On the Internet Connectivity in Africa

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Network Engineering
• African Studies

Background:

• Internet penetration in Africa has seen varied growth.
• Understanding inter-country network dynamics is crucial for development.
• Existing research on African Internet infrastructure is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the growth of Internet connectivity in Africa from 2010 to 2014.
• To analyze the evolving inter-country relationships and network topology.
• To assess the robustness of the African Internet network and identify areas for improvement.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of Internet connectivity data from 2010 to 2014.
• Formation of country-level topology maps for the African Internet.
• Evaluation of network robustness using metrics like raw connectivity, shortest paths, and betweenness centrality.

Main Results:

• A modest increase in participating countries.
• An explosive growth in the number of routers and network links.
• Identification of potential improvements for inter-country African connectivity.

Conclusions:

• The African Internet infrastructure experienced substantial growth in terms of network density.
• The study provides foundational insights into the structure and robustness of the African Internet.
• Recommendations are proposed to enhance connectivity resilience, minimizing reliance on transcontinental links.