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Data traffic in Sub-Saharan Africa to double next year, grow 20 times in 5 years - Ericsson [IntelliNews - Weekly Reports](IntelliNews - Weekly Reports Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Data traffic in Sub-Saharan Africa has doubled this year and is set to double again in 2015, backed by the availability of cheap smartphones and the region's rising middle class that is increasingly using social media, content-rich apps, video TV, and media services, a report by communications technology and services group Ericsson showed. The June 2014 Sub-Saharan Africa Ericsson Mobility Report reveals that in 2014 phone users accessed 76,000TB (terabyte) of data per month, more than double the 2013 figure of 37,500TB per month. It predicts that in 2015, mobile phone users will access 147,000TB per month. Looking ahead, Ericsson forecasts voice call traffic in Sub-Saharan Africa to double over the next five years and mobile data usage in the region to grow 20 times, twice the anticipated global expansion. By 2017, 3G technology is seen outstripping 2G to become the region's dominant form of mobile connection, and by 2019, 75% of mobile subscriptions are expected to be internet inclusive (3G or 4G). Mobile phone operators across the region have already shifted their focus to data as the new source for revenue growth, as voice traffic revenues have been stagnating in the more advanced economies. A number of mobile phone manufacturers have recently started offering smartphones for under USD 50, supporting the rapid expansion of 3G and 4G technology across the region. Ericsson forecasts 930mn mobile subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa by the end of 2019, with 557mn smartphone and 710mn broadband subscriptions. (c) 2014 Emerging Markets Direct Media Holdings LLC Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |