Mobile operators add 3.5 million new subscribers

A chart showing market share for mobile subscriptions per operator.  New statistics from the Communications Commission of Kenya show that Kenya had 38.3 million mobile phone subscribers in the first three months of this year up from 37.7 million during the previous period. (CHART: COURTESY)

New statistics from the Communications Commission of Kenya show that Kenya had 38.3 million mobile phone subscribers in the first three months of this year up from 37.7 million during the previous period.

Safaricom gained a market share of 0.9 percentage points to post 65.6 per cent up from 64.7 per cent market share posted during the previous quarter. Airtel Networks on the other hand lost its market share by 1.7 per cent to register 17.5 per cent market share. In compliance with the new SIM card regulations which require new mobile subscribers to produce identification documents, the operator carried out a SIM barring exercise in mid-December 2015 which led to the disconnection of over 500, 000 subscribers.

Orange Kenya recorded a market share of 12.5 per cent during the period under review up from 12.4 per cent recorded during the last quarter. Finserve Africa also gained a market share of 0.7 per cent to stand at 4.4 per cent. Sema Mobile services, which launched its services during the quarter, had insignificant numbers of 158 subscriptions (0.0 per cent).

The number of post-paid and pre-paid subscriptions for each of the operators experienced substantial change during the quarter under review. Safaricom gained 2.8 per cent and 9.5 per cent of its pre-paid and post-paid subscribers respectively. Its total subscriptions stood at 25.1 million up from 24.4 million posted during the previous quarter, representing growth of 3.1 per cent during the quarter.

Total subscriptions for Airtel Network decreased by 7.1 per cent from 7.2 million subscriptions recorded in the previous quarter to 6.7 million subscriptions during the quarter under review. Both pre-paid and post-paid subscriptions declined by 7.7 per cent and 3.9 per cent respectively.

The total subscriptions for Orange Kenya increased by 3.1 per cent to reach 4.8 million up from 4.6 million subscribers recorded within the last quarter. The pre-paid and post-paid subscriptions increased by 3.1 and 1.4 per cent respectively.

Finserve Africa Limited recorded 1.6 million pre-paid subscriptions whereas Sema Africa recorded 158 pre-paid subscriptions.