Angola has ambitions to emerge as a competitive technology force and internet hub in Africa. Telecommunications professionals focused on the market, like Hans Geldenhuys, Managing Sales Director at Intelsat Africa, say the Southern African country is undergoing a technology transformation underpinned by an increasing need for connectivity and innovations across key sectors.

Geldenhuys says according to the latest data sourced from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Angola’s ICT and telecoms sector has recorded an annual growth rate of 55 percent over the past 10 years and has 14 million consumers.

He says that key verticals, including energy, banking, and government, are either diversifying their networks or expanding geographically and this is fueling the high demand for broadband, especially mobile.

From ITWeb Africa. Story by Chris Tredger.

Reaching rural areas with connectivity and routing the benefit to sectors like agriculture, education and healthcare remain priorities for the country’s government, says the Intelsat Africa executive.

Its fixed telecommunications market is also an area where improving network quality and coverage could have a great impact on the local economy.

However, as Geldenhuys points out, the ITU also states that access to the internet remains low and Angola’s penetration rate was 12.4 percent in 2015.

According to internetlivestats.com, in 2016 the country was home to almost 6 million internet users or 23 percent of the population.

“Angola represents one of the largest opportunities for infrastructure providers in the region. We are talking with local service providers who need support expanding the reach of broadband networks, creating infrastructure that connect last-mile deployments to remote businesses and residences and help Angola compete in the competitive African economy,” says Geldenhuys.

He asserts that a new unified licensing regime should accelerate growth in the mobile sector. “Taking into account the growth of the entire economy and the focus of the local government in the ICT industry as a catalyst for the country’s development, Angola is a land of opportunity for ICT players of all sizes and flavors.”

Read more at ITWeb Africa.