TMCnet News
2014 MTN Internet Festival Launched in Accra [press release](AllAfrica Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Ghana places 145th in the global internet rankings, with 12.3 per cent internet penetration, according to Global Internet Society's internet rankings. Mr Serame Taukobong, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MTN Ghana, who made this known in Accra, yesterday, said internet data contributed 17.4 per cent of total revenues for MTN Ghana for the first half of 2014, as MTN led Ghana's data market with 50.54 per cent market share. Mr Taukobong said projections done by industry researchers on mobile data traffic forecast an exponential growth in the next few years, especially with the increase of small smart devices on the market. This he said, called for mobile operators to increase the capacity of the network with enhanced technology to be able to meet the demand. He was speaking at the launch of the fourth edition of MTN Internet Festival. Mr Taukobong said the emergence of smart devices had contributed immensely to the increase in mobile data subscription on MTN network, with the number of smart phone users with access to data on the network increasing from 525 in November 2011 to 1.7 million in June 2014. He said the growth was attributable to the strategic partnerships with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) such as Tecno, Huawei and Nokia who had developed highly affordable smart android-enabled phones for subscribers who could not afford high-end devices. He said despite the significant growth over the period, a lot more of smart phone users on the MTN network were yet to connect to data, adding that there was the need to educate people to embrace technology, considering the benefits of data usage to the growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). MTN Internet Festival, dubbed: 'iFest' is in line with MTN's vision of leading the delivery of a bold digital world. IFest campaign was, therefore, launched with the objective of creating awareness about the internet and, most importantly, increase the usage of data on MTN network. Source: ISD (G.D. Zaney) Copyright Government of Ghana. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). |