According to BMI TechNowledge, Africa’s mobile market has been growing, Internet and broadband access rates remained low, regulatory involvement could help bring prices, market services available and enable growth.
Africa’s telecommunications would change from being mainly market driven and become more policy driven, because regulatory steps will improve Internet and broadband access.
BMI-T said that fixed-mobile convergence was a trend that could affect competition within the sector and would drive down prices. Liberalization of the telecommunication sector is also making progress in Africa, although a number of countries still haven’t got any competition in the fixed-line markets.
In countries such as Kenya, Botswana, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Tanzania operators aren’t allowed to enter fixed line, mobile and Internet service providers under one license.
Broadband is a rising sector with still a lot of potential. Different countries will carry on making use of different technologies to deliver broadband. In a report, it showed that $6-billion will be spent on submarine and terrestrials fibre-optics cable infrastructure will take place over the next two years.
By IT News Africa Staff reporter
“…In countries such as Kenya, Botswana, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Tanzania operators aren’t allowed to enter fixed line, mobile and Internet service providers under one license.”
I have found the above not to be entirely factual as Botswana has introduced as of 2 years ago, a PTO or serfvice neutral licence which actually permists one to play in the mobile, fixed and broadband sphere under one licence. to that end we have seen the incumebt fixed operator (BTC) entering the mobile arena early this year and branded its mobile arm beMOBILE, whilst Orange Botswana has alread started playing in the broadband sphere through thier livebox.