The importance of local content for increasing global internet connectivity
Earlier this month the 11th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) was held in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. The IGF, a multi-stakeholder forum convened by the United Nations (UN) Secretary General, allows over 2000 delegates from 83 countries to convene and discuss a wide range of internet policy issues including internet governance, cybersecurity, and internet access issues. The theme of IGF 2016 was how the internet could enable inclusive and sustainable growth to help meet the UN’s goals in its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an effort to “eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions.” From an internet policy perspective, in its efforts to increase internet connectivity and fight poverty, the UN has prioritized finding ways to support the development of local content in developing countries and making sure the “next billion” of unconnected people around the world get connected to the internet. One local content success story that was highlighted at IGF 2016 was that of “An African City,” a Ghanaian internet video series that went viral. This story shows the potential and importance of local content, which can serve as an important incentive for internet adoption in developing countries.
A recent Andreessen Horowitz report titled “Mobile is Eating the World, 2016” notes that the number of people with mobile internet access worldwide has surpassed the 2.5 billion mark and is heading towards 5 billion. Developing markets have reached 80% adoption of their potential mobile-connected population and new technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) promise to bring transformational changes to society and industry in these markets as well. However, barriers to internet adoption continue to exist beyond lack of coverage. Innovations like mobile banking and forthcoming transformational innovations to mobile are keys to broader internet adoption, but they are not the only way to drive connectivity. While network operators and device manufacturers work on ways to reduce costs and increase access to service in underserved areas, a major challenge is that the internet as we know it doesn’t seem to matter to many in developing nations. The lack of local content continues to suppress the interest of those who could have internet connectivity but don’t choose to spend money on internet access. Developed nations’ content may not be effective at driving adoption in the developing world, but bringing local content online that goes beyond e-government applications and allows for local entertainment to thrive will be an important way of driving global internet adoption, especially with the link between broadband penetration and increases in GDP growth.
A local content success story
Netflix and other streaming video services have shown us the importance of creating original content for the success of their businesses and for driving people towards connectivity in developed markets, and local content development will be just as important for the success of developing nations as internet connectivity spreads. With the right environment and support from internet platforms, locally-developed content can be a success story in developing areas – one example from IGF 2016 highlighted both the economy boosting potential that locally developed internet content can have as well as where there is room for improvement. “An African City” creator Nicole Amarteifo attended this year’s IGF to tell the story of her self- financed production that became a successful video series thanks to the internet. Amarteifo’s series about a group of Ghanaian women who had left their home to move to the West and has been likened to a “Sex and the City for African viewers,” has resonated to a global audience, with the first season becoming a hit on YouTube. The show is now available on multiple web platforms.
“An African City” is notable for having been produced by a team composed entirely of local Ghanaians. Amarteifo initially financed the project with her own savings, but by the conclusion of the first season, there were offers to coproduce from TV networks, licensing deals, and product placement deals. With these revenue streams, she was able to hire and pay an entire team of people born and raised in Ghana. While Amarteifo was grateful for YouTube and VHX, a US digital distribution platform for independent filmmakers that allowed her to monetize her show, she also highlighted room for growth. In a panel discussion, she lamented the need for a Western bank account to monetize her videos with VHX, as she described people as being “skeptical of partnering with anyone with a bank account in Africa,” encouraged Western internet platforms to be more willing to partner with African content producers, and challenged African technologists to create local websites that could serve as alternatives to platforms that are currently mostly from the developed world.
Entertainment and information are the main drivers of Internet adoption. Local content helps to inspire investment & encourage local content creators to take part in the digital economy. Thanks to technology these creative works can influence people far beyond its local audience, but local viewers are still a critical factor for market success. As we see our lives influenced more by internet technologies we need to ensure these local content creators have reliable, affordable internet access through platforms that can stream content efficiently and are capable of reaching enough viewers to be self-sustainable in the digital content ecosystem. The more local content is viewed, the stronger local internet adoption rates become, enhancing the internet services ecosystem.
The Internet Governance Forum continues to work on Sustainable Development Goals as part of its United Nations mission. While online services like government programs, education, and health services allow for more convenient access to services for consumers, it is entertainment like videos, gaming, and music that still drive actual internet adoption.
