Telecom operators target Africa

International telecommunications operators from Europe, the Middle East and Asia are likely to look at Africa to maintain growth in their businesses.
Research Director of the Johannesburg-based BMI- TechKnowledge, Brain Neilson said that bear watching include China Telecom and China mobile, Portugal Telecom.
Neilson said theses operators could try to grow into the African market, over the next few years.
Africa is seen as the last growth market for telecom services. There are big opportunities in broadband because fixed lines are poorly developed. Broadband is said to shape the telecom development across the continent over the next 5-10 years.
Policy and Regulatory intervention will help drive demand; the most growth in broadband is likely to come from wireless and fixed lines.
“The prices we pay in SA for mobile data are globally competitive, which is quite astonishing,” Neilson says. “This is because of the aggressive behavior of our mobile operators who have just decided they are going to own this space.”

By IT News Africa staff reporter