Connecting Africa: The Infrastructure Question with Hanif Lalani

There is no denying that digital technology has been evolving at an exponential rate over the past two decades. Dan Schulman, PayPal’s president and chief executive officer, may have put it best when he described the transformation that has occurred globally in such a short period of time as having gone “from the Flintstones to the Jetsons.”

The advancement of technology has given way to a digital economy, meaning that internet connectivity can no longer be seen as a luxury. As markets increasingly move operations to online channels, access to broadband (high-speed) internet is now a necessity to participate and operate in the modern world. From smartphones to social media, these advancements have only been possible because of the internet, and today less than three decades after it first appeared on the scene over half of the planet’s population is now online. However, those numbers are disproportionately skewed toward the developed world. Over 60 percent of Africans are still disconnected from the internet and the connectivity that is available is unevenly spread across the continent. The connections that are available are often expensive and unreliable.

High-speed and reliable internet access has the ability to increase employment through the creation of new jobs, expand access to healthcare, provide digital financial tools that improve access to financial services, and spur e-commerce and digital entrepreneurship. The United Nations named building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation as one of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that provide a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet,” and improving the African continent’s internet capabilities is certainly a vital aspect in that regard.

There are many ways in which people across the globe are working to aid in getting Africa connected. Hanif Lalani, a British business executive with extensive experience within the IT and telecoms industry, is working on a number of high-speed internet initiatives focused on the emerging world. Read more: https://programminginsider.com/connecting-africa-the-infrastructure-question-with-hanif-lalani/