The Internet has become a critical infrastructure for the economic growth and development of many African countries. With the rise of online business, online learning, and remote work, having a fast and reliable internet connection has become more important than ever. In this story we return to Ookla’s latest report on African countries with the fastest internet and how Rwanda leads.
As Ookla announced in the Speedtest Global Index report, Rwanda has made great strides in having high-speed internet thanks to broadband networks, rising to 47 places in the world ranking.
According to the report, this has been achieved due to the country’s significant investment in network infrastructure, the liberalization of the telecommunications sector, and the spread of fiber optic internet to homes and businesses.
Apart from Rwanda, other African countries have increased internet speed.
Malawi rose nine places, Djibouti and Congo both rose seven places, and Mauritius, Lesotho, and Guinea all rose five places. Burkina Faso rose the most in terms of mobile internet speed, rising 22 places, while Botswana and Uganda rose 15 places each.
The report highlights the importance of investing in infrastructure to increase internet speeds in Africa. For example, MTN, one of Africa’s most established telecommunications companies, has invested over $1 billion in network expansion and rolled out 4G and 5G networks in key markets, resulting in a 22.5% reduction in data costs. .
He pointed out that the liberalization of telecommunications, as seen in Rwanda, has led to competition, leading to better services and lower prices. Additionally, the deployment of fiber optic cables to homes and businesses has increased internet speeds.
