New Internet technologies and broadband penetration in Africa: A pathway to sustainable digital economy

Africa is in a race to attain global standards in digital transformation for economic growth and sustainability. The continent’s need to achieve growth in its digital landscape is even more pertinent considering that emerging digital ecosystems are predicted by McKinsey to account for more than $60 trillion in global economic revenue by 2025.

Across the globe, a fast-paced digital transformation continues to inspire new approaches to work. Indeed, the Internet, which is the holy grail of digital evolution, has been a critical driver for job opportunities and global economic boost over the last decade.

When the United Nations (UN) articulated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for its member-nations, a critical part of that agenda was to foster decent work and economic growth globally through digital innovation and technology.

Africa’s young urban population is notable for its utilisation of Internet connectivity to create job opportunities and empower themselves amid an alarming unemployment rate. The Google and International Finance Corporation’s e-Conomy Africa 2020 report says Africa, with the youngest, fastest-growing and urbanised workforce has the potential to enjoy a $180 billion Internet economy by 2025 owing to the increasing consumption of online services.

The report also projects that increasing Internet penetration to 75 per cent has the potential to create 44 million new jobs. These statistics indicate that the continent’s predominantly young population requires accelerated measures to drive Internet penetration and access, which will ultimately spur opportunities for economic growth.

We must now maximise these economic opportunities by improving the quality of network services and broadband penetration currently obtainable on the continent. This is critical, considering that a world development report suggests that developed economies that achieve
a 10-percentage point increase in fixed broadband penetration would witness a 1.21 per cent increase in GDP growth, while developing economies with the same expansion would achieve a 1.38 per cent increase in GDP growth.

It is a daunting task. The World Bank estimates that Africa will require an investment of about $100 billion to make the Internet accessible to every citizen by 2030. I especially worry that the continent, with peculiar socioeconomic and sociopolitical complexities, has its work cut out to achieve the goal by the UN.

What actions or strategies are we required to take in building inclusive digital technology that will set us on the path to achieving the UN’s SDG 8that deals with providing decent work and boosting economic growth? Despite the many challenges facing Africa’s digital ecosystem, we can take calculated steps in focusing on aspects with potential to produce the desired result.

A starting point will include improving the provision of quality Internet services and accessibility. By providing access to quality and reliable Internet access, we will undoubtedly provide the youth with opportunities across various sectors of interest, stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship in ICT, and foster vibrant small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This strategic improvement is necessary to enable resilient work opportunities and commerce that will in turn stimulate wider social and economic development.

For instance, the continent’s most populated nation, Nigeria, with over 33.6 million aged between 15 and 35, need to improve the limited access to quality and reliable internet. Expanded Internet access can significantly mitigate the growing 19.61 per cent youth unemployment in the country. As the dynamics of work continue to evolve in today’s digital climate with many organisations employing talents globally in a remote and hybrid work culture, a dependable internet service would ensure more youths can take full advantage of global opportunities without experiencing frustrations necessitated by poor Internet.

Deployment of the 5G technology will specifically ensure that remote workers from anywhere across the globe can download and upload large files quickly, access cloud-based applications with minimal delay, and collaborate on projects in real-time. 5G-powered virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies will similarly impact team dynamics, reducing the isolation that can come with working remotely through immersive and engaging communication. We will find just as much impact of the 5G technology in the entertainment sphere and security. Users of the fifth-generation network can enjoy a more seamless viewing experience by streaming high-quality video content with minimal buffering, while 5G-powered cameras can provide real-time video feeds with minimal latency, enabling homeowners to monitor their properties remotely. I am especially enthusiastic about MTN’s dedication towards improving access to Internet service in Nigeria.

The desire to drive this level of quality broadband connectivity is reflected in our recent launch of the 5G network in Nigeria. The next-gen network is projected to contribute an additional $2.2 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2034, boasting Internet speed up to 1000mbps, dwarfing the previously attainable Internet speed of 80mbps.

By providing this Internet technology option, MTN is now able to further deliver fit-for-purpose connectivity in different areas in Nigeria. Public and private institutions and individual Internet users can rely on the 5G service to achieve rapid online tool response time, excellent video conferencing, quality remote office performance and employee productivity, and backup needs.

Indeed, MTN has been a champion of ensuring quality network access across the country since its inception and we are now well poised to take broadband penetration to the next level. Through the existing 3G and 4G networks and the high-speed Fibre Broadband, we have been able to drive Internet spread and access in urban and rural areas in Nigeria over the past 15 years. We are now fully committed to making access to quality Internet service widespread to drive a globally recognised digital economy in Nigeria and in line with the Federal Government’s National Broadband Plan of achieving at least 70 per cent Internet penetration by 2025.

One thing is certain, with the commercial deployment of the 5G network, Nigeria has taken a giant stride toward expanding its internet connectivity level to meet global standards.
Ikenna-Emeka is General Manager, Fixed Broadband, MTN, wrote from Lagos.

The launch of the 5G technology in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri speaks to the localisation of global digital transformation initiatives and positions us to further provide Internet users with superior service to work better and improve the economy.

I must say this is where we want to be as a nation with a laser focus on building a digitally viable economy. Whilst there is room for improvement, our broadband penetration milestones in the past few years have been encouraging. Companies like Meta and Starlink for instance have begun to adopt satellite technology in providing Internet connectivity around the world, including Nigeria. It will be fascinating to see how this mix of Internet options accelerates our broadband penetration aspirations.

Whether Africa achieves its ambition of near-perfect digital connectivity and inclusivity in the next three years remains to be seen. There is more work to be done to achieve the levels of Internet penetration that we require both at urban and rural levels to meet global standards. We will have to leverage the right levels of investments and collaborations. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the continent has received a huge boost with the launch of 5G network.

Africa’s journey towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals before the alarm bells ring in 2030 is firmly on, and I believe that further public-private sector collaborations will propel us to get better. MTN, I can confidently say, will continue to be right in the thick of the action.