5G and Broadband Connectivity in Africa

Welcome to your course on 5G and Broadband Connectivity in Africa!

This course is designed for government officials, regulators, and digital economy stakeholders who will decide how 5G and broadband reach, and serve, citizens across Africa. Most connectivity programmes fall short not because the technology was wrong, but because the rollout ignored the realities on the ground: networks were built where they were profitable, the rural last mile was left unserved, and policy levers were pulled in isolation rather than together. A connectivity-first approach flips that around. It treats the technology stack, the investment case, the policy levers, and the deployment models as one system, so coverage, affordability, and adoption advance together.

The curriculum builds from the ground up. It begins with the technology fundamentals, from the generations of mobile connectivity to the IMT-2020 standard and the eMBB, mMTC and URLLC use scenarios, then maps Africa's connectivity landscape, the coverage and usage gaps, the investment case, and the high-return sectors. From there it sets out the six policy levers for broadband deployment, spectrum, sharing, universal service funds, right-of-way, tax and competition, before working through real use cases and deployment models and the implementation challenges, with public-private frameworks to reduce risk.

By mastering these concepts, you will be equipped to weigh connectivity decisions against coverage and affordability, choose the right deployment model for a given context, pull the policy levers that close the access gap, and sequence an implementation plan that holds up in your own local context.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain the 5G and broadband technology stack, from the IMT-2020 standard to the eMBB, mMTC and URLLC scenarios and how fixed, mobile and satellite connectivity work together.
• Assess Africa's connectivity landscape, the coverage and usage gaps, the investment case, and the sectors where connectivity delivers the highest return.
• Apply the six policy levers for broadband deployment, spectrum, sharing, universal service funds, right-of-way, tax and competition, to a national context.
• Evaluate deployment models and use cases, and sequence an implementation plan that uses public-private frameworks to reduce risk.

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for government officials, regulators, and digital economy stakeholders across Africa. It is highly beneficial for individuals who are:

• Responsible for broadband strategy, digital inclusion, or telecommunications policy and programmes.
• Advising on spectrum, sharing, universal service funds, or coverage and competition obligations.
• Planning or delivering connectivity infrastructure and use cases in underserved areas.