Internet in Africa

Internet users in 2015 as a percentage of a country's population
Africa clearly shows as the largest single area behind the digital divide.
Source: International Telecommunication Union.[1]
Main article: Digital divide

The Internet in Africa is limited by a lower penetration rate when compared to the rest of the world. Measurable parameters such as the number of ISP subscriptions, overall number of hosts, IXP-traffic, and overall available bandwidth are indicators that Africa is far behind the "digital divide". Moreover, Africa itself exhibits an inner digital divide, with most Internet activity and infrastructure concentrated in South Africa, Morocco, and Egypt, as well as smaller economies like Mauritius and the Seychelles. In general, only 43% of the African population has access to the Internet as of 2021.[2][3] Only 0.4% of the African population has a fixed-broadband subscription. The majority of internet users use it through mobile broadband.[4][5][6][7]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people who were not connected to the internet lost access to health care and education. Production in all industries was seriously harmed.[4][8][9][10]

While the telecommunications market in Africa is still in its early stages of development, it is also one of the fastest-growing in the world. In the 2000s, mobile telephone service in Africa has been rising, and mobile telephone use is now substantially more widespread than fixed-line telephony. Telecommunication companies in Africa are looking at Broadband Wireless Access technologies as the key to make Internet available to the population at large. Projects are being completed that aim at the realization of Internet backbones that might help cut the cost of bandwidth in African countries.

The International Telecommunication Union held the first Connect the World meeting in Kigali, Rwanda (in October 2007) as a demonstration that the development of telecommunications in Africa is considered a key intermediate objective for the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals.[11]

  1. ^ "Percentage of Individuals using the Internet 2000-2012", International Telecommunication Union (Geneva), June 2013, retrieved 22 June 2013
  2. ^ Black, Jeremy (April 2022). A History of the World: From Prehistory to the 21st Century. Arcturus. p. 221. ISBN 9781838570514.
  3. ^ Galal, Saifaddin (Jan 10, 2024). "Internet usage in Africa - statistics & facts". STATISTA.
  4. ^ a b "Digital infrastructure help Africa build resilient societies". European Investment Bank. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  5. ^ "African e-Connectivity Index 2021: the final frontier and a huge opportunity". Investment Monitor. 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  6. ^ "Africa Connectivity Outlook: 2022 and Beyond". SES. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  7. ^ "Why aren't more people using mobile internet in West Africa?". blogs.worldbank.org. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  8. ^ "COVID-19 and Africa: Socio-economic implications and policy responses". OECD. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  9. ^ "Africa and Europe: In the face of common opportunities and challenges, let's build common responses | EEAS Website". www.eeas.europa.eu. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  10. ^ "COVID-19". World Bank. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  11. ^ ITU (2010)