Introduction
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countries has been copper based, either upgraded telephone lines or upgraded cable TV networks. Wireless broadband in these countries has generally been seen as a complement to wireline access rather than a substitute for it. In Africa, by contrast, the lack of suitable copper wireline infrastructure has not only limited access to broadband Internet but also increased the role of wireless network infrastructure in providing such access. Many global wireless broadband standards are used, including the third-generation family of mobile standards (3G),3 Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), and Long Term Evolution (LTE). WiMAX was the first widely deployed broadband access network infrastructure in Africa. More recently, mobile operators have begun upgrading their networks to be able to provide 3G, and some are using LTE on a trial basis. These technologies are expected to play an increasingly important role in delivering broadband to customers in Africa, because few signs exist that wireline access infrastructure is going to develop in a significant way for the foreseeable future. As the number of subscribers, particularly broadband Internet users, increases, traffic levels on the networks grow. Although the access, or lastmile, networks are likely to focus on wireless technologies, operators are increasingly upgrading their core, or “backbone,� networks to fiber-optic technologies. These high-capacity networks lie at the heart of any modern broadband communications system, even if the number of subscribers is relatively limited. Although much of the investment in mobile networks has gone into wireless infrastructure, the fiber-optic networks in Africa are developing quickly. As of the end of December 2009, the operational terrestrial fiber-optic transmission network in Sub-Saharan Africa was 234,000 kilometers (km) long, with a further 41,000 km under construction. Historically, the key players in the development of fiber-optic networks have been state-owned telecommunications operators. This is gradually changing as new private operators enter the fiber-optic network business. Private operators are building about half the length of fiber-optic cables currently under construction; this share is expected to increase as more of the mobile companies move into the data business. Private investment in fiber is dependent on a conducive regulatory framework. Countries that have encouraged investment in fiber networks through issuing licenses and assisting operators to obtain rights of way, for example, have achieved much better results than those that have placed restrictions on fiber networks. Such restrictions include licensing constraints that limit the potential size of operators’ markets, obstacles to obtaining rights of way, and, in some cases, outright monopolies.