The United States has approved a loan worth nearly $100 million for Africell, supporting the expansion of mobile networks in Africa using telecommunications equipment supplied by American and allied companies.

The financing will come through the US Export-Import Bank. Africell, described as Africa’s only American-owned mobile operator, serves approximately 15 million customers across Angola, Gambia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Washington presents the project as an investment in secure digital infrastructure and an opportunity for US technology suppliers. It also forms part of a wider strategic competition with China over telecommunications standards and equipment.

Huawei remains a major provider of African network infrastructure, including a large share of the continent’s 5G market. US officials have raised security concerns about Chinese equipment, allegations that Huawei and Beijing reject.

Africell previously received US-backed financing, including a loan announced in 2018. The new package is expected to support advanced mobile technologies and improve service capacity in the company’s operating markets.

For African consumers and businesses, the impact will depend on whether the investment expands affordable coverage, improves reliability and encourages competition. Rural connectivity and data prices remain significant challenges across the continent.

The agreement also illustrates how infrastructure finance has become a tool of foreign policy. African governments will continue balancing commercial cost, network quality, cybersecurity concerns and relations with competing international partners.

Source: Reuters.

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