Nowadays, we have found how important the Internet is in our daily lives. Everyone having a computer must often surf the net for email checking, research work, chat, online business, distance learning, a preview of international newspapers and so many other things.

We are all calling Mauritius a cyber island. But what is the use of living in a cyber island when the price of Internet and ADSL is so expensive. I checked with friends living abroad the rate of Internet and ADSL in their country. I was really shocked to see that the Internet dial-up connection is almost free and ADSL is ten times cheaper than in Mauritius. In France, monthly unlimited access to ADSL 20Mb is 9.90 euros (Rs 400) In almost every European country the price is about the same whereas in our cyber island, we don?t have the ADSL 20Mb because of our poor technology. The maximum we have is ADSL1Mb, which costs Rs 6,500 +Vat per month by Mauritius Telecom. What is more astonishing is that ADSL 128Kb (160 times slower than 20Mb) costs Rs 990 +Vat in Mauritius.

I?m studying science subjects at school. I must connect to Internet for reference work. My parents have taken a dial-up package from Servihoo (MT) for me. The 25-hr package Rs 600 as rental fee. It is really expensive and a problem for all students. In Mauritius, only around 8,000 persons are connected to ADSL and MT is proud of that! It is still the ?owner? of SAFE. Therefore, all other Internet providers like Smartnet, Net Access... have to pay MT a connection fee. When will MT sell its ADSL 128Kb for less than Rs 300 and 1Mb for less that Rs 1,000? Maybe we will have to wait for five more years! Maybe by this time in some countries they will already have ADSL 50Mb!

What is the government doing for our cyber island? It is providing ADSL free for schools. I?m a secondary school student - we have only one period (45 minutes) per week for Computer Studies. How much time can I connect to ADSL when two students are using the same computer? Do you think it is useful for a student? How much time will it take to reduce the price of Internet and ADSL?

<B>Natasha (for SSS Goodlands students)</B>