英语听力精选进阶版 13748

New broadband for Africa?

Summary

30 April 2012

The arrival of the mobile phone has revolutionised communications across Africa, but with more than half the continent already owning one, what is the next leap forward? Investors¹ are putting their money into high speed internet.

Reporter:

Martin Plaut

Report

Just fifteen years ago hardly anyone had a mobile phone in Africa. Today they can be seen in almost every market and on almost every street.

But the next big thing, predicts Moez Daya, will be cheap, fast broadband. This will allow streaming - live access to television, radio and other media via the internet.

Some will come through cables that have been laid around the coast. But Mr Daya, formerly² chief executive of one of Africa's largest cell-phone operators, Celtel, and now working with Satya Capital, says broadband can also be delivered by satellite.

Local operators will then redistribute the product through aerials on the roofs of their customers. Mr Daya says this should be commercially feasible.

Moez Daya: "I would imagine that a twenty dollar subscription³ for a bandwidth of somewhere around four megabits a second is entirely⁴ achievable and feasible, and probably commercially sensible".

Within two years, says Mr Daya, this could mean African children playing internet games, just like their Chinese or American counterparts, while their fathers sit and enjoy football on their mobile phones.

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

3 subscription   

n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方）

参考例句：

• We paid a subscription of 5 pounds yearly.我们按年度缴纳5英镑的订阅费。
• Subscription selling bloomed splendidly.订阅销售量激增。

4 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。