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Ericsson mobility report indicate 6.5 times expected growth in mobile data traffic by 2026

According to the latest mobility report released by tech firm – Ericsson, Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to experience a 6.5 times growth in mobile data traffic compared to current figures. The tech giant notes; with an estimated 0.87EB total traffic per month in the current year, the mobile data industry in the said market will shift to an average of 5.6EB by 2026 with an average of 8.9GB per smartphone in the period.

Ericsson acknowledges, mobile service providers will consequently invest more in their networks to mitigate this growth to meet changing consumer requirements. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to lack behind the rest of the world with an estimated 84 percent mobile penetration, but the trend will continue to experience increased adoption over the forecast period especially with continuing availability of LTE that accounts for around 15 percent of current subscriptions.

The report further highlights the need to release more spectrum in Africa, a move that will expand coverage while improving network quality that will ultimately encourage more mobile adoption.

According to Ericsson’s President of Middle East and Africa Fadi Pharaon, the current report on mobility highlights the fundamental need for quality connectivity as the key to handle the anticipated uptake especially as the demand for capacity as well as coverage of mobile networks continue to thrive across the African continent. Pharaon further said that investments in 4G networks that’ll ultimately give way to 5G is critical in the journey in digital transformation across the continent. Pharaon also revealed the company’s intention to invest in technology leadership that’ll offer state-of-the-art infrastructure solutions needed for its customers to seize opportunities within Africa.   

The report further highlights an expected 76 percent increase in mobile broadband subscriptions over the forecast period, thanks to a young, growing population equipped with digital skills as well as availability of more affordable mobile devices. additionally, 5G subscriptions starting 2022 are expected to reach 5 percent by the year 2026. However, the report acknowledges High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) will remain the dominant technology in Sub-Saharan Africa over the period with a share of over 40 percent in 2026.

Providers compete with distinct strategies

Telecommunications companies continue to use an offering-led strategy which entails a wide range of services connected to mobile subscriptions such as mobile banking, gaming and insurance. Current outlook shows that offering-led service providers tend to couple network performance with certain use cases as well as end-user expectations, such as promoting the best network for video streaming.

The report shows most challengers adopt an offering-led strategy, the idea behind this strategy is to be the first to market new offerings by employing high-level market innovation to get a sizeable slice often with one-for-all offerings. They deploy extensive campaigns and promotional programs to gain traction and capitalize on their “first-mover advantage”. 

Reported increase in service providers offering Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)

Besides the needs arising as a result of the pandemic, especially as more companies allow staff to work from their homes, the report shows three main factors driving adoption of fixed wireless access services. Businesses as well as individuals continue to deploy digital services thereby increasing demand, and secondly, Fixed Wireless Access services utilized on 4G or 5G platforms continue to prove to be more cost-efficient broadband alternatives in areas that lack Fixed internet such as DSL, cable and fiber. Additionally, increasing capacity necessitated by broader spectrum allocations and technology advancements for 4G and 5G networks are driving higher network efficiency in terms of the cost per delivered gigabyte. 

Third, countries are encouraging broadband connectivity through programs and subsidies, since it is considered vital for digitalization efforts and economic growth. Download the full report from here

Vivo set to launch a selfie-centric Vivo V20 smartphone in Kenya, packs a 44MP selfie camera

Vivo smartphone has announced plans to unveil its selfie-centric smartphone in Kenya, the device which resides within the V-series lineup, packs a massive 44MP eye autofocus selfie that’s capable of capturing 4K videos. Vivo V20 carries the slogan “Be the Focus” and has given special attention to photography with some interesting features that will entice consumers interested in the niche. From the look of things, the handset has a clear target and the company has gone of its way to ensure that users get exactly what they expect.

Top on the list is its 44MP Eye Autofocus selfie camera, capable of capturing 4K videos with some addon tweaks and tricks such as the—Slo-Mo Selfie video, steadiface selfie video and Dual-view video for back and front viewing at the same time. Users will also be able to record super quality selfies at night, thanks to the included Super Night Selfie.

And it’s not only selfie lovers that have been considered on this device, there’s a triple rear camera setup consisting of a 64MP, 8MP, and 2MP sensors that also support Super Night Mode on the main lens. The primary camera setup is capable of tripod shooting, wide-angle night scenes.

According to Vivo smartphone – Kenya Brand Manager James Irungu, the company has put some effort in ensuring it meets frequently changing handset market especially the needs of young trendsetting generation as well as keeping them at par with current trends in the smartphone industry.

The handset is enclosed in a matte glass and comes with a 6.44-ich FHD+ AMOLED panel. This is particularly important considering OLED technology has numerous advantages over traditional LCD’s including better contrast and saturation as well as deep black due to each pixel lighting itself. We also expect the panel to go slow on battery usage.

We also get an in-display fingerprint sensor, which should be more convenient for some of us who don’t like rear sensors. Users can easily unlock their devices while they are resting on the table without having to lift the device first to access the sensor.  

It’ll come with Funtouch OS 11 onboard, which is based on android version 10, and consumers in Kenya should expect it to be available before Christmas in two colors; Midnight Jazz and Sunset Melody. We’ll be updating the prices once it’s officially available.

Its not just you, Google services like Gmail and YouTube are down in Kenya and many parts

Reports of Google services being down have been pouring in a a couple of last few minutes. Users in Kenya and many parts across the world are unable to access YouTube, Gmail as well as other services from the tech giant. Down detector has so far been getting complaints in several regions with regards to Gmail as per the above map.

While trying to access YouTube, users are getting an error; “Something went wrong as below

Gmail is also down, showing an error that “Something Went Wrong” whenever someone tries to access their accounts.

[UPDATE: SERVICES ARE ONLINE AGAIN]

Xoom lets you transfer money from PayPal to MPESA in Kenya within minutes at affordable rates

PayPal’s adoption in the country has had some tremendous results over the years, we’ve come along way when Kenyans could only withdraw via an Equity bank for some reason and some scrupulous third parties that charged a fortune to convert your balance to MPESA. Although there are efficient third parties that can help you transfer cash from PayPal to a locally accepted medium like MPESA, PayPal has gone out of the way to introduce Xoom – a baked-in facility that would easily allow sending money from PayPal in Europe to MPESA or some local bank accounts at lower transaction costs.

As of this writing, Xoom is supported in over 70 countries across the world – of course Kenya included, and can be used to pay for utility bills, reload mobile wallets or transferring your cash to a local bank account. In Kenya for example, you can easily send money from Xoom to mobile wallets such as MPESA or a bank account for Equity and SBM Bank customers. Gone are the days when the only option we had was transferring cash from PayPal to an Equity Bank account, SBM Bank is now onboard as well as the most convenient of them all – MPESA.

Safaricom also collaborated with PayPal to introduce PayPal to MPESA service that personally I’ve been gladly using, the only problem with the service was its limitation to Kenya (sorry other countries) and just because it was a third-party. There’s something unique with having a service that’s baked-in the application, normally the service runs efficiently and in case of issues you can still reach out to PayPal themselves. Additionally, with Xoom, users can transfer money in four foreign currencies; Euro, Pound, USD and CAD to their local currency.

How to transfer money from PayPal to MPESA, Equity Bank and SBM Bank using Xoom

  • Head over to the official website: https://www.xoom.com/
  • Enter the amount you want to send,
  • Select the currency from the dropdown
  • You’ll see the effective amount you’ll receive after the exchange rate
  • Proceed with prompts on the medium you want to receive the cash

Twitter and Snapchat collaborate to allow sharing of tweets on phones and here is how to do it

If you are a fan of both twitter and snapchat, there’s an almost certain chance you’ve wanted to share your tweets on the other platform without having to start from scratch. As of this writing, twitter and snapchat have enabled the functionality at least on devices running iOS with an expected rollout on android devices coming out anytime from now. While you could still have your tweets on snapchat, problem is the process was tedious and maybe not worthwhile for an average user.

But from the current trend thus far, it may look like the two social platforms have been aware of this problem and are working to fix it with of course iOS users getting first priority. Excuse me; but from that last statement, it seems that our largest mobile service provider – Safaricom is the only firm that would actually give priority to android users going by the recent fingerprint authentication feature update in MySafaricom app.

The tweet sharing feature is built-in, meaning it’ll be native for anyone using the app on their devices. just thinking about it somehow makes me excited considering the many photo editing features we already have inside snapchat that can actually add spark and glamour to our tweets. As earlier indicated, android users might have to wait a tad longer, but there are still workarounds they could deploy to achieve the same functionality.

How to share tweets on Snapchat

As of this writing, the feature is supported only on public tweets, protected tweets are currently not possible using the same method.

  • Launch twitter app and locate the tweet you want to share
  • Click on the share icon at the bottom-right of the tweet in question
  • Next, you’ll see a new option Snap Camera, tap on it
  • Above action should open the Snapchat app
  • Once in the Snapchat app, tap on any photo of anything you’d like to use in the Snap
  • Proceed to move the tweet around, resize it, rotate or just use any of the available tools to edit however you want.
  • Once finished, just proceed to tap on the send arrow, select friends to share with or just add to your story, done!

LG Electronics fetes winners of DARE TO DREAM campaign with washing machines and other goodies

Home appliances maker – LG Electronics has feted winners of its DARE TO DREAM digital campaign with various goodies flagged by it’s top of the line AI DD washing machine. The competition pitted talents from over 500 participants who took part in a TikTok Duet, song, rap and dance off to the original AI DD song by Nameless. The occasion was attended by local musician Nameless and LG East Africa Managing director Mr. Sa Nyoung Kim.

DARE TO DREAM digital campaign aimed to award best talents in the competition that took 4 weeks up until last month. There were over 500 participants who showcased their creativity on positioning LG’s AI DD washing machine on the popular short video social platform – TikTok.

The competition saw over 400 videos uploaded on the social platform in a period of one month that later proceeded to a public voting stage in a bid to find the winner. Those who would later become winners were then subjected to both public voting as well as an internal judging panel.

Speaking on the occasion, LG East Africa’s managing Director Mr. Sa Nyoung Kim acknowledged the company had been excited to witness youths in the country embrace the digital campaign by showcasing their talents and creativity as it relates to the company’s products. Kim further noted the uptake was a sign of how valuable the digital age had become in the rise of the disruption as the electronics giant continues to innovate relevant consumer products.

Winners of the DARE TO DREAM digital campaign

Winners of the challenge included Fabius Ochieng for Best Dance Video, Valerie Nelima for the Best Rap Song, Dotty Lavine for Best Duet Song and Limbo Art Company for Special Effort Recognition. Each one of them was awarded with an LG AI DD Washing Machine including other merchandise.

The campaign comes after LG unveiled what it called an AI DD washing machine that features Artificial Intelligence capability that not only detects the weight of one’s load but also senses the softness of the fabric and it chooses the optimal motions for the fabric by itself. Additionally, the washing machine is equipped with TurboWash 360 features that enhance user convenience with Fast Wash, ensuring their load is completed within 39 minutes.

Mr. Kim concluded by saying the company was proud to be improving the livelihoods of Kenyan consumers during these difficult times. According to Kim, LG’s new washing machine ensured that they’ll always be protected, thanks to the innovative Steam+ TM feature which disinfects from common allergens.  

Huawei touts a smartwatch for everyone spanning from formal, sports and casual wear

There are more than a million reasons why someone would prefer a wearable device over another, and in the world where everything is moving towards smart-functionality, the stakes to choose a smartwatch that matches your needs couldn’t be higher. Huawei has in recent times unveiled wearable devices that meet a myriad of user needs ranging from those looking for something formal, casual or sport-oriented. Beyond what looks as wearable, manufactures have perfected the segment to accommodate different user-base, including those looking for luxury to those hoping to get something that complement their style and fashion.

But for an average consumer such as me, who look for something with a preferred functionality such as fitness tracking or just a nice smartwatch to glance at those notifications without unlocking my phone, apparently there are gadgets just for that. In the case of what we already have from Huawei, the three popular models have been fine-tuned to cater for different niche. Whether you are looking for something that will last a little longer than what the competition offers, a beautiful design that’ll make friends stare at your wrist for no reason or something with a credible reputation to monitor your health and keep you fit while monitoring your day-to-day activities, Huawei has something for every occasion.

For those looking for a taste of luxury and elegance.

According to Huawei, the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro Moon Phase Collection was made for consumers looking for something that spells premium with a touch of elegance. The smartwatch is made from premium materials and comprises some of the best tech currently on the market. It comes with top-end materials such as titanium body and sapphire crystal surface for the 1.39-inch AMOLED display, as well as a fine ceramic backing for durability, comfort and style.

The tech giant was generous enough to include some water resistance capability with a reported 5ATM water resistance (up to 50 meters deep). Other inclusions are important features that enable users to make, take, mute calls, control music playback, add images as watch faces and even use the premium smartwatch as a selfie stick with a remote camera feature.

Smart features for everyone

Recently announced Huawei Watch Fit has everything you’ll ever need from a wearable at an affordable price tag. The smartwatch has an impressive rectangular 1.64-inch, large AMOLED screen with a 70% screen-to-body ratio. Users will also get approximately 130+ different gorgeous watch face styles that can be used to express themselves on a daily basis. It also comes in four beautiful colors and has a battery that can last for 10 straight days without recharging.

But for those of us looking for a smartwatch that can be worn on a daily basis for any activities, the Huawei Watch GT2 will do just that. Its available in two variations of 46mm and 42mm for all wrist sizes and comes with a battery that lasts for 2 weeks on the 46mm variant. You could use the smartwatch for usual fitness tracking activities as well as keep your heart rate in check, monitor sleep and stress and get your groove on with 100 workout modes including running courses and more. The smaller version has a stylish design that renders it a great choice for all fashionistas out there. It packs the same feature as its larger sibling and a battery that can last up to 7 days.

How to Pay for your Insurance premiums on your phone using MPESA’s USSD option

When Safaricom simplified the MPESA mobile money platform by introducing a USSD option, a lot of features were unlocked in the process including the ability to pay for your insurance premiums without even knowing your provider’s Lipa na MPESA Pay Bill number. MPESA users can now easily pay for their premiums on their devices without having to get the provider’s Pay Bill details, the process is straight forward and is instant.

A bit of history on MPESA’s accessibility first, the service has undergone several transformations to become available via a smartphone app as well as USSD option from the earlier SIM card services. And just recently, Safaricom finally unlocked the ability for users to lock their MySafaricom app using a fingerprint though currently limited to certain devices with android versions starting from version 9 (Pie) and older.

Below guide will show Safaricom users how they can easily pay for their insurance premiums from several providers by following simple USSD codes. You’ll first need to know your provider of course and the account number before proceeding with the process.

How to pay for your insurance premiums using MPESA on your phone;

  • On your phone, Dial *334#
  • From the given menu list, choose Financial Services
  • Followed by Insurance then
  • Premium Payments on the next page.
  • You’ll need to choose a number containing the first letter of your provider such as 2 B-D for Britam
  • Choose your respective insurance provider from the list
  • Note: you’ll need to select the name with correct Pay Bill number as some providers use different MPESA business numbers for various products.
  • Enter your Account Number
  • Followed by the premium Amount
  • Enter MPESA PIN to confirm the transaction