Now, instead of having to courier or fax literally hundreds of pages every voyage, bulky manifests can be manipulated later and sent much more cheaply and efficiently via the Internet. Data traffic is also increasing at a fast rate. Despite this considerable growth, particularly in telecommunications and the information sectors, Internet access and E-mail services are still not readily available in Africa. West Africa still has a great deal of development to go. The major dilemma is still the vast diversity in sub-Saharan Africa's telecommunications infrastructure.
Some countries are moving in leaps and bounds, others are still at the starting gates.
Reasons for this can be linked to out-dated technologies and policies that inhibits rather than assists development. Rigid government regulations and artificially high telecommunications tariffs create an uncompetitive environment that discourages the private enterprise from developing as Internet services providers. Such impediments have resulted in the absence of easy, cost effective and sustainable access to information systems for sub-Saharan Africa. A prime example of this is the fact that Internet service providers are forced to consolidate traffic at high prices over a single national circuit. An absence of international links between neighboring countries in West Africa has simply helped to compound weaknesses in promoting intra-regional trade.