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Eritrea as a Potential Information Society
Benjamin W. Cramer
Master's candidate, College of Communications, The Pennsylvania State University.
© 2003 Benjamin W. Cramer
Introduction
Eritrea seceded from Ethiopia and became an independent nation in 1993. Colonial history and a decades-long struggle for independence against the ruling parties of Ethiopia made the Eritreans especially savvy in the use of communications, as compared to most of the other peoples of sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the problems of poverty and lack of infrastructure endemic to Africa and the Third World, the young nation of Eritrea is now in a unique position to utilize the Internet and other modern technologies in its development. Despite a long road ahead, Eritrea is already a leader among sub-Saharan nations in the development of telecommunications access. This paper will review Eritrea’s struggle for independence and developments in its culture and infrastructure. This will be followed by an exploration of the possibilities of Eritrea emerging as an “information society,” and whether current realities will allow the nation to truly become a telecommunications leader in its region.
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