Africa is world’s fastest growing mobile broadband market

Africa has the world’s highest mobile broadband growth rates, according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).  On Monday, the ITU announced that mobile-broadband growth in Africa is forecast to reach 20 percent by the end of 2014, up from the 2 percent recorded in 2010.

The announcement forms part of the ITU’s updated information communications technology (ICT) statistics report, which revealed that by the end of 2014 there is expected to be almost three billion internet users globally.  However, two thirds of the world’s internet users are set to come from the developing world.

The ITU has noted that mobile-broadband remains the fastest growing market segment, with continuous double-digit growth rates expected in 2014.  According to the ITU, “All regions continue to show double-digit growth rates but Africa stands out with a growth rate of over 40 percent; twice as high as the global average.”

The report read, “By end 2014 mobile-broadband penetration in Africa will have reached almost 20 percent, up from less than 2 percent four years earlier.”  And according to the ITU, global mobile-broadband subscriptions could reach 2.3 billion by year end, with 55 percent of them coming from developing countries.

In the report, the telecoms union further notes that mobile subscriptions in Africa, Asia and the Pacific could reach 69 percent and 89 percent respectively.  These regions have the strongest mobile-cellular growth, says the ITU.  Finally the report also stated, “The developing countries are home to more than three quarters of all mobile-cellular subscriptions.”

Source: ITWeb Africa