The document summarizes a conference on overcoming technical and infrastructure challenges for mobile research in Africa. It discusses the opportunities for mobile research on the growing continent, but also outlines major challenges like inadequate broadband networks, low internet access, and urban-rural divides. It provides perspectives on bridging infrastructure gaps, optimal mobile research design for Africa, protecting research assets, and maintaining a trained technical workforce. The conclusion recognizes both the significant challenges and opportunities that mobile research in Africa presents.

1. November 5 & 6, 2014
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cape Town
Upper Eastside, South Africa
#MRMW
Organized by

2. Title Sponsor Silver Sponsors Bag Sponsor
Association & Media Partners
#MRMW

3. Overcoming Technical and
Infrastructure Challenges for
Mobile Research in Africa
MRMW Africa, Nov 6, 2014 Cape Town.
Kanu Iroegbu
Email Kanu.B.Iroegbu@gsk.com
Mobile +2347063761409
Tel +23413424936

4. Greetings
Greetings from
Lagos
•Nigeria’s commercial capital
& vibrant mega-city.
Nigeria:
•most populous country,
& largest economy in Africa.
Africa:
Welcome to Africa, the rising
continent.

5. Introduction – Changing Perception & Obvious Opportunities
From– a starving, poor,
disease ridden, fractured,
war-torn, corrupt, dying
mass of humanity
To– dynamic,
resilient
entrepreneur,
growing economies,
expanding middle
class

6. The Technical & Infrastructure Challenges in Snapshot
Infrastructure Gaps & Insufficient
Investment
Inadequate broadband network
development & Low Internet
Access
Poor quality and high cost of
services
Huge gaps in Telecom & ICT access
between urban and rural areas
Weak and Ineffective Regulatory
Framework

7. Four Perspectives
1. Bridging The Gap Of Limitations
From Insufficient Network
Coverage and Connectivity.
2. Understanding What Optimal
Mobile Research Design for Africa
Should Include.
3. Security Challenges in Protecting
Mobile Research Assets - Men,
Material, Machine in Africa.
4. Technical Knowledge Gap:
Maintaining Well Trained,
Motivated and Properly Equipped
Personnel.

8. Why Africa and Mobile Research? - Reasons for Focus
Mobile subscription to exceed 635 million by the
end of 2014; predicted to rise to around 930
million by 2019
Nigeria & South Africa:
leading sub-Saharan
countries in terms of mobile
subscription numbers
DRC, Uganda,
Kenya: Following
Nigeria and SA in
mobile
subscription

9. Dashboard - Why Africa and Mobile Research?
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
aaaaaa
Mobile Subscription In Sub-Sahara
Road Map
635 700 760 820 870 930
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
No. Of Subscribers
Mobile Prepaid Suscription -
99 98
83
105
100
95
90
85
80
75
Nigeria Kenya South Africa
% Subscription
Internet Contribution To Africa' GDP 2013
18
300
0
2013 2025
Billion USD
Global Vs Africa Region Mobile Trafic
10
20
25
20
15
10
5
0
Global mobile data trafic Africa region mobile data
% Data Trafic trafic
Source: ERICSSON MOBILITY REPORT APPENDIX http://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/2014/emr-june2014-regional-appendices-ssa.pdf

10. Nigeria an attractive market for Information Technology
- Mr Peter Jack – Director General of NITDA
Jack said people in Nigeria having mobile phones are much
more than those having bank accounts.
75 per cent of adults living in urban areas and 39 per cent of
those living in rural areas have access to a pre-paid mobile
phone.
18 mobile money operators and 67,000 agents had registered
in Nigeria since the recent inauguration of mobile money with
an approximately one million subscribers
Jack said, “Over 11 million transactions of over $600m have
been conducted.
While uptake had been initially slow, improving infrastructure,
fine-tuning of legislation and increasing confidence in product
by consumers is driving significant acceleration.”

11. The NITDA boss listed the objective of the nation’s
recent local content policy to include:
Increase the integration of ICTs across all sectors in a manner
that supports the diversification of the economy while
achieving job and wealth creation.
Speed up the building out of communications infrastructure so
that the whole nation has access to good quality and
affordable, high-speed telecom and Internet services.
Ensure that Nigerians have affordable and convenient access to
devices and have the capacity to use them so every citizen can
share in the benefits of ICT.
Lower the barriers to entry and increase the participation of
Nigerian companies in the ICT sector; and stimulate job
creation in the industry.
Source: Nigerian PUNCH Newspaper – 3rd November 2014

12. Dearth of Infrastructure but Huge Opportunity
Large Hydropower Potential
(only 7 % exploited so far)
8% of Global Natural Gas
Reserves
Harnessing potential of
renewable –bioenergy ,
hydro, solar, wind and
geothermal
Deepening regional
Cooperation and integration
1
2
3
4
Source: 7th Annual Meeting of Infrastructure Consortium for Africa; KEY MESSAGES FROM THE AU SUMMITS ON
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA , May 2011.

13. Bridging The Gap: Way Forward
Poor energy supply inducing economic crisis & literal death of
night economy
Active sharing of both the physical and electronic components
of the cell sites including radio, antenna etc
Wide collocation strategy by mobile operators & ISP
aggregating benefits for subscribers and operators.
South African Energy Ministry seeking to cut the use of coal for
electricity and building Africa’s two largest coal-fired power
plants
Nigeria recently ratified a Thirty-Year National Integrated
Infrastructure Master Plan that would cost $3.05 trillion to
execute – provide linkages in the infrastructure sector.

14. Understanding what Optional Mobile Research Design
for Africa should include
Energy challenges must be factored in and the fairly nascent
infrastructural development in the design of mobile products
for the region..
Development of telecommunications infrastructure for landline
services for voice connections.
Tailor Products to meet Africa’s unique infrastructural
challenges and consumer behaviours
Product offering must incorporate affordability, aspiration and
originality
Skills transfer or share
Regional & sub-regional interconnection of ICT BROADBAND

15. Protecting Mobile Research Assets – Men, Material, Machine In
Africa
Partnering with stakeholders
along the value chain
African Union Peace and Security
Council (AUPSC) mull special fund
to fight terrorism.
The region’s Counter terrorism
successfully Contending against
nefarious activities of insurgent
groups, and addressing underlying
grievances that feed extremism
1
2
3
Networks of video, acoustic, and other sensors can be
deployed around Critical buildings and facilities such as
power plants and communication centres for
protection from potential terrorists.
4

16. Technical Knowledge Gap: Maintaining Well Trained, Motivated And Properly
Equipped Personnel
Creation of an enabling environment that would encourage growth
of ICT skills in the region
Upturning our stock of graduates highly skewed towards the humanities and
social sciences to students in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM)

17. Conclusion
 Signs of rising solid building
block for mobile market
research in the region.
Technical and Infrastructure
Challenges for Mobile
Research in Africa significant
opportunity for OEMs,
Telephone operators,
Researchers and end users.
Together we will fight ,
overcome the challenges and
harvest the gold.

19. Title Sponsor Silver Sponsors Bag Sponsor
Association & Media Partners
#MRMW

20. November 5 & 6, 2014
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cape Town
Upper Eastside, South Africa
#MRMW
Organized by