The Africa Broadband Forum 2024 was held in Cape Town last week under the theme “F5.5G: Accelerating All-Optical Connectivity in Africa”. The forum focused on advancing fibre broadband development across Africa by fostering discussions on policy frameworks, F5.5G, technological innovation and industry best practices.

More than 150 experts and industry leaders from international organisations, government agencies and telecommunications operators gathered to explore strategies for expanding fibre infrastructure and enhancing connectivity on the continent.

Kim Jin, vice president of Huawei’s optical business product line, delivered an opening speech, emphasising how Huawei will work with fibre industry players to build an intelligent, all-optical access network and seize opportunities for coverage, bandwidth and experience monetisation to achieve business success and accelerate the development of Africa’s digital economy. In a keynote titled “Enabling the next-generation global broadband industry”, World Broadband Association (WBBA) secretary-general Martin Creaner discussed global trends in broadband connectivity, noting advancements in speed, intelligence and accessibility.

Key industry leaders shared insights and successful strategies from across the African broadband sector. The head of Eswatini’s Post and Telecommunication Company (EPTC) shared how the EPTC, originally a copper-based carrier, has leveraged national broadband goals, optimised resources, adopted cutting-edge technologies and embraced generational advancements to transform their network.

Representing a successful FMC (fixed-mobile convergence) strategy within African mobile operators, Safaricom’s head of home broadband outlined recent innovations in the company’s FMC strategy and home broadband offerings.

MTN Nigeria’s broadband GM also summarised four major experiences: strategy driven, precise investment, quality first and ecological cooperation. The secretary of administration in Kenya’s state department for housing and urban development highlighted the important progress made in updating building codes of all new buildings with fibre to accelerate digital superhighway implementation.

White paper

The Africa Broadband Forum 2024 reached its peak with the release of the 2024 Broadband Africa White Paper, jointly presented by the secretary-general of the African Telecommunications Union and leading consulting firm Africa Analysis. This white paper outlines the vision and road map for fibre broadband development across Africa’s “initial”, “developing” and “leading” markets through to 2030, drawing on both global and African best practice. The white paper envisions Africa’s broadband penetration surpassing 30% by 2030, with fibre connections comprising over half of broadband users. It further details strategic policies and business pathways essential for achieving widespread broadband access across the continent.

The Optical Industry Development Pioneer Award was presented to organisations and individuals who have made longstanding contributions to advancing Africa’s fibre industry. Leaders from prominent international bodies, including the WBBA, the ATU) and the Digital Council Africa participated in the award ceremony, celebrating the dedication and achievements of these industry pioneers.

Now in its sixth year, Broadband Africa Forum has solidified its role as a key platform for industry exchange across the region. By bringing together expertise from across Africa, the forum supports countries in refining broadband policies, promoting technological innovation and sharing best practices. Its ongoing impact is evident in the forum’s contributions to Africa’s broadband growth and digital transformation efforts.

About Huawei
Huawei is a leading global provider of ICT infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains – telecoms networks, IT, smart devices and cloud services – we are committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organisation for a fully connected, intelligent world. For more information, please visit www.huawei.com or www.huawei.com/za.