This week the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) released a report which revealed that only one in five people in Africa use the internet today.

The ITU's ICT Facts & Figures report examines the global development of ICT over the past 15 years from the year 2000 to 2015. And according to the report, the percentage of people using the internet on the continent currently stands at 20.7%.

The report further indicates that Africa's mobile broadband penetration still remains below 20%, despite increasing access to cheaper smartphones.

According to the ITU, Africa's mobile broadband subscriptions currently stands at 17.4%.

Speaking to ITWeb Africa Kojo Boakye, policy manager of the Alliance for Affordable Internet, gave his thoughts on some of the factors affecting internet adoption on the continent.

SIMNIKIWE MZEKANDABA: Despite the slow uptake the ITU's latest stats shows growth in internet access in Africa from the years 2000 to 2015 - what do you make of the growth in internet access?

KOJO BOAKYE: This is a definite step in the right direction, but there is still much to do. When one breaks the figures down by year, we can see that the pace of progress in slow. In 2014, the ITU estimated that 19% of Africans were using the internet - this year that figure is 20.7% - a rise of just 1.7% in the past 12 months. At that rate, it will take decades before Africa reaches connectivity levels we currently see in Europe. Remember also that simply measuring the number of internet users does not mean that these individuals are actually using the internet frequently - rather just as and when they are able to.

The Alliance for Affordable Internet's 2014 Affordability report also found that those living in poverty, women and rural dwellers were the least likely to be able to connect affordably. In fact, not a single emerging or developing country can claim to meet the ITU's affordability benchmark of connectivity costing less than 5% of monthly income for the two billion potential users that survive on less than $2 a day.The benefits of connectivity are not yet reaching those who need it most.

SIMNIKIWE MZEKANDABA: What needs to be done to ensure accelerated access to the internet in Africa?

KOJO BOAKYE: We need concerted, coordinated action. Governments must commit to policies that make the internet affordable, easily accessible and truly useful to their people.

These include lowering taxes, opening up spectrum and public-private partnerships to invest in infrastructure. Businesses have an important role to play too. They need to work collaboratively with government and other players for the benefit of all - sharing infrastructure where appropriate and creating innovative business models and content that drive customer demand for the internet.

SIMNIKIWE MZEKANDABA: What are some of the factors inhibiting further growth in internet access on the continent?

KOJO BOAKYE: The primary limiting factor is cost - it is simply still too expensive to get online. Citizens of rich nations pay on average just 1-2% of their monthly income to connect. In the 51 countries A4AI analysed in the 2014 Affordability Report - many in Africa - the cost of fixed broadband remains about 40% of an average citizen's monthly income, while the price for an entry-level mobile broadband package hovers at just above 10% of monthly incomes.

Africa's often extremely unequal economies also add complexity to these figures - it is not uncommon for broadband to be affordable for a small segment of the population of certain countries, but entirely out of reach for the vast majority of citizens.

For instance, the South African government has been content to allow mobile cellular and broadband prices to remain among the highest in the world. Internet uptake has grown relatively fast in recent years with the spread of smartphones, but users are disproportionately affluent and well-educated; less than 20% of those beneath the poverty line are internet users, according to household survey research. Three-quarters of users are urban and over 40% are fluent in English. Hence, under the current policy regime, it is hard not to conclude that technology is deepening economic and social inequalities in South Africa.

SIMNIKIWE MZEKANDABA: The ITU report notes that Africa's mobile broadband penetration is still below 20% - why is this so? How can we ensure increased mobile broadband access?

KOJO BOAKYE: Again, it comes down to cost. Even through mobile broadband is usually cheaper than fixed broadband, it is still too expensive. We need to drive down the cost of both devices and data. There are positive examples from across the continent - in late 2014, Ghana decided to drop import duties on smartphones, following advocacy by A4AI's local coalition. The elimination of the 20% import duty is expected to reduce the cost of handsets in Ghana — where taxes make up approximately 35% of the cost of a smartphone — enabling many more ordinary Ghanaians to afford smartphones that allow them to access the life-changing potential of the web.

It's worth noting that when Kenya scrapped VAT on handsets in 2009, devices in circulation quadrupled and overall mobile penetration rose from 50% to more than 70%.

* The A4AI is a global coalition to drive down internet access costs in developing countries, the GSMA, is its latest member.