Description: (UNCLASSIFIED) The long-lasting Liberian Civil War took a large toll on many industries, but decimated the majority of the country’s existing telecommunication infrastructure. As stability returned, the government wished to increase the availability of internet access. A major step was taken towards this on January 21, 2013 when the Liberia Telecommunication (LIBTELCO) officially turned on the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) fiber optic cable, a submarine cable connecting Liberia to the rest of the world with unprecedented speeds. Not only did the occasion mark a tremendous step forward for the telecommunications industry, it also solidified Liberia as the only country in the Mano River Union Basin to have wireless internet.While the addition of the fiber optic cable increased availability, lower costs, and increased connectivity speeds, Liberian internet penetration remains extremely low. According to the International Telecommunication Union, in 2013 Liberia ranked 165/180 with a dismal rate of 4.6 percent. There is a great deal of promise when considering the five year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +47.1 percent, one of the highest in the world for the same time period. In June 2014, Incyte Consulting published the findings of their study commissioned by the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) and the West Africa Regional Communication Infrastructure Program (WARCIP). The study covered 83 respondents in Kakata, Sinje, Geetown, and Zekepa, which were chosen to represent communities that could benefit from widening access to telecommunications. While 76 percent of the sample owned their own cellphone, 67 percent had never heard of the internet. As internet availability increases, so will the market for internet cafés and other like businesses as they will be able to offer internet connectivity without the prohibitive costs of purchasing the hardware.As is often the case with the internet café industry in the region, the majority of these businesses are located in or in close proximity to the capital city of Monrovia. There are a small number located in other developed areas, primarily Gbarnga, Zwendru, and Buchanan. It is difficult to ascertain the locations of all internet cafés in the country as the businesses either do not advertise or go out of business as quickly as they are established. However, with the limited internet access and a major lack of penetration, it is probable that internet cafés are not yet part of the majority of Liberian’s lives.
Copyright Text: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
Source, S2, Content Management Office (SD), Geospatial Data Steward, NIPR:
CMOServiceEnableTeam@nga.mil