(Ecofin Agency)

• The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the European Commission have launched a broadband mapping project to identify connectivity gaps in Africa.

• The initiative, covering 11 countries, has a €15 million ($16.2 million) budget over four years.

• While it aims to boost broadband access, it remains limited in scope, with no confirmation of future expansion.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has officially launched the implementation of its Africa-BB-Maps project, a broadband mapping initiative designed to bridge connectivity gaps in Africa. Developed in partnership with the European Commission, the project will help governments and policymakers pinpoint underserved areas and plan network expansion accordingly.

The ITU explained that Broadband mapping, combined with modern geographic information systems (GIS) and data-driven decision-making, makes it easier to identify connectivity gaps, extend networks to critical areas, and support evidence-based policy decisions.

The initiative was announced during a regional event on broadband mapping, held on March 26-27, 2025, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. It follows an initial introduction of the project at the 2024 ITU Global Symposium for Regulators in Kampala, Uganda.

Currently, Africa-BB-Maps covers 11 countries: Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Uganda. The project has been allocated a budget of €15 million ($16.2 million) over four years.

The launch comes as African governments work toward their goal of achieving near-universal broadband access by 2030, as outlined in the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa 2020-2030. Despite these efforts, broadband penetration remains low. According to the GSM Association (GSMA), only 27% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa—about 320 million people—currently use mobile internet. Of the 870 million people still offline, 160 million live in areas with no broadband coverage at all.

While the Africa-BB-Maps project could accelerate broadband adoption in Africa, it remains limited to a small number of countries on a continent with over 50 nations. So far, neither the ITU nor the European Commission has confirmed whether the initiative will be expanded in the future.