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4G LTE Shipments to GCC Grow 400%, MEA Smartphone Market Booms

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Statistics released on Tuesday showed that GCC shipments of 4G LTE handsets have increased more than four times over the last year and are now close to accounting for one half of all smartphones sold in the Middle East and Africa regions.

A GCC an acronym for General Certificate of Conformity must “accompany” the applicable product or shipment of products covered by the certificate.

According to the latest figures from International Data Corporation (IDC), the market intelligence firm’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker shows that smartphones now make up 75% of the phones shipped in the GCC, with buyers increasingly moving toward 4G handsets as the market matures.

“The GCC is less than a year behind the market development already seen in Western Europe,” said Simon Baker, program manager for IDC’s handset research in Central Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “However, the market is further behind the U.S., where 4G already makes up three quarters of the smartphone market.”

Competition and falling prices are playing their part in boosting the uptake of 4G LTE in the GCC. “All Apple handsets from the iPhone 5C and 5S now offer LTE, but there is much greater choice when it comes to 4G Android models,” said Nabila Popal, research manager for IDC’s handset research in Middle East, Africa, and Turkey. “Samsung is now the region’s largest vendor of LTE-enabled devices, and while the average price that a Gulf consumer currently pays for a 4G handset is close to $600 and has not fallen much over the last 12 months, cheaper models are arriving, most notably from Lenovo and Huawei.”

Elsewhere in the Middle East and Africa, the overall smartphone market is rapidly expanding, with growth rates picking up over the last two quarters.

IDC research shows that in Africa as a whole and in the wider Middle East beyond the GCC and Turkey, the number of smartphones sold in Q3 2014 was up 300% year on year. “We are in the midst of a boom,” said Isaac Ngatia, a research analyst at IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey. “The technology levels are more basic than those seen in the GCC and 4G phones remain relatively uncommon, but many consumers are now getting their hands on a smartphone for the first time.”

“It is a very different kind of market from the Gulf,” adds Baker. “Cheaper phones are the ones selling in high volumes, and prices are tumbling; the average price paid is not much more than half that in the GCC. The brand situation is different too; beyond Samsung and Chinese brands like Lenovo, Huawei, and ZTE that are making a push in the region, many of the bigger players just focus on single countries or sub-region and aren’t well known beyond them.”

There are also a number of brands in this market that typically focus only on distribution and marketing, and mainly source their phones from the production catalogues of independent manufacturers in China. “It is a different sort of brand from the international names the handset industry is usually associated with, and as a model it is working very well at the moment,” added Popal. “These regional brands are able to offer Android phones sourced from China that have the larger screen sizes and functions of models from the big international names but at much lower prices.”

Key examples include Tecno in Nigeria and Kenya, whose smartphone shipments were up 269% year on year in Q3 2014, and Q-mobile in Pakistan, which has more than half the national market and posted growth of healthy 42%. “Brands such as these will continue to perform well over the coming quarters,” concludes Popal. “Smartphone shipments in these poorer countries will expand a lot further in the next couple of years, as they still account for less than half the total handset market.”

IDC’s Europe, Middle East and Africa Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker® provides a unique insight into the forces shaping the handset and smartphone markets in Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and Africa.

The smartphone market is growing rapidly across the region, but while it already takes the lion’s share of mobile phone sales in more developed markets, in poorer countries and where mobile operators do not subsidize phone purchases on usage contracts, feature phones are still the majority of sales in units sold.

This tracker service will quantify for clients the trends impacting the mobile phone market, and provides, on a quarterly basis, vendor shares, technology trends, and a host of technical breakouts that help vendors and industry players define strategies for tracking the future wireless device market.

 


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Vitel Wireless Lures Subscribers with “Data that Never Expires” Campaign

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Vitel Wireless, pioneer Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) licensed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has launched an audacious “data that never expires” campaign designed to address consumer pain points in the market.

Vitel Wireless Lures Subscribers with “Data that Never Expires” Campaign

Kenneth Nwabueze, Chairman and CEO of Vitel Wireless

Fast-depleting data is a major issue for mobile users, particularly in Nigeria, with numerous complaints against network providers alleging that data plans exhaust prematurely.

But Vitel Wireless said it is now addressing the situation after extensive engagement with Nigerian consumers, particularly young people and small businesses.

Kenneth Neabueze, chairman of Vitel Wireless, said “What we’re saying to Nigerians is this, you buy the data, and you keep the data for as long as you want. There’s no more. You bought 2GB for two days, and it expires. If you buy that data under our scheme, it stays with you forever,” he said.

He added that the model promotes transparency and cost efficiency. “So it’s saving us money, it’s giving us transparency, and it’s giving us the ability to have control over how we spend and use our data,” he stated.

He noted that the concept was inspired by research into the everyday challenges Nigerians face.

“We talked to students who would tell us that in the middle of doing a project, they would be told that the data had expired, and we asked, ‘ How do we innovate?” We have analysed it, and we know, given the current economic conditions in Nigeria, you should buy the data with discounts of almost 40 per cent, and that’s why we are transparent”

The company has also unveiled a suite of products and services aimed at redefining connectivity, including its flagship Vitel Xphone.

The company explained that its services are available via both physical SIMs and eSIMs, with the 0712 number offering global use.

According to the firm, users can retain existing mobile numbers or migrate seamlessly, while enjoying nationwide coverage across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory with full GSM services including voice, SMS, USSD, and mobile data.

Chudi Nwabueze, chief operating officer of Vitel Wireless, described the firm as a technology telecom focused on innovation beyond traditional voice and data services.

“We’re coming in with a lot of innovation to activate applications and create tools that people can use in their businesses, homes, and daily lives,” he said.

He added that eSIM technology allows users to operate multiple lines on compatible devices, while introducing a range of digital solutions aimed at enhancing communication, safety, and business operations, anchored by its flagship Xphone.

Hence, the platform combines GSM and VoIP technologies to deliver seamless voice, video, and messaging services, along with cost-saving benefits and nationwide connectivity.

It is complemented by the Oga App, which enables real-time staff monitoring, automated payroll, and performance tracking to improve organisational efficiency.

Similarly, the network also rolled out SecureMe and Asset Tracker to address security and asset management needs.

While SecureMe provides GPS tracking and emergency alerts for personal and workplace safety, Asset Tracker helps businesses monitor and manage physical assets in real time.

Vitel Wireless noted that on pricing, challenged consumers to compare daily data costs across operators, while adding that the network offers discounts for higher volumes without imposing expiry limits.

Also speaking, Chinenye Adebayo,  relationship partnership manager, outlined opportunities for Nigerians to join the company’s distribution network by visiting the website and becoming a mobile agent or sun-agents in any state.

The company noted that its offerings, including Close User Group (CUG) services and high-speed wireless network, are designed to provide integrated digital solutions for individuals and enterprises, as it seeks to position itself as a disruptive force in Nigeria’s telecom sector.


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Nigeria, Ghana Trigger Stunning 45 Percent Surge in MTN Dividends

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MTN Group delivered impressive financial and operational achievements for 2025, boosted by strong performances in MTN Nigeria and MTN Ghana, as well as solid earnings from MTN South Africa.

Nigeria, Ghana Trigger Stunning 45 Percent Surge in MTN Dividends

The three core markets of Africa’s largest mobile provider enhanced profitability, free cash flow, and shareholder dividends by 45%.

IT Web Africa reported that Ralph Mupita, group CEO and president, MTN, highlighted that the telecoms giant’s robust commercial momentum across key markets capped the final year of its Ambition 2025 strategy, while laying the foundation for a new long-term growth phase under Ambition 2030.

“The Group’s overall performance in 2025 was excellent. In the final year of our Ambition 2025 strategy, we were proud to have exceeded the 300 million customers milestone,” he said.

MTN revealed that it now serves more than 307 million voice subscribers, 172 million data users, and 70 million Mobile Money customers across 16 African markets, reflecting the continent’s growing demand for digital connectivity and financial services.

The operator credited its results to disciplined commercial execution and sustained investment in network infrastructure, with R38 billion spent during the year to expand capacity, improve coverage and enhance service quality.

The group reported that data traffic surged 27%, while average monthly data consumption per user climbed to 12.5GB, up from 10.8GB a year earlier, reflecting Africa’s fast-growing appetite for digital services.

Financially, the performance was driven by MTN’s largest markets.

In constant currency terms, MTN Nigeria grew service revenue by 54.9%, while MTN Ghana increased service revenue by 35.9%.

Meanwhile, MTN South Africa recorded 2% growth, demonstrating operational resilience in one of the continent’s most mature and competitive telecom markets.

MTN Group service revenue rose nearly a quarter to R218 billion, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation climbed to R98.5 billion, supported by R3.6 billion in expense efficiencies.

Mupita stressed that the strong results translated into robust free cash flow and improved return generation, allowing the board to declare a dividend of 500 cents per share, up from 345 cents the previous year.

“This comfortably exceeds the minimum dividend of 370 cents we had previously guided,” he said.

The group also announced a R6 billion share buyback programme as part of an enhanced shareholder remuneration framework aimed at delivering stronger long-term returns.

Alongside its results, MTN unveiled Ambition 2030, a strategy centred on three platforms, connectivity, fintech and digital infrastructure, as it seeks to capture the next wave of growth driven by data adoption and financial inclusion across Africa.

“We are hugely excited about Africa’s potential. We are well positioned to leverage our scale, footprint and brand leadership to capture the significant structural growth opportunities identified,” said Mupita.

 

Source: IT Web Africa


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ATCIS Urges FG to Ensure Safety of Consumers Data

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Association of Telephone, Cable TV, and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS) non-profit consumer rights group dedicated to protecting the rights, interests, and welfare of telecommunications subscribers, has urged the Federal Government to ensure safety of telecom consumers’ data hosted by government agencies.

ATCIS Urges FG to Ensure Safety of Consumers Data

Dr Sina Bilesanmi, president of the body stated this World Consumers Day in Lagos.

He alleged that said subscribers” data are being jeopardised by some of its agencies.

Bilesanmi urged government to ensure that every subscriber in Nigeria can use digital service without fear of physical, financial, or data-related harm.

The ACTIS president said safety in the telecommunication sector extends beyond physical hardware to include data privacy and protection from cyber fraud.

“We call for stricter enforcement by the Standard organization of Nigeria (SON) to eliminate substandard mobile devices and Cable Tv equipment that pose fire or electric hazards.

“We also want safe services from telecoms that are transparent – free from hidden charges and misleading advertisements”, he said.

He urged subscribers to utilize platforms like ACTIS as well as NCC and even FCCPC web portal when they encounter service failures.

He also tasked FG on hosting Nigerian Data Privacy in the country.

He said: “We ask for more robust surveillance and swifter penalties for entities that violate consumer safety standards. We admonish the subscribers to be aware and speak out, a vigilant consumer is a protected consumer.”


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