Facebook’s connectivity investments to deliver $57B economic benefit across Africa by 2024 (1)

Facebook released findings from ‘The Impact of Facebook’s connectivity initiatives in Sub- Saharan Africa, a study that highlights how Facebook investments in infrastructure and connectivity across the region will deliver over $57 Billion in Economic Benefits over the next five years (2020–2024).

According to The Economist Intelligence Unit – Inclusive Internet Index 2020, over 800 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa are unconnected to the internet. Over the years, Facebook has invested in infrastructure and partnerships to address the barriers to connectivity, such as the lack of availability in infrastructure, affordability, relevance and readiness to get online. Also aiming to provide financial and technical inputs that can make infrastructure easier and cheaper to deploy within the continent, Facebook’s infrastructure investments and connectivity initiatives include, Investing in Infrastructure that supports internet connectivity such as Submarine cables, Edge networks and Backhaul fiber investments through Open Transport Networks (OTNs).

The Initiative also seeks to support mobile operators through facilitation initiatives through three methods, by deploying Express Wi-Fi solutions across SSA enabling local ISPs and operators to establish low-cost access networks. The solutions which are currently available in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania are helping bring more people online and stimulate data usage and Internet traffic overall. Investing in Rural Access partnerships known as Africa Mobile Networks- AMN in Cameroon and Democratic Republic of Congo, and BRCK in Kenya and Rwanda, which will focus on reducing the costs of rolling out broadband in less populated and poorer rural areas, and Mobilizing telecoms operators, vendors, governments and other stakeholders to work towards the implementation of new and more cost-effective technological solutions and hardware.

Some of the economic benefits include the enhancement of operators’ ability to extend the coverage of broad networks, thus enabling more people to go online. These increases in take-up and internet traffic mean that people are more able to interact with each other, trade online and perform online transactions. All these activities create benefits for individuals and wider economic and social benefits through improved health and welfare outcomes, skills and education, job creation and productivity.

Facebook’s Africa Public Policy Director, Kojo Boakye, commented on the initiative: “At Facebook we’re committed to Africa and the role that we can play in improving the continent’s global competitiveness. Over the last three years we’ve heavily invested in infrastructure and connectivity initiatives that aim to affordably connect people on this continent and create tangible social-economic benefits. These efforts are part of a complex solution that requires all stakeholders – including mobile operators, infrastructure providers and governments – to work together for the common good. We are only 1% finished and remain committed to this exciting journey and working with all our partners along the way”.