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SA moves towards connected lifestyle

Regina Pazvakavambwa
By Regina Pazvakavambwa, ITWeb portals journalist.
Johannesburg, 04 May 2015
South Africans want to be connected irrespective of where they are and want a good signal at all times, says Ericsson.
South Africans want to be connected irrespective of where they are and want a good signal at all times, says Ericsson.

South Africans are moving towards leading a more connected life with 83% of smartphone users using their devices to access the Internet and content services on a daily basis.

That's according to the Ericsson ConsumerLabs Internet Goes Mobile report for SA, which revealed the desire to remain updated and connected is a strong motivator for consumers when opting for a particular internet service.

It discovered that South Africans want to be connected irrespective of where they are, and want a good signal at all times.

The data was gathered from a total of 1 500 face-to-face interviews conducted across 10 South African metropolitan areas with respondents aged between 15 to 69.

Once consumers are exposed to good connectivity experiences and better speeds, they are more likely to want to upgrade or improve on this, for example moving from 3G to 4G, says Ericsson. If they don't get a good connection from a mobile network, they will switch to WiFi.

Among users of both WiFi and mobile broadband who switch connections, 55% state the reason for doing so is to get better speed, reliability or coverage, notes the report.

Other determining factors include the cost of data (44%) and the availability of an Internet connection (39%), it adds.

Accessible Internet services enable the local population to lead a more connected life - with consumers in metros being more satisfied about their networks than the consumers in non-metros, says Ericsson.

In addition, smartphones are driving the usage of mobile broadband higher, with 87% of users connecting using broadband, it adds.

According to Magnus Mchunguzi, VP and MD of Ericsson SA, South Africans are moving towards leading a more connected lifestyle with a great adoption of latest mobile devices.

"With more consumers wanting to remain online, the demand for quality data and connection is high, leaving operators to meet the challenge of providing internet users with consistent good quality connection at all times at a reasonable price."

The interest in leading a more connected life demonstrates the desire of South Africans to stay on the cutting-edge of technological advancements, adds Mchunguzi.

The report highlighted reliability of connection, range of price plans and transparency (accurate credit charging) are important to consumers. Operators must aim to boost loyalty and retain a low churn rate, adds Ericsson.

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