Africa and the Middle East are home to countries with immature fixed broadband markets in comparison to Western Europe and North America. Consumers, local businesses and foreign investors keen to move into this region are generating an increased demand for local IP-delivered content which requires high bandwidth for smooth delivery.

Fixed broadband penetration in countries in the Middle East and Africa is low when compared to markets in the West at less than 5 per cent on average. However, there is much potential for future growth and recent developments in the market will facilitate this.

This webinar explores these developments, which have been adopted to increase broadband penetration and also meet the demand for Internet services. Development of solid broadband infrastructure is critical for the emergence of industries such as e-commerce and online advertising, and particularly for services such as online video and radio, which require faster, more stable connections. The introduction of increased competition in some markets and investment in a network of undersea cables marks the advent of high-speed broadband services in this region, and nations which are increasingly connected to the international community.

Key highlights

• Fixed broadband penetration of households in the Middle East and Africa is low, at less than 5 per cent on average
• Broadband growth in the Middle East and Africa is currently driven by the wireless market, with poor fixed infrastructure hampering fixed broadband uptake
• Fixed broadband growth would benefit from liberalization and less strict regulation
• Markets in Israel and the UAE have benefitted from competition when compared to neighbouring monopolies
• A range of new undersea cables have been installed over the last 3 years in the MEA region
• The better international connections provided by these cables will help operators, particularly those located in Central and Southern Africa, to develop high speed broadband infrastructure