I can even check my email in Madagascar...

How long before every place on earth is effectively and redundantly connected to the world telecommunications grid? Not long it seems. The island nations of the Indian Ocean have spotty satellite connectivity now, but an international effort is afoot to connect them to each other and the grid, via Africa, by fiber optic cable. (The five nations of the Indian Ocean Commission are Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Comoros and Seychelles.)

 

Here's an article from One World Africa and another from PC World.

Of particular note is the cooperation between these nations, the EU, and the UN.

The Addis Ababa ICT forum was organized by the European Commission, the European Union's executive and regulatory body, the United Nations Commission for Africa (UNECA) and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

Now if I can only get my cell phone to work in my house here in the United States.