Number of high-speed Internet users nearly doubles on 3G network

The number of high speed Internet users nearly doubled in the 12 months to March driven by increased expansion of 3G network by mobile operators, the latest telecoms industry report shows.

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) latest quarterly report indicates that the number of broadband subscriptions rose to 7.9 million in the review period compared to 4.1 million in the previous year.

According to the Access Gap Study Report released early in the year, 94.4 per cent of the Kenyan population has access to 2G network services whereas 78 per cent of the population has access to 3G services.

“The continued growth in data/Internet market is largely driven by growth in mobile-based Internet penetration as a result of increased expansion of 3G network coverage by the various mobile operators as well as increased popularity of social networking sites,” the report reads in part.

The CA report shows that broadband speeds less than or equal to 1Mbps recorded the highest number of subscriptions while those less than or equal to 256 Kbps recorded the least.

The total number of Internet users hit 37.4 million translating to overall Internet penetration levels of 87.2 per cent during the period under review up from the 71.7 per cent the previous year.

Mobile phone subscriptions form 99.4 per cent of the total Internet users.

Safaricom retained the highest market share for mobile data/Internet subscriptions at 60.8 per cent in the quarter ended March, marking a decline of 2.2 percentage points compared to the same period last year.

Airtel Networks Limited gained 3.1 percentage points in market share to record a 21.1 per cent market share whereas Orange Kenya Limited lost 2.8 percentage points to record a market share of 11.2 per cent.

Finserve Africa Limited recorded a market share of 6.8 per cent up from 5.0 per cent the previous quarter.