Mobile Africa - Mobile Phone usage in Africa

A lady on phone Mobile phone usage in Africa and the future [by Brian Buckson]

I have read the article about the IT or the ICT communication system and how they are sucking from the poor. It has to be and this is normal, simply because we want to show off by using mobile phones like the way the Americans or the Europeans are doing. We need not to forget that companies here in Europe issue mobile phones to its workers for roaming purposes only and nothing else and if you are in the coverage area, I mean in the office then one has to use the conventional land line. Other than that you have to bear the cost of the mobile phone yourself. Just imagine everyone gets a free mobile phone and call his or friends during and after work then the company would be bankrupt.

I am working here in the biggest telco company in Switzerland and each worker is given a mobile phone but it is only for business purposes in the interest of the company and all private calls are being paid, also there is a limit time of calling. We can not compare ourselves to the many telecom companies in US or Europe as it has also been the same when the technology started here. The big companies were also sucking from the poor and even now, how many of the companies are still using the same old system of communication whereas everything is on wireless now. How long does it took the people in Europe to believe in ADSL which is now old in US. It is now "voice over IP" and we are in Wireless World!

A man on phone Even, we were told last time to use SMS and e-mails instead of making short distance calls to save money, but my fellow Ghanaians and Nigerians would prefer to talk to their friends on the Air.

Firstly, had you ever ask those guys at home the question of “Why do they need a mobile phone?” There are some cheap phones just to receive and make phone calls, yet there are guys who would prefer to have Sony Ericsson P800 or P900 just to show off, but this phones have much applications for the managers just to synchronize, read mails while they are on business trips and not for the common man.

Secondly, the traffic...I mean the amount of money for them to pay to the Providers at the end of the month? Mobile Communications will replace fixed-line telephony (70 to 80 percent of traffic by the end of 2005 in the world) It is a trend known as Substitution. As soon as serious competition exist in Ghana or in Africa for example, mobile call charges will drop, and the rates will at least equal and may even drop below call charges on fixed networks. Once this happens, over 70 to 80% will move to Mobile.

Moreover, Once the mobile phone has replaced fixed telephony, many users will find themselves in a situation where the mobile phone is the only phone in the house. How many of you are going to walk around with your mobile phone, watching TV or accessing the Internet? If you have the choice, you would pick up a device other than your mobile phone for these purposes. Furthermore you would do it from your desk or at home, safe and relaxed in front of the TV- not walking on the footpath or sitting in a car for everyone to see you, but our people like to bluff so do the Providers. In this way, let us see what the EDGE/GPRS can bring in Africa.

I am going to conclude these things in three different ways: