Connecting Africa is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 3099067.

4G/5G

Africa Heading for 1 Billion Mobile Subs – Ericsson Mobility Report

Article Image
Africa is nearing the 1 billion mark for total mobile connections, according to statistics from the latest Ericsson Mobility report.

According to the report, Africa added 9 new million mobile subscriptions during the first quarter of 2017, ending March with a total of 985 million, which equates to an 81% mobile penetration rate for the continent. Of the 9 million new subscriptions during the January-March timeframe, 3 million of those were in Nigeria.

The next few years should see a dramatic shift away from GSM and EDGE (enhanced data for GSM evolution) connections in the broader Middle East and Africa region towards more 3G and 4G connectivity, believes the Ericsson forecasting team. "In Middle East and Africa, where the penetration of mobile broadband is currently lower than in other regions, the number of mobile broadband subscriptions is expected to increase significantly. Driving factors include a growing young population and more affordable smartphones. In mature markets, mobile broadband subscription growth is largely due to individuals connecting more devices," the team states in the report.

"During the 2016-2022 timeframe, Middle East and Africa will dramatically shift from a region with a majority of GSM/EDGE-only subscriptions, to a region where 80 percent of the subscriptions will be WCDMA/HSPA and LTE. However, GSM/EDGE-only subscriptions will still account for a significant share of subscriptions by 2022," the team notes.

And as the table below shows, mobile data usage is expected to grow significantly.

Table 1: Market Stats and Forecasts, Middle East & Africa

2015 2016 2022 forecast CAGR* 2016-2022
Mobile subscriptions, Middle East and Africa 1,370m 1,400m 1,770m 4%
Mobile subscriptions, Sub-Saharan Africa** 660m 660m 950m 6%
Smartphone subscriptions, Middle East and Africa 350m 470m 1,220m 17%
Smartphone subscriptions, Sub-Saharan Africa** 180m 250m 770m 20%
Data Traffic per Smartphone, Middle East and Africa 1 Gbyte per month 1.3 Gbyte per month 8.2 Gbyte per month 36%
Data Traffic per Smartphone, Sub-Saharan Africa** 0.8 Gbyte per month 1.0 Gbyte per month 5.3 Gbyte per month 31%
Total Mobile Traffic, Middle East and Africa 0.4 Exabytes per month 0.6 Exabytes per month 8.4 Exabytes per month 55%
Total Mobile Traffic, Sub-Saharan Africa** 0.1 Exabytes per month 0.2 Exabytes per month 3.2 Exabytes per month 53%
* CAGR is calculated on unrounded figures Active devices
** These figures are also included in the figures for Middle East and Africa

For more from the Mobility Report, see Ericsson Eyes Half a Billion 5G Users by 2022

— Ray Le Maistre, Follow me on TwitterVisit my LinkedIn profile, International Group Editor, Light Reading for Connecting Africa.

Innovation hub

Story

Hot startup of the month: Nigeria's Tech Herfrica

Connecting Africa's hot startup is Nigeria's Tech Herfrica, a social impact organization that focuses on the digital and financial inclusion of women and girls in rural areas of Nigeria.

Story

Omdia View: February 2024

Highlights in February 2024 in the Middle East and Africa included 5G launches in Senegal and 5G trials in Egypt as well as Kenya's first 5G MVNO. Airtel also launched a new wholesale connectivity business while MTN and Huawei are planning a joint Innovation Technology Lab in South Africa – that and more in this month's Omdia View.

More Innovation hub

Latest video

More videos

Partner perspectives

All Partner Perspectives

Sponsored video

More videos

Industry announcements

More Industry announcements

Upcoming events

Africa Tech Festival 2024
November 11-14, 2024
Cape Town, South Africa
More Upcoming events

Africa Tech Perspectives

Story

Uber's Marjorie Saint-Lot on inclusion and sustainability in Africa

Uber's Country Manager for Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire, Marjorie Saint-Lot, shares how the ride-hailing company is approaching public-private partnerships, environmentally friendly initiatives and gender inclusion in Africa.

Story

The 100 most influential African leaders in 2023

A new report from Africa Tech Festival and Connecting Africa puts a spotlight on the top 100 African leaders in the telecoms and technology sector in 2023.

Story

Deep dive into East Africa's tech startup ecosystem

New survey reveals a lack of access to investors, reliance on international VCs and global recession trends as the biggest barriers for East African tech startups to access funds.

More Africa Tech perspectives

Guest Perspectives

Story

Omdia View: February 2024

By Omdia Analysts

Highlights in February 2024 in the Middle East and Africa included 5G launches in Senegal and 5G trials in Egypt as well as Kenya's first 5G MVNO. Airtel also launched a new wholesale connectivity business while MTN and Huawei are planning a joint Innovation Technology Lab in South Africa – that and more in this month's Omdia View.

Story

Omdia View: January 2024

By Omdia Analysts

Highlights in January 2024 in the Middle East and Africa included a $200 million fintech deal between MTN and Mastercard as well as 5G network trials by Telecom Egypt – that and more in this month's Omdia View.

More Guest Perspectives

Like us on Facebook

Newsletter Sign Up


Sign Up
Tag id test-002