Mena mobile data traffic to grow 14 times
DUBAI, September 1, 2015
Mobile data traffic in the Middle East and North East Africa (Mena) region is expected to grow 14 times between 2014 and 2020, while globally data will expand nine times, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report.
The proliferation of mobile technologies continues at a rapid pace despite the market being varied with regards to information and communications technology (ICT) adoption and mobile penetration, said the report.
The report categorised the GCC market as one of the advanced markets. These countries are characterised by advanced mobile technologies, innovative services, high data consumption and fierce competition, as well as having the highest GDP per capita across the region, it said.
Around 40 per cent of the countries in the entire region have launched LTE technology; however, it only accounts for 1 per cent of global subscriptions, most of which are concentrated in Gulf countries.
These countries, especially Qatar and the UAE, have some of the highest smartphone adoption rates in the world. This segment is also more advanced in its usage of the internet across different devices.
The region as a whole had around 680 million mobile subscriptions at the end of 2014. Between 2014 and 2020 it is forecast that mobile subscriptions will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6 per cent, amounting to 970 million, it added.
Rafiah Ibrahim, president of Ericsson Region Middle East and East Africa Ericsson, said: “The ICT transformation has been phenomenal across the entire region. As an advanced market, the GCC is taking significant steps towards life in the Networked Society, especially with the path it’s taking towards its Smart City vision, which is prominent in the UAE.”
“Convenience and usability often determine how users perform a particular task in this region, and connectivity is now part of the mainstream. Ericsson’s mobility report provides a glimpse into the future of mobility, allowing us to capture the opportunities made possible by the networked society, where everything that can be connected will be connected,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service