Africans must shift from focusing on bandwidth capacity and speed to thinking about what service gaps the internet can help plug.

This is according to Pape Ndaw, Africa's general manager for broadband network solutions at TE Connectivity.

Ndaw was among several speakers who presented on the opening day of the FTTH Council's 2014 conference, being held in Johannesburg, South Africa this week.

"We have to move away from thinking about speed and megabytes and gigabytes; we have to think about providing services that are required," Ndaw said.

Apart from the need to change mindsets about broadband in Africa, Ndaw highlighted other challenges facing the continent's fibre-network industry.

Among these include the need for a greater fibre optic roll-out, increased affordability, and the feasibility of open access networks.

But despite these challenges, according to Ndaw there are examples of where high speed broadband is making a difference.

"It is happening," he said. "Look at the mobile money market and the leadership position that Africa has taken."

Ndaw also referred to the Ikon Tele-radiology network in Mali as an example of broadband connectivity application and its impact on health-care.

This network has helped patients engage the country's radiologists in real-time and send through important scans.