yuMobile subscribers increases to three million

By Standard Reporter

The number of subscribers on yuMobile has risen to three million as of last month, the firm’s Chief Executive Officer Madhur Taneja has said.

“The achievement of the three million mark is a big thing for us and we are delighted at the support from Kenyan consumers and the government,” Taneja said in an interview with Standard Business Weekly.

Huge potential

“We see a huge potential in Kenya and that is why we are investing a further $250 million in the expansion of our operation... This is a clear demonstration of the commitment and confidence we have in Kenya and the consumers of our services,” explained Taneja.

He said despite intense competition, there was huge potential of growth in the telecoms sector because the voice penetration level is still below 60 per cent compared to other emerging markets such as India.                                   

“In Kenya, majority of the people talk for less than 90 minutes a month, which is a reflection of a genuine demand that exists and this is the opportunity that we are seeking to exploit,” he said.

Much lower

According to a survey by Communication Commission of Kenya capturing the months of January to March this year, Kenyan consumers make 77.7 minutes of voice calls per month. This is in comparison a Indian consumer who, on average take between 340 and 350 minutes on voice calls each month.

He explained that the $250 million investment would go into infrastructure growth, increased footprint, state-of-the-art technology and capacity building.

“The ultimate goal is to provide a more friendly, high quality and efficient network.”