The mobile industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has largely risen to the challenge of sustaining social and economic activities in the region during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the unprecedented growth in data traffic. However, Covid-19 has also highlighted the impact of the digital divide for the large number of people in the region still unable to connect to mobile internet. With digital connectivity expected to play an even more central role in society post Covid-19, it is more important now than ever before to address the barriers to mobile internet adoption and usage in the region.

Spectrum licensing and pricing can play a crucial role in accelerating the adoption of mobile services and providing better networks and services for consumers. The amount of spectrum assigned by governments in Africa is approximately half the average amount assigned around the world. This gap in spectrum assignments has emerged and expanded over the last decade, making it difficult for operators to offer fast mobile broadband speeds.

In this edition of Region in Focus, we take a look at key market trends in MENA for the second quarter of 2020, including insights into recent technology, regulatory and competition developments. In our topic deep dives, we also review the timeline for 2G and 3G shutdowns and examine the development of VoLTE deployment in the region.

Quality of service (QoS) regulation is at the heart of efforts to realise the goal of high service quality levels. In Sub-Saharan Africa, most countries follow a direct regulatory approach, but key findings from a GSMA survey of national regulatory authorities and service providers reveal the limitations of current QoS regulatory regimes in the region, which we highlight in this report. We also bring attention to important considerations for realising the goal of effective QoS regulation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The mobile industry in Sub-Saharan Africa has largely risen to the challenge of keeping individuals and businesses connected during the pandemic, despite changes in data consumption patterns. However, with nearly 800 million people in the region still not connected to the mobile internet, it has never been more urgent to close the digital divide.

This edition of Region in Focus analyses key market trends and developments in Sub-Saharan Africa for Q1 2020. We explore the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, outlining the implications of a renewed focus on connectivity, the renaissance of e-commerce and the outlook for tech startups.

In this edition of Region in Focus, we analyse key market trends in Middle East and North Africa for the first quarter of 2020, and provide insights into recent technology, regulatory and competition developments. We also include analyses of five operators – Etisalat, Ooredoo, STC, Turkcell and Zain – based on FY 2019 results. Meanwhile, our topic deep dives highlight three key trends in the region: how open RAN is gaining traction; the opportunities from edge computing; and growing investments in data-centre infrastructure and cloud-based services

In this edition of Region in Focus, we analyse key market trends in Sub-Saharan Africa for the third quarter of 2019, and provide insights into recent technology, regulatory and competition developments. We also include analysis of five operators - Airtel, Maroc Telecom, MTN, Orange and Vodacom - based on recent results. Meanwhile, our topic deep dives highlight two key trends: data and fintech emerging as key growth drivers; and how OpenRAN is gaining traction, with potential implications for the network ecosystem in the region.

5G services have become a reality in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. As of October 2019, 10 operators had launched commercial 5G services in five GCC Arab States. Mobile operators in these countries are aiming to be global leaders in 5G deployments, while governments view the technology as a potential enabler for their digital transformation ambitions. The 2020s will see 5G activities become more widespread across the region, with trials and commercial launches expected in non-GCC countries.

This edition of Region in Focus explores how 2019 is year zero for 5G in MENA, with 12 operators in five GCC countries launching commercial 5G services during the year. The report examines the increases in capex intensity in the MENA region, exploring how 4G and 5G investment are driving growth.

At the recent GSMA Mobile 360 – Africa event, two initiatives aimed at bringing affordable smartphones to consumers were showcased: a $22 entry-level smart featurephone running on KaiOS; and a high-spec $150 Android smartphone offered on a pay-as-you-go finance basis by startup Maraphone. While both look to unlock smartphone affordability, payment plans that enable better specifications and experience may in the long term be the key for Africa’s youthful and aspirational population.

Building on insights from a survey of key local stakeholders, including policymakers, mobile operators and equipment vendors, this report establishes the outlook and expectations for the 5G era in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Sub-Saharan Africa will remain the fastest growing region, with an additional 167 million subscribers over the period to 2025. This will take the total subscriber base to just over 600 million, representing around half the population. Nigeria and Ethiopia will record the fastest growth rates between now and 2025, at 19% and 11% respectively.

2019 will be a pivotal year for the region, with mobile broadband connections (3G and above) set to overtake 2G connections for the first time. The coming years will see continued growth in mobile broadband adoption as a result of 4G spectrum allocation, rising smartphone adoption, and the increasing availability of locally relevant and data-centric digital content (such as video streaming and online gaming).

In this Region in Focus, we cover market trend analysis for the MENA region to December 2018 and provide insight into recent technology, regulatory and competition developments. We also include analysis of the performance of Etisalat, Ooredoo, Orange, Vodafone and Zain in the region; look at the diverse landscape for mobile financial services; and examine the hurdles remaining for those looking to join the 5G race.

By the end of 2018, there were 185 million unique mobile subscribers in West Africa, an increase of nearly 10 million over the previous year. Future growth will largely be driven by young consumers owning a mobile phone for the first time; more than 40% of the sub-region’s population are under 18 years old. A considerable proportion will become young adults over the next decade.

This report assesses the impact of mobile money on monetary and financial stability across several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa – something no previous study has done. It shows that mobile money can enable more effective monetary policy and is also associated with growth in the commercial banking sector. The report’s findings are highly relevant to central banks, mobile money providers and the wider financial sector because they can inform policy discussions both in countries where mobile money has not achieved scale and in those where it has.

GSMA is launching a new compact research series called Region in Focus. The research complements our existing long-form Mobile Economy reports and provides targeted analysis, insights and future implications of telecoms and broader TMT market trends in a given region and key countries within it.

Advanced MENA markets are at the forefront of innovation, with the GCC Arab States in particular looking to be global leaders in the deployment of 5G networks.

For many consumers across Sub-Saharan Africa, the mobile phone is not just a communication device but also the primary channel to get online, as well as a vital tool to access various life-enhancing services.