Article
This November 2006 article traces trends in telephone use in Africa. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), between 2000 and 2005 the number of mobile phone lines in Africa rose from 15.6 to 135 million – a compound annual growth rate of almost 54%, compared with 24% globally. Mobile users account for 83% of Africa’s telephone subscribers, a higher proportion than any other region in the world. The World Bank estimates that in most African countries more than 90% of mobile customers use prepaid. However, mobile network coverage on the continent, averaged at 15%, is still the lowest in the world, varying from 72% in South Africa to 1% in Eritrea.