Ericsson Mobility Report: Mobile Data Traffic to Grow 16 Times by 2021 in Middle East and North East Africa

• Mobile data consumption per active smartphones is expected to increase from 1.2GB per month in 2015 to 10GB per month in 2021 in the Middle East and North East Africa Region
• LTE only accounts for 4 percent of regional subscriptions in 2015 but is expected to increase to 30 percent by 2021 
• Video leads the way as the time spent watching video on mobile devices in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is notably high 
• By 2021, around half of all mobile subscriptions in the Middle East and North East Africa region will be smartphones

Dubai UAE, November 17, 2015:  The latest appendix to the Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) Mobility Report for the Middle East and North East Africa (RMEA), reveals that mobile data traffic will continue to proliferate at a rapid pace and experience 16 times the growth it underwent in 2015.  This massive growth will be driven by availability of affordable smartphones, coupled with availability of mobile broadband networks in highly populated countries, increased number of subscribers moving to faster networks and growth of the video consumption. 

Despite the extreme market variations in terms of Information and Communications Technology Maturity (ICT) throughout the region, LTE subscriptions are also expected to show immense growth throughout the Middle East and North East Africa. LTE only accounts for around 4 percent of all mobile subscriptions in 2015, however, its expected to reach over 30 percent by end of 2021.

The report, a comprehensive update on mobile trends, reveals a significant increase in mobile video consumption. Owing to the high ownership of smartphone devices and the increased availability of faster connectivity, the time spent consuming video content on mobile devices in advanced markets such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is notably high. In fact, almost half of the time consumed on watching video is over a smartphone in Saudi Arabia..
Rafiah Ibrahim, President of Ericsson Region Middle East and Africa, said:  “While the Middle East and Africa region is extremely diverse and some countries are only just adopting LTE networks, we are seeing a rapid rise in terms of data consumption and connectivity. We are currently working with our partners in the industry to introduce the next generation technologies which will fuel the transformation to the Networked Society throughout our region.”  

Other highlights from the latest Ericsson Mobility Report Appendix include:

LTE subscriptions to reach 290 million by 2021: Around 40 percent of countries in the region have launched LTE, but the technology only accounts for around 4 percent of subscriptions, most of which are concentrated in the Gulf countries. However, LTE subscriptions are expected to increase to reach 290 million by the end of 2021, equating to over 30 percent of all mobile subscriptions.
 
16 times growth expected in mobile data traffic by 2021: Mobile data traffic increased by around 80 percent in 2015 from the previous year. It is expected to rise by a CAGR of around 60 percent between 2015 and 2021. The amount of data used monthly by each active smartphone will increase substantially from an average of 1.2 GB in 2015, to around 10 GB in 2021. 
 
Smartphone subscriptions on the rise: The region as a whole had around 690 million mobile subscriptions at the end of 2015. Between 2015 and 2021 it is forecast that mobile subscriptions will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4 percent, amounting to 880 million. As affordable smartphone become abundant and mobile broadband rollouts accelerate, smartphone subscriptions will increase also in less affluent countries. By 2021, this number is forecast to reach 430 million accounting for around 50 percent of all mobile subscriptions.  
 
Ericsson, capturing the Networked Society: Today, 40% of the world’s mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks, allowing it to facilitate better business for the telecommunications and other industries. Smartphone subscription and mobile technology are unlocking the potential for a mass-scale transformation. 

Ericsson provides unique insights on market and consumer trends, as traffic measurements in over 100 live networks in all major regions of the world are performed. 

The Ericsson Mobility Report is one of the leading analyses of data traffic available, providing in-depth measurements from live networks spread around the globe. The report uses these measurements and analysis, together with internal forecasts and other relevant studies, to provide insights into current traffic and market trends in the Networked Society.