Developing an Internet Framework in Sub-Saharan Africa
In Sub-Saharan Africa the lack of internet is a widespread problem. People are forced to pay excessively high costs just to use incredibly slow internet. The internet is an incredibly useful tool not only for communication, but also learning, and even entertainment. In Sub-Saharan African the use of cell-phones has increased internet usage for learning. People are now reading books on their phones, resulting in a higher literacy rate. The use of phones for reading has been reserved for the wealthy and middle class. This has actually increased class divides in Nigeria and other similar countries.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), opened committee by passing a vote to come to a resolution about this topic. There was little debate about the positive and negative effects of the internet being introduced to the general public in Africa. The general consensus was the use of the internet in Africa should be widespread, inexpensive, and fast. There was also agreement on using the internet for primarily educational use.
The delegates from Egypt, Tunisia, and The Czech Republic, supporting Resolution 1.1, saying that the internet has the capability to allow economic prosperity and create jobs. They would like to have Google donate their product called Loon Balloons. These Loon Balloons are essentially floating internet modems in the stratosphere. They give internet signal from the balloon to houses with antennas. This makes it unnecessary for the house to be connected to wired internet or infrastructure. The Loon balloons can go where they are needed and provide access to the global internet to whoever connects to them. These balloons would be perfect for rural African villages that do not have access to cities with internet.
The sponsors of Resolution 1.2 also agreed that these Loon Balloons would be the solution to the internet crisis in Africa. And that the internet should be used for educational purposes. The sponsors of 1.2 are more wary of the consequences that the use of widespread internet has. They believe that if the local governments fail to provide proper security to the people trying to use the internet for good, then the UN should step in.
The sponsors from 1.1 believe that sending in troops to enforce security would be an infringement on national sovereignty. Both parties believe that the addition of widespread internet in Sub-Saharan Africa is a good investment, for the people there, and globally.
The sponsors of each resolution believe that these balloons hold the key to widespread literacy and the evolution education in Sub-Saharan Africa.