Africa Platform

Connectivity data - Mobile broadband subscriptions
Mobile broadband subscriptions are mobile subscriptions that advertise data speeds of 256 kbit/s or greater. The subscription must allow access to the Internet via HTTP and must have been used to make a data connection via Internet Protocol (IP) in the previous three months. Standard SMS and MMS messaging do not count as an active Internet data connection even if they are delivered via IP.

Data provider

ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database.
Suggested citation

Map elaborated by Battistella, L. (November 2022) using ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database.
Related tool or portal

https://www.itu.int/en/Pages/default.aspx
Licence

CC BY-4.0
Date or time period of observation

2022
Frequency of update

Annual
Geographic coverage

Africa
Spatial Resolution

Countries
Technical background

Refers to the subscriptions to a public mobile telephone service and provides access to Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) using cellular technology, including number of pre-paid SIM cards active during the past three months. This includes both analogue and digital cellular systems (IMT-2000 (Third Generation, 3G) and 4G subscriptions, but excludes mobile broadband subscriptions via data cards or USB modems. Subscriptions to public mobile data services, private trunked mobile radio, telepoint or radio paging, and telemetry services should also be excluded. This should include all mobile cellular subscriptions that offer voice communications. Data on mobile cellular subscribers are derived using administrative data that countries (usually the regulatory telecommunication authority or the Ministry in charge of telecommunications) regularly, and at least annually, collect from telecommunications operators. Data for this indicator are readily available for approximately 90 percent of countries, either through ITU's World Telecommunication Indicators questionnaires or from official information available on the Ministry or Regulator's website. For the rest, information can be aggregated through operators' data (mainly through annual reports) and complemented by market research reports. For additional/latest information on sources and country notes, please also refer to: itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx
Cautions

Data refer to subscriptions to high-speed access to the public Internet (a TCP/IP connection), at downstream speeds equal to, or greater than, 256 kbit/s. This includes cable modem, DSL, fibre-to-the-home/building and other fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions. This total is measured irrespective of the method of payment. It excludes subscriptions that have access to data communications (including the Internet) via mobile-cellular networks. It excludes technologies listed under the wireless-broadband category. Fixed broadband Internet subscribers per 100 people is obtained by dividing the number of fixed broadband Internet subscribers by the population and then multiplying by 100. For additional/latest information on sources and country notes, please also refer to: itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx
Related SDGs and targets

GOAL 09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Related Topics

Digital Economy, Digital Transformation, Digital Connectivity & Infrastructures, Technology Transfer, People

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