Campaigning for Better Internet Access for The Poor Black Majority
For years the Black majority in South Africa have faced the greatest barriers to internet access, both in terms of language and cost. The wealthy have actually paid the least per megabyte of mobile internet data. The amandla.mobi community has campaigned and won victories to make mobile internet more accessible and affordable for the majority of our members who are Black women from low-income backgrounds. The project we are proposing builds on this success. Black women from low-income backgrounds have been the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our constituency is also most likely to be the primary caregivers during these difficult times, with a loss of income and teaching being done at home due to school closures. This project’s objective will be to campaign and secure free mobile internet and SMSes for low-income consumers to assist with accessing information, educational resources and staying in touch with loved ones.
PROBLEM ANALYSIS
Like many systems that entrench inequality, the telecommunications industry in South Africa has made money through price discrimination against the poor. Low-income consumers, the majority of whom are Black, pay far more per mobile internet megabyte than wealthy consumers. This digital divide props up racial and economic inequality.
The amandla.mobi community, has used people powered campaigning and advocacy to secure pro-poor regulations from South Africa’s communications regulator and a historic settlement with the Competition Commission which has led to significant price drops [1]. But more is needed in this time of a global pandemic. The digital divide is another example of an inequality amplified by the virus and lockdowns. The internet is no longer a “nice to have”, but an essential utility that enables people to participate in society.
While more than 60.1% of the country’s population accesses the internet on mobile devices, those living on average and below-average incomes are mostly not connected owing to affordability. Given how the pandemic has expanded our reliance on the internet and for daily necessities like keeping informed and staying connected with our loved ones and communities, the importance of internet access has yet again been underscored.
[1] http://www.compcom.co.za/commission-and-vodacom-settlement-agreement-on-data-prices/
Impact
The campaign had an impact. 12.5 million Cell C prepaid customers now have five free SMS’s a day to send to other Cell C customers. The majority of these customers are Black, low-income women. This is a step in the right direction in terms of increasing accessible and affordable mobile telecommunications for the Black majority.
Our first objective which had an impact building public pressure to force mobile networks to reduce data and SMS costs for the poor. The campaign went viral and gathered over half a million signatures.
With regards to our progress towards our second objective; movement building through keeping members engaged. The campaign was impactful in terms of building significant public momentum.
Our progress towards the third objective; providing info and campaign actions accessible to low-income Black women. We were impactful by setting up and launching the campaign on our mobile campaign platform, allowing our constituency to join the campaign, for free, without using the internet, and on any kind of cell phone.
