Greater number of Nigerians are accessing the internet, consuming a myraid of innovative digital content services, through mobile phones as opposed to Personal Computers (PCs), according to latest report by Swedish based telecommunications equipment manufacturer, Ericsson. With 84 percent of smartphones connected to the cyberspace, 82 percent of mobile phone users access the internet with their device on a daily basis, which is an indication that internet users mostly perform online activities on their phones. On the other hand, 45 percent of PC users and 44 percent of tablet users access the internet with their devices. The report entitled, “Internet goes mobile’, and released on Wednessday, said 94 percent of consumers use social networks and 93 percent browse the internet on their phones. But, only 44 percent of users use social networks and 50 percent browse internet on their PCs.
Giving lucid insight into some of the key findings of the report, Fredrik Jejdling, head of Ericsson’s sub-Saharan Africa region, said “Nigerians want a more connected life. Nigerians consumers are replacing their devices, such as mobile phones and desktops with smart devices like smartphones and laptops, which have a higher proportion of internet connectivity.” Acording to the report, smartphones are amongst the most owned devices, with 84 percent of them being connected to the global information super-highway. The study also shows that Nigerians are interested in a greatly connected future. “Some of the future technologies and services that Nigerians are interested in include connected homes and cars, social discovery, multi-screening and P2P (Peer-to-Peer) sharing”, the report added. About 70 percent of consumers are interested in having homes and cars that are connected to the internet.
“The high level of interest in staying connected constantly highlights the fact that Nigerian consumers would like to live a more networked life”, added Jejdling. Considering how much consumers value being able to connect to the internet, the demand for quality data services and network connection is high, as consumption of digital content and services rises.According to the report, most mobile phone users in Nigeria are satisfied with parametres of operator services such as network coverage (data and voice), initial purchase process and account management. The report also highlights that the need to remain update and connected is a strong motivator for consumers when opting for internet services. “The pursuit of better access often makes consumers switch connections, for instance from fixed broadband (Wi-Fi) to mobile broadband (MBB) or the other way around”, Jejdling further explained.
The most common reasons given by consumers when swtiching connections concerns changes of location, with around 58 percent citing this as the primary factor affecting their decision. The other determinin factors include the availability of internet connection (54 percent) and better speed or reliability (51 percent). If Nigerian consumers are provided with consistently good quality connections at all times, irrespecive of location, they are likely to spend more time online and remain connected, unaffected by geographically imposed barriers, according to the report. The study finds that once telecoms consumers are exposed to good connectivity experience and better speeds, they are likely to want to upgrade or improve on it. While only 33 percent of 2G (Second Generation) consumers want to upgrade to 4G (Fourth Generation) 47 percent of 3G (Third Generation) users want to do the same.
Ben Uzor
