NAIROBI, Kenya- East African countries have achieved a remarkable milestone in mobile penetration, hitting 100 percent with 199.7 million subscribers by the end of last year.
This achievement surpasses Africa’s average of 92 percent but still falls short of the global average of 111 percent.
Fresh data from the East African Communications Organisation (EACO) highlighted that East Africa’s mobile internet subscriptions reached 61 percent penetration, with annual internet traffic hitting a staggering 2.9 billion gigabytes.
The report further indicates significant growth in third-generation (3G) and fourth-generation (4G) coverage.
The regional 3G coverage increased from 71 percent to 78 percent, with Kenya and Rwanda leading the charge with nearly universal coverage at 97 percent and 99 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, 4G coverage expanded from 52 percent to 62 percent, with Kenya and Rwanda again at the forefront, each boasting coverage close to or exceeding 97 percent.
Falling Data Prices and Increased Smartphone Adoption
The significant rise in mobile penetration can be attributed to several factors, including the influx of low-cost smartphones from Chinese manufacturers.
These affordable devices have made mobile phones more accessible to a broader population.
Additionally, increased competition among mobile network operators and government interventions have driven down data costs, making internet access more affordable.
The EACO report also credits innovations like Kenya’s M-Pesa for contributing to the growth in mobile penetration due to their heavy reliance on mobile telephony services.
Mobile money subscribers in the region reached 128.7 million, reflecting a 64 percent penetration rate.
Kenya, in particular, has shown impressive growth.
The latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) indicates that the total number of mobile phone devices connected to mobile networks stood at 65.7 million by the end of March, translating to a 127.5 percent penetration rate.
Notably, during the three months leading up to March, Kenyans discarded 628,818 feature phones in favor of smartphones, which saw an increase of 886,884 devices in the same period.
