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Cape Town - The rise of social media, content-rich apps and video content accessed from a new range of cheaper smartphones has prompted a substantial rise in mobile data traffic in 2014.
The Sub-Saharan Africa Ericsson Mobility Report showed that in 2014 phone users accessed 76 000 TB (terabyte) of data per month, double the 2013 figure of 37 500 TB per month.
These figures are expected to double again in 2015 with mobile phone users accessing 147 000 TB per month.
Consumers in Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria are also increasingly using video TV and media services from their smartphones.
“Sub-Saharan Africa is currently undergoing a mobile digital revolution with consumers, networks and even media companies are wakening up the possibilities of 3G and 4G technology," said Fredrik Jejdling, regional head of Ericsson Sub-Saharan Africa.
"We have seen the trend emerging over a few years but in the past twelve months the digital traffic has increased over 100% forcing us to revise our existing predictions.”
The expected surge in mobile data traffic growth has been predicted following the launch of a number of smartphones for under $50, allowing for the rapid expansion of 3G and 4G technology.
"The 2014 report predicts that in just three years’ time 3G technology will become the dominant technology across the region."
Jejdling said the rise of cheap smartphones will allow vast portions of the population to access mobile broadband.
He also added that M-commerce can offer endless opportunities for entrepreneurs.
"We’ve found that farmers are fans of mobile wallets – as well as teenagers wanting to watch music videos on their smartphone.”
Click to view infographic:
The Sub-Saharan Africa Ericsson Mobility Report showed that in 2014 phone users accessed 76 000 TB (terabyte) of data per month, double the 2013 figure of 37 500 TB per month.
These figures are expected to double again in 2015 with mobile phone users accessing 147 000 TB per month.
Consumers in Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria are also increasingly using video TV and media services from their smartphones.
“Sub-Saharan Africa is currently undergoing a mobile digital revolution with consumers, networks and even media companies are wakening up the possibilities of 3G and 4G technology," said Fredrik Jejdling, regional head of Ericsson Sub-Saharan Africa.
"We have seen the trend emerging over a few years but in the past twelve months the digital traffic has increased over 100% forcing us to revise our existing predictions.”
The expected surge in mobile data traffic growth has been predicted following the launch of a number of smartphones for under $50, allowing for the rapid expansion of 3G and 4G technology.
"The 2014 report predicts that in just three years’ time 3G technology will become the dominant technology across the region."
Jejdling said the rise of cheap smartphones will allow vast portions of the population to access mobile broadband.
He also added that M-commerce can offer endless opportunities for entrepreneurs.
"We’ve found that farmers are fans of mobile wallets – as well as teenagers wanting to watch music videos on their smartphone.”
Click to view infographic:
