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Digital Planet: 28/07/2009

Factual: Science & Nature

28/07/2009

BBC World Service - Digital Planet, 28/07/2009

How social networks are getting news out of Iran, and new high speed broadband for Africa

How social networking sites have become an invaluable source of news from Iran, the new high speed broadband cable connecting East Africa and why the internet runs on trust

This week we look at how social networking sites have become essential tools in the search for uncensored information from Iran, The BBC is one of several news organisations who’s journalists have been prevented from reporting directly from Iran, but information on activities such as anti government protests is being posted by those involved, on sites such as Twitter and Facebook. 

The internet runs on Trust, that’s according to Harvard Law Professor Jonathan Zittrain, who says it wouldn’t work if an army of geeks didn’t come out of the woodwork and fix things every time there was a major technical problem.  However his views are not necessarily shared by those self same geeks.

And the SECOM cable has reached Tanzania and Kenya. This massive undersea cable promises broadband connection speeds to east Africa. A new era of digital TV and high speed data transmission is dawning for the region.

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