Saturday 31st October 2026
By inAfrika Newsroom
COMESA’s latest digital-infrastructure consultations have put financing and coordinated network planning at the centre of the region’s connectivity debate. An Addis Ababa workshop held from 27 to 30 October followed a related consultation in Dodoma, Tanzania, earlier in the month.
In its 29 October account, the regional organisation identified high construction costs, fragmented planning and gaps in investment as obstacles to wider internet access. Government officials, regulators, telecom operators and financiers participated, with COMESA coordinating technical work and Salience Consulting leading the regional planning assignment.
The emphasis was on choosing suitable technologies and locations alongside financially sustainable delivery models. Wider coverage also needs affordable and reliable services if households, schools, public institutions and small businesses are to use it effectively.
Tanzania hosted its national engagement in Dodoma from 20 to 23 October; COMESA published that account on 28 October. Keeping those event and publication dates separate avoids presenting the Tanzanian workshop as a new meeting taking place this weekend.
Least-cost planning asks how a defined connectivity need can be met efficiently, rather than assuming that every location requires an identical network design. Comparing alternatives before investment can expose duplication, gaps between networks and operating costs that a construction budget alone may overlook.
The commercial significance extends beyond people being able to browse the internet. A processor sending orders, a transporter coordinating deliveries or a trader receiving digital payments needs a connection that remains usable when a transaction must be completed.
Connectivity investment therefore complements the region’s digital trade agenda, but it does not by itself resolve payment disputes, delivery failures or consumer protection gaps. Those services need institutions and business processes that work alongside the network.
Neither workshop account disclosed a newly signed regional financing total, a list of awarded construction contracts or a completed network expansion. The next useful milestones will be published investment priorities, identified financing arrangements and delivery plans that show which underserved communities will benefit.
Have a verified news development or story? Send news submissions and supporting materials to news@inafrika.co.tz
Swahili 
English 
French 
Portuguese 
Chinese 