African mobile penetration hits 80%

We tend to have certain paradigms about the “developed world” and the “developing world.” Including, of course, media-fed images of Africa as a place of almost irredeemable poverty, deprivation, and pain.
 A new report on the African telecommunications market highlights that mobile penetration in Africa hit 80 percent in the first quarter of this year and is still growing at 4.2 percent annually. That’s faster than anywhere else in the world, the report says, and Africa is, after Asia, the world’s second-largest market.

Which means that today, more than eight in 10 Africans have a mobile phone.

In part, that’s driven by a massive reduction in the costs of owning a mobile phone: The average revenue per user for telecom companies has dropped 80 percent between 2001 and 2011. Economies of scale have taken hold now as the basic infrastructure has been built out, and more competition by independent (not state-owned) telecoms has driven down prices.

That’s good for Africans, of course, and good for the market in the long term as well. And there’s still a lot of room to grow.

source: www.venturebeat.com

African mobile penetration hits 80%

We tend to have certain paradigms about the “developed world” and the “developing world.” Including, of course, media-fed images of Africa as a place of almost irredeemable poverty, deprivation, and pain.

A new report on the African telecommunications market highlights that mobile penetration in Africa hit 80 percent in the first quarter of this year and is still growing at 4.2 percent annually. That’s faster than anywhere else in the world, the report says, and Africa is, after Asia, the world’s second-largest market.

Which means that today, more than eight in 10 Africans have a mobile phone.

In part, that’s driven by a massive reduction in the costs of owning a mobile phone: The average revenue per user for telecom companies has dropped 80 percent between 2001 and 2011. Economies of scale have taken hold now as the basic infrastructure has been built out, and more competition by independent (not state-owned) telecoms has driven down prices.

That’s good for Africans, of course, and good for the market in the long term as well. And there’s still a lot of room to grow.

Most mobile connections — 62.7 percent, or almost two thirds — are basic 2G voice and SMS services, the report says. Of the remaining third, about 27 percent have access to 2.5G for low-speed data, and just 11 percent have 3G access — never mind LTE.

As more and more infrastructure is built, however, data services and connection speeds are increasing. Data revenue for telecoms has grown 67 percent in the key African countries of South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria in the past few years. And while smartphones are cost-prohibitive for some, current penetration is at 20 percent and is projected to grow fast — by almost 600 percent in Nigeria alone by 2017.

source: www.venturebeat.com

mobile broadband

It is marketing term for wireless internet access through a portable modem, mobile phone , USB wireless modem , tablet or other mobile devices.

The first wireless internet access became available in 1991 as a part of the 2G of mobile phone technology. Its higher speed became available in 2001 and as a part of 3G and 4G in 2006.

It is the marketing term for wireless internet access delivered through mobile phone towers to computers , mobile phones and other devices using portable modems. The bit rates available with mobile broadband devices support voice and video as well as other data access. The devices that provide mobile broadband to mobile computers include:

1.      PC cards known as PC data cards and express cards.

2.      USB and mobile broadband also known as connect cards

3.      Portable devices with built in support for mobile broadband such as laptop computers, netbook computers etc.

MER group telecom division successfully delivers mobile financial services to ivory coastal postal services

The Mobile FinaGate will provide La Poste with a complete MFS platform that incorporates a range of functionalities and services that include the creation of m-accounts, deposits and withdrawals, P2P money transfers, m-commerce, bill payments, top-up services, account management function and budget management for government agencies. In addition, the Mobile FinaGate offers several unique features that enable La Poste to effectively enlarge the eco-system of MFS users. These include a variety of access methods for smart phones and features phones as well as web access, multi-language, multi-currency and multi-account functionalities, fully hosted services with a "pay-as-you-grow" approach and embedded security elements.

MER Telecom Division acted as a trusted advisor providing consultancy services to help grow the MFS eco-system and, together with La Poste, successfully negotiated cooperation agreements with local bank and cellular operators. La Poste will enlist two government organizations within the Ministry of Education to implement the Mobile FinaGate Secure Budget Management service and intend to engage the craftsmen organization to adopt m-Poste as their main means of financial transactions.

"Over 90% of the population in Côte d'Ivoire has access to a mobile phone, but only 14% have access to financial services,"says Oz Ovady, CEO of the Telecom Division. "La Poste has recognized the huge potential for mobile financial services in reaching this unbanked population. They have a strong presence nationwide and aim at securing approximately 10% of mobile phone users as MFS users within the next five years."

This number can be significantly higher with the recruitment of government agencies and organizations using Mobile FinaGate's unique Secure Budget Management services. These services offer full transparency and improve fraud prevention though the use of dedicated money and dedicated budget transfer for the correct dispersal of funds.

In addition to Mobile Financial Services (MFS), the division provides a wide range of innovative solutions including telecom infrastructure, M2M enablement and vertical market applications, Cloud Billing, MVNO enablement, Smart City, as well as on/off board and remote/contactless payment solutions for public transport operators.