The important annual African Spectrum Roundtable, one of the most important spectrum events on the African continent, was recently held in Maputo, Mozambique. The event brought together regulators, operators and spectrum industry leaders from across Africa.
Southern African Telecommunications Association (SATA) Executive Director Jacob Munodawafa outlined key spectrum opportunities and challenges in lobbying for investment and improving mobile service levels. He also said he believes SATA should be the short-, medium-, and long-term goal of the region’s spectrum.
Mr. Munodawafa thanked all those who participated in the roundtable and encouraged them to consider how best to implement a spectrum strategy that works for Africa.
In the opening session of the conference, Mr. Yang, Vice President of Huawei’s Sub-Saharan Africa ICT Solutions Division, made a presentation titled “The Unique Possibilities of Sub-3GHz to Meet the Real Demands of the African Region”, introducing Huawei’s latest spectrum was outlined. Unpack concepts and successful digital transformation spectrum solutions.
“We have experienced a strong increase in demand to improve the last mile broadband infrastructure that bridges the digital divide between urban and rural areas. “Wow,” he added.
As Africa’s digital ship sails into the future, it needs strong tailwinds to propel it forward. Yang called for more favorable industrial spectrum policies in Africa to make the most of the Sub3-Ghz band.
Dick Sono, Chief Director for Radio Frequency Spectrum, Ministry of Communications and Digital Technologies, South Africa, shared the ministry’s best practices under the theme of “Mapping the Potential Evolution of the Sub-3 GHz Band in the African Region”. Mr Sono elaborated on South Africa’s achievements in the country’s progress towards affordable universal 4G mobile his broadband and his 4G FWA home his broadband spectrum allocation contribution to society. Coverage of South Africa’s population has improved, with full allocation of LTE FDD mid- and low-band coverage he reached more than 98%, and he TDD to raise home broadband tariffs for homes without access to fiber optics. Enhanced bandwidth.
Regulatory experts from Mozambique also shared best practices that have contributed to the country’s ICT development. Lui-S CUMAIO said there is an urgent demand for spectrum at sub-3GHz, the most urgent requirement for 4G capacity. Currently, Universal His coverage is only in the low-band spectrum.
Due to low residential broadband penetration in Mozambique, INCM recommends carriers to use 2.6 GHz as the most cost-effective dedicated spectrum with 4G FWA for HBB services.
After discussion, an agreement was announced on common initiatives, including:
- Fully allocate FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) sub-3Ghz for affordable universal mobile broadband to bridge the digital gap and facilitate Africa’s digital future.
- Take full advantage of the 2.3/2.6G TDD bands to further improve your mobile broadband.
- Adoption of defragmentation method through win-win cooperation between ISP/regional MNOs and major MNOs (mobile operators).
- Overall development of 4G/5G FWA to increase broadband penetration across the country.
- Tax incentives and rebates, affordability considerations for both devices and services, and digital literacy in rural and underserved areas.
