By Our Reporter
Africa’s telecoms industry forms a vital component to the continent’s economic growth, affecting all aspects of the business and social sphere. Dramatic expansion in the telecoms sector has taken place over the past five years, with a 72% penetration on average in mobile subscriptions across the continent.
Consequently, a huge amount of investment is happening to improve Africa’s infrastructure to manage the rapid increase in data usage and the need for better connectivity, particularly in rural areas. For example, Millicom Ghana (Tigo) is to invest US$24 million in the expansion of its 3G network in the country, according to local reports, with phase one of the expansion expected to include 114 cell sites installed in the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Western regions of Ghana over the next four months.
The international telecoms community regards Africa as an area of high value for new business. In East Africa for example, the construction of a fiber ring connecting five East African countries (Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi) has just been completed by Liquid Telecom, to ensure reliable and continuous connectivity.
Richard Sezibera, the Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC), the regional intergovernmental organization of the five countries, says, “By providing our nations with a 21st-century broadband network that directly connects us to each other and the outside world, Liquid Telecom continues to help the economic development of our region.
