The East African Community (EAC) Telecom Sector Statistics 2023 show that the Internet traffic within the region stands at 54 per cent, with population penetration coverage of 2G averaging 92 per cent, 3G at 78 per cent and 4G averaging 62 per cent.
According to the East African Communication Organisation (EACO) regional statistics overview, mobile internet subscriptions stand at 61 per cent penetration with 122.3 million subscribers.
Speaking today during the opening ceremony of the East African Communications Organisation (EACO) 29th Annual Assemblies and Extra-Ordinary Congress, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, Eliud Owalo, said that with the region keen on affordable digital devices, it has made tremendous progress through the local assembly of mobile phones.
“About one million devices have been assembled locally by the East Africa Device Assembly Kenya, out of which about 70 per cent have already been sold in the country at an affordable cost of USD 40,” he added.
Owalo noted that there is a huge potential for addressing similar demands within the East African region and thanked EACO for the incredible strides it continues to make in spearheading digital transformation within the East African Community.
The EACO statistics show that mobile telephony in the EAC region stands at 199.7 million subscribers, which is 100 per cent penetration, while the World has 8.6 billion subscribers with 111 per cent penetration.
The CS thanked EACO for the incredible strides it continues to make in spearheading digital transformation within the East African Community, noting that efforts around harmonisation of legal and regulatory regimes will go a long way towards providing a united approach to leveraging the full benefits of the digital economy.
Owalo further noted that the success of One Network Area (ONA), for instance, has contributed significantly to increased interaction and deepening integration in the region, and he urged member states who have yet to implement the framework to consider embracing it for the good of the people of the region.
Other areas he mentioned included cyber security, SIM card registration, and standardisation of ICT equipment and services in the region, as well as e-waste and green ICTs, which remain critical in catalysing the attainment of digital transformation goals.
“As the EAC grows with additional member states, our collective strength towards implementing some of these bold and progressive ideas should be more emboldened, and as we embrace the new frontiers of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), the region cannot afford to remain behind,” Owalo said.
In discussions around the prospects of a single digital market on the continent, Owalo said that the region must play a leading role.
“As we think about a single digital identity for the continent, the region should set the pace, and I urge all to dedicate themselves to ironing out any hurdles that stand on the road to attaining full digital transformations and speak with one voice on issues that are dear to our region,” Owalo said.
David Mugonyi, Director General, Communications Authority of Kenya, said that Kenya’s ICT has been characterised by progressive regulation, constant innovation, and consistent growth.
As of March this year, Mugonyi said that Kenya had 132.1 per cent mobile penetration, 51.2 million internet subscribers, and 38.6 million mobile money users, with the smart phone penetration rate being 67 per cent.
“The Authority strives to keep average access charges for services such as mobile voice, data, and Internet affordable for all, and we are also committed to ensuring 100 per cent 3G and 4G population coverage,” Mugonyi said, noting that 4G contributes up to 51.5 per cent of total mobile data subscriptions.
Despite the development and increase in access to ICT services, the Director General explained that the importation of second-hand electrical and electronic devices like computers, mobile phones, and TV sets has brought the challenge of e-waste to Kenya’s doorstep.
“By working together with relevant government agencies within the National E-waste Management Strategy, we are making strides to contain this problem and have made it a requirement for licensees with Network Facilities Provider’s licenses to ensure that their telecommunication installations do not become a health, environmental, or safety hazard.
Internationally, the DG said that the Authority participates in e-waste management initiatives spearheaded by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and remains committed to e-waste management principles in the circular economy.
Mugonyi further said that at the moment when countries are all adapting to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its power, potential, and challenges, the Forum today can begin to mould the outlines of a shared understanding of such new technologies and harness their power more effectively for the benefit of the people of East Africa.
John Omo, Secretary General, Africa Telecommunication Union (ATU), said the theme of this year’s event, Promoting Digital Transformation in the East African Region,” is timely and crucial.
He added that a global industry vision report two years ago revealed that by 2025, smart phone devices will be 40 billion, and the total number of connections around the world will reach 100 billion, creating an income of 123 million.
Omo further said that two years ago, governments were talking about the fourth industrial revolution, but now it is the fifth industrial revolution that relies largely on data and statistics.
“How we play in the data economy will inform whether we are part of the competition that comes from the entire globe. We have got to position East Africa in a way that is able to compete with the best of the world, and therefore, how we integrate AI into our decision-making process is the way to benefit from AI, which is important,” Omo said.
Dr. Sifundo Chief Moyo, Secretary General, Pan African Postal Union (PAPU), talked of the critical challenges such as the project of service in network coverage, pricing, and data collection, and the manifold demands detected by emerging technologies such as 5G, ink data, regional digital planning, cyber security, data protection, and artificial intelligence against the technology-induced dynamic spectrum.
“These challenges require the regulatory assembly to successfully navigate the meteoric and unbridled pace of technological advancement, while the operators in the fields of postal, telecommunications, and broadcasting need to gear themselves up to immerse themselves in the technologies and innovations that are raised in the industry,” he added.
Dr. Sifundo noted that the General Assembly meeting, which will for the next four days be in session, will cement the role and efficiency of both the regulatory authorities and the operators in the East Africa region in saving the interests of the postal, telecommunications, and broadcasting sub-sectors in discharging their mandates to the ultimate satisfaction of consumers, corporations, and governments alike.
In Kenya, the government’s Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) has primed ICTs as a critical enabler of economic growth and identified deliberate interventions through the government’s Digital Transformation Agenda that have set sights on ensuring citizens have access to broadband services and ICT devices and skills so that they can participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
By Wangari Ndirangu
