Episode 112 - Mapping the Future of Affordable Internet Access in Africa: A Conversation with Steve Song.

In the latest episode of Pure Digital Passion, I had the pleasure of interviewing Steve Song, a telecommunications expert widely recognized for his detailed maps of Africa’s Internet infrastructure. Steve’s work has become essential for understanding the continent’s connectivity, but his contributions extend into policy advocacy, shared spectrum management, and efforts to expand affordable access. From Canada to South Africa: A Transformative Journey Steve’s journey began in the 1990s when he moved from Canada to South Africa after Nelson Mandela’s release. Working for Sangonet, one of the first non-profit Internet service providers in South Africa, Steve helped civil society organizations, including the ANC, connect with the world via email. This early experience showed him the power of digital technology to empower marginalized communities and sparked his passion for telecommunications policy. The Birth of Africa’s Internet Maps Steve’s famous maps, which visualize Africa’s undersea and terrestrial Internet infrastructure, began as a personal project in 2008. With new cables like Seacom and TEAMS being laid, Steve started sketching out maps to understand this new landscape. What began as a personal project soon became a public resource, widely used by policymakers, businesses, and the public to visualize Africa’s digital future. Despite modestly downplaying his design skills, Steve’s maps became an iconic reference at digital conferences across the continent. Village Telco: Affordable Communication for Underserved Areas Another significant chapter in Steve’s career was the founding of Village Telco, a social enterprise aimed at delivering affordable voice and Internet services using low-cost WiFi mesh networks. At a time when telecommunications regulations in South Africa were restrictive, Village Telco enabled communities to build their own networks. Although the project faced challenges with scalability, Steve described it as a valuable learning experience, emphasizing the importance of resilience in entrepreneurship. Challenges in Policy and Regulation Throughout our conversation, Steve discussed the challenges of pushing for more equitable access to communication infrastructure in Africa. Regulatory frameworks in many countries are still shaped by the legacy of state-owned telecommunications monopolies, which creates barriers for smaller operators. Steve advocates for regulations that actively support small operators, which he believes are key to extending connectivity to rural areas. Shared Spectrum and TV White Spaces Steve is also a strong proponent of shared spectrum management and TV White Spaces, which can help expand Internet access in underserved regions. Unlike traditional spectrum licenses, which grant exclusive rights to frequencies, shared spectrum approaches allow multiple operators to use the same frequencies, provided they don’t interfere with each other. Steve believes these strategies will be essential for unlocking affordable access in rural areas. Looking Ahead: Community Networks and Collective Ownership Steve sees community-driven initiatives and collective ownership models as crucial for filling the gaps left by private sector operators. Whether through cooperatives, municipalities, or community networks, these models not only provide access but also strengthen the social fabric of communities. We also discussed the potential of technologies like Starlink, which offer exciting possibilities but raise important questions about sustainability and local impact. In closing, I want to thank Steve for sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience on Pure Digital Passion. His dedication to making communication infrastructure more accessible is truly inspiring.