Internet

The Internet is the worldwide computer network that gives public access to services such as email and World Wide Web (www).
Benin was connected to the Internet in December 1995 at the Sixth Summit of the Francophonie with a bandwidth of 1 megabit / second. This has enabled the country to start with basic services (e-mail, web). In January 2002 the bandwidth was increased to 2 megabits / second. On May 06, 2003, at the opening of SAT-3 cable, a new international connection of 45 megabits / second was added to the 2 megabits / second current, bringing the national bandwidth, managed by Benin Telecoms SAto 47 megabits / second. This bandwidth has been completed at 155 megabits / second in May 2007.
The provision of Internet access is provided by Benin Telecoms SA and several other private providers such as Firstnet, Space Computer and Telecommunications (EIT), Unitec-Benin, AFRIPA telecom, Global Trading Agency, SECN, DEKA-NET Telecom Isocel.
Access to the Internet, at home is very low. The total number of subscribers switched telephone network (PSTN) is about 6089 subscribers (Benin Telecoms SA, 2007). About subscribers to an ADSL link, they are of the order of 2000 in December 2007. However, with many offering Internet Cybercafes (there are over a thousand in Cotonou), the global online population far exceeds 100,000.
Among the problems encountered in using the Internet, there is the cost of communications, connection difficulties, low computer literacy, illiteracy, especially in French and English.