Lack of information is one element and indicator of poverty. Insuficient education and information remain the main causes of the Cycle of poverty. In spite of the declared political will to reduce poverty, the citizens of Southeast Europe, the poorest region in Europe, are systematically denied the right to information, education and communications, through restricted access to telecommunications.

Cheap communications, for example, enabled the poor fishermen in India to increase their earnings manifold. "For less then a penny per minute, the lowest price in mobile telephony in the world, farmers from remote areas can check the prices of their produce in the local markets, to know where they could sell their goods at best prices. They can follow the global trends through internet services, provided by mobile telephone operators, and check the prices of pumpkins and bananas in London or Chicago”, reports the Washington Post in its cover story on revolution that mobile phones started in the fight against poverty in India. Read full report

The Coalition for Free Access to Information asked the National Telecommunications Agency (RATEL) to review the contents of the Regulation that defines the new activities for internet service providers (ISPs) in Serbia who will be now obligated to keep the data on the traffic of their users and present it to the competent authorities.

The Foundation Open Society Institute Macedonia, the Criminal Law and Criminology Association and the Helsinki Committee of Human Rights expressed their concerns over the newly adopted changes in the Law on Criminal Investigation Procedures and the Law on Communications Surveillance (all forms of wire-tapping and interception) without the proper public debate that could lead to a sensible balance of the fight against organized crime and the right to privacy.

On.net is one of the most prominent internet service providers now trying to move into other areas of telecommunications. It has already signed the interconnection agreement with incumbent operator of fixed land-lines, Macedonian Telecommunications. Also, On.net has been involved in a variety of corporate responsibility operations and activities. We talked to Predrag Cemerikic, the General Manager of On.net.

The internet is a global public space that must be open, affordable and accessible to all. As more and more people gain access to this space, many remain excluded. Like the process of globalisation with which it has been closely intertwined, the spread of internet access takes place with uneven results and often exacerbates social and economic inequalities.