Somalia gets online

Somalia: Local net access at last

Somalia's first internet service provider begins its operations this week - making it the last African country to provide local dial-up web access.

Previously, Somalis could access the internet only by using an international phone link to a service provider based elsewhere.

It is good to implement the service at a time when we are expecting a new government

Ahmed Abdi Dini, Nationlink Somalia

The launch of the Somali Internet Company - a joint venture by three Somali telecommunications companies - comes as the country makes a significant step towards national unity with the election of a new president at the Djibouti-based peace conference.

"It is good to implement the service at a time when we are expecting a new government," Ahmed Abdi Dini, Managing Director of Nationlink Somalia - one of the participating companies - told the Africa Online information service.

He said the service offered the opportunity for Mogadishu residents to contact relatives and business partners abroad.

Last week the new company offered free access to give people a taste of the service.

It began charging subscriber fees from Saturday.

Huge investment

Technical consultant Jama Mohammed told Africa Online the service would cost $20 per month, plus an hourly charge of $6.

He would not to comment on the cost of setting up the operation, other than it was a "huge investment", and "not very easy to set up".

The service connects to the internet at 128 kilobites per second via a satellite link from ArabSat.

Mr Dini said Mogadisu has about 25,000 fixed-line telephone subscribers could access the service via a local call.

Mr Mohammed said the internet system has the capacity to handle 2,000 Internet users.