Driving Mobile Internet Usage Is Key To Telecoms Growth - General Manager, Busines Of Tecno Mobile Ghana

Ghana, November 2015: While Ghana’s telecoms market has become increasingly crowded, data space continues to offer significant potential for growth, Daniel Glover, the general manager, Business of mobile phone manufacturer, TECNO Mobile, has said.

Mr. Glover told the global publishing, research and consultancy firm Oxford Business Group (OBG) that competition in Ghana’s telecoms sector remained fiercest in the voice space segment.

“Internet penetration is estimated at about 20% in Ghana,” he said. “Figures for the telecom operators’ subscriber base show that only 35% of phone users do data, with the numbers dwindling, signaling a major opportunity for growth.”

Mr. Glover was speaking to OBG during its research for The Report: Ghana 2016, the Group’s forthcoming report on the country’s economy. The report, which marks OBG’s fifth-anniversary publication on Ghana, will contain a detailed, sector-by-sector guide for investors, alongside contributions from leading personalities.

While Ghana’s telecoms players operate against a backdrop of cost and operational pressures, they benefit from the support of a robust regulatory framework and a liberalized market. Infrastructural roll-outs have been extensive, and, most recently brought 4G technologies to the country.

Mr. Glover told OBG that when it came to accessing data by smartphone, “showing people what to do”, particularly Ghana’s younger generations, would be key to boosting take-up. He said TECNO hoped to team up with telecom companies and educational institutions around the launch of its 4G Phantom 5 smartphone, as a way of driving this idea forward.

“We believe providing 4G LTE will not necessarily make any difference without showing people what to do with the internet,” Mr. Glover told OBG. “We want to develop a programme which lets universities upload some of their programs directly to TECNO’s smartphones. The strategy is to get close to the customers, educate them and also be their advocate.”

The Report: Ghana 2016 will be a vital guide to the many facets of the country, including its macroeconomics, infrastructure, banking and other sectoral developments. The publication will be produced in partnership with UKTI. It will be available in print or online.

About Oxford Business Group

Oxford Business Group (OBG) is a global publishing, research and consultancy firm, which publishes economic intelligence on the markets of the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. Through its range of print and online products, OBG offers comprehensive and accurate analysis of macroeconomic and sectoral developments, including banking, capital markets, insurance, energy, transport, industry and telecoms.

The critically acclaimed economic and business reports have become the leading source of business intelligence on developing countries in the regions they cover. OBG's online economic briefings provide up-to-date in-depth analysis on the issues that matter for tens of thousands of subscribers worldwide. OBG's consultancy arm offers tailor-made market intelligence and advice to firms currently operating in these markets and those looking to enter them.