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Ericsson Mobility Report: Mobile Data Traffic In Sub-Saharan Africa To Grow 12 Times By 2025

Published

3 years ago

17 June 2020

Mobile broadband subscriptions are set to account for 72% of all mobile subscriptions by 2025
LTE subscriptions in SSA are set to triple and reach 270 million in 2025
Fixed wireless access (FWA) connections forecast to reach close to 160 million, and account for 25 per cent of global mobile network data traffic by end of 2025

Mobile data traffic in Sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to grow by 12 times the current figures, with total traffic increasing from 0.33 Exabytes (EB) per month to 4EB by 2025.

Meanwhile, average traffic per smartphone is expected to reach 7.1GB over the forecast period. These forecasts are included in the June 2020 edition of the Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) Mobility Report, along with projections for data traffic growth, and regional subscriptions.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, LTE accounted for around 11% of subscriptions in 2019. Over the forecast period, mobile broadband subscriptions are predicted to increase, reaching 72% of mobile subscriptions.

LTE share will reach around 30% by the end of the forecast period, and LTE subscriptions are set to triple, increasing from 90 million in 2019 to 270 million in 2025.

Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, says: “Technology brings an unprecedented opportunity to address the challenges of sustainable economic development and improve the livelihood of people in Africa.

“The latest edition of Ericsson’s Mobility Report highlights Africa as one of the fastest-growing mobile markets and reiterates the need for a more efficient technology, higher data rates and availability of ample spectrum.

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“The Report highlights as well the importance of mobile and fixed networks as key components of critical national infrastructure to sustain and evolve emerging economies during remote work times.”

Driving factors behind the growth of mobile broadband subscriptions include a young and growing population with increasing digital skills and more affordable smartphones.

Over the forecast period, discernible volumes of 5G subscriptions are expected from 2022, reaching 3% by 2025.

Value of Digital Infrastructure

The spread of COVID-19 during the first part of 2020 impacted all parts of society globally, including the telecommunications sector.

The Ericsson Mobility Report takes an incisive look at the role of networks and digital infrastructure in keeping societies running in Africa, and families connected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on people in many countries and their daily lives, but consumers see resilient networks as a vital help in coping with everyday life.

In a recent study conducted by Ericsson Consumer Lab, 83% of the respondents from 11 countries around the world claim that ICT helped them a lot to cope with the lockdown.

The results show an increased adoption and usage of ICT services, such as e-learning and wellness apps, that have helped consumers adapt to new realities, underpinned by connectivity.

FWA takes an expanded role

Around half of all households in the world – over 1 billion – do not have a fixed broadband connection.

Given the current speed and capacity of cellular networks with LTE, there are opportunities for African service providers to deliver broadband services to homes and small and medium-sized enterprises economically using Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).

ALSO READ Ericsson Announces New Company Vision, Fresh Branding

FWA that delivered over 4G or 5G is a cost-efficient alternative to providing broadband in areas with limited access to fixed broadband services such as DSL, cable or fibre.

Several factors are driving the FWA market in Africa and beyond: demand from consumers and businesses for digital services along with government-sponsored programs and subsidies.

FWA connections are forecast to reach nearly 160 million by the end of 2025 – generating about 25% of global mobile network data traffic.

At the end of 2019, global FWA data traffic was estimated to have been around 15% of the global total.

It is now projected to grow nearly 8 fold to reach 53 exabytes in 2025, representing 25% of the global total mobile network data traffic.

The report also includes forecasts on data traffic growth, regional subscriptions plus insights into cloud-based gaming as well as in-depth articles on private dedicated networks and Verizon’s millimetre-wave strategy for targeted metropolitan areas.

Related Topics:#12 Times #2025 #Ericsson #Grow #Mobile Data #Mobility Report #Sub-Saharan Africa #Traffic

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Smile Offers Customers Free Streaming Data

Published

2 weeks ago

16 March 2023

Our REPORTER

Smile Communications, Nigeria’s foremost and leading mobile broadband provider has introduced a new offer to its teeming customers.

The new offer allows for FREE Streaming data for consumers to stream their favourite content on YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video absolutely FREE.

Abdul Hafeez, Chief Marketing Officer, Smile Nigeria, said of the offer, “We are giving our customers so much more when they purchase any of our select Bigga plans with FREE streaming data, so they can have fun engaging with their favourite entertainment and social media services for longer.”

All Smile customers who recharge a Bigga plan, from 1.5GB to 20GB, priced from N1,000 to N5,000, will get an additional 3GB to 5GB FREE streaming data to use between 11 pm and 6 am on YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video.

Smile said in a statement that with this offer, consumers get access to FREE Youtube, FREE Netflix, and FREE Amazon prime video when they subscribe to any of the select Bigga plans from Smile.

“We are still a consumer-centric organisation that understands the huge financial responsibilities associated peculiarly with the first quarter globally and want to cushion these effects with extra value for our consumers while encouraging other Nigerians to get on the Smile network to enjoy this and many other goodies from Smile,” Hafeez concluded.

Smile communications led in voice call acquisitions in the past year and are poised to enter new markets, as well as deliver several firsts within the telecommunications operating space as the year progresses.

Industry watchers are of the opinion that Smile is a brand to look out for in 2023.

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Buhari Expresses Delight Over Unveiling Of Starlink In Nigeria

Published

2 months ago

2 February 2023

Our REPORTER

Photo Credit: Ripples Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed delight over the unveiling of Elon Musk-owned SpaceX’s broadband service Starlink in Nigeria.

The President noted that with the commencement of Starlink’s operations in Nigeria, the country now has 100 per cent broadband penetration, adding that Nigeria is the first and only African country so far to enjoy Starlink rollout.

The President’s position was contained in a post tweeted to his verified Twitter page Thursday night.

“We are delighted that Starlink services have been deployed in Nigeria, making us the first African country — and the only one so far — to enjoy this rollout. With this deployment of Starlink, we now have 100 per cent broadband penetration in Nigeria,” Buhari said.

Recall that SpaceX confirmed the deployment of Starlink in Nigeria in a tweet on Monday, stating that Nigeria was the first African country to enjoy its services.

It tweeted, “Starlink is now available in Nigeria – the first African country to receive service.”

Starlink seeks to deliver a global broadband network, using a constellation of Low Earth Orbit to provide high-speed internet coverage with the capacity to penetrate rural and geographically isolated areas.

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Israel, Italy Record Lowest Mobile Internet Costs

Mobile internet traffic almost doubled in the last eight years, and today, more than 60% of all website traffic comes from people using mobile devices. But, as the global mobile data coverage gap continues to narrow, the price gap remains wide.

Published

2 months ago

23 January 2023

DigitalTimesNG

According to data presented by CasinosEnLigne.com, Israel and Italy have the cheapest mobile internet in the world, while Japan, the US, and Switzerland are among the most expensive countries globally.

Many of the cheapest countries have excellent mobile and fixed broadband infrastructure, which allows providers to offer large amounts of data at reasonable prices, reports ITOnline.

In some countries, economic outlooks also dictate the price, which has to remain low so people can afford it.

According to data from the UK-based price comparison website cable.co.uk, which analysed almost 5 300 mobile data plans across 233 countries, Israel has by far the cheapest mobile internet, with one gigabyte of data costing an average of $0.04 in 2022.

Italy placed second in the global ranking, with a low cost of $0.12 per 1GB. India, France, China, and Spain follow, with $0.17, $0.23, $0.41, and $0.60, respectively.

Although six times more expensive than Italy and almost 20 times more than Israel, the United Kingdom ranked somewhere in the middle of this chart with a cost of $0.79 per 1GB.

On the other hand, Japan, the US, and Switzerland have some of the costliest plans among developed countries.

For instance, 1GB of mobile data in the US costs an average of $5.62, which is seven times more than in the UK, 13 times more than in China, and 46 times more expensive than the average cost in Italy.

The price difference in Switzerland is even worse, with the average cost of mobile data being 61 times larger than in Italy and nine times the UK average cost.

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Japanese mobile data plans are also much more expensive than in other countries. Last year, 1GB of mobile data in the country cost an average of $3.85, nine times the price the Chinese paid and 16 times the average cost in France.

Regionally, North America is the most expensive overall, with an average cost of $4.98 per GB, way above the global average of $3.12. Statistics show Canada is the most expensive country in the region, with a cost of $5.94, followed by the US.

The average cost of mobile internet in Western Europe was far below these figures. Last year, Europeans paid an average of $2.72 per 1G of mobile data, or 45% less than in North America and 12% less than the global average.

That is still far more expensive than the price seen in Asia, which had an average cost of only $1.47 in 2022.