Eswatini Communications Commission also notes that fixed telephone subscriptions declined by 15% from 45 113 to 38 537. The regulator has attributed the drop to mainly a decline in fixed wired telephone line connections.
By Ntokozo Nkambule
The mobile smartphone penetration rate has hit 70% in the country. This is due to the increased number of mobile smartphones connected to mobile networks.
This is contained in the Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) Annual Report 2022. “Mobile smartphones connected on mobile networks in Eswatini increased from 663 497 to 809 155 smartphones, as a result, mobile smartphone penetration increased from 58% to 70% in the period under review” notes the report by the Chief Executive Officer, Mvilawemphi Dlamini.
The CEO further notes that in terms of the telecommunications market, there has been a 19% growth in mobile subscriptions. The report observes that mobile subscriptions grew from 1 279 599 to 1 524 629, which consequently led to market penetration increasing from 112% to 131%. Mobile broadband connectivity also increased from 1 105 987 to 1 379 526, an increase of 25%, whilst mobile broadband penetration increased from 96% to 119%.
Moreover, ESCCOM notes that fixed telephone subscriptions declined by 15% from 45 113 to 38 537. The regulator has attributed the decline to mainly a decline in fixed wired telephone line connections. Fixed wireless telephone connectivity, on the other hand, increased by 24% from 7 773 subscriptions in 2020/21 to 9 636 in 2021/22.
The report adds that there has been a significant uptake in the fixed internet in the country. “Fixed internet connectivity continues to follow an upward trajectory increasing by 9% from 27 386 to 29 784. This growth is mainly driven by fixed wireless internet connectivity. Wireless internet network technology is an emerging technology in the telecommunications market in Eswatini which was previously dominated by ADSL copper connectivity. In the period under review, fixed wireless internet connections grew by 23% from 12 236 to 15 015 surpassing fixed wired connections which declined by 2.5%”
The CEO said they also observed a shift in market share from fixed wired internet services towards fixed wireless internet service providers, reverting to market share levels observed in FY 2019/20. This is attributed to an observed increase in fixed wireless connections reported by MTN, Real Image, and Jenny Internet in the review period.
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