Fourth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

The Internet has become one of the most essential infrastructures for democratizing media globally. Access to the Internet holds the promise for deepening democratic cultures as it enables citizens to network among themselves and connect with political leadership. However, in the developing world, access to Internet remains a pipe dream for the majority who cannot afford the costs of mobile data – a key resource in accessing the Internet. In South Africa, spiraling costs of mobile data have triggered intense political mobilization in a battle pitting telecommunication companies and citizens. This paper examines the political struggle for access to digital infrastructure in South Africa using the #DataMustFall Campaign as a case study to illuminate the rights-based materiality and politics of digital infrastructures from an African, particularly South African perspective. The #DataMustFall was formed in 2016 to lobby for the reduction of the price of mobile cellular data. The paper examines the effectiveness of the strategies employed by the #DataMustFall movement to lobby for reduced prices of mobile data, and the extent to which the campaign has contributed to wider access of the Internet and reducing digital inequalities in South Africa. In addition, the paper critically reflects on lessons which can be drawn from this movement by other African countries in the global South in general, and on the African continent. The paper contributes critical insights on debates about the way in which the politics of digital infrastructures plays itself out from a communicative rights perspective in the global South.