Good fibre is a cornerstone of the digital economy and governments, the private sector and industry bodies all have a role to play in ensuring that citizens have access to connectivity that has the potential to change lives. That was the overriding sentiment at a workshop held by Huawei at the Digital Council Conext Digital Infrastructure Summit, in Cape Town.
In developed countries, the digital economy accounts for 51.3% of GDP-compared with 20% in developing countries so it is critical that all partners in the industry work together to find innovative new ways to improve broadband quality and fibre connectivity, share global best practices, and train local talent.
Samuel Chen, President of Southern Africa Carrier Network Business Group – Huawei said: “more than 43% of global GDP comes from the digital economy,”- so no country can afford to be left behind.
He added that, “telecommunications is at the core of that economy” and pointed out that fibre offers the best, most reliable option for the telecommunications industry to provide connectivity to industry sites, homes and enterprises.
With the rollout of government services depending on digital connections, enterprise digitalisation requiring higher bandwidth and reliability, and more households using data services for entertainment, learning, and home security, the need for reliable fibre coverage has never been greater.
Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Technology Philly Mapulane echoed that sentiment. Thanking Huawei and others for the role they’ve played in helping South Africa make the progress it has with its digital rollout, he also pointed out that the government sees digital technology playing a big role in addressing some of South Africa’s most pressing challenges.
“There is no question that connectivity has a role to play in addressing the unemployment rate,” he said. “As such, our emphasis is on access, not coverage. Our country has significant internet coverage, therefore the disparity between coverage and access is what we need to address.”
To do this, it is imperative that there are policies and regulations in place which support fibre network deployment.
In this regard, the workshop heard from Lassina Konate, Director of Digital Economy and Telecommunications – Ministry of Digital Economy, Telecommunication and Innovation – Cote d’Ivoire, who outlined how it’s using policy to improve connectivity. It has, for example, passed regulations requiring all new buildings to be wired for connectivity in the same way as they are for water and electricity.
Creating pre-provisioning mechanisms for all new build structures is critical to expanding fibre access which is why Huawei South Africa signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Estate Living during the summit, aimed at accelerating fibre connectivity in the residential development space.
Juanita Clark CEO DCA (witness) and Estate Living CEO Louise Martin
Estate Living CEO Louise Martin said that that residential communities have an important role to play in driving the future of access and connectivity. “A lot of residential communities are early adopters and the lessons they’ve learned have paid off on the streets,” she said.
In response the signing Juanita Clark, Chief Executive Officer – Digital Council Africa also emphasised importance of building partnerships to tackle the challenges in fibre deployment and share best practices.
Tanzanian Deputy Minister for Information, Communication & Information Technology Kundo Andrea Mathew said: “the United Republic of Tanzania has made great strides in the development and use of ICT.” Tanzania plans to extend fibre to increase broadband rollout and internet penetration from 43% to 80% by 2025.
“From Kenya, National Construction Authority General Manager, Mr. David Mathu also shared on the importance of reviewing outdated building codes and ensuring the mechanism for pre-provisioning are included. He highlighted the importance of collaboration between private and government sectors in this regard.”
Closing the event Frank Yang Vice, President of Southern Africa – Huawei said, “the future indeed will be lit up by fibre.”
“The support and alignment from governments as well as infrastructure sharing from industry will be critical to securing this future. The MOU signed today between Huawei and Estate Living is an example of the kind of partnership that will be critical in opening up further fibre access.”
