Sierra Leone News

Archive for July, 2009

Ok, I thought I should post this so you know the current Internet prices PLUS service offered here in Freetown.

This section is close to my heart – after all, I use the internet service to update this blog.

Internet access is so expensive here, it’s a joke! Especially, when you consider how *crappy* (Excuse my french) most of the services are.

When we arrived in Jan, 2008, there was no credible internet service apart from Comium, Iptel and maybe some others I don’t know. Zain had still not launched their Edge GSM service. I initially went to an internet cafe (FGC) to test for about a week. I couldn’t even download a simple photo let alone watch a video on Youtube. It was so slowwwww….I could literally count about 20-30 cars through the window before the page I wanted loaded!!!!

They assured me that if I bought a monthly bundle it’ll be better. Being desparate, I spent $300 ($200 for their dodgy equipment and $100 for a month of surfing at home). One of my worst buys as I had to physically carry the “antenae” and see if I could catch their signal!! Imagine?? In fact, I was stationed in the balcony most of the time.

Anyway by February 2008, Zain launched and this is what I’ve been using from home since – it cost $80 / month! Yup! (Excluding $190 startup for their “equipment”) In my opinion, it’s the best among a BAD lot if there’s any such thing.

Needless to say, there are 3 ways you can surf generally:

Internet cafe - Definite No No ….unless you’re desparate. An hour costs about Le 2000 – Le 5000 but because it’s so slow, you’ll end up spending that just to get on Yahoo frontpage!

Surf from Home - Companies such as Zain and Comium are offering this for around $70 – $80 a month but you have to pay for the equipment which will normally cost between $150 – $250. There’s no FREE trial here so if you invest and you don’t like it, tough! I use Zain for now. Sierratel seems to have joined the competition. As of this week, my hubby is testing them in his office and I’ll update blog as to our findings.

Business Packages - IPtel seems to be the best and is used in a number of offices. To use it cost whopping $195/month PLUS equipment. This equipment includes a dish which makes surfing with them faster.

So that’s a jist of what surfing is like in Salone – expensive, slow and unreliable especially in the rainy season!

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Yep, no electicity for 5 days straight!! Wonder what’s going on. Thank God for the genereator otherwise our evenings would have been miserably dark!

I hear rumours of the test driving of Bumbuna on the 31st of July. I hope this is true because this so-called “test drive” has been rescheduled several times. Heck, I don’t want to loose my optimism.

Wake up Sierra Leone!

By The Associated Press – 43 minutes ago

Text of President Barack Obama’s speech Saturday in Accra, Ghana, as prepared for delivery and provided by the White House:

___

Good morning. It is an honor for me to be in Accra, and to speak to the representatives of the people of Ghana. I am deeply grateful for the welcome that I’ve received, as are Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama. Ghana’s history is rich, the ties between our two countries are strong, and I am proud that this is my first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as President of the United States.

I am speaking to you at the end of a long trip. I began in Russia, for a Summit between two great powers. I traveled to Italy, for a meeting of the world’s leading economies. And I have come here, to Ghana, for a simple reason: the 21st century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Accra as well.

This is the simple truth of a time when the boundaries between people are overwhelmed by our connections. Your prosperity can expand America’s. Your health and …… Click here for the rest

Hey,

Just coming back from the launch of the Business Bomba, Business Plan Competition Sierra Leone! This competition aims to increase economic activity and thereby employment in the whole of Sierra Leone.

I must say I was rather impressed by the professionalism of the whole affair. For starters, everything was on schedule, the function was chaired by the Honourable Minister Of Trade and Industry, Mr David Carew and the H.E. Vice President Dr. Sam Sumana, gave the keynote address and officially launched the ceremony.
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