Editing Telecommunications in Mali (section)

==History==
Prior to the 19th century, the area which became Mali was crisscrossed by trade and communication links, the most important being the [[Niger River]], and important southern terminals of the [[Trans-Saharan trade]] routes. Only the most basic infrastructure (notably the [[Dakar-Niger Railway]]) was constructed during the [[French West Africa|period of French colonialism]]. During the first two decades of independence, Mali received major technical and financial support from the former [[Soviet Union]], [[China]], and their allies, especially in the area of radio and television broadcasting.

Since the 1980s, the government has instituted major infrastructural drives, primarily funded by European government partners, to improve and expand communications. [[Cellular phone]] usage, due to the vast and sparsely populated distances in the north and west, has grown tremendously since the 1990s.

Internet connectivity, very low by developed world standards, has been the focus of decentralised [[Communes of Mali|commune]] based development projects since the year 2000, while the government participates in the UN's [[Global Alliance for ICT and Development]] and the Connect Africa projects to further provide computer and internet availability in the country.