Connecting Africa Through Broadband : A Strategy for Doubling Connectivity by 2021 and Reaching Universal Access by 2030

Digital technologies and the digital economy will have a transformative impact on development. Today’s economy is being driven by digital transformation across all sectors and digital technology is increasingly at the center of people’s daily lives. Indeed, several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require information and communication technologies (ICTs) as an enabler, notably to achieve universal identification, more efficient delivery of government services, financial inclusion, and job creation. Furthermore, digital transformation will impact key sectors of the economy, such as health, agriculture, education and trade, among others, and will support the needs of people, governments, and the private sector resulting in an essential tool for people’s access to rights and services as well as better governance. While these initiatives set clear goals and address important issues toward universal affordable and good quality broadband access, there has been less discussion about the investment required and financing needs to meet the targets, modalities for financing the agenda, and how to operationalize the framework and principles. To this end the Working Group on Broadband for All: A Digital Moonshot Infrastructure for Africa was formed as a multistakeholder consultation group to engage key ICT industry partners, estimate the investment needs, and prepare a roadmap to help countries and development actors coordinate, accelerate and prioritize their efforts to help reach the SDGs by improving digital infrastructure in Africa.