Mobile consumer survey reveals further changes for the industry

A survey by Deloitte has revealed that the mobile industry is changing at an exponential rate as new influences shape the way consumer expectations rise and the competition, new and old, pile on advancements such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) as being the differentiators.

“The potential to monetise the anticipated data explosion has driven operator investment strategies for many telcos. Competitive intensity has heightened and operators have been focused on reaching the underserved markets in rural areas with faster broadband offerings and upgrading to 3G and 4G/LTE networks”, Mr Mark Casey, Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) industry leader at Deloitte said.

According to the survey, Telco operators in South Africa for instance have laid foundations of 4G/LTE networks to mostly urban areas (63 percent) and a significant portion to rural areas. According to the survey, about 37 per cent of rural areas in South Africa now have access to 4G/LTE network.

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Against this background, Deloitte identified four themes that the industry faces, providing consumers and mobile operators with a unique guide to the evolving lands, which are choosing an operator, Smartphone usage reaching a pinnacle, growth in mobile commerce and device ownership.

Casey said that the quality of the network with respect to internet provision, the availability of 4G/LTE coverage and usage of a network by family and friends were found to be the key drivers for consumers choosing a mobile operator.

He added that the game has shifted from having kilobits per second to having gigabits per second.

Deloitte found that South African mobile subscribers are looking for cheaper data prices to the extent that large-scale consumer activist movements have formed, such as the recent #DataMustFall and #SocialMediaBlackout campaigns.