Access to the internet via the mobile phone, the rollout of ultra-broadband services and increased capacity to facilitate the digitalisation of businesses top the list of the continent's connectivity requirements says Alcatel-Lucent.

The French telecommunications firm is currently working with service providers in the Ivory Coast and Tanzania to expand connectivity leveraging LTE network deployment.

Tanzanian service provider Smile Communications has been working with Alcatel-Lucent since 2012 to introduce and develop the 4G LTE network. "Networks are now fundamental. Being able to actually exchange information in a way that is quick and efficient – that's a data world," says Tom Allen, chief operating officer of Smile Communications.

Alcatel-Lucent says Africa's infrastructure will need greater capacity to deliver high-quality ultra-broadband connectivity to support service delivery to end-users.

"There is investment in data infrastructure, which is needed for the data revolution. Of course, networks for voice and data have been around for some time, but if you want proper data, going forward, we will either need separate networks or you will see separate operators working on networks purpose-built for data," said Daniel Jaeger, vice president for Africa at Alcatel-Lucent.

Jaeger says investment is also linked to the availability of financing and spectrum management, as well as the rollout of LTE networks to increase capacity and facilitate services.

Content has also been identified as a driver behind the investment in broadband – there is no single source of content says Jaeger, and the value proposition of content suppliers lies in application to provide e-services.

According to Alcatel-Lucent, in the next five years, it is predicted that internet use on mobile phones will experience unprecedented growth, and double the rate of the rest of the world.

Recently, Google's regional management in Nigeria stated that 65% of searches in the West African country are made on mobile devices.

"In most of the countries in Africa, there is no strong fixed line network. The mobile is the number one medium for people to connect," Jaeger adds.