- Africa has over 694 million rural inhabitants as of 2015, accounting for around 40% of the total population, presenting a major opportunity for growth in telecom penetration. - Rural connectivity can provide significant social and economic benefits by bridging the digital divide, enabling communication, mobile money, e-health, e-education, and more. - There is potential for rural subscriber numbers in Africa to reach over 400 million by 2025, representing annual revenue of $9.7 billion, assuming a penetration rate of 50%. Low-cost site models indicate connectivity can be profitable even at remote village levels.