Huawei’s 2018 report entitled ‘Tap into New Growth with Intelligent Connectivity’ has awarded Kenya a global connectivity index (GCI) of 29, making it one of the top countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in installing broadband networks and investing in various enabling technologies.

Other Sub-Saharan Africa countries with a GCI score of 29 include Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana, and Namibia.

In Africa, Egypt is leading with a GCI score of 34 making it one of the top movers in 2018’s index. Egypt’s GCI score grew by one point in 2018 thanks to efforts in boosting the percentage of people using smartphones, ensuring that fixed and mobile broadband is more accessible and more affordable, and increasing internet access in private and public sectors.

The report observes: “This year’s GCI saw scores rise, at least incrementally, across all countries in the Index. Growth, however, has been uneven. The distance between countries at the top and bottom of the GCI S-curve continues to expand, indicating an amplification of existing inequality.”

The GCI has over the past five years tracked trends in ICT investment infrastructure and the relation between digital maturity and economic growth.

Huawei predicts that the digital economy will be worth $23 trillion by 2025 opening up a new cycle of growth.

Rising from Starters to Adopters African countries are still in the starters cluster as they struggle to keep up with the front runners and adopters and as the digital divide continues to expand.

According to the Huawei report, starters should increase their annual investment in connectivity, broadband coverage, and data centres by 13 per cent. In addition, these countries are advised to focus on AI-driven growth as they prepare for the new cycle of growth in the digital economy.

The report also recommends starters to boost 4G coverage, increase internet use, boost the use of smartphones, concentrate on e-commerce and cloud, and educate the workforce.