Data traffic in Africa to grow 10-fold – Ericsson
A new report from leading Swedish technology and services provider Ericsson suggests that mobile data traffic will grow 10-fold between 2011 and 2016, mainly driven by video use.
Whilst this is expected to profoundly affect technology use worldwide, Ericsson believe it has particular implications in Africa where the telecommunications industry is widely viewed as the biggest growth market. Many, mainly rural, areas on the continent still have little to no network coverage and mobile use is low or non-existent Opportunities for growth in the region are very much for the taking, and likely to exert a significant impact on those who benefit from this development.
In its new Traffic and Market Data report, which provides insights into current trends, Ericsson forecasts a 10-fold increase in mobile data traffic by 2016. The report is based on measurements the company recorded over several years in live networks covering all regions of the world. Ericsson says that mobile broadband subscriptions grew by 60 percent in a single year and are expected to grow from 900 million in 2011 to almost 5 billion in 2016.
Johan Wibergh, Head of Ericsson Business Unit Networks, says: “Ericsson performs a broad range of measurements in order to monitor the pulse of the Networked Society – measurements that we use to efficiently design our products and plan networks. This report offers snapshots that, together, show how a growing number of people and businesses benefit from mobility, broadband and the cloud.”
And it seems the company have grand plans to be the driving force behind this technological development, with the announcement they are to offer new opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa; having launched a new competition in partnership with Sony Ericsson for app developers on the Android platform.
The competition titled ‘Apps for Africa’ is to run under the aegis of the 2012 Ericsson Application Awards (EAA 2012) – an ongoing annual competition for application developers worldwide organized by Ericsson Research. The competition will invite local developers to submit innovative ideas and mobile applications, which will be automatically registered for the global competition with a chance to win a €15,000 cash prize.
Lars Linden, Head of Ericsson, Region sub-Saharan Africa told StarAfrica.com, ‘We are delighted to be leading this initiative and feel it is an ideal way to showcase local African talent from across the continent. As the usage of mobile phones has a direct impact on the way of life in Africa this is a prime example of how technology and innovation are elevating us to new levels of sophistication. We are anxious to see all of the creative submissions and would like to wish everyone good luck as they take on this challenge’.
Members of the winning teams in each region will each receive a Sony Ericsson Xperia phone, while teams in second place will receive Business Experience Packs (incl. Sony Ericsson MW600, office pro, McAfee, and a micro USB cable).
For more information please visit: http://www.ericssonapplicationawards.com/overview
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