The Ethiopian SIM card stampede
posted Mar 23rd 2005 8:30AM
For years there has been a waiting list to obtain a SIM card in Ethiopa, due to a huge backlog at the state monopoly Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) — the exclusive distributor. There have been typically few options for those who wanted mobile phones: get on a two-year waiting list, rent by the week, or get a leg up from a government ministry. When the ETC offered up 200,000 mobile phone lines to the public this week, the result was a veritable stampede. The huge demand for mobile services in Ethiopia is going unmet despite the ample worldwide supply of handsets and telcos, because of the government's reluctance to liberalise their telecom market. Interestingly, despite the new availability of a flood of SIM cards, the country's government-licensed mobile shops are still doing rather poorly. In the case of handsets, Ethiopia's mobile users have found a way to end-run around the government's lockdown: by flocking to local markets where cheap, illegally imported phones are in large supply.
[Via Smart Mobs]
I am really concerned, do you know if the guy looking at the camera got his sim card?
Shouldn't they be worried about food, tribal violence, disease... I don't think cell phones should be high on their list.
#2: In lots of places in the world, landlines still aren't all that common.
Getting a cellphone may be easier, and incredibly cheaper, than getting a landline installed.
@#1
@#2
Dear Idiots:
Communication is a priority and a necessity for humankind. How convenient have cellphones made things for you? Apply the same parallel logic to the rest of humanity, particularly to those who are controlled by governments that HAVE the ability to provide them what they need, yet due to ulterior motives, do not. The Ethiopian government DOES HAVE (and ALWAYS HAS) the ability to easily feed the country, greatly curtail disease and end war; they don't because it's a method of control. The rest of the free world should condemn these governments, not pass uneducated judgements on its people or feign wussy-sarcastic concern (hope you fail the Bar).
Lastly, fu**ing morons, first try and learn about the subject at hand before you spew, for your drivel gives the world keen insight into your own superior stupidity.
Mobius, I love you.
Mobius,
Your points are correct. But clothed venomous belligerency that characterizes your own definition of "superior stupidity".
They were ignorant, and your intentions were spot on in educating them, however, no need to call them "fucking morons". Save the hate for someone who really deserves it, like the guy that raped, stabbed and killed an innocent woman in a quiet shopping center last month.
#1 Just so you know, the guy in the picture did get his phone card. Everyone in the crowd at the central telecom office was there because they had pre-registered and were waiting to collect their cards. That didn't stop a bit of pushing and shoving though.
On the debate on why people in Ethiopia want mobile phones - the article in the Economist linked to from the original MeskelSquare.com post explains a lots about that. Well worth reading.
Dear Readers
It is quite astounding to see all these peaple debating for ethiopia but being an ethiopan myself, let me give you my prespective, In ethiopia there are peaple with no homes, no food and no water(this ofcourse is the only thing you see on tv of us nothing on our culture and pride)these are our main problems we should not be focussing on mobile phones, but still peaple have high demands for mobiles as communication is the factor controlling the world but ethiopian telecomunication still doesn't seem to be doing much even though it is trying very hard to fulfill the needs of the peaple, so the logical solution would be if private suppliers came to ethiopia and help out, it will be worth their while and worth to the peaple as well.
Thank you
Hi
I'm still the guy above i just wanted to add that although we ethiopians are poor we still got our pride and are the same with everybody else (infact come to think of it we are a bit better)
thank you