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By MARTIN EKPEKE
Leading telecom equipment vendor, Ericsson, has predicted a networked Africa where there will be 50 billion mobile connections by 2020 in Africa because telecommunications will form the basis of a 21st century information base infrastructure in the future.
Leveraging on available technology leadership and extensive research and development capabilities, Ericsson plans to make the vision for a networked Africa a reality by 2020 through commitment and focus on making mobile broadband a reality for all, ensuring rural connectivity and ultimately redefining rural and urban life in Africa.
The company anticipates immense growth opportunities in the telecommunication industry on the back of mobile broadband and rural telephony and transforming other industries like agriculture, health, transportation, media and utilities.
The head of marketing, Ericsson Sub-Saharan Africa, Shiletsi Makhofane gave an insight into how communication and connectivity will fundamentally impact and change the way Africa society functions, he encourage the telecom industry to grasp its additional growth opportunities in Africa and start the transformation that will drive beneficial changes in society, business and individual.
“From the student in Bonsaaso, in the Ashanti region of Ghana who is connected to classrooms in the united states and across the world, to the fisherman on lake Victoria, who is saved from a storm by an emergency call to the search and rescue services and the solitary refugee who is reconnected with loved one using mobile messaging or over the internet, communication is changing the way we live and work. Ericsson is playing a key role in the evolution, using innovation to empower people, business and society.” Said Makhofane.
In a networked Africa, people would have greater control over their personal ecosystems; plan the trip home based on time traffic information, manage utilities bills remotely and interact with everyday devices remotely, purchase power for a country home and remotely control home electronics. The possibilities are endless.
