East African countries have reached a remarkable milestone, achieving 100 percent mobile penetration with 199.7 million subscribers, outpacing Africa’s 92 percent average but still below the global average of 111 percent as of last year. Fresh data from the East African Communications Organisation (EACO) reveals that the region’s mobile penetration growth surpassed both the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Africa region and the global averages, which increased by 10 and four percentage points respectively.
EACO’s 2023 regional sector report, published last week, highlighted that mobile internet subscriptions in East Africa have reached a penetration rate of 61 percent, with annual internet traffic hitting an impressive 2.9 billion gigabytes. This growth is driven by several factors, including the increased availability of low-cost smartphones and competitive pricing among mobile network operators.
The report also indicates significant progress in mobile network coverage. The regional average for third-generation (3G) coverage increased from 71 percent to 78 percent, with Kenya and Rwanda leading with nearly universal coverage at 97 percent and 99 percent respectively. Fourth-generation (4G) coverage expanded from 52 percent to 62 percent, again with Kenya and Rwanda at the forefront, achieving close to or exceeding 97 percent coverage.
Mobile data prices in East Africa have dropped significantly over the past three years, further accelerating the adoption of mobile services. The influx of affordable smartphones from Chinese manufacturers has made mobile phones more accessible to a wider population. Increased competition among mobile network operators and government interventions have also contributed to lower data costs, enhancing internet accessibility.
Innovations such as Kenya’s M-Pesa have played a crucial role in driving mobile penetration growth due to their heavy reliance on mobile telephony services. The EACO report shows that mobile money subscribers in the region have reached 128.7 million, reflecting a 64 percent penetration rate. This highlights the transformative impact of mobile money services on financial inclusion and economic growth in the region.
In Kenya, the latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) indicates that the total number of mobile phone devices connected to mobile networks stood at 65.7 million as of the end of March, translating to a 127.5 percent penetration rate. During the three months leading to March, there was a notable shift from feature phones to smartphones, with 628,818 feature phones being replaced by 886,884 new smartphones. This trend underscores the growing preference for advanced mobile devices and the increasing digital connectivity in the region.
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