Internet blockages caused US$1.56 billion loss

07 February 2025

In 2024, internet blockades by authorities caused a total loss of US$1.56 billion for sub-Saharan African economies, according to Top10Vpn – down by 10.34% compared to 2023, when it stood at US$1.74 billion.

The economic costs of shutdowns are calculated using the Netblocks Cost of Shutdown Tool, based on the Brookings Institution methodology with a specialized model used for sub-Saharan Africa. Losses are estimated based on each region’s digital GDP, the duration of the outages, and the number of internet users affected. Data comes from reliable sources such as the World Bank and governments. Social platform restrictions, while specific, are assessed based on the total number of internet users in a region, as they disrupt access for everyone, regardless of active use of the blocked platforms.


Find out more

Mali targets digital transformation

07 February 2025

The Malian government wants to strengthen national telecoms infrastructure in 2025 with a $35 million national digital health strategic plan.

The country will begin with the construction of a Tier 3 data centre and the extension of the national fibre optic network, which should accelerate national network coverage, which could help improve people’s access to the digital services deployed by the government as part of its digital transformation.


Find out more

Burkina Faso prepares spectrum for 5G

06 February 2025

The Burkinabe government has decided to allocate the 3600-3800 MHz frequency band to the mobile service under the National Frequency Band Allocation Plan (PNAF) updated by decree in the Council of Ministers.

According to the Electronic Communications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARCEP), this paves the way for 5G and next-generation services.
The 3600-3800 MHz band is part of the 3.5 GHz band (3300 MHz to 4200 MHz) which is the preferred option for 5G deployments worldwide according to the Global Association of Telephone Operators (GSMA).


Find out more
5G imminent in Tunisia

06 February 2025

Tunisia has announced the imminent launch of 5G mobile services, as reported by Minister of Communication Technologies, Sofiene Hemissi.

These services will be operational within 5-10 days and offered at competitive rates, allowing a large part of the population to benefit from the advantages of this cutting-edge technology.


Find out more