Africa has about 906 million people living within mobile broadband coverage who are not using mobile internet, highlighting a growing challenge of turning network availability into meaningful digital participation across the continent.
The figure is contained in a new roadmap released by the GSMA and the Partnership for Digital Access in Africa (PDAA), which aims to support the connection of one billion people to the internet by 2030.
The roadmap, launched during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, found that almost 60 percent of Africa’s population falls within the mobile internet usage gap, while about 122 million people, representing eight percent of the continent’s population, remain outside the reach of a mobile broadband network.
The findings indicate that expanding network coverage alone may not be sufficient to bring more Africans online, with affordability, electricity, digital skills, online safety and access to relevant services also affecting internet adoption.
The roadmap, titled Advancing Digital Connectivity in Africa: Charting Africa’s Path to 1 Billion Connected People by 2030, was developed by GSMA Intelligence for PDAA and draws on analysis of 11 African markets, including Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda.
According to the report, halving the mobile internet usage gap across the 11 markets could bring approximately 245 million additional people online.
The organisations identified the migration from legacy networks as one of the areas requiring attention, with more than 600 million 2G and 3G connections targeted for conversion into meaningful internet use through 4G and 5G networks.
The roadmap also calls for greater coordination between connectivity and energy investments, noting that reliable electricity is important not only for network operations but also for device charging and participation in the digital economy.
For rural and underserved communities, the GSMA and PDAA recommended shared infrastructure, innovative connectivity technologies, outcome-based public funding and the use of schools, healthcare facilities and other public institutions as sources of anchor demand.
Beyond network infrastructure, the roadmap identifies affordable smartphones, practical digital skills, trusted online services, locally relevant content and digital public infrastructure as necessary components of meaningful connectivity.
John Giusti, chief regulatory officer at GSMA and president of the GSMA Foundation, said Africa had already established much of the network infrastructure required for its digital future, but that the focus now needed to shift towards making smartphones and digital services affordable while improving digital skills and trust.
The roadmap calls on governments, telecommunications operators, development partners and investors to move away from standalone connectivity projects towards a coordinated approach covering infrastructure, energy, devices, skills, online safety and digital services.
It also recommends measuring progress through outcomes such as active internet use, access to public services, education, healthcare, financial inclusion and productivity rather than network deployment alone.
