Subscribers of mobile telephony across the world reached 7.4 billion in November last year, a five per cent increase over the 7.1 billion recorded in 2014. The figure included 87 million new subscribers.
Smartphone subscriptions were particularly impressive in 2015 as the 10 per cent growth over the 2.6 billion subscribers in 2014 gave credence to projections that the world is moving into an area where data and broadband will shape everything.
The smartphone subscriptions are projected to rise to 6.4 billion in 2021, from the 3.4 billion recorded in November 2015. These subscriptions are already driving mobile broadband adoption, which increased from 2.9 billion subscribers to 3.6 billion within the period under review.
According to the Mobility Report, a survey conducted each year by telecom technology provider Ericsson, smartphone subscriptions will increase by a cumulative average growth rate of 50 per cent and a 35 per cent CAGR in tablets as well as other smart devices.
This will underlie the exponential increase in data use that the world will see by 2021 in the next five years. According to the report, data use will also rise, for smartphones by a cumulative 35 per cent average growth rate to 8.5 gigabytes per smartphone, and that of tablets will rise by 25 per cent to 9.7GB per month.
In all, data use by all mobile devices will increase by 45 per cent CAGR by 2021.
By the close of this year, Mobility Report projects the number of smartphone subscriptions will surpass those for basic phones. Smartphones make up the majority of mobile broadband devices today and subscriptions are expected to almost double by 2021.
As part of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the 139-member countries of the United Nations agreed on a universal access to the Internet which is affordable and open, especially for closing the gap in least developed countries.
This is due to greater affordability in developing markets such as Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. It is projected that 85 per cent of all subscriptions will be for mobile broadband by the end of 2021.
Mobile broadband subscriptions will reach 7.7 billion globally by 2021. They account for an overwhelming share of all broadband subscriptions. Mobile broadband will complement fixed broadband in some segments and will be the dominant mode of access in others.
Sub-Saharan Africans
With a population of 830 million, about 80 per cent of Sub-Saharan Africans (SSA) were expected to own mobile phones by the close of last year. This is a marked improvement over the 50 per cent penetration five years ago.
The Ericsson Mobility Report estimates that by 2021, mobile subscription penetration in SSA could reach 100 per cent in the region. General mobile subscriptions in the region stood at 690 million at the end of November 2015, but this is expected to rise to 1.02 billion by 2021.
Ghana and South Africa have already gone past the 100 per cent subscription mark. Ghana’s mobile subscriptions currently stand at 125.6 per cent as of November 2015, according to the National Communications Authority (NCA). The NCA gives the mobile data penetration rate as 65.74 for the month of December 2015.
Smartphones define future
Smartphone subscriptions, which stood at 170 million in November 2015, will rise at an average cumulative growth rate of 25 per cent to reach 690 million by 2021.
Similarly, data traffic per active smartphone, which stands at 0.8 gigabytes per month, is projected to hit 4GB per month by 2021, an average cumulate growth rate of 30 per cent.
These developments are powered by rising urbanisation levels in the region, as well as growing investment in rural network coverage by mobile operators will drive this growth. MTN Ghana, for instance has earmarked US$163.5 million to expand infrastructure and improve network quality. The capital expand includes US$18 million for expansion to rural areas.
Also, the region has been experiencing strong economic growth, driven by improved political stability, a global commodity boom and greater regional integration. The World Bank has projected economic growth in the region to average 4.4 per cent until 2018.
Capitalising on the continent’s large unconnected population, operators are aggressively pursuing growth in mobile broadband. Their effort is supported by the proliferation of lower cost devices and evolving regulatory policies.
In addition to this, service providers have increased their focus on extending offerings around increasing mobile financial inclusion and media delivery. Growing smartphone ownership and a lack of fixed broadband availability has resulted in mobile broadband being the most common way to connect to the Internet. Eighty-three per cent of Nigerian mobile phone subscribers rely solely on this channel.
3G and 4G coverage
In 2014, population coverage of WCMDA/HSPA networks in Sub-Saharan Africa was just above 25 per cent, compared to global population coverage of around 65 per cent, the report notes. However, “in 2021, WCDMA/HSPA coverage is expected to triple to approximately 75 per cent, while long-term evolution (LTE) will cover around half of the population,” the Ericsson report stated.
Coverage of GSM networks – which enable the provision of basic mobile telephony services such as voice, SMS and low-speed data – is high at around 70 per cent. The implication is that even with a lack of access to mobile broadband, the population is still able to access a variety of services, a major example being SIM-based mobile financial services.
Outlook – 5G LTE Evolve
As the cellular telecommunication industry deploys fourth generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology which provides faster broadband access, technology developers are already talking about the fifth generation modules which would allow every item to be connected to the Internet. The emerging terminology is therefore known as the Internet of Things (IoT).
Ericsson, which has been behind telecommunication technology provisions across the world, expects 5G subscription uptake to be faster than for 4G.
“5G consists of a new radio access (NX), an evolved LTE access and an enhanced core network. It offers a wider range of services and will open up new industries and verticals,” the report stated.
5G networks, based on standards that will meet ITU IMT-2020 requirements, are expected to be deployed commercially in 2020. Pre-standard, pre-commercial networks are expected to be launched earlier in selected markets.
5G subscriptions will provide enhancements in mobile broadband services, as well as enable a wider range of use cases, e.g. for the Internet of Things (IoT).
In 2021, South Korea, Japan, China and the US are expected to have the fastest uptake of 5G subscriptions.
Source: Daily Graphic 
The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) as part of equipping testing laboratories in Ghana to conduct quality testing of products under its Trade Capacity Building (TCB) program has organised a four-day internal auditing training workshop for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) in Kumasi.
Ghanaian vegetable farmers have asked government to step up its efforts at getting the European Union to lift the ban on exports of selected vegetables from the country.
One of four armed robbers who attacked a forex bureau at Kaneshie in Accra Friday afternoon has been shot dead. The three others are being hunted for by the police.
Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan is unlikely to play a part in Ghana’s 2017 Nations Cup qualifying against Mozambique because of a thigh strain.
The striker could not complete Wednesday morning’s training session and now sources within the team have confirmed to TV3 Sports that is highly unlikely that he will play.
Gyan has struggled with injuries this season but claimed on arrival in Ghana for the double header “I wasn’t fit at all due to those injuries so it was quite frustrating but right now am back. I think I am back and I feel good in my body.”
Ghana coach Avram Grant had also claimed he had no doubts about Gyan’s fitness because he had played in his club’s last two games. Now he might have to find a replacement but with Majeed Warris in good goal scoring form and Ebenezer Assifuah working hard, Gyan’s likely absence might not hit Ghana as hard
By TV3 Sports|Ghana 
A total of 38 foreigners from various countries have naturalised as Ghanaians effective Wednesday.
NDC is on it again, Masters of mischief and unguided twisters of facts for cheap political gains. The BNI is again resurrected to champion their games for their paymasters just as it happened in the year 2000 when they arrested some Italians accused of sponsoring NPP.
Ato Kwamena Dadzie, a News Editor at Accra-based Joy FM posted this message, “I love this picture. And to think that he was so excited to be going to Scotland for ‘international recognition’ and that useless doctorate degree. I bet he can’t wait to rush back home”
Senyo Hosi, Chief Executive of the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors shared this, “I am not anti LGBT nor pro LGBT. I am a firm believer in equal and fair rights for all. I do not recall when an LGBT was last jailed for his or her sexual preference”
Aspiring MP for Tamale North, Alhaji Alhassan Suhuyini wrote, “It is only wizardry or witchcraft that will make one ridicule OUR PRESIDENT because some foreigners disrespected him for OUR COLLECTIVE stand against Gay Rights. I expect outrage. How dare them!!!”
And this was what Manasseh Azure AWUNI also of Multi Media splashed on his wall. ‘As we are angry at how our most important personality was treated outside, we should also learn from what has happened. The Gurune (Frafras) say if you drag your fat goat to Bolga market and price it cheaply, the buyers will act on the price tag of your goat and not its size”.
Comments that followed each of the comments was influenced by personal interests. On some platforms, the discussion was reduced to insults and it exposed how shallow minded we seem to be as a people.
I reflected on Manasseh’s post and juxtaposed that with the 59th Independence Day ‘Brochuregate’ and it was obvious we [Ghanaians] are fast losing our sense of pride, the need to protect our image as a people and Ghana as a sovereign state.
It first started as a brief story posted on the BBC world service website captioned, ‘Holyrood applause for Ghanaian President, John Mahama’, The report suggested Ghana’s President, was received ‘polite applause by MSPs despite controversy over our country’s human rights record’. It mentioned gay rights, violence and child abuse as key issues raised by Independent MSP John Finnie who claimed that President Mahama had given his “full support” to “discriminatory laws and relentless persecution” of LGBT people in Ghana.
And that the Scottish Human Rights Commission said it expected the Scottish government and parliament to “show leadership protecting and promoting international human rights standards.”
First of all, none of the issues raised reflects Ghana. There is no official sanction of a deliberate effort to persecute gays and lesbians. Majority have spoken against attempts by some Western nations and activists to push Ghana to accept them.
Even Queen Elizabeth II has openly said “Marriage should be for Man and woman only” and has declined to approve same sex marriage, so what is our beef?
Why can’t we as a nation protest about such incidents? Why are some happy it happened? Was it hatred for John Mahama and the First Family? Those who sought to push a propaganda on social media may not understand the implication because no matter what, even if it was to score cheap political points, it exposed how parochial minded they were. The ‘Put Ghana First’ mantra was completely swallowed by politics, hatred, wish for failure and ignorance.
But I strongly believe President John Mahama is not the first to have encountered such protests on international trips.
World leaders like George Bush, Vladmir Putin and Tony Blair just to name a few have faced much more bigger ones elsewhere.
Manasseh Azure wrote again that “the president going to Scotland completely unaware that he could face such ’embarrassment’ is yet another sign that he needs more than an honorary doctorate degree. A little homework would have alerted everyone in this picture that this trip was not worth it. But having allowed some other world leaders of little consequence to address our parliament, I guess #IncompetentMahama felt he deserved some pay back”.
Sad again. Because his colleague earlier used the word ‘useless’ to describe this honorary degree. But since when did people conclude such honorary degrees are useless? I saw a reply by Eric Ahianyo a former News Editor of Metro TV asking him ‘when such awards were instituted’ and who the ‘past recipients were’.
At least in Ghana I remember all former Presidents and their wives, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, prominent Church leaders like Mensa Otabil, business tycoons, and the list goes on.
The trend of events gives me a strong feeling the incident, the initial reportage and how others tried to skew matters on social media was an agenda. To take away the purpose of the visit and what President Mahama said.
It probably was another attempt to embarrass the Presidency after the Independence Day brochure fiasco.
But it failed. British High Commissioner, Jon Benjamin stopped them. Kudos Jon and all the well-meaning Ghanaians who tried to resist it.
But the Scotland incident is not peculiar. I have witnessed protests organized by Ghanaians in New York, Germany and few other countries President Mahama has recently visited. Those may be politically motivated but has anyone thought about the wrong signal it sends to the international community about Ghana?
I seize this opportunity to challenge each and every one of us to see Ghana first and remember when we sink our reputation, we shall struggle together to build it. Britons would never have forgiven Ghana if this had happened to UK Prime Minister David Cameron, neither will Germans, Americans, the Chinese or citizens of countries within our sub region.
Today I give thumbs up to Lawyer Ace Ankomah. He shared this message, “I feel offended at what some Scottish MPs did or sought to do yesterday. Some TV footage is making rounds on social media. That behavior was cheap, low, crass and not right. The President did not pass the laws on homosexuality. He has no power to repeal them. That power is for parliament. And for the information of these dummies, those laws were first written in official statues here by the UK, the country to which they, the Scots, technically and happily remain a colony”.
I rest my case. Let’s respect the Presidency, protect Ghana’s image and be proud of what we cherish. God bless our homeland Ghana!
Source: Dan Acheampong