The Communications Authority of Kenya has recorded a marginal increase of 1.6 per cent in mobile subscriptions in the Financial Year 2014/15 albeit against a cloud of a 0.9 per cent decline in comparison with the 2.5 per cent growth recorded in the same period of the previous year.
According to the quarterly sector statistics report first quarter of the financial year 2014/15 (Jul-Sep 2014), mobile subscriptions stand at 32.8 million from 32.2 million during the last quarter.
Additionally, mobile penetration now stands at 80.5 per cent up from 79.2 per cent recorded during the previous quarter, representing a 1.3 per cent increase. In comparison with the same period of the previous year, this was a decline of 0.4 per cent.
“The number of post-paid and pre-paid subscriptions for each of the operators marginally changed during the quarter under review. Safaricom lost 0.6 per cent of its prepaid subscribers but gained 10.1 per cent of post-paid subscribers. Airtel on the other hand gained 6.9 per cent on pre-paid subscribers but lost 3.9 percent of its post-paid subscribers. In the same way Telkom Kenya (Orange) gained 12.6 per cent pre-paid subscribers but lost 9.2 per cent of its post-paid subscribers,” read part of the report.
“ Essar Telecom limited lost 2.7 per cent of its pre-paid subscriptions but registered 0.3 per cent additional post-paid subscribers,” read another part.
Generally, the number of pre-paid subscriptions grew by 1.5 per cent to stand at 32.0 million up from 31.5 million during the previous quarter. Likewise, post-paid subscriptions grew 7.1 percent to reach 712,894 up from 665,697 subscriptions posted during the last quarter. The ratio ofpost-paid to pre-paid subscriptions stood at 1:45.