Global System for Mobile Communication Association (GSMA) has noted that the increasing mobile penetration rate across Africa is putting immense pressure on allocated spectrum on the continent. This was the opinion of Mortimer Hope, Director, Spectrum and Public Policy in charge of Africa for GSMA.
Speaking in Nigeria at the African Telecommunications Union’s third preparatory meeting for the International Telecoms Union (ITU) World Radio Communication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) held in Abuja, he said at WRC-15 in November 2015, Africa has a rare opportunity to secure the future of the mobile Internet.
“Decisions on spectrum allocation made at WRC-15 will define mobile connectivity well into the next decade,” he said.
“Exponential growth in the use of mobile phones, tablets and other wireless devices in accessing the internet, is putting intense pressure on existing spectrum allocations in Africa. Unless governments choose to grant mobile operators access to sufficient spectrum, countries across the continent will miss out on the substantial socioeconomic benefits that mobile broadband delivers,” he stressed.
It is therefore critical that governments and regulators take the opportunity that WRC-15 provides to take strategic and decisive action on spectrum allocation that will safeguard the future of mobile broadband in Africa. Policymakers need to act urgently to deliver all the undoubted advantages that the mobile internet provides to citizens throughout the continent.”
