Mobile data/internet subscriptions rose by a similar margin of 5.9 percent to 14.7 million up from 13.9 million recorded the previous quarter/FILE
The Quarterly Sector Statistics Report by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) for the period July – September 2014 indicates that the growth was driven by a jump in internet subscriptions that recorded a 5.8 percent increase in the period under review up from million subscriptions in the previous quarter.
Mobile data/internet subscriptions rose by a similar margin of 5.9 percent to 14.7 million up from 13.9 million recorded the previous quarter.
During the quarter under review, mobile subscriptions increased by 1.6 percent to 32.8 million from 32.2 million subscriptions registered during the last quarter.
“The number of new subscriptions registered during the period was 522,435 compared to 416,390 new subscriptions recorded during the preceding quarter, “the report stated.
Pre-paid mobile subscriptions grew by 1.5 percent to stand at 32.0 million up from 31.5 million subscriptions posted during the preceding quarter while the number of post-paid subscriptions increased by 7.1 percent to reach 712,894 during the quarter, from 665,697 subscriptions during the last quarter.
Mobile penetration gained 1.3 percent to reach 80.5 percent during the quarter up from 79.2 percent recorded during the previous quarter.
“Mobile voice traffic stood at 8.0 billion minutes up from7.3 billion minutes registered during the last quarter marking an increase of 9.0 percent during the period. Each subscriber made calls for an average of 81.9 minutes per month (2.7 minutes per day) compared to the previous quarter’s 79.3 minutes per month, ‘the report added.
During the quarter under review, the number of local outgoing Short Message Services (SMS) increased by 1.2 percent to hit 6.9 billion, up from 6.8 billion recorded during the previous quarter.
On average, each subscriber sent about 71 messages per month.
The number of mobile money transfer subscriptions increased by 1.4 percent to stand at 26.9 million up from 26.6 million posted in the previous quarter.
Similarly, the number of mobile money transfer active agents rose by 5.2 percent to 114,988 up from 109,286 agents registered in the last quarter.
The number of fixed (wired) lines continued to register a decline, reducing by a 4.2 percent during the period to stand at 192,778 lines down from 201,233 lines recorded in the last quarter.
Fixed line connections reduced to 50,018 from 52,053 lines during the last quarter representing a of 3.9 percent decline. The number of fixed wireless subscriptions also dropped by 4.3 percent during the period to stand at 142,760 down from 149, 180 subscriptions in the previous quarter.
The postal and courier sub-sector showed improvement during the quarter with the number of letters sent locally growing by 17.9 percent to stand at 13.9 million up from 11.8 million letters sent during the last quarter.
Courier items sent locally too registered a 0.5 per cent marginal increase to stand at 942,147 items up from 937,619 items during the last quarter.
On the international traffic, incoming letters grew by 0.6 percent to record 24.7 million letters while International outgoing letters recorded substantial growth of 69.3 percent to reach 1.2 million up from 761,315 letters sent.
