mobile traffic volumes decline as a result of increased tariffs

QUARTERLY SECTOR STATISTICS REPORT
By the end of the quarter under review (Quarter 2 of 2011/12 i.e. the period from 1st October to 31st December 2011), there were a total of 28.08 million mobile subscriptions in the country up from 26.49 million subscriptions recorded during the previous quarter. This represents an increase of 5.99 per cent during the period. Pre-paid subscriptions grew by 6.03 per cent to record 27.84 million subscriptions while post-paid subscriptions grew by 1.31 per cent to record 236,436 subscriptions during the period. Mobile penetration was recorded as 71.3 per cent during the period up from 67.2 per cent recorded during the previous period.
The main fixed lines (fixed terrestrial lines and fixed wireless) subscriptions recorded a downward trend of 20.24 per cent during the period, from 355,493 fixed lines during the previous period to 283,546 during the quarter under review. This represents a fixed-line tele-density of 0.72 per cent from 0.90 per cent recorded during the previous period.
Total local mobile traffic declined to 6.70 billion minutes from 7.09 billion minutes recorded during the previous period, representing a decrease of 5.58 per cent. This was as a result of increase in tariffs by a key mobile operator that led to the reduction in local mobile traffic.
Similarly, Minutes of Use (MoU) per subscriber per month declined to 79.9 down from 89.3 recorded in the previous period, registering a decrease of 10.53 per cent. In addition, the number of SMS per subscriber per month declined by 38.52 per cent from 17.42 SMS during the previous period to 10.71 SMS during the period under review.
Meanwhile, Internet service continued to rise steadily during the quarter to stand at 6,152,687 Internet subscriptions from 5,422,009 during the previous period, representing a 13.48 per cent increase. Likewise, the estimated number of Internet users rose by 21.55 per cent from 14.30 million users in the previous period to 17.38 million during the period under review.
Broadband1 subscriptions increased to 131,829 from 126,589 recorded during the previous period. This represents an increase of 4.14 per cent. Broadband subscriptions represented 2.14 per cent of the total Internet subscriptions.
1 In Kenya broadband is defined as speeds greater than or equal to 256Kbps in one or both directions.
International connectivity bandwidth increased by 3.15 per cent from 51,319.35 Mbps in the previous period to 52,938 Mbps during the period under review. The total available bandwidth in the country was recorded as 5,261,919Mbps during the period under review. - 7 -

In the postal sector, the total local letters sent declined by 4.75 per cent from 20.57 million letters sent during the previous period to 19.59 million letters sent during the period under review. International incoming letters were recorded as 80,217 from 100,348 recorded during the period under review. Similarly international outgoing letters declined by 17.96 per cent from 2.73 million recorded during the previous period to 2.24 million recorded during the period under review. For more information:
http://www.cck.go.ke/resc/downloads/SECTOR_STATISTICS_REPORT_Q2_2011-12.pdf