By CONRAD ONYANGO
Battle for market share in the mobile data business has gone a notch higher with Airtel’s unveiling of the fastest third Generation (3G) mobile network.
The roll out is expected to heat up the scramble for market share in a business that is expected to grow telecommunications revenues at between US$50 to 60 million in the next three years.
The newly launched 3.75G network is expected to boost Airtel’s market share after the operator rolls out the network countrywide in the next twelve months.
“The network marks a new business proposition for Airtel, we see our market share grow in three digits in the data business,” said Airtel’s Chief Executive Officer, Shivan Bhargava.
According to a research by Pyramid Insurance revenues from data business will grow from the current US$ 475 million to US$750 million by 2016.
Currently, the operators market share stands at 10 percent. The operator has already covered Nairobi, North Coast, Kisumu, Eldoret and Nakuru and plans to cover the whole country in the next 9 to 12 months. It becomes the second to announce focus on mobile data after its rival operator Orange Telkom.
Earlier in the week,Telkom Orange announced that it will lay great focus in the data business as it also anticipate to increase its market share to 11.2 percent by year end.
Mobile data business will further intensifies when the fourth undersea fibre optic Cable will land in the country next month.
