East Africa subscribers aim 40m Research

In three years time, the telecommunication subscribers in the Eastern African countries are expected to reach 40 million, according to the Telecoms and Media World Cellular Database.

This information is coming as Nigerian subscribers are already crossing over 20 million, as said by the regulatory, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Telecoms and Media World Cellular Database in information made available to ITREALMS Online recalled that by September 2004 mobile subscribers in East Africa was to 10 million, an increase of 65 per cent.

Business Research Executive, Ezequiel Dominguez, said that this was a forecast to increase to 11.3 million before December 2004 and 17.6 million by the end of 2005, even as it targets subscribers would reach 40 million by end of 2009.

He also said that the region has witnessed exponential growth and cannot be ignored.

This growth, it said, was despite obstacles such as low level of economic development and huge grey market that exist in the region.

“There are huge demands and opportunities for cellular telephony in the East and Central African region,” the study stated.

In a related development Telecom and Media, also the organizers of GSM East and Central Africa 2006, said that high-level speakers are expected to share their knowledge and experiences accompanied with lively debate and real-life case studies.

As such, the organizers said these speakers include Chief Executives, Celtel Kenya, MTN Uganda, chief technical officer of Orange Cameroon, Director General of ZanTel, Marketing Director at Celtel Zambia and Deputy General Director, UniTel, Messrs Gerhard May, Noel Meier, Jean Lebel Ngopnang Jouenang, Noel Herrity, Norman Moyo, and Amilcar Safeca in that order.

The line up also include Peter Arina, Chief Commercial Officer, Safaricom Mohamed Sheikh, Chairman, Telsom Mobile John Sihra, Co-ordinator, EASSy Project Pascal Leccia, Senior Investment Officer, GICT, World Bank Group Martin Jarrold, Chief, International Programme Development, Global VSAT Forum Francisco Chate, Director, National Institute of Communications, Mozambique Vitalis Olunga, Head of Regulatory and Public Policy, Safaricom, and Chair GSM Africa.