% of households and a cable network reaching most parts of the main island. More than 67% of the population has a mobile phone (from 2,549 mobile subscribers in 1997 to 54,368 to date), and the mobile services are accessible to over 98% of the population.

However, critics say the potentials of ICTs to develop more democratic, transparent and participative processes of governance from the local to national level, for example in private radio stations, are yet to be translated here.

Editor’s note:

The Info-use refers to the uptake and usage of ICT and their intensity of use by businesses, organizations and households.

The Info-density refers to the stock of ICT capital and ICT labour and skills including ICT infrastructure/network, machinery, equipment all of which are indicative of a country’s productive capacity.

ICT a threat to postal services power.

The number of letters passing through Seychelles’s postal system is on the decline, according to the postal services division.

The decline is attributed to the access and use of modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by Seychellois.

Figures released by the postal services division shows incoming mail had dropped by 20 percent from 1,211,520 in 2000 to 97,820 in 2004.

“The change is a result of Seychellois’ access to the Internet and mobile telephones, as well as ordinary telephones and fax machines,” says Flavien Morin, the Director General for Postal Services Division.

The largest decline was recorded in the number of international couriers, by more than 492,000. The number of letters dispatched to international destinations in 2000 was 1,951,399 compared to 1,459,325 in 2004.

In the year 2000, a total of 2,131,370 letters were delivered locally, but by 2004, the number had dropped by more than 75,000 letters to 2,055,754.

“Many people now communicate by e-mail, telephone, short message system (SMS) or fax,” added Morin. He noted that availability pattern of these facilities in Seychelles compares well with what is seen in developed countries.

There are a total of 54,368 mobile telephone subscribers in Seychelles.

Editor's Note: It should be noted that the Universal Postal Union, a United Nations specialized agency based in Berne, Switzerland, which unite 190 members worldwide is closely involved in the debate on the new Information Society. The union is firmly convinced that combining the post’s physical, electronic and financial networks creates ideal conditions for E-business development and for narrowing the digital divide.

C&W coughs up to buy local ISP

Cable & Wireless Seychelles (C&W) has confirmed it has bought ATLAS, the country’s largest ISP, for a sum of Rs19m.

Seychelles is the last amongst 33 countries in which C&W has also acquired an ISP license beside its traditional telecom trade.

C&W CEO Usman Saadat says the convergence of telecommunications technology is the principal factor in its bid to make its mark as a major player in the Internet business market.

He describes the merger as historic:

“The purchase of ATLAS has combined the strength of the two leading players in their respective fields in Seychelles. The merger will allow us to provide a greater range of services to our customer and deliver IP and other high-speed Internet services to a greater range of customer that has been provided to date,” says Saadat.

But in a more business sense the merger is costing C&W less in the long term since ATLAS is a well established ISP which not so long ago has invested heavily in a brand new Internet broadband project dubbed “SkyWay.”

The take over means C&W is not only benefiting in terms of infrastructure but also with specialised skills, which it wouldn't otherwise have by starting from scratch.

“The purchase is helped by the fact that we are buying an existing asset base and a working service with skills staff. That will give tremendous advantage in terms of being able to further enhance those services and products going forward,” says Saadat.

The deal means C&W is now the country’s leading telecom, with a market share of over 95% fixed line, 65% mobile and 60% Internet customers.

The company recently announced a Rs35m upgrade to its mobile network.

With the ATLAS takeover, the company’s deputy CEO Cyril Bonnelame says this is further proof of C&W’s commitment to Seychelles.

“The market is becoming increasingly competitive and we welcome that change. We will continue to transform ourselves to provide and compete in the best possible way. Our aim in fact is to delight our customers,” reassures Bonnelame.

An assurance the company’s clients hope to see translated in further reduction in telecommunications charges.

For the moment the two companies are operating as separate entities, but C&W says there will be changes during the course of the year.

Seychelles plans new e-Services.

Plans to offer various government services online are underway according to the department of Information Technology and Communication (DITC).

When finally in place, the Seychellois public will be able to apply for and use various services or enroll on different programmes from remote locations without having to go physically to different offices.

According to the minister reponsible for ITC, Joseph Belmont, the government’s decision to offer e-Services is because “IT is playing an increasingly important role in the conduct of different businesses and operations.”

He said his department is at the moment working with other government’s departments, assisting them with their computerisation process.

e-Services is a term usually referring to the provision of services via the Internet. It include e-Commerce although they may also include non-commercial services, such as e-Government services.

“A person should eventually be able, for example, to file his Pension Fund returns online from his own premises without having to get a form, fill it up then deliver or post it,” explains the principal secretary for ITC Benjamin Choppy.

It is to be noted that many private companies, the likes of Cable & Wireless Hunt Deltel and Coco D’or Hotel are already offering various online services, such as e-billing, cargo tracking and online reservation.

However, critics say consumers will accepted the e-services less readily than the government is expecting. Several reasons might account for the slow uptake, including:

· Concerns about security. Many people will refrain
from giving personal details, e.g. national identity number
over the Internet due to concerns about theft and fraud.
· Lack of instant gratification with most transactions.
Much of a consumer's reward of doing a transaction lies
in the instant gratification of getting a result. This
reward does not exist when a reply does not arrive
instantly.
· The problem of access to the Internet. Low
penetration rates of Internet access in some sectors greatly
reduces the potential for e-services, particularly for poor
households.
· The social aspect of services. Some people enjoy
meeting and talking to other people: this social reward side
does not exist to the same extent in online service.

Despite such initial reactions, critics say this direct access will simplify the process taxpayers engage in to obtain government services. e-Services will help create experiences with government agencies that are more personal. These interactions are an opportunity to provide more than just static information delivery. They will lead to a more responsive organization and favorable perception of the agency and service provided.