João Lourenço, who was speaking this Thursday at the opening of the fourth edition of the International Forum on Information and Communication Technologies in Angola (Angotic 2024), highlighted the country's gains in the field of telecommunications, resulting from public and private investments.
Citing data from the Angolan Communications Institute, he made it known that the mobile telephone network in Angola recorded significant growth, of 59.2 percent, in terms of subscribers, between 2021 and 2023.
The penetration rate per 100 inhabitants corresponds to 75 percent, which is equivalent to a growth of 28.8 percent in the same period.
"Regarding Internet access, the growth recorded is equally significant and, in the period under review, the number of subscribers reached 11.2 million, with the penetration rate rising to 33 percent," he said.
"The data numbered above highlights a significant expansion in the accessibility and use of telecommunications services in our country", he highlighted.
According to the President of the Republic, the growth in mobile subscriptions and Internet penetration "reflects the growing demand for connectivity and the adoption of digital technologies by the population and companies".
This increase "can be attributed to several factors", among which "the expansion of telecommunications networks, the greater offer of affordable plans and the improvement in infrastructure stand out".
João Lourenço pointed out that the increase in the penetration rate of mobile telephony and the Internet in the country "is a positive indication of digital inclusion and economic development", as it "facilitates and speeds up access to information, education, financial services and business opportunities".
Speaking to hundreds of participants at the forum, including Angolan and foreign operators, he said that the growth of the telecommunications and information technology sector in the country results from investments made by the Government, especially in basic infrastructure and staff training.
The expansion of the terrestrial fiber optic network – "the installation of around two thousand kilometers is being prepared" –, Angola's accession to the 2África submarine fiber optic cable, and the consolidation of the national space program with the commercialization of capacity of the Angosat-2 satellite were highlighted as fundamental initiatives in the current growth of the sector.
The head of state also announced that technical conditions are being prepared for the installation of digital terrestrial television and the interconnection of the country with border countries via terrestrial optical fiber.
His Government, he added, will continue to invest in infrastructure and digital services, "towards reducing info-exclusion, as well as transforming" the economy "into a digital economy, providing a better quality of life" for citizens.
"This is how we are committed to expanding and modernizing the national fiber optic broadband network, developing the national space program, building and operationalizing the Government's data center, improving the regulatory and legal environment, whatever more attractive for national and foreign private investment, and in the continuous transformation of our country into a regional 'hub', serving countries in the region and beyond", he highlighted.
João Lourenço also noted that the Internet penetration rate in Africa is only 37 percent, representing "a low indicator", so there must be a joint effort "to reverse this situation".
After the opening, the head of state paid a visit to several stands at the forum.
Angotic 2024, a Government initiative that began this Thursday in Luanda and runs until Saturday, has 70 exhibiting companies, 125 startups and more than 100 speakers from Angola, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia, under the motto "Digitalize, Connect and Innovate".
