WHATSAPP instant messaging applications have dominated MTC’s network in 2018, accounting for 98% of all instant messages sent.
Other applications such as Twitter, Google’s hangouts, Telegram, Skype and IOS push messages competed for the 2% share.
This is according to the recently released telecommunications sector performance review by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran).
Globally, statistics agency Statista said WhatsApp records over 65 billion messages every day on average, and does not show any signs of slowing down.
WhatsApp is a subsidiary of Facebook Inc, which earned N$231 billion as revenue in 2018. Facebook and all its subsidiaries have a customer base of over 2,7 billion people worldwide.
The performance review issued by Cran shows that during 2018, Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) and Telecom Namibia were still the biggest sector players with assets to the tune of N$4,4 billion, while other companies, including Paratus Namibia, had assets worth about N$427 million.
On revenue, the sector earned revenue of about N$4,4 billion in 2017, with MTC recording the larger share at N$2,4 billion.
The sector is still largely controlled by MTC and Telecom as state-owned entities, with all other companies, including Bidvest Namibia, Paratus Namibia, MTN and Salt Essential contributing 12% to the total revenue.
Revenue from data bundles has increased over the years, now reaching over N$1,5 billion, with voice and calls revenue diminishing along the years from over N$1,5 billion to N$1,2 billion.
According to the review, revenue received from SMSes has become negligible as customers switch to IM applications, and for the same reason, interconnection revenue has almost diminished.
Namibia is among the top 10 African countries with the highest mobile cost per 1gigabyte, at around N$150 (US$10,33) according to Research ITC Solutions. Egypt has the lowest cost at N$8 per 1gigabyte.
According to the preliminary national account results released earlier this year by Namibian Statistics Agency, the communication subsector recorded negative growth of 5,3% in 2018 compared to 1,5% growth in 2017.
The subsectors contribution to national output at constant price declined from N$2,58 million in 2017 to N$2,56 million in 2018, leading to a 3,2% negative growth of the transport and communication sector. Meanwhile, employment in the subsector increased by 1% from 2016, recorded at 7 141 people in 2018, according to the Labour Force Survey done last year.
Email: lazarus@namibian.com.na
Twitter: @Lasarus_A
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