July 6, 2004
A mobile vision for Africa
Building a mobile phone network across Africa is no small undertaking, explains the BBC.
"Despite the disruption caused by war and poverty, international observers share some optimism for the development of mobile communications across Africa.
A report by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), in May, showed that Africa was the world's fastest-growing mobile phone market, with use of handsets increasing at an annual rate of 65%.
The ITU also forecasts that Africa's mobile penetration rate - the number of people using mobile phones - may reach 20% by 2010, up from the current level of 6%.
The speed of mobile take-up owes as much to the poor quality of traditional, but unreliable and more expensive, fixed-line services in Africa, says Stephanie Pittet, an Africa mobile phones specialist with research group Gartner.
Her view is backed by recent ITU figures showing that there are now more people using mobile phones across the continent than fixed lines. "
The Permanent Link to this page is: http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2004/07/004433.htm