Connecting Africa through Broadband – a report by the UN Broadband Commission
18 October 2019
The UN Broadband Commission on Sustainable Development released a report on digital transformation in Africa. President of UKE Marcin Cichy, as one of the Broadband Commissioners took part in drafting the document and in the consultations of the Working Group.
“Connecting Africa through Broadband” is a result of the Working Group and multistakeholder consultations that were led by the World Bank Group and aimed at accelerating Africa’s digitization process.
The report presents a detailed action plan for doubling connectivity (by 2021) as well as reaching universal access in the continent (by 2030). The report provides a roadmap consisting of concrete recommendations to ensure affordable and good quality broadband in Africa. To list just a few: training aimed at providing technical skills to operate and maintain digital infrastructure, establishing fund for high-cost investments, and ensuring that there is a healthy competition in the broadband services market.
While working on the report, its authors got familiar with UKE’s experience in mapping broadband infrastructure in Poland.
The document is aligned with the World Bank’s Digital Economy for Africa strategy (DE4A) that indicates fundaments for digital development in the continent. Moreover, it gives a financial overview of necessary investments. The report calls for a global coalition that only when established will enable a digital transformation moonshot for Africa.
