As we count down the days to the end of the year, it is that time again for the Ericsson Mobility Report to weigh in on how connectivity is being shaped on the African continent. Released earlier this week, the Mobility Report for Middle East and Africa (MEA) highlights how mobile data will influence connectivity over the coming years.

“This latest edition of our Mobility Report highlights the fundamental need for good connectivity as a cornerstone to cater for this uptake as the demand for capacity and coverage of cellular networks continues to grow across Africa,” adds Fadi Pharaon, president of Ericsson Middle East and Africa.

To that end, Ericsson predicts that mobile data traffic in Sub-Saharan Africa will grew by 6.5 times by 2026. Added to this smartphone adoption is anticipated to double during the same time frame, accounting for 73 percent of subscriptions for the region.

Data usage is also set to increase rapidly over the next six years, with traffic per smartphone expected to hit an average of 8.9GB per month. This is a little concerning for us in South Africa, especially as the price of data is disproportionately high.

If mobile data is going to peak as Ericsson is predicting, the connectivity specialists say that more needs to be done to ensure the correct infrastructure is in place to increase 4G penetration.

“Investing in network infrastructure and optimizing spectrum assignments to deliver expansive 4G connectivity, paving the way for 5G, are critical requirements to consider in this journey and to accelerate digital transformation across the continent,” says Pharaon.

“We will continue to invest in our technology leadership and offer our state-of-the art infrastructure solutions to help our customers seize the opportunities that connectivity will bring to Africa,” the president adds.

Looking a bit more closely at 5G on the continent, Ericsson says distinct volumes of subscriptions are expected from 2022, only reaching 5 percent in 2026.

“While 5G and LTE subscriptions will continue to grow over the next 6 years, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) will remain the dominant technology in SSA with a share of over 40 percent in 2026,” the report notes.

As such, it looks like 5G within the entire Sib-Saharan Africa region, is not going to reach as many as expected in the coming years.

You can read a summary of the report (PDF) here.

[Image – Photo by Clint Adair on Unsplash]