Achieving connectivity in Africa is a major challenge across land, sea and air. It is even more challenging in the telecommunications sector, which has a multiplier effect on all other development sectors. This is due to the severe lack of backbone telecommunication infrastructure in Africa. The basic challenges for Africa in the telecommunications sector are the lack of connectivity, accessibility and affordability. Countries are not connected to each other, and even within their borders there are wide disparities between urban centres and rural areas. Deliberate efforts must be exerted to ensure that rural Africa, in particular, is integrated into the information society.