Uganda has of late seen rapid growth in the number of smartphone shipments into the country which have overtaken basic phones, due to a rising levels of internet usage in the nation.
A quarterly report compiled by Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), illustrates that in the final quarter of last year, 2020, basic phones shrunk by 500,000 units in comparison to smartphones which grew by over 700,000 units within the same period.
According to the telecom regulator, UCC, basic phones are those limited to voice calls and texting, whereas feature phones are equipped with more internet capabilities including app and browsing functions.
Contrariwise, smartphones are multi-purpose with distinguished capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, which facilitate wider software, Internet, and multimedia functionality.
The current statistics indicate that basic phones stand at about five million while both feature phones and smartphones are 17 million and 7 million in that order.
UCC Public and International Relations Officer, Ibrahim Bossa said the increase in shipment of smartphones was a global phenomenon as the world transitions into a digital era
Bossa said there has generally been an increase in the shipment of smartphones that are being sold internationally in comparison to basic phones which is in excess of 380 million smartphones, this is according to data from the International Data Centre – a firm responsible for tracking the shipment of phones on a global scale.
“We have observed a growth in live streaming on internet sites, working from home and homeschooling. Also in terms of response, there’s a huge response for smarter devices to enable functionality,” he said, noting the increase could be due to a change in consumer lifestyle and appeal.” he noted.
UCC says that the shift in profiles of network-connected devices, was largely driven by mobile network operators that have put in place a number of innovations and the move towards a digitized globe.
Airtel Africa and SpaceX Announce Strategic Partnership to Launch Starlink Direct to Cell Connectivity Across AfricaMany telecom companies have also activated a number of campaigns lately, with the intent to boost sales, with more emphasis on the smartphones segment.
Telecom companies have invested heavily in data networks in 3G and 4G and come up with affordable options and campaigns to enable the purchase of smartphones.
“People are graduating from just being voice users to data users, and in the journey, it’s extremely important to invest in phones that support the data experience,” he said.
UCC attributes the growth in the number of smartphones shipment, to have been driven by rapid Internet penetration, which currently stands at 52 %, catalysing the use of smart gadgets to 67%.
“Most Internet usage in Uganda is mobile. While there are other gadgets such as laptops, tablets, mobile Internet is more dominant,” said Bossa.
The growth has also been supported by the rapid growth in the mobile financial services including online banking that continues to grow due to extensive network coverage now extended to previously uncovered areas.
According to data from UCC, Internet connections grew by over 1.2 million, for the second quarter in a row, with the majority of these, which is about 98 %, connected through mobile phones.
