One billion Africans live in mobile coverage area but lack connection

The GSM Association (GSMA) said nearly one billion people live within mobile Internet coverage in Africa , but they are not connected, held back by the cost of devices, the cost of data, limited digital skills and, in many cases, deep-rooted social barriers that determine who is permitted or encouraged to go online.

The GSMA said closing this gap is the defining digital inclusion challenge in Africa. The association, however, noted that mobile operators are becoming increasingly central to addressing this challenge.

According to it, affordability is the primary constraint in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), stressing that the cost of an entry-level Internet-enabled handset in the region represents 24 per cent of monthly income in low- and middle-income countries on average (rising to up to 80 per cent).

By : Adeyemi Adepetun

Full story at Guardian Nigeria