According to a study by research consulting firm Quantum-Web, the number of connections to fixed broadband in Africa reached 12.8 million at the end of Q2.
The research shows an increase of 5 percent on Q1 and 22 percent on the same quarter in 2014. In Q2, the number of xDSL connections in Africa passed 10 million lines, which represented 79 percent of the fixed broadband market.
The report reveals that other fixed broadband technologies such as Wimax, leased line and satellite had risen to 2.5 million connections at the end of quarter.
Fibre technologies experienced a net gain of 15 percent since Q1, making FTTx, according to the report, the fastest growing technology in Africa. By the end of Q2, the number of FTTx connections reached 203,000. Cable modem with 34,000 connections was the smallest, but showed healthy growth of 8 percent over the previous quarter.
According to TelecomPaper, Quantum Web predicts that xDSL will remain the dominant technology for broadband access in Africa. By the end of 2020, the number of xDSL connections will rise to 16 million, representing 56 percent of the total broadband market on the continent. The other main technology groups will be FTTx and other fixed broadband technologies, accounting for 33 percent and 10 percent of the broadband market respectively.
There was little change overall at the country level since Q1. Egypt continues to be the largest market, with nearly 3.5 million broadband connections and 19 percent of the overall market in Q2. This is primarily driven by the largest wireline network on the continent. Algeria posted slower quarterly growth than Egypt in Q2 and ended the period with 2.2 million broadband connections and 15 percent market share. Algeria is the second largest broadband country in the continent, followed by Nigeria and South Africa.
Staff Writer
