This is the conclusion of the Ericsson, a company that is authorized to speak when the topic is related to communication technologies and services, since the company regularly measures the traffic of around 100 active networks worldwide.
In its June 2014 report on communications in sub-Saharan Africa, Ericsson revealed that this year phone users consumed 76 000 TB (terabyte) of data per month, double the 37 500 TB reached in 2013. It is expected that in 2015 the number will double again, that is, that mobile phone users consume 147 000 TB per month.
This impressive growth is due to the increased use of social networks and content and video applications, accessed from a new range of cheaper smartphones. The African countries that contributed most to this increase: Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria.
Second Fredrik Jejdling, responsible for Ericsson's Sub-Saharan Africa Region:
Sub-Saharan Africa is currently experiencing a mobile digital revolution, with consumers, networks and even media companies tapping into the possibilities of 3G and 4G technologies. We have seen this trend grow a few years ago, but in the last 12 months the digital traffic has increased by about 100%, forcing us to review our forecasts.
According to the report, over the next five years voice traffic in sub-Saharan Africa will double and mobile data usage will rise unprecedented, about 20 times between 2013 and 2019, double the expected global growth. The document further reveals that by 2019, 75 percent of mobile subscriptions will include internet (3G or 4G).
This growth has been expected mainly after 2014 launched a number of smartphones under $ 50 USD by some of the world's largest equipment manufacturers, enabling the rapid expansion of 3G and 4G technologies across the region. The 2014 Report predicts that, within just three years, the 3G will be the dominant technology throughout the region.
Angola is present in the report, and can be highlighted as the 2 the fastest growing country in southern Africa in terms of communications, falling behind South Africa. This growth can be directly linked to the growth of mobile phone companies that have gotten more customers, more services and promoted the use of mobile data.
Another important point is that the2019, Angola, Nigeria and South Africa will be the countries with the most 4G / LTE throughout the continent.
Other highlights:
- O mobile internet use year-on-year. grow 20 over the next five years
- Until 2017, the technology 3G will bypass 2G and become the main form of mobile connection in the region
- Ericsson predicts 930 million mobile subscriptions in sub-Saharan Africa by the end of 2019, with 557 millions of smartphone subscriptions and 710 million broadband
