State-owned fibre backbones: broadband catalysts, or white elephants?
The weight of governments in the African terrestrial fibre business is increasing. African government have committed around $1.7bn to building fibre backbone networks since 2010, according to data from our new terrestrial fibre report. In many markets, the government is the largest holder of terrestrial fibre capacity, a trend that carries significant implications as Africa seeks to enter the 4G and 5G eras. Is this a sustainable solution to reducing Africa’s growing urban/rural broadband divide? It’s complicated.
The Fabulous Rise of Angola Cables
One of the most remarkable features of the changing face of the African international fibre capacity market has been the rise of “disruptors” – carriers whose investments and strategies have the potential of upending African international bandwidth economics. Few have been as prominent as Angola Cables, Angola’s international wholesale carrier.
