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Malawi is one of 11 sub-Saharan African countries selected by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to implement a national broadband mapping system.
This was announced at ITU’s Global Seminar for Regulators (GSR) in Kampala, Uganda, attended by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA).
This bold and ambitious initiative, called AfricaBBMaps, will provide €15 million in funding over four years (2024-2027) to countries including Malawi, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Burundi.
The announcement was witnessed by Bridget Chibwana, Chairperson of the Malawi Broadband Network Regulatory Authority (MACRA), who warmly welcomed the move, noting that it has the potential to boost Malawi’s ongoing efforts to establish large-scale broadband connectivity.
Expressing deep gratitude on behalf of Malawi, Chibwana said: “AfricaBBMaps is a significant and timely intervention that has the potential to enhance Malawi’s existing digital inclusion initiatives.
“I sincerely thank the European Union and the International Telecommunication Union for choosing Malawi as a beneficiary country for the next four years and we deeply appreciate this decision.”
She added that AfricaBBMaps aims to establish a broadband mapping system that generates readily available validated data to identify gaps in internet connectivity in terms of coverage, quality and affordability in beneficiary countries.
This will enable data-driven decisions on digital infrastructure investments, leading to a brighter future for ICT in Malawi.
“MACRA has just completed an audit of the country’s telecommunications infrastructure aimed at improving mobile network connectivity,” Chibwana said. “The findings of this audit will inform the development of a national mapping system under the AfricaBBMaps project.”
Malawi is a member of the International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations specialized agency for information and communications technologies (ICT).
Malawi’s ICT future is secured by ITU’s commitment to connecting everyone in the world and ensuring that ICTs are available, accessible and affordable to everyone, regardless of age, gender, ability, location or economic status.
At the same time, the Malawi government through MACRA launched a strategic initiative to provide accessible and affordable ICT services to secondary schools – a project called Connecting Schools (CAS).
MACRA is building state-of-the-art computer labs in public schools to equip the younger generation with technology to advance their academics.
Through the CAS project, MACRA plans to build state-of-the-art computer labs in 75 schools across the country to bridge the digital divide as 6 million public school students lack access to internet services.
It revitalizes the National ICT Policy and is aligned with the MW2063 National Vision which is youth-centric and places digitalization at the core of national transformation.
The project, implemented through the Universal Service Fund, will see each lab equipped with computers and connected to the internet for three years – in line with the government’s vision to equip students with the basic tools and skills they need to thrive in the digital age.
The beauty of this project is that it also focuses on rural learners because urban areas are well developed in ICT, but learners in rural areas cannot access ICT due to lack of resources.
As such, it fits well with ITU’s commitment to connect everyone in the world, ensuring that ICTs are available, accessible and affordable to everyone, regardless of age, gender, ability, location or economic status.
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