There are more than 650 million mobile users in Africa and 50% of Internet connections are exclusively channelled through mobile devices.
This makes Africa the second largest and fastest growing mobile market in the world.
According to Ruckus Wireless, this growth is driving new network strategies that seek to reduce opex and capex. WiFi offloads non-essential traffic from cellular networks, while scaling coverage and capacity quickly, using smaller cell sizes, says Ruckus.
"As a result, we are seeing a lot more free WiFi, larger hotspots and WiFi solutions being used in different verticals such as education - and most importantly, interest from service providers as to the viability of WiFi as an alternative means for their users to access data," says Michael Fletcher, sales director for Ruckus Wireless sub-Saharan Africa.
"In fact, WiFi represents one of the most expedient and cost-effective ways to increase both capacity and coverage of cellular networks, with a tight focus on where traffic is heaviest."
For mobile network operators, WiFi offers a more cost-effective way to provide access to customers, he says, pointing out that for customers, it's a better experience and a more cost-effective solution, too - especially if their 3G networks are congested. A viable option in rural areas, where there is no broadband at all, WiFi provides a cheaper alternative to 3G, he adds.
According to Fletcher, fibre will provide another necessary means to connect Africa to the world, adding additional speed, capacity and in maturity it will decrease broadband costs. But he stresses that fibre and 4G/LTE services won't provide enough capacity to handle Africa's insatiable appetite for bandwidth and spectrum. "That is why it is imperative for cellular operators looking to reduce subscriber agitation to add capacity and coverage as fast as possible."
As such, African operators are looking at WiFi from a strategic perspective by tapping a new generation of smarter technology, notes Fletcher, adding that this is already happening globally.
"Pervasive WiFi will have massive implications for Africa," says Fletcher. "Imagine the possibilities of 'always on' connectivity- which is not only positive from a consumer point of view, but certainly it opens up enormous business potential as well. What's more, with MNOs [mobile network operators] buy-in not only are we likely to see more pervasive free WiFi in public spaces but users will have a better experience as well."
"Consumers need to demand decent WiFi," concludes Fletcher. "If they are not happy with the WiFi they receive, they need to let it be known, so that not only are they pushing the industry to deploy better solutions, they will help create the more prominent role for WiFi in Africa that it should have,"