04/06/2026
A large part of sub-Saharan Africa is already within reach of mobile broadband, but that has not translated into actual internet use.
87% of the population lives within mobile broadband coverage, while only 27% use mobile internet.
That leaves millions of people inside the network footprint, but still offline.
The issue now goes beyond towers and signal. It includes phone affordability, income, electricity, digital confidence, and whether people have enough reason to stay online.
Ghana and Nigeria show the gap clearly. In 2023, 1GB of data cost almost the same in both countries, but Ghana’s internet-use rate was far higher.
Coverage can open the door.
Usage depends on what people can actually afford, access, and use.
Read the full piece here: https://openordinal.org/entries/sub-saharan-africa-internet-usage-gap/
