The International Telecommunications Union (ITU), has revealed this in its 2019 ICT Facts and Figures report, network coverage technology in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and other parts of Africa, is still 3G, with 79 per cent penetration while more than 95 per cent of the population in Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and the Americas is covered by a 3G or higher network.
In the Arab states, ITU said 91 per cent of the population is covered by a 3G or higher network, while in the CIS region coverage is 88 per cent, followed by Africa at 79.5 per cent.
In other words, 1G, 2G, and 4G networks control have the remaining 20.5 per cent coverage.
GSMA found operator support for 3G in the region appears to be driven by two key considerations. First, the ongoing prevalence of feature phones means 3G networks can support both voice services on these more basic devices, as well as data services on Smartphones. Unlike markets such as India where operators such as Reliance Jio have invested heavily in 4G, operators in SSA are taking a more cautious view on the move to 4G, and investing gradually..
The second factor, according to the telecoms body is the relative scarcity of mobile broadband spectrum in the region. Operators are therefore choosing to refarm 900MHz spectrum to offer mobile broadband services over 3G, rather than waiting for new spectrum auctions to build LTE networks.
Jumia Mobile report also claimed that 44 per cent of mobile subscribers in Nigeria are using 3G technology and four per cent are using 4G technology as compared to over 18 per cent 4G penetration in South Africa and 16 per cent in Angola.
Meanwhile, ITU, which is the United Nations arm in charge of global communications, informed that an estimated 4.1 billion people were on the Internet as at 2019, reflecting a 5.3 per cent increase compared with 2018.
According to it, the global penetration rate increased from nearly 17 per cent in 2005 to over 53 per cent in 2019. It stressed that between 2005 and 2019, the number of Internet users grew on average by 10 per cent every year.
The UN body noted that in recent years though, global growth rates are not as a high as a decade ago, because some parts of the world are reaching saturation levels.
It however noted that lack of ICT skills is a barrier to effective Internet use especially in its uptake and effective use. In the study it carried out, ITU informed that in 40 out of 84 countries for which data are available, less than half the population possesses basic computer skills such as copying a file or sending an e-mail with an attachment.
