The Southern Africa country governments, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia are set to speed up mobile broadband in the region which is expected to create 3.2 million jobs for Sub-Saharan Africa by 2020.

Across Sub-Sahara Africa the mobile network today contributes 6.3 percent of GDP and could get to 8.2 percent by 2020 if well invested in. mobile accessibility as well will grow to an expected 93 percent of the region’s population by 2020, bringing mobile access to an additional 300 million citizens.

“The provision of universal broadband access is vital in driving economic growth and improving the quality of life in Botswana and across Southern Africa,” said Botswana’s Minister of Transport and Communication Nonofo E. Molefhi, “With greater coordination between regional governments and between the public and private sectors, mobile broadband can play a critical role in closing the digital divide.”

The ministers agreed to policies when signing a Communique, it included the creation of a mutual task force strengthening regional cooperation to support investment in mobile.