Effective Spectrum Pricing in Africa

How successful awards can help drive mobile connectivity

Spectrum licensing and pricing can play a crucial role in accelerating the adoption of mobile services and providing better networks and services for consumers. The amount of spectrum assigned by governments in Africa is approximately half the average amount assigned around the world. This gap in spectrum assignments has emerged and expanded over the last decade, making it difficult for operators to offer fast mobile broadband speeds. African countries also account for a large proportion of the highest spectrum prices globally.

The latest report from GSMA Intelligence explains how licensing more spectrum earlier and at affordable prices can pay dividends for consumers, presenting the arguments regulators and governments need to implement policies that help improve mobile capacity and expand connectivity. The research is unprecedented in scope and depth, tracking spectrum assignments across nearly 50 African countries for the period 2010-2019.