If the countries of Africa achieve their goal, by 2030 the continent will be home to the world’s largest free-trade zone – and at its heart, a digital single market that will drive economic growth and development across all 54 nations. According to the African Union’s Digital transformation strategy for Africa , by 2030 all Africans should have access to at least 6Mbps broadband connectivity “all the time, where ever they live in the continent” at an affordable price of no more than one US cent per megabit. People will be able to buy a smart device manufactured in the continent priced at no more than $100, and use it to access online content and services of which at least 30% are developed and hosted in Africa. The opportunity is enormous – according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), every 10% increase in mobile broadband penetration in Africa would yield an increase of 2.5% in GDP per capita. A report by Google and IFC , part of the World Bank, predicts that growth in internet adoption could add $180bn to Africa’s GDP by 2025. In December 2022, US president Joe Biden announced a $350m investment to support the African […]
Click here to view original web page at www.computerweekly.com
