• Malawi’s telecom regulator launched a national broadband mapping system with support from the ITU and the European Union.

• The project aims to identify and fill coverage gaps to expand digital access between 2025 and 2028.

• Despite 75% 4G coverage, only 18% of Malawians actively used the Internet in 2023.

The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has launched a National Broadband Mapping System to identify infrastructure gaps and improve digital connectivity nationwide. The initiative, announced on October 7, is supported by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the European Union (EU).

The program is part of a broader 2025–2028 regional project that also includes ten Sub-Saharan African countries: Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.

The initiative aligns with Malawi’s ambition to make digital technology a pillar of socio-economic development, as outlined in “Vision Malawi 2063.” The government envisions a robust ICT infrastructure that ensures reliable and affordable services, promotes digital inclusion, and supports sectors such as e-commerce, e-learning, e-health, and e-governance.

In its National Broadband Strategy (2019–2023), the government had aimed to raise broadband penetration from 4.5% to 35% and increase average speeds from 256 Kbps to 5 Mbps. To support this effort, authorities licensed Starlink, the satellite Internet provider, which launched commercial services in July 2023.

According to MACRA data, 2G, 3G, and 4G network coverage reached 90%, 89%, and 75.1% respectively by the third quarter of 2024. The country counted 9.4 million mobile broadband subscribers, representing a 47% penetration rate.

However, ITU figures show that only 18% of Malawi’s population actively used the Internet in 2023, revealing persistent disparities between network availability and effective usage.

This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum