In 2020, a comparison was made between multiple mobile networks and the results came as follows: in sub-Saharan Africa, 3G mobile technology represented 52% of mobile networks compared to 36% for 2G and 12% for 4G. The GSMA said that in 2025, 3G will account for 58% of mobile networks compared to only 28% for 4G. As for 2G, it will drop to 11%. However, 5G will only represent less than 10%.
According to the GSMA, telecom operators will invest close to 50 billion USD in their networks by 2025 and 34% of this amount will be dedicated to 5G. Thus it is 2G, 3G and 4G that will help bring the number of mobile subscribers to half a billion in 2021 in sub-Saharan Africa and it is 3G and 4G that will support the achievement of one billion mobile connections in 2024 and 50% subscriber penetration by 2025.
The international organization said, "The mobile industry in sub-Saharan Africa has largely met the challenge of keeping individuals and businesses connected during the pandemic, despite changes in data consumption patterns. However, with nearly 800 million people in the region still unconnected to the mobile Internet, the need to bridge the digital divide has never been more urgent."
In a study titled "The network readiness index 2020: Accelerating Digital Transformation in a post-COVID Global Economy," Portulans Institute and Sterlite Technologies Limited revealed that Sub-Saharan Africa is the least ready region especially in terms of technology nowadays.