Summary   
Mobile data and broadband technologies are increasingly being used as a substitute for poor or non-existent fixed-line infrastructure in Africa. In vast parts of the continent, the mobile network operators are the only providers of any kind of telecommunication service apart from satellite services. As subscriber growth peaks, many of them have established themselves as Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and are playing an increasing role in the broadband sector, competing directly with fixed broadband services such as DSL-a welcome new revenue stream in an environment of shrinking average revenue per user (ARPU) in the voice market.
 
Third generation (3G) mobile technologies, coupled with improvements in international fibre and national backbone network infrastructure are now capable of delivering broadband Internet access to a wider part of the continent's close to one billion population. However, the price of end user devices will be a key factor. The prepaid mass market will only adopt advanced services on a broad scale once prices for 3G handsets and modems as well as personal computers have reached affordable levels.
 
Like elsewhere in the world, Short Message Service (SMS) still accounts for the bulk of Africa's mobile data traffic and revenue, but in recent years there has also been an increasing interest in Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) and other forms of mobile messaging and social media, downloads of ring tones, logos, music and games, as well as SMS-based information and lifestyle services. Premium rate and bulk SMS services are generating millions in revenues. Third parties are continuously developing new value-added services and applications.
 
Mobile TV services have been launched in at least ten African countries. A boost for these services is expected from the FIFA World Cup to be hosted in South Africa in 2010.
 
M-payments and mobile banking is another key growth area that is revolutionising Africas financial sector, where only a small percentage of the population has access to traditional banking system. In the continent's most advanced markets, m-commerce, mobile content, applications and media have reached a level of development that is beginning to foster an associated advertising and marketing industry.
 
WCDMA 3G subscribers in selected African countries-March 2009
Country | Subscribers (million) | Annual growth |
Egypt | 3.036 | 83% |
Libya | 0.164 | 319% |
Mauritius | 0.069 | 64% |
Morocco | 0.127 | 234% |
Nigeria | 0.470 | 9,300% |
South Africa | 4.845 | 105% |
Tanzania | 0.039 | -22% |
| (Source: based on Global Mobile and industry data)
 
Market highlights:
-3G mobile networks have been launched in more than 20 African countries, with rollouts in progress in many others;
-Most operators have included High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) mobile broadband in their service offerings;
-There are more 3G mobile broadband users than ADSL subscribers in key African markets;
-The first 20Mb/s mobile broadband service is expected in Africa in 2010;
-African mobile operators make up to 13% of their revenues with mobile data services;
-Non-messaging mobile data revenue grew by 70% in South Africa in 2009 while overall mobile data revenue increased by 30%;
-Mobile data services have helped to reverse declining average revenue per user (ARPU) in some markets;
-The UMTS Forum forecasts that revenues of African 3G operators will exceed US$7 billion in 2010;
-The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa is expected to deliver a boost to Mobile TV services which have been launched in at least ten African countries;
-Some African banks have more customers using mobile banking than online banking;
-More than 10% of Kenyas GDP pass through the M-Pesa mobile payment and banking service, which has more users than there are bank account holders in the country.
 
Data in this report is the latest available at the time of preparation and may not be for the current year.

Table of Contents 
1. Algeria
1.1 Overview of the mobile market in Algeria
1.1.1 Mobile statistics
1.2 Market analysis 2009
1.3 Mobile data services
1.3.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
1.3.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
1.3.3 GPRS/EDGE
1.3.4 BlackBerry
1.4 Third generation (3G)
2. Angola
2.1 Overview of the mobile market in Angola
2.1.1 Mobile statistics
2.2 Angola's ISP market
2.2.1 Nexus
2.2.2 Angola Communication Systems (ACS)
2.2.3 MoviNet
2.2.4 Snet
2.2.5 Multitel
2.2.6 Maxnet
3. Benin
3.1 Overview of the mobile market in Benin
3.1.1 Mobile statistics
3.2 Mobile data services
3.2.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
3.2.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
3.2.3 General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
3.3 Mobile content and applications
3.3.1 Mobile banking
4. Botswana
4.1 Overview of the mobile market in Botswana
4.1.1 Mobile statistics
4.2 Mobile data servivces
4.3 Third generation (3G)
4.4 Mobile banking
5.
6. Burkina Faso
6.1 Overview of the mobile market in Burkina Faso
6.1.1 Mobile statistics
6.2 Mobile data services
6.3 Evolution-Data Optimised (EV-DO)
7. Cameroon
7.1 Overview of the mobile market in Cameroon
7.1.1 Mobile statistics
7.2 EV-DO
7.3 Mobile data services
7.4 Mobile content and applications
7.4.1 M-payment and m-banking
8. Chad
8.1 Overview of the mobile market in Chad
8.1.1 Mobile statistics
9. Cote d'Ivoire
9.1 Overview of the mobile market in Cote d'Ivoire
9.1.1 Mobile statistics
9.2 Mobile data services
9.2.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
9.2.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
9.2.3 General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)/Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE)
9.3 Mobile content and applications
9.3.1 Mobile banking
10. Democratic Republic of Congo
10.1 Overview of the mobile market in Democratic Republic of Congo
10.1.1 Mobile statistics
10.2 Mobile data services
10.2.1 Overview
10.3 Mobile content and applications
10.3.1 Mobile banking
11. Egypt
11.1 Overview of the mobile market in Egypt
11.1.1 Mobile statistics
11.2 Mobile data services
11.2.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
11.2.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
11.2.3 Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
11.2.4 GPRS and EDGE
11.3 Third generation (3G)
11.3.1 Mobile broadband pricing
11.4 Mobile content and applications
11.4.1 Mobile banking
11.4.2 Mobile TV
12. Ethiopia
12.1 Overview of the mobile market in Ethiopia
12.1.1 Mobile statistics
12.2 Mobile data services
12.3 Third generation (3G)
12.4 Mobile banking
13. Gabon
13.1 Overview of the mobile market in Gabon
13.1.1 Mobile statistics
14. Gambia
14.1 Overview of the mobile market in Gambia
14.1.1 Mobile statistics
15. Ghana
15.1 Overview of the mobile market in Ghana
15.1.1 Mobile statistics
15.2 Mobile data services
15.2.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
15.2.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
15.2.3 GPRS, EDGE, WAP
15.2.4 BlackBerry
15.3 Third generation (3G)
15.3.1 CDMA (Kasapa)
15.4 Mobile content and applications
15.4.1 Mobile banking
15.4.2 M-payments
15.4.3 Mobile TV
15.4.4 Mobile Telecentre To-Go
16. Guinea
16.1 Overview of the mobile market in Guinea
16.1.1 Mobile statistics
16.2 Mobile data services
17. Kenya
17.1 Overview of the mobile market in Kenya
17.1.1 Mobile statistics
17.2 Mobile data services
17.2.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
17.2.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
17.2.3 GPRS and EDGE
17.2.4 BlackBerry
17.3 Third generation (3G)
17.4 Mobile content and applications
17.4.1 M-payment, m-banking
17.4.2 Mobile TV
18. Lesotho
18.1 Overview of the mobile market in Lesotho
18.1.1 Mobile statistics
18.2 Mobile data services
18.3 Third generation (3G) mobile
18.4 EV-DO
19. Liberia
19.1 Overview of the mobile market in Liberia
19.1.1 Mobile statistics
19.2 Mobile data services
19.3 Mobile content and applications
19.3.1 Agricultural Market Information and Linkage System (AMILS)
20. Libya
20.1 Overview of the mobile market in Libya
20.1.1 Mobile statistics
20.2 Mobile data services
20.2.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
20.2.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
20.2.3 GPRS/EDGE
20.3 3G/HSDPA
20.4 Mobile content and applications
20.4.1 Mobile TV
21. Madagascar
21.1 Overview of the mobile market in Madagascar
21.1.1 Mobile statistics
21.2 Mobile data services
21.3 Third generation (3G)
22. Malawi
22.1 Overview of the mobile market in Malawi
22.1.1 Mobile statistics
22.2 Mobile data services
23. Mali
23.1 Overview of the mobile market in Mali
23.1.1 Mobile statistics
23.2 Mobile data services
23.3 Mobile content and applications
23.3.1 M-payments and m-banking
23.4 The Cybertigi project
24. Mauritius
24.1 Overview of the mobile market in Mauritius
24.1.1 Mobile statistics
24.2 Mobile data services
24.3 Third generation (3G)
24.4 Evolution-Data Optimised (EV-DO)
24.5 Mobile broadband pricing
24.6 Mobile content and applications
24.6.1 Mobile TV
24.6.2 Mobile banking
25. Morocco
25.1 Overview of the mobile market in Morocco
25.1.1 Mobile statistics
25.2 Mobile data services
25.2.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
25.2.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
25.2.3 General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
25.2.4 BlackBerry
25.3 Third generation (3G)
25.3.1 Licensing
25.3.2 Services
25.4 3G mobile broadband
25.4.1 Wana (formerly Maroc Connect)
25.4.2 Meditel
25.4.3 Maroc Telecom
25.5 Mobile content and applications
25.5.1 Mobile TV
26. Mozambique
26.1 Overview of the mobile market in Mozambique
26.1.1 Mobile statistics
26.2 Mobile data services
26.3 Third generation (3G)
26.4 ARPU
26.5 EV-DO
27. Namibia
27.1 Overview of the mobile market in Namibia
27.1.1 The long road to Namibia's second mobile licence
27.1.2 Mobile statistics
27.2 Mobile data services
27.2.1 Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
27.2.2 GPRS/EDGE
27.3 3G/HSDPA
27.4 EV-DO
27.5 Mobile content and applications
27.5.1 Mobile TV
27.5.2 Mobile banking
28. Nigeria
28.1 Overview of the mobile market in Nigeria
28.1.1 Market analysis-2009
28.1.2 Mobile statistics
28.2 Mobile broadband
28.3 Mobile data services
28.3.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
28.3.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
28.3.3 GPRS, EDGE
28.3.4 Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
28.3.5 CDMA2000 1x
28.3.6 BlackBerry
28.4 Mobile content and applications
28.4.1 M-banking, M-payment
28.4.2 Mobile TV
28.4.3 Interactive TV (iTV)
28.5 Third generation (3G)
28.5.1 Licensing
28.5.2 Globacom
28.5.3 Zain
28.5.4 MTN
28.5.5 CDMA EV-DO
29. Rwanda
29.1 Overview of the mobile market in Rwanda
29.1.1 Mobile statistics
29.2 Mobile data services
29.3 Third generation (3G)
29.4 EV-DO
29.5 Mobile content and applications
29.5.1 M-payment and m-banking
30. Senegal
30.1 Overview of the mobile market in Senegal
30.1.1 Mobile statistics
30.2 Mobile data services
30.2.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
30.2.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
30.2.3 General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE)
30.2.4 Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
30.2.5 BlackBerry, iPhone
30.2.6 Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD)
30.3 Third Generation (3G)
30.4 Evolution-Data Optimised (EV-DO)
30.5 Mobile content and applications
30.5.1 Manobi
30.5.2 M-payments and m-banking
31. Sierra Leone