The “Do No Evil” company, Google, is working with some organizations to bring high speed internet access to the three billion humans that live in Africa. The project will cost billions of dollars and they hope that it will be fully operational by 2010. Considering the number of mobile handset users that live on the continent, this could be a great business venture and would even help various communities by making learning materials easily available, as well as the information needed to create and maintain the various technologies that we rely on for clean water and electricity.

But it does make me wonder whether this is something that the continent actually needs help with.

Africa is supposed to be the land where we all originated from. As it stands today, we hear more about the troubles and heinous crimes against humanity in various African countries than we do about people’s need for something faster than a 1.5 MBit ADSL internet connection. There are millions of people displaced from their homes for fear of torture, rape, slaughter, famine, or some combination thereof. There are millions who don’t have clean drinking water. There are millions who can’t even afford a handful of food every week … their bodies have all but shut down in the hopes of surviving another day. Why is it that some companies like Google are spending money on something that is really not as important as the real necessities of life?

Charity, when done properly, can be a good thing. Several key leaders say that most of the problems in Africa can be resolved with a better education the resources to make use of that knowledge, and I agree. That said, the very same thing can be argued when it comes to America’s response to perceived threats, Russia’s territorial disputes, South Korea’s endless temper tantrums, and Canada’s laughable military build-up. Rather than providing faster internet access for people on the First Continent, it may make more sense to invest in clean water systems and technical schools.

If I were living in Africa, I’d be much more inclined to learn something useful that I could immediately apply in my community than to complain about surfing the web on a 28.8 kilo baud modem.

The XO Laptop Tie-In

Complaining aside, this could be a great selling feature for the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) Program currently in effect in several countries. The economical notebooks do come equipped with a 802.11-g antenna, and this would provide ample speeds for almost anyone that would need quick access to the rich content found all over the world in various languages.

Google’s plans involve using satellites to bathe the poorer African nations in high speed data access. Various relay towers would be set up in various nations to interface with cell phones and WiFi-enabled devices. From there, people could access the global community at speeds rivaling what we would find with optical connections in many people’s homes.

But is it really necessary?

First World Crawlers

As it stands, 40% of internet users in westernized nations like Canada, America and Britain are still using a dial-up internet connection. On top of this, approximately 30% of the households in these countries do not yet have internet access. If people in the First World can still go without the digital ecstasy that is the internet, is it really so important that we provide lightning-fast speeds to a continent that will not be able to make decent use of it?

The basic necessities of life are food, clothing and shelter. On top of this we need to ensure that people are not in fear of wrongful persecution, religious extremism, or personal injury. Once this is accomplished, education and medical care comes next. According to various charity websites talking about the basics of life, nowhere do they mention “the right to 100 MBit internet connections.”

It’s true that wealthier nations and organizations around the world should try to help those in need. However, it may make more sense to look after the key basics before providing something that will not easily provide a better life for people. Sure, with the internet people can learn how to make or maintain sewage systems, water treatment facilities and other important devices. But how can one just expect others to know how to search for this stuff online without having the proper tools, equipment and knowledge that they will not be driven from their homes in some half-baked militant coup?

Perhaps I’ve just grown pessimistic about the need to bring cutting edge technologies to those that don’t already have the same things I had growing up. But this plan doesn’t make sense to me.

What’s your take on this?