Welcome to the 8th annual review of telecommunications infrastructure development in Africa. It is hard to believe that another year in which most of us have operated remotely, spending large parts of our days in front of our web cameras. This is my summary of the highlights telecom infrastructure development in 2021 as well as links to over 270 articles covering a range of African telecom infrastructure development issues.
Undersea Cables
The continued increase in capacity and number of undersea cables reaching the shores of African countries is truly a wonder to watch. The METISS cable linking Madagascar, Reunion, and Mauritius with South Africa went live March. DARE-1, an undersea cable connecting Kenya with Somalia and Djibouti went live in February. EllaLink, which stretches from Latin America to Europe went into operation in June, connecting Cabo Verde, Mauritania, and Morocco along the way. Last but not least, the ACE cable finally connected its second phase reaching all the way down to South Africa. That’s a lot of new capacity. But wait, there’s more.
All of those new cables together will not match the capacity of either of the two massive silicon-valley funded cables, Equiano and 2Africa led by Google and Facebook respectively. For Equiano, which promises to go live in 2022, things have been pretty quiet, which is perhaps not surprising given how little news has been released by Google about the cable since its original announcement. Google did announce a partnership with Paratus to land the cable in Namibia but not much else made the news. 2Africa also announced new partnerships to land the 2africa cable in Angola, Comoros, south eastern Nigeria, and the Seychelles. 2Africa is projected to go live in 2023.
Although not in the same capacity class as Equiano and 2Africa, the China-financed PEACE cable is set to go live in early 2022, connecting Egypt, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, and the Seychelles to Pakistan.
Changing hands in 2021 was MainOne, which was sold to Equinix for $320M. Pioneered by Nigerian entrepreneur Funke Opeke, MainOne was first of a new generation of high-capacity undersea cables to reach West Africa in 2010. MainOne stood out as being one of the few independent undersea cable initiatives.
Terrestrial Backbone Fibre
As a natural extension of undersea connectivity, investment in terrestrial fibre networks also grew in 2021. As with 2020, there were more cross-border fibre announcements including Cameroon-Chad, Cameroon-Gabon, Tanzania-Mozambique and others. This is good news for redundancy of network routes but also hopefully for lower costs, especially for land-locked countries, as more international access options appear.
2021 also saw the continued rise of regional fibre powerhouses such as Liquid Intelligent Technologies (formerly Liquid Telecom) who now have terrestrial fibre reaching from South Africa to Egypt and from Kenya to DRC. West Africa may be next as Liquid have announced a partnership with Orange. They are not the only regional players though. Paratus has expanded from Namibia into the Southern African region. BCS in have fibre infrastructure throughout East Africa. Regional operators like MTN and Orange are not far behind in establishing regional backbones.
Also notable this year was the continuing trend of power companies investing in fibre, often partnering with telcos to offer services.
| Country | Operator | Date | Publication | URL |
| Côte d'Ivoire | | 2021-01-18 | Africa Business + | Strive Masiyiwa’s Liquid Telecom sets first milestone in Ivory Co... |
| Côte d'Ivoire | | 2021-12-31 | Ecofin Agency | Kaydan Group plans optical fiber investments in Côte d''Ivoire |
| Angola | Paratus | 2021-09-07 | ITWeb Africa | 600km Angola to DRC fibre optic link goes live Africa |
| Botswana | | 2021-01-08 | Tech in Africa | Liquid Telecom Expansion to Botswana |
| Botswana | | 2021-05-10 | ITWeb Africa | Liquid directs new internet route into Botswana Africa |
| Botswana | Paratus | 2021-12-31 | Ecofin Agency | Botswana: Paratus pumps $6mln into optical fiber grid project |
| Burkina Faso | | 2021-02-08 | Agence Ecofin | Le Burkina Faso fait du développement du réseau de fibre optique une priorité en 2021 |
| Burkina Faso | | 2021-07-12 | Agence Ecofin | Le Burkina Faso bientôt quadrillé par 800 km de fibre optique urbaine et 900 caméras de surveillance |
| Burkina Faso | | 2021-12-31 | Ecofin Agency | Burkinabe govt to build 800km of optical fiber and install 900 surveillance cameras |
| Cameroon | | 2021-06-06 | Agence Ecofin | Le Cameroun et le Congo bientôt reliés par fibre optique |
| Cameroon, Chad | | 2021-12-31 | Business in Cameroon | Cameroon and Chad signs new memorandum governing optical fiber transmission networks’ interconnection |
| DRC | | 2021-02-04 | Agence Ecofin | La RDC et Benya Capital ont finalisé un contrat d’installation de 16 000 km de fibre optique |
| DRC | | 2021-03-19 | ITWeb Africa | Liquid confirms fibre rollout in DRC Africa |
| DRC | | 2021-03-19 | Capacity Media | Liquid expands to DRC with 2,500km fibre network |
| DRC | | 2021-06-28 | Agence Ecofin | RD Congo : l’Egyptien Benya Capital peut démarrer la pose de la fibre optique sur l’ensemble du territoire national |
| DRC | | 2021-07-26 | Capacity Media | DRC spends $35m on project for new fibre and upgrades |
| DRC | | 2021-12-31 | Ecofin Agency | Egyptian Benya Capital ready to build an optical fiber network in DR Congo |
| DRC | | 2021-12-31 | Ecofin Agency | Egyptian Benya Capital to install 16,000 km of optical fiber in DR Congo |
| Egypt | | 2021-12-31 | Ecofin Agency | 1,300 Egyptian villages to soon be connected to optical fiber |
| Gabon, Cameroon | | 2021-07-19 | ITWeb Africa | Cameroon, Gabon fibre interconnection now operational Africa |
| Ghana | | 2021-04-19 | MyJoyOnline | GRIDCo releases excess fibre capacity to CSquared for broadband distribution - MyJoyOnline.com |
| Ghana | | 2021-04-20 | Ghanaian Times | Access to internet: GRICO, CSquared sign pact |
| Kenya | | 2021-02-25 | Business Daily Africa | Fibre optic network needs a rethink |
| Kenya | | 2021-03-01 | Business Daily Africa | Split in government over takeover of Sh16 billion fibre optic from Telkom Kenya |
| Kenya | | 2021-05-03 | Business Today | Kenya Power Eyes Telco Billions With Fibre Optic Network Extension |
| Kenya | | 2021-05-03 | Business Daily Africa | Kenya Power eyes telcos in 600km internet cables plan |
| Kenya | | 2021-05-19 | Agence Ecofin | Kenya : le distributeur d’énergie électrique KPLC veut ajouter 678,5 km de fibre optique à son réseau |
| Liberia | | 2021-11-03 | Liberian Observer | US$10M Investment for Liberia’s Digital Transformation |
| Madagascar | | 2021-01-18 | Developing Telecoms | Gulfsat licensed as Madagascar’s second backbone operator |
| Malawi | | 2021-06-28 | ITWeb Africa | Malawi launches second phase of national fibre backbone project Africa |
| Mauritania | | 2020-12-23 | Biztech Africa | ZTE completes the deployment of Mauritania’s first national backbone network |
| Mauritania | | 2021-12-10 | Agence Ecofin | Mauritanie : le ministère de la Transition numérique a inauguré le dernier tronçon du réseau national de fibre optique |
| Niger | | 2021-08-25 | Agence Ecofin | Niger : Airtel investit 5,7 millions $ pour déployer la fibre optique de Zinder jusqu’à la frontière avec le Nigeria |
| Nigeria | | 2021-01-27 | Extensia | Nigeria: 2 years after obtaining operating licenses, infrastructure operators are desired |
| Nigeria | | 2021-08-26 | Capacity Media | Niger’s second city gets Airtel fibre link to Nigerian borde |
| Regional | | 2021-03-15 | IFC | One Million Kilometers of Fiber Optic Cables for Development | by IFC | Medium |
| Regional | | 2021-06-02 | ITWeb Africa | Liquid lays 100 000km fibre connectivity across Africa Africa |
| Regional | | 2021-07-06 | ITWeb Africa | Liquid, Facebook team up to construct fibre corridor Africa |
| Regional | Orange | 2021-10-28 | Techzim | Liquid & Orange partner to expand network reach across Africa |
| Sierra Leone | | 2021-02-11 | Sierra Express Media | Finance Ministry raise red flag on Fibre Optic Cable Contract – Sierra Express Media |
| South Africa | | 2021-03-29 | TechCentral | New long-distance fibre routes to connect Durban, Cape Town |
| South Africa | | 2021-03-30 | ITWeb | Liquid completes 1 700km fibre lines in SA |
| South Africa | MTN | 2021-05-25 | ITWeb | MTN lights up SA’s digital highway with completion of Coastal National Long Distance cable project |
| South Africa | | 2021-06-10 | MyBroadband | United States in surprise fibre rollout investment in South Africa |
| South Africa | MTN | 2021-07-02 | Mail & Guardian | MTN lights up SA’s digital highway with completion of coastal national long-distance cable project |
| Tanzania | | 2021-08-31 | Daily News Tanzania | TZ Reaps Dividends From Fibre Optic Cable |
| Tanzania | | 2021-09-08 | Daily News Tanzania | TTCL to parnter with TANESCO to extend national fibre optic network |
| Tanzania | | 2021-09-10 | Capacity Media | Tanzania to route national fibre extension along electricity |
| Tanzania | | 2021-10-25 | Habari LEO | State Allocates 170BN/- to Strengthen Security in Cities |
| Tanzania | | 2021-10-27 | Agence Ecofin | Tanzanie : le gouvernement a alloué 73,7 millions $ à l’extension du réseau national de fibre optique |
| Tanzania | | 2021-12-08 | ITWeb Africa | Tanzania sets aside TZS170bn to reinforce ICT backbone |
| Tanzania | | 2021-12-31 | Ecofin Agency | Tanzania: Govt invests $73.7mln to expand the national fiber grid |
| Tanzania, Mozambique | | 2021-04-04 | The Citizen - Tanzania | Tanzania, Mozambique ink broadband deal - The Citizen |
| Tanzania, Mozambique | | 2021-04-07 | Capacity Media | Tanzania extends broadband backbone to Mozambique border |
| Togo | | 2021-01-15 | Togo First | Togo: New decree makes deploying fiber optics compulsory for some construction projects |
| Togo, Morocco | Moov | 2021-02-05 | Togo First | Moov-Africa to deploy submarine cable from Casablanca to Lomé |
| Togo, Morocco | Moov | 2021-02-05 | OSIRIS | Moov-Africa va déployer un câble sous-marin entre le Maroc et le Togo |
| Togo, Morocco | Moov | 2021-02-05 | Agence Ecofin | Moov-Africa va déployer un câble sous-marin entre le Maroc et le Togo |
| Togo, Morocco | Moov | 2021-02-05 | Lome Infos | Togo: Moov-Africa va déployer un câble sous-marin entre Casablanca (Maroc) et Lomé. – Lome Infos | Actualité du Togo |
| Uganda | | 2021-01-22 | TechJaja | Liquid Telecom applies for two new operating licenses from UCC |
| Uganda | | 2021-06-02 | World Bank | Uganda Secures $200 million to Accelerate Digital Transformation and Inclusiveness |
| Uganda, Tanzania | | 2021-06-07 | Capacity Media | World Bank awards $350m to Tanzania and Uganda broadband |
| West Africa | | 2021-04-09 | Capacity Media | West Africa states sign deal to manage international fibre n |
| Zambia | MTN | 2021-05-05 | Tech Financials | MTN Establishes First FibreCo In Zambia As Part of Plans To Spin Off Fibre Business | TechFinancials |
FTTH and OTT
Five years ago, news of investment in FTTH services spoke of reaching only a few thousand customers. In 2021, we see news articles about FTTH services threatening the mobile industry itself. It is worth reflecting on how big a change this represents to FTTH services breathing down the neck of MNOs most lucrative markets. Much of this is driven by demand for OTT services, although uptake of OTT service providers like Netflix, Showmax, and other is still hampered by high data costs. If fibre access costs can be brought in line with costs elsewhere in the word, fibre optic infrastructure will have at least as big an impact on African telecommunications as mobile has had.
Licensed Spectrum
While LTE networks continue to expand on the continent, very little new spectrum was released to operators. A notable exception was the Zambian regulator that released 2x10MHz tranches of 800MHz spectrum to Airtel and MTN for $12.5M and $13.5M respectively.
The Nigerian regulator also held an auction of the 3.5GHz band in December which saw successful bids of $273M (more than $75M higher than the reserve price) from MTN and newcomer Mafab for tranches of 100MHz each. While may have been a windfall for the treasury, it is hard to see how this particular release of spectrum will contribute to closing the digital divide in Nigeria. The high cost of spectrum combined with the 3.5GHz frequency that is best suited to urban broadband seems likely to ensure that little of this spectrum will serve those most in need of affordable broadband.
In South Africa, the drama of a spectrum auction that has been over 10 years in the making looks like it will be renewed for another season. So many lessons to be learned here. Economists argue that auctions are the most efficient and fair mechanism for assigning spectrum but the reality of their implementation does not always seem to match up with their aspirations.
| Category | Country | Frequency | Operator | Date | Publication | URL |
| 5G | Kenya | | Safaricom | 2021-01-05 | The East African | Safaricom puts 5G rollout on hold - The East African |
| 5G | Kenya | | Safaricom | 2021-03-25 | Business Daily Africa | Safaricom to launch 5G network Friday in Nairobi and western Kenya |
| 5G | Mali | | | 2021-07-09 | Telegeography | Orange Mali tests 5G |
| 5G | South Africa | | Vodacom MTN | 2021-12-31 | Total Telecom | Telecoms towers torched in South Africa over 5G fears |
| 5G | Regional | | | 2021-03-15 | World Bank | World Bank Document - Policy-Choices-Can-Help-Keep-4G-and-5G-Universal-Broadband-Affordable.pdf |
| Auction | Nigeria | | | 2021-03-31 | Developing Telecoms | Interview: Airtel Africa’s Razvan Ungureanu |
| Auction | Nigeria | | | 2021-09-06 | Broadcast Media Africa | Nigeria: Federal Government To Start 5G Spectrum Auction At US$ 2.6 Billion - Broadcast Media Africa (BMA) |
| Auction | Nigeria | 3.5GHz | | 2021-11-14 | Punch Nigeria | Growing concerns over Nigeria’s 5G spectrum auction - Punch Newspapers |
| Auction | Zambia | 800MHz | | 2021-02-03 | Telegeography | ZICTA calls for applications for block of 800MHz spectrum |
| Auction | Nigeria | 800MHz | MTN | 2021-03-12 | ITWeb Africa | MTN Nigeria secures additional spectrum |
| Auction | South Africa | | | 2021-09-07 | TechCentral | Icasa consents to court order setting aside spectrum ITA |
| Auction | South Africa | | | 2021-10-01 | TechCentral | Icasa sets timetable to auction spectrum by March 2022 |
| Auction | South Africa | | | 2021-10-01 | News24 | Icasa announces new deadlines for spectrum auction |
| Auction | Nigeria | | | 2021-10-11 | Leadership | NCC Sets Reserve Price For 5G Spectrum Auction At $197.4m |
| Auction | Nigeria | 3.5GHz | | 2021-11-05 | Premium Times | '5G: MTN, Airtel want Nigeria''s $197 million licence fee slashed' |
| Auction | Nigeria | 3.5GHz | | 2021-11-07 | The Nation - Nigeria | NCC insists on $197 million for 5G spectrum - The Nation Newspaper |
| Auction | Nigeria | 3.5GHz | | 2021-11-09 | TechNext | NCC to auction 5G spectrum on Dec 13, insists on N75bn reserve price |
| Auction | Nigeria | 3.5GHz | | 2021-12-02 | Mobile World Live | Nigeria clears trio of bidders for 5G auction - Mobile World Live |
| Auction | Nigeria | 3.5GHz | | 2021-12-02 | Nairametrics | NCC announces MTN, Airtel, another firm as qualified bidders for 3.5 Ghz spectrum |
| Auction | Nigeria | 3.5GHz | | 2021-12-03 | Developing Telecoms | Airtel, MTN and newcomer Mafab set for Nigerian 5G auction |
| Auction | Nigeria | 3.5GHz | MTN, Mafab | 2021-12-13 | Premium Times | Airtel loses as MTN, Mafab win bid for 5G spectrum |
| Auction | Nigeria | 3.5GHz | | 2021-12-13 | The Guardian - Nigeria | 'Nigeria''s 5G auction price rises to $209.4m | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News — Technology — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News' |
| Auction | Nigeria | 3.5GHz | | 2021-12-14 | This Day | FG Rakes in Fresh $547m as MTN, Mafab Win 3.5GHz Spectrum Auction |
| Auction | Nigeria | 3.5GHz | Mafab | 2021-12-16 | TechNext | 'The question of Tinubu''s involvement in MAFAB amid NCC''s assurance' |
| Auction | Nigeria | 3.5GHz | Mafab | 2021-12-16 | Business Post | '5G Auction: NCC Denies Knowledge of Tinubu''s Link With Mafab' |
| Auction | Nigeria | 3.5GHZ | | 2021-12-19 | Leadership | How Mafab’s Founder Fought His Way To 5G Licence |
| LTE | Nigeria | 3.5GHz | | 2021-01-18 | Developing Telecoms | Tizeti rolls out affordable LTE in Southern Nigeria |
| LTE | Senegal | | | 2021-03-01 | Telegeography | Expresso obtains 4G licence |
| LTE | South Sudan | | | 2021-03-08 | Developing Telecoms | Developing Telecoms |
| LTE | Mauritania | | Moov | 2021-04-08 | Telegeography | Lucky 13 for Moov Mauritel 4G |
| LTE | Mauritania | | | 2021-08-28 | Agence Ecofin | Mauritanie : Chinguitel lance à son tour la 4G, huit mois après Mauritel et Mattel |
| LTE | Libya | | | 2021-09-02 | Agence Ecofin | Libye : Libyana, Al- Madar et Libya Telecom and Technology initient la couverture 4G du sud du pays |
| LTE | Nigeria | | MTN | 2021-10-28 | Capacity Media | MTN Nigeria to raise $220 million to extend 4G network |
| LTE | Zimbabwe | | | 2021-10-28 | Telegeography | Econet embarks on network expansion project |
| LTE | Kenya | | Telkom | 2021-11-02 | ITWeb Africa | Telkom Kenya announces US$100m network expansion |
| LTE | Mauritania | | | 2021-11-30 | Agence Ecofin | Mauritanie : rivale de Mauritel et Chinguitel, Mattel a entamé l’extension de sa couverture 4G au-delà de Nouakchott |
| LTE | Benin | | | 2021-11-30 | Telegeography | MTN Benin to cover 75% of the population with 4G this year |
| LTE | Kenya | | | 2021-12-31 | Ecofin Agency | Kenya: Telkom invests $100mln to expand its 4G network |
| LTE | Somalia | | | 2021-12-31 | Ecofin Agency | Somalia: Hormuud Telecom plans full 4G coverage by 2023 |
| LTE | Tanzania | | | 2021-12-31 | Ecofin Agency | Tanzania: Airtel upgrades its 4G network |
| Spectrum | Ghana | | MTN | 2021-09-28 | ITNews Africa | MTN Announces 5G Roll Out Date in Ghana - IT News Africa - Up to date technology news, IT news, Digital news, Telecom news, Mobile news, Gadgets news, Analysis and Reports |
| Spectrum | Zambia | 800MHz | | 2021-01-04 | ITWeb Africa | Airtel secures spectrum as Zambia advances 5G strategy |
| Spectrum | Ghana | | | 2021-02-16 | BNN Bloomberg | Ghana Plans to Relax Telecom Licensing Rules to Lower Data Costs |
| Spectrum | Ghana | | | 2021-02-17 | Kahawa Tungu | Ghana to Alter Spectrum Regulations to Reduce Data Costs - |
| Spectrum | Ghana | | | 2021-02-23 | ITWeb Africa | RuralStar Ghana project targets potential 4.5m disconnected |
| Spectrum | Zambia | 800MHz | MTN | 2021-03-24 | ITWeb Africa | MTN Zambia secures additional spectrum |
| Spectrum | Kenya | | | 2021-05-17 | Other | Towards a Licensing and Shared Spectrum Framework for Community Networks in Kenya - YouTube |
| Spectrum | Kenya | | | 2021-05-19 | The Standard Kenya | State to waive license fees on local Internet |
| Spectrum | South Africa | | | 2021-05-21 | TechCentral | Icasa licenses 5G spectrum to SMEs, raising hackles |
| Spectrum | Togo | | | 2021-09-06 | ITWeb Africa | Togo looks to secure share of US$10bn China fund to advance digital migration |
| Spectrum | Nigeria | 900MHz, 1800MHz | MTN | 2021-09-10 | Telegeography | MTN renews Nigerian licence for a further ten years |
| Spectrum | Nigeria | | | 2021-07-06 | Broadcasting and Media | Nigeria: Govt. Agency Surpassed Its Revenue Projection For Spectrum Fees In 2021 |
| Spectrum | Kenya | | | 2021-05-11 | CA Kenya | Public Consultation On Draft Licensing And Shared Spectrum Framework For Community Networks In Kenya - Communications Authority of Kenya - Communications Authority of Kenya |
| Spectrum | Zambia | 800MHz | | 2020-12-29 | Zambia Reports | Airtel Granted Radio Spectrum by ZICTA |
| Spectrum | Zambia | 800MHz | | 2021-01-05 | Developing Telecoms | Could spectrum award boost Airtel Zambia’s 5G prospects? |
Unlicensed and Dynamic Spectrum
It was a quiet news year for license exempt spectrum in Africa, although the WiFi Alliance did publish a report estimating the economic contribution of WiFi in African countries which is worth a read.
In TVWS spectrum, the Kenyan regulator formally released their TVWS framework in May although negotiations are still ongoing regarding a geo-location database service provider. In Nigeria, TVWS consultation appears to have stalled after being launched in December of 2020. As things currently stand, TVWS seems likely to continue struggle for adoption unless regulators work to significantly lower the barriers to access and implement the technology.
Towers
The great tower sell-off continued in 2021 as tower operators continued to acquire tower assets from mobile network operators. One of the largest tower operators, IHS, launched an IPO in October.
Datacentres
Datacentre investment continued to climb in 2021. Major fibre operators like Liquid and Paratus are expanding their investments in datacentres as a natural complement to their fibre networks. Dedicated datacentre companies like Raxio in East Africa and N+ONE in West Africa also launched new datacentres in 2021. Also significant was the acquisition of undersea cable operator MainOne by global internet infrastructure company Equinix. In addition to their eponymous undersea cable, MainOne operate datacentres in Nigeria and Ghana. Equinix’s acquisition may presage a more significant investment in datacentres across the continent.
Satellite
The broadband-from-space race heated up in 2021 with OneWeb recovering from bankruptcy thanks to investment from both the UK and India. Spacex Starlink launched a phenomenal number of satellites with over 1800 now in orbit. Both OneWeb and Starlink have been actively soliciting African partners. Whether either satellite operator has a service that is appropriate in African countries remains to be seen. Starlink terminals cost $500 each and incur a monthly fee of $99 dollars making them an expensive option for anyone. Whether they may prove useful for as a backhaul provider for small rural networks remains to be seen.
The LEO satellite constellation news in 2021 was anything but boring. Not to be outdone by the likes of Starlink, the Rwandan government applied for a permission at the ITU to launch 327,320 satellites! No one seems to be quite clear what that is all about.
Also interesting are smaller LEO satellite startups like ASTMobile and Lynk who announced partnerships with UTL in Uganda and Aliv and Telecel Centrafrique in the Central African Republic respectively. Both Lynk and ASTMobile claim to offer “base stations in the sky” which allow mobile phones to communicate directly with satellites. Whether this proves to be technically and/or commercially feasible remains to be seen.
Last but not least, traditional geosynchronous satellite operators were also busy with SES, Eutelsat, and Yahsat all announcing new operator partnerships in 2021.
Miscellaneous
The following table is a grab bag of African telecom issues that have caught my attention in 2021. The range of announcements of investment plans in African telecoms is interesting, ranging from Google and Facebook to the World Bank and CDC. Also notable is the introduction of a new class of operator license by the Kenyan regulator aimed at non-profit community network operators. As the pressure to provide affordable broadband access to all citizens increases, thanks in no small part to the global pandemic, there is a need for new business models and new kinds of operators that can provide services where the incumbents have little or no interest. Hopefully 2022 will see other regulators act in a similar manner.
| Category | Country | Operator | Date | Publication | URL |
| China | Malawi | | 2021-06-26 | Xinhua | 'Malawi gov''t hails Huawei for enhancing information technology' |
| China | Regional | | 2021-12-01 | RestofWorld | The real reason China is pushing “digital sovereignty” in Africa |
| China | Benin | | 2021-12-31 | Ecofin Agency | Benin and China ink US$40 mln loan agreement for supplemental backbone project |
| Community Networks | Kenya | | 2021-07-17 | The Star Kenya | KIVUVA, GITHAIGA: Chamas can now provide internet services to communities |
| Community Networks | Regional | | 2021-11-18 | Thompson Reuter Foundation News | 'Bridging Africa''s digital divide: The rise of community internet' |
| Community Networks | Nigeria | | 2021-12-12 | Tech Mirror | Digital Inclusion: CITAD Advocates Development Of Community Networks In Nigeria |
| Digital Migration | Mozambique | | 2021-09-27 | ITWeb Africa | Mozambique announces migration to digital broadcasting |
| Digital Migration | South Africa | | 2021-10-01 | TechCentral | Cabinet reaffirms analogue TV switch-off plan |
| Investment | Regional | Google | 2020-11-11 | IFC | e-Conomy Africa 2020 - Africa’s $180 Billion Internet Economy Future |
| Investment | Ethiopia | Vodacom | 2021-05-22 | TechCentral | Vodacom consortium wins Ethiopia operating licence |
| Investment | Ethiopia | Safaricom, Vodacom | 2021-05-26 | Developing Telecoms | How will Ethiopia’s new licence winner structure its operations? |
| Investment | Ethiopia | | 2021-07-01 | Ethiopian Communications Authority | Telecommunications-Licencing-Directive-No.-792-2021-English.pdf |
| Investment | Uganda | Africell | 2021-09-08 | Capacity Media | Africell exits Uganda due to "long-term commercial outlook" |
| Investment | Regional | Google | 2021-09-14 | TechCentral | Google sets aside $1-billion for investment in Africa |
| Investment | Regional | | 2021-09-21 | Nairametrics | CDC to invest over $50 million in Africa’s digital infrastructure, rural connectivity |
| Investment | Regional | Google | 2021-10-06 | ITWeb Africa | Google backs digital interest in Africa with US$1bn investment |
| Investment | Regional | | 2021-10-07 | Wired | Facebook Renews Its Ambitions to Connect the World |
| Investment | Regional | | 2021-10-15 | The Economic Times | china: China reportedly investing $ 8.43 bn in Africa as part of Digital Silk Road initiative |
| Investment | Rwanda | | 2021-12-03 | Extensia | Rwanda secured $ 100 million from the World Bank to expand access to broadband and digital services |
| Investment | Tanzania | | 2021-12-31 | Ecofin Agency | World Bank grants Tanzania $150mln to improve broadband connectivity |
| Investment | Ghana | | 2021-05-25 | Bloomberg News | 'Ghana to Sell Sustainable Bonds, Africa''s First Social Debt For Education' |
| IXP | Kenya | | 2021-07-06 | Capacity Media | Asteroid to operate second Kenyan IXP via iColo Nairobi |
| NRENs | Regional | | 2021-07-01 | WACREN | Benin, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire go live on WACREN network on 1st July 2021 - Mali to follow soon |
| Other | Nigeria | | 2021-04-27 | Techpoint Africa | Inside 2 decades of mobile telecommunications in Nigeria |
| Other | Uganda | | 2021-05-05 | TechJaja | NITA Uganda set to be abolished |
| Other | Kenya | Telkom | 2021-05-24 | Business Daily Africa | Takeover of Sh16bn Telkom-run fibre optic network stalls |
| Other | South Africa | | 2021-06-07 | TechCentral | '''Irrational and unlawful'': Public Protector roasted over Usaasa report' |
| Other | Zimbabwe | | 2021-06-15 | Techzim | The dominos are falling fast; NMBConnect is now zero-rated |
| Other | Nigeria | | 2021-06-16 | Developing Telecoms | Nigerian Communications Commission reviews licensing and supports satcoms |
| Other | Senegal | | 2021-06-25 | Radio France International | Senegal to move all government data to Huawei-run data center |
| Other | Regional | | 2021-06-25 | Broadcasting and Media | 'Investors Increase Investments In Africa''s Mobile Telecoms Space' |
| Other | Tanzania | | 2021-07-01 | World Mobile | World Mobile | Smart Village case study |
| Other | eSwatini | MTN | 2021-07-02 | TechCentral | MTN sued for cutting off the Internet in Eswatini |
| Other | South Africa | | 2021-07-06 | BusinessLive | SA’s ICT sector urgently needs a backbone |
| Other | South Sudan | Digitel | 2021-07-14 | Telegeography | New mobile operator Digitel launches in South Sudan |
| Other | South Africa | | 2021-07-15 | TechCentral | 'Mexico''s Woan, which SA wanted to emulate, has gone bust' |
| Other | Senegal | | 2021-08-11 | Telegeography | ARTP launches QoS app for mobile networks |
| Other | South Africa | | 2021-08-11 | MyBroadband | South Africa’s weak plan for broadband and data |
| Other | South Africa | | 2021-10-04 | TechCentral | ISPs have a plan to slash mobile data prices - if Icasa will play ball |
| Other | Regional | | 2021-10-27 | ITWeb Africa | Fixed wireless connectivity captures Africa’s broadband market |
| Other | Liberia | | 2021-11-05 | Front Page Africa Online | LTA, Cable Consortium of Liberia Sign Digital Partnership Agreement - FrontPageAfrica |
| Other | Regional | | 2021-11-08 | Quartz | The rise of informal money transfers in west Africa — Quartz Africa |
| Other | South Africa | | 2021-11-15 | Memeburn | Government wants to give all people in South Africa access to internet within two years |
| Other | Regional | | 2021-11-16 | Intelligent CIO | Liquid Intelligent Technologies launches OneVoice for Cloud PBX in six African markets - Intelligent CIO Africa |
| Other | Kenya | | 2021-12-01 | UNICEF | UNICEF and Liquid Intelligent Technologies launch a partnership to help Giga bridge the digital divide in Africa |
| Privacy | Regional | | 2021-10-21 | The Conversation | Surveillance laws are failing to protect privacy rights: what we found in six African countries |
| Privacy | Uganda | | 2021-12-21 | Financial Times | The secret Uganda deal that has brought NSO to the brink of collapse |
| Rights of Way | Nigeria | | 2021-03-29 | This Day | 29 States Yet to Implement N145 RoW Fee |
| Rural Connectivity | Regional | Orange | 2021-02-11 | Telegeography | Orange inks expansion deal with NuRAN |
| Rural Connectivity | Ghana | | 2021-02-24 | Huawei | Huawei launched RuralStar Pro with one site integration, low power consumption and easy deployment |
| Rural Connectivity | Cameroon | Orange | 2021-04-30 | Agence Ecofin | Cameroun : les 122 sites télécoms commandés à NuRAN Wireless Inc par Orange seront opérationnels, d’ici décembre |
| Rural Connectivity | Cameroon | | 2021-09-30 | ITWeb Africa | Canada’s NuRAN projects higher than expected return on Cameroon NAAS deal |
| Shutdowns | Regional | | 2021-07-12 | TechCabal | Telecom operators are trapped in Africa’s internet shutdowns: Can they fight back? |
| Shutdowns | South Sudan | | 2021-08-30 | Agence Ecofin | Internet coupé au Soudan du Sud depuis ce matin, suite à l’appel à manifestation lancée par une coalition d’activistes |
| Shutdowns | Burkina Faso | | 2021-11-22 | ITWeb Africa | Burkina Faso mobile internet disrupted as anti-government protests rage |
| Social Media | Uganda | Google | 2021-01-11 | Pearl Times | Museveni minister reports Facebook, Twitter to International Telecommunication Union for blocking anti-Bobi Wine accounts |
| Social Media | South Africa | | 2021-06-26 | MyBroadband | Facebook vs Twitter — Social media apps that use the most data |
| Social Media | Regional | Meta | 2021-07-08 | Conversocial | What Countries are the Biggest WhatsApp Users in 2021? |
| Social Media | Ethiopia | | 2021-08-24 | ITWeb Africa | Ethiopia plots own social network to replace global offerings |
| Social Media | Uganda | | 2021-09-01 | RestofWorld | New study suggests how harassment keeps women politicians offline in Uganda |
| Social Media | South Africa | Moya | 2021-09-25 | MyBroadband | South Africa’s WhatsApp competitor that doesn’t use data |
| Social Media | South Africa | Moya | 2021-10-20 | TechCentral | Moya, the South African app hoping to dethrone WhatsApp |
| Social Media | Regional | Meta | 2021-11-04 | RestofWorld | How social media companies help African governments abuse “disinformation laws” to target critics |
| Social Media | Ethiopia | Meta | 2021-11-13 | RestofWorld | Why Facebook keeps failing in Ethiopia |
| Wireless Optical | DRC, Congo | Google | 2021-09-16 | ITWeb Africa | Liquid rolls out high-speed connectivity for DRC, Congo Brazzaville |
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This work would not have been possible without the support of the Mozilla Corporation and the Association for Progressive Communications
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