By EMEKA AGINAM

WHILE calling on African countries including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania to urgently release harmonized spectrum for mobile broadband for the economic and social development of the region, the Director of Spectrum Policy, Africa and Middle East of GSMA, Peter Lyons has projected that more spectrum is expected to generate additional US$82b in gross domestic product, (GDP)DP in Sub-Saharan Africans countries.

Lyons in telephone conversation with Vanguard Hitech last week said that the project if fully implemented would help lift 40 million sub-saharan African out of poverty by 2015 physical year.

He said with optimism that harmonized spectrum for mobile broadband would expand the reach and availability of affordable broadband services and help realise significant economic and human development gains for sub-Saharan Africa.

Lyons said that mobile voice and SMS services have made major economic contributions to sub-Saharan Africa over the past decade and accounted for 3.5 per cent of regional GDP by 2010.

Much needed spectrum

“African governments must act now to release much-needed spectrum for Mobile Broadband services if they are to meet the UN’s 40 per cent broadband target. Increased spectrum will lower the cost of mobile devices, improve speed of data communication, and ultimately help nearly 40 million Africans escape poverty.”

“By licensing spectrum in the Digital Dividend and the 2.5GHz bands for Mobile Broadband, governments in the region have the opportunity to increase total spectrum available by approximately 70 per cent.

“In particular, the Digital Dividend band, which is currently used for analogue television broadcasting, offers widespread mobile broadband coverage in rural areas and improved indoor penetration in urban areas.

In rural areas alone, the Digital Dividend band could deliver Mobile Broadband service to between 40 to 80 per cent of the population.

“If governments in sub-Saharan Africa allocate more spectrums for Mobile Broadband over a 10-year period from 2015, this would result in US$235 billion of additional GDP and US$50 billion in additional tax revenue: he added.

According tom him, if the release of spectrum is delayed by five years, these benefits would fall to US$50 billion in additional GDP, and US$10 billion in additional tax revenue.

Action is required now to secure the future connectivity and economic empowerment of Africa’s citizens.” Lyons said.

While the effects of broadband internet access are just beginning to be felt across the region, he said that its importance has been recognised by the UN Broadband Commission for Digital Development which has set a global broadband challenge to ensure that 40 per cent of households in developing countries are using broadband internet by 20153.