Mali. Mali also presided over preparations for the Sommet de la Société de l'Information. A number of cybercafés, and telecommunications centres (public, community or privately owned) have emerged since 1997 in the capitol Bamako. Many have had to close their doors due to difficulties in management and high fixed costs for network connections. Today, those that are surviving are those that support or develop a certain critical mass (access to a large number of computers, a regular customer base) and that offer complementary activities like training or equipment sales. Many students have at least an email address and can benefit from access to relatively accessible prices for Internet research. Many businesses have access to the Internet through telephone. The costs of permanent connections to the radio broadcasting network remain high, but have tended to progressively diminish (100,000 Fcfa per month for an organisation, 30,000 Fcfa per month for an individual). Internet is reaching a progressively larger territory. Regional capitols all have Internet access, as well as a number of mid-sized towns along principal roads. The skills needed to publish on the Web are increasingly available, but Internet hosting and support for Websites remains highly variable. Togunet (national politics, training, workshops with agricultural themes, health): a network for the promotion of information technology in the development of Mali () Campus numérique francophone de Bamako de l'Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (offers information technology training, and bursaries for researchers and students): () Initiatives Mali Gateway: An organization for local development activities in Mali () Geekcorps au Mali: Radio and internet installation and other activities () Afribone () Malikounda () See also Telecommunications in Mali Human rights in Mali References Bibliography External links Mali Mali