MTN’s internet festival dubbed ‘iFest’ has been launched in Accra, Ghana. Mobile telecoms operator MTN hopes the event will create awareness on the internet and most importantly, promote usage of data on MTN network.
with an internet penetration of about 12.3 percent, Ghana is rated 145 in the global internet rankings, shows Global Internet Society’s internet rankings. Speaking at the launch of the fourth edition of MTN Internet Festival, MTN Ghana’s chief executive Serame Taukobong stated that internet data for the first half of 2014 contributed 17.4 percent of MTN Ghana’s total revenue. MTN was top on Ghana’s data market with a market share of 50.54.
“Projections carried out by industry researchers on mobile data traffic predict an exponential growth within the next few years particularly with small smart devices increasing on the market. This calls for mobile operators to raise their network capacity with enhanced technology to be able to satisfy the demand,” Taukobong added.
“The growth of smart devices has greatly contributed to the increase in mobile data subscription on MTN network, with the number of smart phone users with access to data on the network increasing from 525 in November 2011 to 1.7 million in June 2014.”
Taukobong attributed the growth to the strategic partnerships with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) such as Nokia, Huawei and Tecno, who had developed low-cost Android-based smartphones.